Functionalism, Emile Durkheim 1858-1917

Functionalism, Emile Durkheim 1858-1917 Emile Durkheim is a founding father of Structural-Consensus Theory known as Functionalism. This theory looks as society as a whole, known in sociology as a Macro theory due to not looking at individuals or individual problems but at society as a group or sub cultures. Durkheim would argue that society was characterised by an existence of order, control and constraint of individuals,à ¯Ã†â€™Ã… ¸need to reference with the individual being viewed as less important than the entire group as a whole. It is a Logical and Systematic analysis: It treats us all as being the same and offers no explanation for differences. It explains how society has maintained its existence over time and it tries to influence the children of tomorrow by forcing past beliefs and decisions on them. Durkheim believes socialisation is important to keep society functioning well and that we should pass our rules, norms and values through generations and change nothing to maintain social stability. Durkheim theorises that we all depend on each other and our institutions need each other in order to survive, this is known as Interdependence. Durkheim explains this by his Organic Analogy, for example like the human body if the heart stops working it has a knock on effect onto the lungs, brain and the rest of the organs. This theory can be observed within the recent happenings of the global financial crisis which caused the threat and total collapse of the worlds largest financial institutions; so when the major banks actually did collapse it had a negative effect on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and damaged employment, education, housing, borrowing and private business around the world. Functionalist theory has weaknesses as it assumes everyone has the same choices and decisions to make in life when in actual fact rich people have more options than poor people: if we consider different nations we observe that poor people in Africa can only afford to eat one bowl of porridge a day whereas rich people in America can eat five times a day whatever they want, also some countries only offer boys education when in other countries education is compulsory for both males and females. It states that we have no free will and that our paths in life are set out for us by our genealogy, meaning the traits and genetics we inherit from our ancestors. Another negative of this theory is it does not explain conflict in our society and does not accept that we are all different and states when people disagree with the consensus they are classed as being dysfunctional, this is unfair to those people as they could form a sub group within our society yet are unable to have a voice or share their opinion for example a functionalist would argue that Gay relationships dont fit in with the nuclear family ideal as a functionalist society these people and their beliefs are excluded and their differences ignored. Marxism Karl Marx (1818-1883) Marxism theory is known in sociology as a Structural Conflict theory like the functionalist theory it looks at society as a whole and the structure of society such as the institutions that keep society stable. However the Marxist theory focuses on the different conflicts that happen within society mainly between the classes. As Marx explains, the predominant class conflict within society occurs between the proletariat (lower class) and the bourgeoisies (upper class). Marx argues that this is due to the bourgeoisie being the owners of production; they therefore own the means to create work by owning the tools, material, trade and stability for their workers. This creates requirement of the bourgeoisie for the proletariat as they require the trade, work and wages in order to feed their families. However the tension is created due to the proletariat being low paid with usually bad standards of work environment and long hours of work. The workers were made to work hard and meet targets every day in order to turn a profit for the owners of production knowing that if their work wasnt up to scratch or they disobeyed the rules they could lose their jobs, the bourgeoisie knew they could replace a worker quiet easily so had the power to make these decisions without thought for the workers. This relationship as Marx describes is reliant on each other and is apparent within all aspects of the economy even today in our present society. Due to such high unempl oyment and an economy in recession, wages and salaries have been frozen for a few years now and not rising with inflation causing more tension between the lower class and upper classes of society and government. Marx explains that this relationship was/is oppressive to the working class individuals due to the low wages, the working classes are restricted in their social mobility as well as their ability to move up through the academic or employment ladder. This is almost certainly relevant in todays society for example mortgages are only available to a small margin of those able to pay large deposits to secure loans and in England educational attainment comes at a high price. Marxist sociologists believe that the education system has been designed and constructed as a training ground for the children of the proletariat. It is dominated by the ruling class to socialize them to accept that individual competition and inevitable inequality is the only system that works. For Marxists this is a powerful form of social control that will legitimise the capitalists economic forms of production and the legitimate political leadership of a capitalist ruling class (hegemony) with this Marxists do not be lieve that the education system provides equal opportunities for the children, even though it comes across as fair and equal, children are often split into groups based on merit and ability. Marxist sociologists would refer to the learning of rules, norms, routines and regulations as the hidden curriculum, Marxists see this as a way of reinforcing the class system to ensure, that pupils learn the skills more suited to their class background. Marx fully believed that in order for this relationship to change that the masses had to come together to overthrow the bourgeoisie from power and take control to make it a fairer society (socialism). Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim Within sociology, Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim have played very influential parts when it comes to looking at society and its structure. They both adopted a structural position from which they saw society as a system made up of similar parts and they believe that culture is as crucial to identity as socialisation. Both believed the social structure controlled the individual through socialisation of values, Durkheim thought positive of this situation, whereas Marx felt this was negative. Karl Marx believed that religious values and beliefs are the basis for the values and beliefs within society. Marx believed that order was achieved through unequal power relations between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat in which the bourgeoisie control the environment and the conditions (economic determinism) that the proletariat are consigned to earn in order to live. This is referring to a capitalist society, where the working class individuals work to a set of rules and guidelines in return for a wage, however turning a higher profit for the owner than what they earn. Marx argues that these roles between the classes are oppressive, exploited, alienated and constrained by the ruling class and believes that revolutionary change would only be possible and take place when the working classes are fully aware of these conditions in which they live, he also believes that the bourgeoisie are the controllers of culture since the economic forces determine everything else and use the sup er structure of society for their own purpose including religion, education and rules. Marx refers to this as a movement from a class in itself to a class for its self, however, before the working class can become a class for itself they need the development of a class identity, the realities and the problems of society are largely hidden from them this Marx states is an illusionary world in which they live and is referred to as a state of false class consciousness in society. This is the aim of Marxist sociology; to exploit and show society for what it really is, by doing so would be to create true class consciousness. For Emile Durkheim, who believed that individual identity was a problem or an issue for society as a whole and if restricted, harmony and social order could continue.

Examining Educational Theorists and Current Practice Today Essay

Examining Educational Theorists and Current Practice Today Abstract This paper names three educational theorists, Benjamin Bloom, Jean Piaget, and Lev Vygotsky, and seeks to examine their most well-known theories. These are namely, Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development, and Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development. Each theory is briefly explained and then compared and contrasted with the other theories. Lastly, the author reflects on the practical application of these theories in a classroom setting, discussing how these philosophies fit into the author’s current practice. Can anyone with a thought, idea, or theory about a topic be considered a theorist? Those who are formally named as theorists in educated circles seem to be people who have spent time pondering a particular subject, topic, or issue and then shared his or her thoughts with others of that field, eventually following up with testing and publication. In that same vein, are not those who study and work in those fields, albeit perhaps unpublished and unrecognized, pondering the inner workings of that field also considered theorists? When it comes to education, there are those who through publication have shared their theories regarding its purposes, processes, effects, etc, and then there are those who perform its’ necessary tasks daily. The latter learn about the former as part of undergraduate courses in education but are seldom asked to carry out these theories farther than a pencil-paper test. This graduate level course has asked, in the form of this paper, for s tudents who are at work in the field of education to re-examine several of these theorists, comparing and contrasting their pu... ...onal Bureau of Education. Vol: XXX, No. 3. www.ibe.unesco.org/Internaional/Publications/ThinkersPdf/bloome.pdf Gallagher, C. (n.d.) Psychology history: Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky http://fates.cns.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/vygotsky.htm Major categories in the taxonomy of educational objectives (Bloom, 1956). http://faculty.washington.edu/krumme/guides/bloom.html MIA: encyclopedia of marxism: glossary of people: vy (Vygotsky, Lev.). www.marxists.org/glossary/people/v/y.htm Presnell, F. (n.d.) Psychology history: Jean Piaget. http://fates.cns.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/piaget.htm Schutz, R. (2002, March). Vygotsky and language acquisition. www.sk.com/sk-vygot.html Smith, L. (2000, November). A brief biography of Jean Piaget. The Jean Piaget Society: society for the study of knowledge and development. www.piaget.org/aboutPiaget.html

Perceptions of Administrative and Academic Support Services by Student :: essays research papers

Perceptions of Students in MSA Courses â€Å"Perceptions of Administrative and Academic Support Services by Students Taking Courses in the Master of Science in Administration Program† Abstract This paper focuses on the analysis of empirical data relating to the perceptions of students currently enrolled in courses offered in the Masters of Science in Administration (MSA) program at Saint Michael’s College (SMC) in Winooski, Vermont. A survey was designed and administered to 95 students in an effort to capture their perception of the quality of academic and administrative support services available to graduate students. Specific attention was given to the areas of enrollment services, financial services, library services and advising. The subjects generally rated these services somewhere between â€Å"average† and â€Å"excellent†. Comments written-in by subjects provide information that can be used to improve the students’ experience with various MSA Program services. Perceptions of Administrative and Academic Support Services by Students Taking Courses in the Master of Science in Administration Program at Saint Michaels College Customer perception surveys are a means of measuring how customers rate their experience with products or services. The result is a quantitative measure of their levels of satisfaction. By repeating the survey at regular intervals, it can be determined whether customers' perceptions are improving or deteriorating. Based on this information, changes can be made in services and marketing strategies. By later repeating the study, it can be determined how effective the changes have been in improving how a customer rates their experience. In an interview with Paul Olsen, Associate Director, Master of Science in Administration Program, we learned that the MSA program has not conducted a survey of students enrolled in the program to identify levels of satisfaction with services and programs offered. There has been one formal survey of alumni, completed in the spring of 1996 by SMC undergraduates in a Research Methods class (See Appendix D). This survey was conducted to gather information pertaining to overall satisfaction with the graduate program, whether the alumni’s goals and objectives had been met, and demographic data on program alumni. Our team believes that a survey of students currently taking MSA program course could provide information that would be tremendously helpful in assisting the college to assess the efficiency and quality of its services. Our operating premise is that an individual’s first experience with an organization has a direct impact on their long-term impressions and overall senses of connectedness. Therefore, Perceptions of Administrative and Academic Support Services by Student :: essays research papers Perceptions of Students in MSA Courses â€Å"Perceptions of Administrative and Academic Support Services by Students Taking Courses in the Master of Science in Administration Program† Abstract This paper focuses on the analysis of empirical data relating to the perceptions of students currently enrolled in courses offered in the Masters of Science in Administration (MSA) program at Saint Michael’s College (SMC) in Winooski, Vermont. A survey was designed and administered to 95 students in an effort to capture their perception of the quality of academic and administrative support services available to graduate students. Specific attention was given to the areas of enrollment services, financial services, library services and advising. The subjects generally rated these services somewhere between â€Å"average† and â€Å"excellent†. Comments written-in by subjects provide information that can be used to improve the students’ experience with various MSA Program services. Perceptions of Administrative and Academic Support Services by Students Taking Courses in the Master of Science in Administration Program at Saint Michaels College Customer perception surveys are a means of measuring how customers rate their experience with products or services. The result is a quantitative measure of their levels of satisfaction. By repeating the survey at regular intervals, it can be determined whether customers' perceptions are improving or deteriorating. Based on this information, changes can be made in services and marketing strategies. By later repeating the study, it can be determined how effective the changes have been in improving how a customer rates their experience. In an interview with Paul Olsen, Associate Director, Master of Science in Administration Program, we learned that the MSA program has not conducted a survey of students enrolled in the program to identify levels of satisfaction with services and programs offered. There has been one formal survey of alumni, completed in the spring of 1996 by SMC undergraduates in a Research Methods class (See Appendix D). This survey was conducted to gather information pertaining to overall satisfaction with the graduate program, whether the alumni’s goals and objectives had been met, and demographic data on program alumni. Our team believes that a survey of students currently taking MSA program course could provide information that would be tremendously helpful in assisting the college to assess the efficiency and quality of its services. Our operating premise is that an individual’s first experience with an organization has a direct impact on their long-term impressions and overall senses of connectedness. Therefore,

Ophelia and Polonius Essay -- Shakespeare Hamlet

Ophelia and Polonius   Ã‚  Ã‚   In this essay I will attempt to compare and contrast the relationship of Ophelia and Polonius in Shakespeare's play Hamlet, with the relationship my father and I have. I will analyze the similarities and differences between their relationship and ours to show how even though the play takes place in a much different time period, we still have things in common. First, I will characterize the relationship I have with my father. Next, I plan to define the relationship Ophelia has with her father Polonius in the story of Hamlet. Finally, I will discuss how the two relationships relate to one another.    Since I was young my father and I have had a fairly close relationship. As I have grown up he has continuously instilled important values in my life and continues to nurture my environment and support a productive lifestyle. In my teenage years we have however somewhat grown apart. We still talk but it has become harder to see eye to eye on more and more issues. The way our relationship goes is as follows. There will be a disagreement, we...

Criminal Justice Workplace Observation Paper

In any workplace the goal of the company is to perform all job duties so that work functions may be carried out accordingly. Jobs that are centered around the criminal justice system have an even more important task of getting things done because just like any other job, criminal justice ones have laws to uphold. This paper will discuss the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) and its workplace observations. The leadership consists of three levels: upper management, middle management and lower level management. Upper management involves the judge of each case that passes through DHR. The judge is responsible for overseeing the case and making final decisions overall about the case. Middle management consists of the attorneys that are assigned to each case. Attorneys are responsible for making sure the legal aspects of the case in regards to the child are being followed. Lower management consists of the DHR workers. The DHR workers are responsible for making sure the welfare of the child is in their best interest. Culture is one of the most important factors in successfully managing a criminal justice workforce. It is extremely important for each of the above named participants to be able to understand the differing diversities that the courts may encounter. It is not uncommon for a DHR worker to have a caseload with different ethnicities and cultural differences. You can read also  Justice System Position Paper Sometimes, those cultural differences may cause an individual to speak a different language than the worker, judge, or attorney is familiar with. Language barriers can often cause problems with relaying actual problems that are going on with a case. If either of the above participants can fluently speak different languages then that helps not only the court participants, but the people that are involved in the case personally. This will cut down on the legal issues that could arise in cases. Speaking of legal issues, the law is an extremely serious matter in DHR. DHR workers have the ever daunting task of making sure they report behavior to the courts about the welfare of any child. The judges have to make sure they are upholding the law and interpreting it to the best of their ability, and attorneys are built to practice and exercise the good will of the law all according to their states’ statutes.

Bartelby & story

The narrator tries all the way through the story to truly empathize with Bartleby, but he never digs too deep because he is concerned about saving himself. He thinks that doing good deeds for Bartleby will look good for him as well. The narrator, however, sticks with Bartleby longer than most of us would.Bartleby is frustratingly honest about life. He is throroughly unexcited about life in general, and the narrator is maybe a little afraid that he is too much like Bartleby. However, he is an eminently â€Å"safe† man who has made peace with the modern world by working for rich clients but has no inner passion.2. Turkey, Nippers and Ginger Nut are oddly named characters. Turkey and Nippers are named for the volatility of their character and are in themselves caricatures. Turkey gets drunk in the afternoon and becomes enraged at the slightest thing thereafter; in other words, he acts like a real turkey. Nippers is irritable and angry in the morning when he might â€Å"nip† someone. As the day goes on, he is able to get some work done. The two of them together do the work of one man. Ginger Nut is so named because he brings the office Ginger Nut cakes.Their nicknames tell the reader that they are unreliable in assessing Bartleby, since someone could assume by their actions that they are crazy too. These characters also serve to show what the boss already puts up with. 3. Bartleby might want his story told in order to emphasize the futility of the world. He loses two jobs due to some sort of administrative change, and the world does not provide an environment for him that he can become excited about. The tone of his last statement, â€Å"Ah, Bartleby! Ah, humanity!† is a final sigh in the life of someone who has given up completely. Bartleby has not helped anyone, including himself. He may want to warn us of the emptiness of striving to make a living and the bleakness of the business world. He may also want to show us in a more realistic way wh at becomes of the nonconformist in society. It is wonderful for all of us to think about not being â€Å"part of the crowd,† but the reality is very different. Not being one of the crowd makes for a long and lonely existence. Works Cited Melville, Herman, Bartle

Attitude Of Young Adults Towards Drinking Milk In Pkaitsan Essay

Relatively small quantities of milk can provide a significant proportion of daily nutrient requirements for all age groups making it nutrient rich relative to its energy content. In addition to its contribution to nutrient intake, increased milk consumption has also been linked to reducing the risk of numerous health problems such as osteoporosis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity. Milk therefore makes a significant contribution to the human diet through provision of the macro-nutrients, vitamins and minerals. An analysis shows that young adulthood, 68% of females and 53% of males had calcium intakes lower than the recommended level of 1,000 mg/day. Milk in urban areas is accessible to common consumers in two ways: loose, unprocessed milk and packed, processed milk. Each has its own price regimen. Unprocessed milk passes through the middle persons before it reaches the urban retailer. Dairy companies are also part of the marketing structure. Small local companies have milk supply contracts with ‘dodhees’. Agriculture is the largest sector of the Pakistani economy, contributing 23 percent to the GDP and involving 42 percent of the total labor force. Livestock is the largest of the various agriculture sub sectors. Milk is the largest commodity from the livestock sector accounting for 51 percent of the total value of the sector. The farm gate value of milk is estimated to be more than Rs. 390 billion. Pakistan is the third largest producer of milk in the world with a total production of 28 billion liter of milk a year, whose value is more than that of the combined value of wheat and cotton, from a total herd size of 27 million. Milk contains ingredients necessary for the growth and maintenance of human body- proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Milk and milk products form a significant part of the diet in many countries and a substantial part of food expenditure goes on milk and dairy products. In the quest for national food sufficiency, researchers in Pakistan have focused almost exclusively on production related disciplines and have overlooked the important allied areas of quality and yield. Quality it seems has consequently become the most forgotten aspect in almost all stages of food production, processing, distribution and consumption. This research attempts to study consumers’ attitude of young adults toward drinking milk and further to devise strategies that how the attitude of consumer could be changed or formed to incite them to drink more milk , research will be followed with theory of reasoned action model (TRA) , defined as to determine consumer beliefs associated with the consumption and drinking of milk and subjective norms (reference group importance ) and motivation to comply evaluation for milk consumption attitude. PROBLEM STATEMENT: To measure the attitude of young adults towards drinking milk. LITERATURE REVIEW: Theory of Reasoned Action Model: Theories are used to try to understand and predict how and why people change their unhealthy behaviors to healthier ones. The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA that focuses on a person’s intention to behave a certain way. An intention is a plan or a likelihood that someone will behave in a particular way in specific situations — whether or not they actually do so. For example, a person who is thinking about quitting smoking intends or plans to quit, but may or may not actually follow through on that intent. To understand behavioral intent, which is seen as the main determinant of behavior, the TRA looks at a person’s (or population’s) attitudes towards that behavior as well as the subjective norms of influential people and groups that could influence those attitudes. According to the TRA, attitudes and norms are the main influences on intention, which, in turn, is the main motivator of behavior. Attitudes: toward a particular behavior are influenced by a combination of two related factors: ? Beliefs about the outcome of the behavior (i. e. , is the outcome likely or unlikely? ) ? Evaluation of the potential outcome (is the outcome a good thing or a bad thing? ). TRA important aspect of your attitude is whether or not it is positive, negative, or neutral. For example, if you strongly believe that drinking of milk is good, then one could say that you have a positive attitude toward that behavior. If you strongly believe that the behavior will lead to an undesirable outcome, you are likely to have a negative attitude about it. Subjective norms are influenced by our perceptions of the beliefs of those around us parents, friends, colleagues, partners, etc. According to the TRA, we have a sense or belief about whether or not these individuals and groups would approve or disapprove of the behavior. But we also have to factor in how motivated we are to comply with their views. This can vary from one situation to another. Subjective norm is defined as an individual’s perception of whether people important to the individual think the behavior should be performed. The contribution of the opinion of any given referent is weighted by the motivation that an individual has to comply with the wishes of that referent. By focusing on attitudes and norms, TRA provides a framework for identifying and measuring the underlying reasons for a person’s intent to behave a certain way (or not). It is called the Theory of Reasoned Action because of the emphasis on understanding these reasons, not because the beliefs and attitudes themselves are necessarily reasonable or correct. The more we understand about the attitudes and norms that influence intent, the more accurately our interventions can be designed to influence these in a desired direction toward a healthier behavior