Structure V Agency Essays

Structure V Agency Essays Structure V Agency Essay Structure V Agency Essay Which of the key debates covered in weeks 1-4 is the most significant for sociology? Explain your answer with reference to at least one sociological topic. The Structure v Agency debate has been one of the most contentious within the sociological world. The argument comprises of whether structure (social systems) or Agency (our own individualistic nature) determine our paths in quotidian life. Giddens takes the following stance Society only has form, and that form only has effects on people, in so far as structure is produced and reproduced in what people do. This essay critically evaluates this controversial dualistic argument, in an attempt to establish why it is so significant for sociology. Giddens is also in favour of Agency coining the theory of ‘structuration’ claiming that â€Å"our activities both structure our social world and at the same time are structured by them† (Giddens, 2006:8). This means that people living within a societal structure are partly predisposed to oblige with its various cultural norms, values and rules. However, our individualistic nature shapes and defines this very structure. The structure’s rules are by no means permanent and evolve with time. This doesnt sound unreasonable until you consider just how detrimental little or no agency can be on a person. Restrictions are placed upon us from birth by parents hoping to mould their child into one that conforms to cultural norms and values. These are imposed on us through various actions and behaviors such as gender specific toys and the way both genders are treated. Boys are more likely to be told to hide pain while girls are considered more delicate. Society dictates that there is a cultural life path that you must follow in order to be accepted. Certain aspects of life are pre-planned by those in authority such as your parents or government institutions. Wright-Mills (1959) observes the institution of marriage, stating that â€Å"inside a marriage a man and a woman may experience personal troubles, but when the divorce rate during the first four years of marriage is 250 out of every 1,000 attempts, this is an indication of a structural issue having to do with the institutions of marriage and the family and other institutions that bear upon them. This observation is a strong indicator that suggests the reasons people get married is due to cultural pressures forcing a long term commitment to a partner that some individuals may not be prepared for. Another issue that can be derived from structure is suicide which is often regarded as a personal choice and anti-social. Statistical studies have concluded that suicide rates correlate annually, particularly at christmas. It can be argued that some people may feel alienated and segregated from the rest of society during festive periods. Durkhiem describes suicide as; â€Å"If voluntary deaths increase from January to July, it is not because heat disturbs the organism, but because social life is more intense. The latter depends on social conditions. † Durkhiem claims that suicide rates are higher in certain religious countries; for example catholicism is regarded as a more family orientated religion when compared with protestantism and the suicide rates reflect this. Suicide rates are lower when people are more integrated within the family structure. Being part of a loving happy family is deemed an important positive aspiration that is considered paramount within society. Religious beliefs are a transparent product of structure. Children are born into religious families whereby the process of indoctrination is immediately exercised through primary and secondary socialisation. It can be argued that as children move into adolescence they grow a deeper sense of agency and often start to reject or change the ideals bestowed upon them as a child through other doctrines such as atheism and agnosticism or branch towards different religious reformations such as Calvinism, Lutheranism and Anglicanism. There have been an estimated 2000 deities spanning many religions over the course of humanity which suggests that although children are indoctrinated early through societal structure their own modalities provide leverage that enables them to reshape their pre-existing ideologies through agency. Indoctrination is a serious issue in todays societies as over the course of history children that have been raised under this guise have gone onto commit acts of martyrdom through such causes as the crusades and in more recent times extremists sects of society particularly in the middle east. een in the 9/11 plane hijacks and 7/7 bombings. Hitchens (date) provides the following thoughts on religious upbringing â€Å"mass indoctrination of uneducated young men with such ideas is in itself a lethal danger to society and to international order. † Many sociologists query as to why religion seems to have dominated society over the past 4000 years. Marxist views may explain why structure has had such a persistent influence within capitalist societies as it can be argued that it provides the bourgeoisie with a dominant tool of mass exploitation of the proletariat both culturally and materially. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed culture, the heart of a heartless world just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people† (Marx). The proletariat put up with suffering on earth through various hardships such as work and poverty because of the promise of eternal reward in the afterlife. Understanding this debate is crucial for sociology because it’s members are so heavily integrated within society that they often cannot see these social barriers blocking their mobility. The working classes continue under a facade of agency while rendering the upper classes invisible and unquestioned. In conclusion, this essay has evaluated key points between structure and agency giving examples through such topics as religion, marriage, gender and suicide. It can be argued that Structure and Agency exist interdependently and that two ideologies are so delicately interconnected that to say one of them purely determines how people live their lives is one of much contention. It is important to agree however that in our society many inherent rules and restrictions have become archaic and are inimical to our interests if we want to progress towards a more desirable society. This is why the debate is so important for sociology as it allows us to further understand the inner workings of society and provide us with the tools to eventually build, reform and improve on existing foundations. Reference List: Giddens, A. , Pierson, C. 1998:77. ‘Giddens, Modernity and Self-Identity’ in Gauntlett, D. Media Gender and Identity, 2nd edition (London: Routledge) Giddens, A. 1973. Capitalism and Modern Social Theory: An Analysis of the Writings of Marx, Durkheim and Max Weber. Cambridge University Press. Hitchens, C. 2011. The Enemy. Amazon. [e-book] available at www. amazon. com. Wright Mills, C. 1959. The Sociological Imagination. Oxford University Press Durkhiem, E. (1997) [1951]. Suicide  : A Study In Sociology. The Free Press. Marx, K. 1943 [1970]. Critique of Hegels Philosophy of Right. Edited by Joseph O’Malley. Cambridge University Press.

Separate Nations essays

Separate Nations essays During the Indian removal of the early 1800s the 5 Civilized Tribes and other Indian tribes where dealt with as if they were small nations. Generally most people think of nations on a much larger scale. Indian tribes have some of the attributes we find familiar in other nations; language, religion, and social customs certainly set them a part from other Americans. Why do Indians believe that they are so much different from the rest of the mass of American culture and for the most part continue to resist assimilation? It has nothing to do with the complex culture and ancient traditions that have slowly died out and have no meaning over the years, as it does with the legal and political ideas developed over the centuries by Indians which give them a much different world view than the average American. Self Government is not a new idea, but has been burning in the minds of Indians for years. Not until the early 1960s did the idea of separate Indian nations take full force and Indian rights movements begin. Indian affairs are such a small portion of the domestic American scene that the federal Indian legislation no longer has a permanent committee in either houses of Congress. In 1824, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was created by Congress as a division of the War Department to seek a military solution to the growing Indian problem. After the (BIA) relocated the Indians on to reservations, their main responsibility is to manage the 2.3 percent of American land on behalf of the various tribes. If the land and people are in such good hands with the (BIA) then why are some reservations referred to as rural ghettoes and not one of the 300 treaties between tribes and the U.S. Government been honored? If they are in such good hands then why are Indians the poorest race of people in the U.S. with the highest suicide rate and alcohol related illnesses? The U.S ...

Biography and Profile of Susan Rice

Biography and Profile of Susan Rice Name: Susan Elizabeth Rice Position: Nominated as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations by then President-elect Barack Obama on December 1, 2008 Born: November 17, 1964 in Washington, DC Education: Graduated National Cathedral School in Washington, DC in 1982 Undergraduate: Stanford University, B.A. in History, 1986. Graduate: Rhodes Scholar, New College, Oxford University, M.Phil., 1988 Oxford University, D.Phil. (Ph.D) in International Relations, 1990 Family Background Influences: Susan was born to Emmett J. Rice, Senior VP at the National Bank of Washington and Lois Dickson Rice, Senior VP for Government Affairs at Control Data Corporation. A Fulbright Scholar who served with the Tuskegee Airmen in WWII, Emmett integrated the Berkeley Fire Department as its first black fireman while earning a Ph.D. at the University of California; taught economics at Cornell as the only black assistant professor; and was a governor of the Federal Reserve from 1979-1986. A Radcliffe graduate, Lois was a former VP of the College Board and chaired an advisory council of the National Science Foundation. High School College Years: At the elite private girls school that Rice attended, she was nicknamed Spo (short for Sportin); she played three sports, was student council president and valedictorian. At home, the family entertained distinguished friends such as Madeleine Albright, who would later become the first female Secretary of State. At Stanford, Rice studied hard yet made her mark via political activism. To protest apartheid, she established a fund for alumni gifts with a catch - the funds could only be accessed if the university divested from companies conducting business with South Africa, or if apartheid were abolished. Professional Career: Senior foreign policy adviser to Senator Obama, 2005-08 Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy, Global Economy Development, Brookings Institution, 2002-present Senior adviser for National Security Affairs, Kerry-Edwards campaign, 2004 Managing Director Principal of Intellibridge International, 2001-02 Management consultant, McKinsey Company, 1991-93 Clinton Administration: Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, 1997-2001 Special Assistant to the President Senior Director for African Affairs, National Security Council (NSC), 1995-97 Director for International Organizations Peacekeeping, NSC, 1993-95 Political Career: While working on the presidential campaign of Michael Dukakis, an aide encouraged Rice to consider the National Security Council as a future career path. She began her stint with the NSC in peacekeeping and was soon promoted to senior director for African affairs. When she was named Assistant Secretary of State for Africa by President Bill Clinton at age 32, she became one of the youngest ever to hold that position. Her responsibilities included overseeing the actions of more than 40 nations and 5000 foreign service officials. Her appointment was regarded with skepticism by some US bureaucrats who cited her youth and inexperience; in Africa, concerns over cultural differences and her ability to deal effectively with traditional African male heads of state were raised. Yet Rices skill as a charming but firm negotiator and her unflagging determination have aided her in difficult situations. Even critics acknowledge her strengths; one prominent Africa scholar has called her dynamic, a quick study, and good on her feet. If confirmed as US ambassador, Susan Rice will be the second-youngest ambassador to the UN. Honors Awards: Co-recipient of the White House’s 2000 Samuel Nelson Drew Memorial Award for distinguished contributions to the formation of peaceful, cooperative relationships between states. Awarded the Chatham House-British International Studies Association Prize for the most distinguished doctoral dissertation in the UK in the field of International Relations. Personal Life: Susan Rice married Ian Cameron on September 12, 1992 in Washington, DC; the two met while at Stanford. Cameron is executive producer of ABC Newss This Week with George Stephanopoulos. The couple have two young children. Sources: Berman, Russell. Meet Obamas Tenacious, Take Charge Dr. Rice. NYSun.com, 28 January 2008.Brant, Martha. Into Africa. Stanford Magazine at Stanfordalumni.org, January/February 2000.Brookings Experts: Senior Fellow Susan E. Rice. Brookings.edu, retrieved 1 December 2008.Emmett J. Rice, Education of an Economist: From Fulbright Scholar to the Federal Reserve Board, 1951-1979. University of California Black Alumni Series, transcript of an interview conducted 18 May 1984.Stanford Alumni: Black Community Services Center Hall of Fame. Stanfordalumni.org, retrieved 1 December 2008.Times Topics: Susan E. Rice. NYTimes.com, retrieved 1 December 2008.WEDDINGS; Susan E. Rice, Ian Cameron.  New York Times, 13 September 1992.

Feminist Theory Reader- Critical Analysis Paper Term

Feminist Theory Reader- Critical Analysis - Term Paper Example Shakespearian tragedies were male-centered though some of his female characters like Lady Macbeth in â€Å"Macbeth† and Portia in the tragi-comedy, â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† expressed the glimpse of heroism. The presentation of women as suppressed under the male folk is not specifically the peculiarity of the literature of Shakespeare’s time, but one find it even in modern literatures as found in the plays of the modern dramatist Bernard Shaw. Shaw’s â€Å"Pygmalion† clearly reveals how the girl Eliza Doolittle is suffocating under Professor Henry’s treatment. Therefore, one can infer that history has not marked tremendous changes in the treatment of women in literature even if there were many feminist movements. Nevertheless, one cannot disregard the significant role of the various revolutionary feminist movements occurred during the first part of 19th century and spread all through the following centuries. The mushrooming of the feminis t movements facilitated women writing and witnessed some classical writing, purely challenging male chauvinism in both social and cultural life. Analyzing the feminist theories and writing, one may feel that they have the right claim of equality with the male folk, and should not be considered a second class. McCann & Kim (2003, p.1) identifies that â€Å"The term â€Å"feminism† usually refers in its most general sense to political activism by women on behalf of women.† They have also identified that feminism can be regarded as a movement that started in the 1970s which was actually originated in France in the 1880s. Analyzing the historical origin of the word ‘feminism’ one can see, â€Å"it combines the French word for woman, â€Å"femme,† with the suffix meaning political position, â€Å"ism,† and was used in that time and place to refer to those who defended the cause of women† (McCann & Kim, 2003, p.1). It was the French philosop her, Simone De Beauvoir who first used this term in The Second Sex which later spread all over the world. McCann & Kim (2003, p.1) have clearly stated the claim of feminism when they said thus, â€Å"Feminism involves the implicit claim that the prevailing conditions under which women live are unjust and must be changed.† The feminists also propounded the view that women have the ability to recognize the injustices that they face in their day to day life, and as such, they can change the existing situations. Thus, one can see that the feminists set out various theories that would promote their status totally refuting the present status as second class citizens. McCann & Kim (2003) in their book, "Feminist Theory Reader" explores the important works in feminist theory by incorporating the works of some of the feminists, specifically the women of color and post colonial scholars. These scholars provide both global and local perspectives of feminism by challenging the hegemony o f white, Western feminism, providing an approach to feminist theory for the twenty-first century. This is also to be noted that this approach includes the conversations among postcolonial women and women of color about issues of gender, race, colonialism, and sexuality as paramount to understanding the concerns of feminism (McCann & Kim, 2003). The feminists anthologized in this book are of the opinion that the females should endeavor to attain respect, mutual benefits, equal wages, a voice or presence in male dominated world. They solely have the right of liberty as the country itself has obtained it by

Personal Statement - Edit and Improve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Statement - Edit and Improve - Essay Example At the moment, I am studying international foundation programme at the University of Bristol. Besides, I take selected courses in English Literature and Communication Studies as the two main units. The foundation programme that I am enrolled to has provided me with ample chance to shape personal career goals based on clear understanding of contemporary issues. Therefore, it progressively nurtures my desire and attraction in media and communication facilitating a restructure of studies towards this field. An opportunity for studies in your university will empower and set me apart in my professionalism. Particularly, it will compliment my understanding of human relationship and new media products. The skills will enhance my relevance and further advance interests in media production and information dissemination. Apart from the academic life, I exhibit excellent leadership skills as I am currently the elected public relations official of the Chinese Society. The post provides me with a platform for interaction and enhances my communication skills. The roles also provide new insights about future occupation. Besides that, previous experiences show that I became adept in this sphere long before making this choice. In the past, I worked as a radio host at Only One Radio (Hong Kong) on a program about professional wrestling. It was particularly interesting, and I liked how music and lightning effect impacted on audience and stimulated their reactions from storylines. During this period, observation of crowd behaviors became valuable for as I learned how to influence public in subtle ways. In addition, I am a shareholder artist manager at WOW Entertainment (Hong Kong). The position has enabled me to perfect interpersonal relations with artists whom I helped in audition when the company started. The imperative lesson from the role is that everyone has his or her talent and sometimes individuals need to do talent

Analyzing the Yield Curve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analyzing the Yield Curve - Essay Example The figure below shows the yield curve of US Treasury of 11th February 2011. The key point here is that only bonds with different maturities of US Treasury have been selected since they are default free and do not have credit risk associated with them. Despite the fact that these bonds are risk free than why the yield curve is positive sloping that is its yield is increasing with an increase in maturities. Figure 1: US Treasury bond yields as of Feb 11, 2011 (Source: www.bondsonline.com) Table 1: Yield on US Treasury bonds with different maturities The reason why it’s upward sloping is because the curve shows the expectations of the investors about future interest rates. The investors require a higher rate of return as a compensation for lending their money for a longer period of time. In addition to that, the figure also reveals that as the Fed rate is currently on a very lower side therefore the market believes that in the future the returns will adjust due to inflation and other macroeconomic factors. This is more related with the expectations theory of the investors. The yield curve shifts over the period of time that is interest rate of different maturities increase or decrease on similar risk bonds. This is for a number of reasons that causes shifts in yield curves. Firstly, the economic scenario in a country determines how the yield curve should behave.

Development of Academic and Vocational Curricula Essay

Development of Academic and Vocational Curricula - Essay Example Basically the outcome of the condition or in other words the end results of the subject’s views on an issue or a particular subject should be treated with fairness or egalitarianism so as to reduce or utmost get rid of the differences between the people or the society that has issues to tackle. This is often referred to as equality of outcome (Equality of outcome). This is achievable if the societies at large join in hands in promoting equality of outcome so as to give a chance to any individual, subject, idea, notion e.t.c that has any point of observation to make on a particular subject. In regard to this subject it seems that there have been milestones in tackling the issue of review and development of academic and vocational curricula at the level 14 – 19 due to differences in calibre, stand, position and ranks of the education. Hence this has led to disarray in the education arena since the indifferences that have cropped up is visibly demonstrated between the various groups on this issue regarding whether the review is feasible or not. Definitely it is explicitly visible that equality of status is looming on this review and development of academic and vocational curricula of 14 – 19 level, since indifference has cropped up hence the debate is still an issue to tackle with a lot of keenness due to the challenge of chronological antagonism on vocational education compared to academic education in terms of its qualification status. There are also sharp and unresolved indifferences between the ministers or government’s spear leaders and the scho ol specialist bodies in education and personalities such as Mr. Tomlinson’s inquiry and Chief Inspector David Bell among others on this education development and reforms issues of 14 – 19 level. Â