Sociology Research Paper Essays (823 words) - Sociology, Conformity

Sociology Research Paper Sociology is the scientific study of human social activity. In the effort to study human social activity sociologists brake it down into objects of analysis. The three objects of analysis are population, social structure, and the individual. Each can be differentiated but each is also integrally related to the other two. As an object of analysis sociologists defines population as an aggregate of people in a geographical area that has size and longevity. The size has a lower limit of two and no upper maximum. Longevity varies and has a lower limit of zero with no known upper limit. Populations are by definition made up of individuals. The study of human population is termed demography. Demography studies the size and composition of a population, as well as migration and location of the population. Demographers track birth rates and death rates and monitor the population growth and try to explain them in terms of the social system's development. A good example is the Malthusian theory in which population increases geometrically and the resources increase arithmetically resulting in a lack of resources resulting in famine and war. Fortunately the theory is flawed in that it does not consider social factors such as artificial contraception and the burden of large families in a post industr ial society. The way a population interacts with the environment creates a social system. The social system draws on the population and affects the population. An example of this is in India where the ratio of men to women is 108 (108 males to every 100 female) while the sex ratio of most other nations is below 100. The cause for this disparity is that parents value sons more than daughters and sometimes abort a female fetus, or after birth give the daughter less care which can result in premature death. A social system is defined as two or more roles tied together by relationships of interdependence. A role is a patterned repetitive set of behaviors. An example of a role is an occupation. There are various categories of social systems like formal organizations that have goals in mind and attempt to achieve them (ex: nations) or like informal organizations that are less goal oriented as in a community or a family. Human communities provide social systems that serve the function of providing the daily requirements of life to a population. Social systems have four basic types of roles; production of goods and services, distribution of the goods and services, recruitment and training of new members, and control functions. Population affects the roles of the social system. An example of this would be if the birth rate increased then there would be a greater need to train these new people and the recruitment and training role would be affected. The training of an individual to become one of the group is termed socialization and is carried out by church, family, and school, among other sources. Individuals then are Homo Sapiens that vary in sex, age, and lifecycle. Humans have the ability to lay out avenues to achieve a goal and then through thought processes make a choice on which avenue to follow. Humans are differentiated from animals in that all animals can sign (reacting to something) but only humans can symbol (the ability to place meaning into something). To be human you must be able to symbol and to symbol you must have at least two people, which leads to a social system. The result is that in order to be human you must be in a social system. Helen Keller was an example of someone who was not a human until she was able to symbol. Social systems affect individuals by the process of socialization. Socialization instills the norms of the system into the individual. The norms are all the proscribed and prescribed forms of behavior in the social system. Norms vary in importance from the folkway of wearing a tie to a formal dinner party to the mores of adults not engaging in sexual acts with children. Socialization internalizes these norms in the individual shaping the resulting personality of the individual. Lack of exposure to a social system result in someone who is not human

Summary of Post-Structuralism free essay sample

For example: the word ‘red’ may have a completely different meaning in the words ‘red rose’, which means ‘love’ while in traffic lights, red means ‘stop’. The red of traffic lights, then carries the ‘traces’ of amber and green within it, and is not pure red (2008: 97). * The ‘present’ of a word we speak is therefore not the true present, which forever eludes language: ‘spacing’ and ‘temporization’ intervene. Derrida captures this in a self-coined term, differance that contains both the idea of difference and the process of deferral of meaning. Derrida destabilizes the relationship between signifier and signified. The signifier or the word we hear or read – is of course stable enough, but what it signifies – the signified – is according to Derrida subject to an inherent instability (Bertens, 2008: 98). Assumptions of Post-Structuralism Derridean Deconstruction * It begins with and emphatically affirms Saussure’s decree that language is a system based on differences. Derrida agrees with Saussure that one can know the meaning of signifiers through and because of their relationships and their differences among themselves. We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of Post-Structuralism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page * However, different from Saussure, Derrida also applies the reasoning to the signified. Like the signifier, the signified (or concept) can also be known only through its relationships and its differences among other signifieds. In this case, Derrida sets forth some assumptions: Transcendental Signified * Derrida asserts that the entire history of Western metaphysics is founded upon a classic, fundamental error: the searching for a transcendental signified, or an external point of reference on which one may build a concept or philosophy * Once found, this transcendental signified would provide ultimate meaning, being the origin of origins, and provide a â€Å"reassuring end to the reference from sign to sign. * The transcendental signified would have to be understood without being compared to other signifieds or signifiers. Logocentrism * According to Derrida, Western metaphysics has invented a variety of terms that function as centers: God, reason, origin, being, essence, truth, humanity, beginning, self, to name a few. Each can operate as a concept that is self-suffic ient and self-originating and can serve as a transcendental signified. * Derrida names this Western proclivity for desiring a center as logocentrism: or the belief that there is an ultimate reality or center of truth that can serve as the basis for all our thoughts and actions. To decenter any transcendental signified is to be caught up in the terminology that allows that centering concept to operate. For example, if the concept man functions as the center and one then â€Å"discover† woman, he places in motion a binary operation: man and woman. By decentering and questioning the man, he causes woman to become the new center. By questioning the old center, he establishes a new one. Binary Oppositions * Since the establishing of one center of unity means to decenter another, Derrida assumes that Western metaphysics is based on a system of binary oppositions. The philosophy holds that in each of these binary oppositions, one concept is superior and defines itself by its opposit e or inferior center. For example, one knows boy because he knows girl; one knows tidy because he knows messy. Phonocentrism * In the binary oppositions, one element will always be in a superior position, or privileged, whereas the other becomes inferior, or unprivileged. For example: man/woman, human/animal, soul/body, employer/servant, etc. even in speech/writing. This privileging of speech over writing is called phonocentrism. * Speech implies presence, while writing signifies absence. Since phonocentrism is based on the assumption that speech conveys the meaning or direct ideas of a speaker better that writing, phonocentrism assumes a logocentric way of thinking. Methodology of Post-Structuralism The Structuralist seeks: Parallels/Echoes Balances Reflections/Repetitions Symmetry Contrasts Patterns Effect: To show textual unity and coherence The Post-structuralist seeks: Contradictions/Paradoxes Shifts/Breaks in: Tone, viewpoint, tense, time, person, attitude, conflicts, absences/omissions, linguistic quirks, aporia Effect: To show textual disunity (Peter Barry, 1995)

sahel military aid vs developmental assisatance Essays

sahel military aid vs developmental assisatance Essays sahel military aid vs developmental assisatance Essay sahel military aid vs developmental assisatance Essay JFK stated, the basic problems facing the world today are not susceptible to a military solution. Resolved: Development assistance should be prioritized over military aid in the Sahel region of Africa. F. C. S. D. Development assistance- the transfer of resources (cash, commodities or services) which promote the economic or welfare development of the recipient. (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) Prioritized- to list in order of importance of need. (MW) Military aid- aid which comes in the source of armed forces in warlike matters. eserso dictionary) Sahel Region of Africa- A semiarid region of north-central Africa south of the Sahara Desert. That has been afflicted by prolonged periods of extensive drought. (the free dictionary) Before I start into my contentions Id like to clarify a few points. Military force should be used when necessary, but developmental assistance should be more highly prioritized. Secondly, The resolution states nothing of whom will be prov iding military aid or developmental assistance. So, any argument by the opponent stated his aid would impede on the welfare of any one country or organization should be regarded as ill relevant to the resolution. Contention one, In the Sahel Region of Africa peace-time militarism is Just as violent as the events they call war. Positive peace is the only way to avoid military ecocide and extermination of indigenous peoples. Positive Peace is defined by the Oxford as The condition characterized by the existence of peaceful social and cultural beliefs and norms; the presence of Justice at all levels (economic, social, and political); the shared emocratic use of power; and non-violent. Contention two, Many African leaders have recognized that developmental assistance promotes capability. USIAD stated we cant stop droughts from happening, but we can enable communities to withstand these shocks and move forward by building resilience and fostering sustainable growth. recognizing that drought related crises are no longer cyclical but chronic, East African leaders met in Nairobi and requested support for ecosystem sustainability, anticipate and manage climate change. They also called for eform of the humanitarian response and development assistance, to enhance resilience and promote long-term solutions. Also, the US supports developmental assistance over military aid. ThinkAfricaPress states Western governments look set to increase their military support for Sahelian and Saharan countries. But they do this based on incorrect assumptions, misguided objectives and questionable methods. At best, this trend will cost a lot of money and lives, and achieve little. At worst, it will lead to a worsening spiral of violence, producing the very outcomes Western powers fear. My Last Contention, Humanitarian problems (which would be solved by Developmental aid) far out way the conflict problem (which would could be solved my military aid. ) Proof of this comes from state. gov where they state the Sahel faced a serious humanitarian crisis in 2012 brought on by a severe drought and failed harvests that put 18. 7 million people at risk for food insecurity, including one million children at risk of severe acute malnutrition. Furthermore proof that military is not of much use, comes from Scott Johnson in Newsweek, where he speaks on the terrorists in the Sahel, He states that the terrorists which many people are worried about and demand military action to be taken against have failed to outline a clear rationale for their attacks, and their operations are more like those of small-time criminals than purveyors of ideological hatred bent on regional or global domination and that they are not a threat on the world stage, It has no global ambitions. It doesnt even seem to have local ambitions. TheyVe devolved into a gang. Which doesnt merit the use of military force. The paper Lacher 2013 also says on the threat of drug-dealing in the Sahel, the widespread talk of a drug-terror nexus in the Sahel is misleading, for several reasons. First, much of the evidence presented as basis for such claims can either be easily debunked, or is impossible to verify. the Abraham Flexner stated, no nation is rich enough to pay for both war and civilization. We must make our choice; we cannot have both. For this reason we believe that

Hills Like White Elephants

Hills Like White Elephants People often face situations that require them to make tough decisions and they have to live by them for the rest of their lives. In the story Hills Like White Elephants, Ernest Hemingway writes about a couple that is in a dilemma about an unborn child and they have to decide on the best decision to take regarding the pregnancy.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Hills Like White Elephants Ernest Hemingway specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Jig and his companion the American are in Spain at a rail station taking drinks while awaiting a train. The American tells Jig to abort the fetus because the procedure is simple. He does not entertain the thought of becoming a parent. After, the deliberation on the issue, Jig decides to carry out the procedure. Jig and the American man is an unmarried couple who have consummated their relationship and as a result, Jig is pregnant. Her boyfriend the American tells her to get rid of the pregnancy even though the author does not use the word abortion we can deduce its meaning from the conversation, â€Å"It’s just to let the air in† (Hemingway 1). The man tells Jig, â€Å"It’s really an awfully simple operation. It is not an operational at all† (Hemingway 1). The American wants the fetus aborted because he does not want it to interrupt his adventurous lifestyle. He is a man who likes to travel from one place to another, their travel bags had labels from the various hotels they had checked into during their travels (Hemingway 1). On the other hand, Jig wants to have the baby as she hints in the conversation. She seems to be tired of the adventure and wants to settle down. The American man manages to manipulate Jig psychologically by telling her not to abort if she does not want to because he senses her hesitance, â€Å"I think it’s the best thing to do. But I don’t want you to do it if you don’t really want to† (Hemingway 1). He tells her that after she aborts they can have everything they want in the world. However, she does not agree with him and tells him that, â€Å"No, we can’t† (Hemingway 1). She is aware that once she loses her child she can never have it back, â€Å"And once they take it away, you never get it back† (Hemingway 1). In spite of that knowledge, she seems like she is willing to go through with the procedure not to lose her American. Jig seems afraid of losing the American man â€Å"And if I do it you’ll be happy and things will be like they were and you’ll love me† (Hemingway 1)? The question shows that she is not ready to lose him and says, â€Å"Then I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me† (Hemingway 1). The only thing she cares about is being with him and his love. She also wants to make him happy and reduce his worry because he says the only thing making them unhappy is that baby. Therefore getting rid of the baby will remove the hurdle to their happiness.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More She also decides to abort because maybe she knows that marrying a man who is not wiling to settle down would only mean a difficult marriage. The American hints that he is ready to settle if she decides to keep the baby, â€Å"You’ve got to realize †¦that I don’t want you to do it if you don’t want to. I’m perfectly willing to go through with it if it means anything to you† (Hemingway 1). This does not reassure her because the American keeps bullying her into procuring an abortion by drumming in the message that the procedure â€Å"is perfectly simple† (Hemingway 1). Thus, she chooses to have the abortion as it seems as the only way out of her current predicament. They do not discuss other options of dealing with the pregnancy suc h as giving up the baby for adoption and hence she might have decided to abort. Finally, I think Jig should not abort simply because I belief that abortion is morally wrong. She does not seem to have her own voice. She is controlled by the American because she is willing to go along with his suggestions even if she does not agree with them. She should keep the baby because she hints that she knows of people who have gone through the procedure and they are not happy. If she goes through with the procedure, she will live with regrets for the rest of her life because she will never be able to bring back her dead child to life again as most of the women who have gone through the procedure attest. Even if, keeping and raising the child will be a burden she should be willing to bear the consequences of her actions instead of trying to look for an easier way out. She should be firm and tell the American that she will keep the baby and that it is time they stopped their adventurous lifestyl e. On the contrary, if she goes through with the abortion she should take precaution not to become pregnant again by using contraceptives because she will find herself in the same predicament yet again.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Hills Like White Elephants Ernest Hemingway specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Work Cited Hemingway, Ernest . Hills Like White Elephants. gummyprint.com. n.d. Web.