Micro- and Macro-Sociology Essays

Micro- and Macro-Sociology Essays Micro- and Macro-Sociology Essay Micro- and Macro-Sociology Essay Hungarian Kay Track and One World under business Drabber Lovely hula hands by Hungarian Kay and One World Under business by Drabber, I find both articles very interesting and inter-related because it displays a connection in the micro- and macro sociology. Lovely hula hands can be analyzed from the micro sociology because it is concerned with daily human interaction such as social status, social role and social interrelations that take place in the central place of the article. The author does not generalize and abstract social trend but describes the real situation. One world under business concentrates more of the evolution of social structure related to macro sociology; his article contains not only sociological critiques but the product of the sociological imagination and levels of theoretical abstractions and also his contribution to the modern sociology today. I found both articles interesting because they have a unique relationship almost similar to an extent of again who has the power? Who has the Authority? Brings about impacts socially, economically, politically as well as culturally, and both articles face the same argument of authority and power. Lovely Hula Hands describes the modern life of the Hawaii from the Native Hawaiian point of view. Haunt Kay Track explores the cultural modification and exploitation of Hawaiian Culture including their language, dress and dance forms have been marketed as products for mass consumption of tourists (88). We know clearly that exploitation occurs when aspects of subculture, such as belief, ritual and social customs, are marketed without the cultural groups permission. And in todays world many racial ethnic groups like e. G Native America, Latino etc have experienced cultural exploitation and this is true today. We see people trapped in two worlds (culture) of which one is ours and the other one is forced upon us without any consent. And for this fact Native Hawaiian are trapped in this sort of two worlds one due to tourism which gave rise to high living costs in Hawaii and ruined the traditional indigenous life-style. Hawaiian cannot live as they lived in pre-tourism period, but also they cannot meet new life standards. Haunt Kay talks about how Hawaiian fill up the unemployment lines, and if they want to survive they either enter the military, work in the tourist industry, or leave Hawaii not by choice but out of economic necessity. It is absolutely horrendous that the people of Hawaii working in the tourist industry make a yearly salary of $10,000 to $25,000 which is barely enough for them to live in their own homeland it is sad but true. Looking at the figure that is the low income wage here in the United States, low income individuals still get some kind of help from the government in the united states which helps a little but for the case of the Hawaiian it is different. Why do we think we have so many crime, suicides rates, poverty etc because we are business indeed that we use resources even if it does not belong to us to profit from it. It can be either exploiting ones culture or fighting with other countries so that we can get their resources egg oil. It amazes me what is happening to sacred culture today, we all see ourselves living in this westernizes civilization I ask this question: Do people even care about history? About tradition? About the land we live on? Clearly not for us economy, and cultural impact. Instead of solving one problem we create another. Again rich, power and authority plays a role. To some of us culture is what defines us s individuals our beliefs, traditions are what keeps us at ease, prospers us, we learn to depend on ourselves and Mother Nature. Lets assume that Hawaii was not taken over by industrialization would they manage to survive? Yes they would, for many years they lived that way depending on their resources they have, united as one community and helping each other. Tracks compares the culture exploitation with prostitution, she emphasizes the femininity of Hawaiian culture are like agencies to the pimps, which makes a prostitute to sell her beauty. The native culture was banned from 1990 and its revival in sass as closely connected to tourist exotic language, costumes and dances turned to the lure for tourists. Track declares that communication of hula dancers were made smutty and salacious rather than powerfully erotic as they once were and today the word aloha that meaner the familial love to people and land now becomes almost meaningless because it is often used and has lost its uniqueness and value. Most culture see the exploitation and those are the once are easily taken advantage off, most off which the high chair have the say and the low chair have to suffer for it. Drubbers One World under Business describes how democratic ideals are used to spread capitalism across the world, which he calls corporate. He says how in a robust democracy, there is a firewall between government and business. The firewall ensures that people rather than business control the government and make the rules (Drabber, 429). However, in our democracy, governments interest lies in protecting profits, while corporations use the language of social responsibility to mask their undemocratic actions. While corporat e elites are part of that exclusive club that we envy. Corporations do it in reverse by using democratic language instead of profit-maximizing language to mask undemocratic behavior. Also, countries with very low GAP have no choice but to trade their political power for economic growth and as Friedman said, your political choices Get reduced to Pepsi and Coke (Drabber, 433). We have less political power and corporations have more political power and in order for us to accept that, we hold onto having economic power or democracy (which we do not really have) and corporations claim to show social accountability. This allows corporation to define their own rules, such as aging free trade interchangeable with deregulation, which does not help poorer countries grow, but makes them weaker. Also, these large corporations become huge moneymaking monopolies, Just as the mainstream products we have within our country. Surprisingly in todays democratic society, we rest on the ideal of individualism and freedom. We are supposed to have the freedom to vote, freedom to buy (as consumers), and freedom to choose, all of which are own personal, individual choices with no influence by or reliance on others, that is where the major contradiction in our society lies. Although we think we are individualistic and have freedom, but we do not realize that we are extremely dependent on others for our livelihoods and that only have freedom from traditional and formal institutional structures, but not other freedoms, such as psychological freedom, social and under lets us be indifferent to the suffering that our type of society causes others and ourselves and as a result we feel less accountable to it. Drabber discuss the contradictions of individualism and the bi-polar nature of freedom through publicity and corporate, respectively, and how it affects us socially, politically and economically. Furthermore, Just as consumers, corporations through free market and individualistic ideas do not feel accountable to the people that they depend on their workers and the peripheral countries they rely on for raw materials (also, additional workers and consumers). Drabber described this as uncoupling, which is when the corporation removes itself from the interest of the nation or citizens of a nation. They claim equal loyalty to all nations, once again cushioning it in democratic language. Also, it forces developing nations to be entrapped further in the corporation world and transfer their political power into power as a consumer, exulting in governments who are not able to be accountable to their own people because they are restricted by corporations and global financial market institutions (MIFF, WTFO, etc. . Through the abuses of the poorer people in these developing countries, the powers we have in our own countries are undermined. Although corporations would like for us to believe that we have an economic democracy or economic choices, we do not because we cannot regulate our own economic system that basically tells us what we want. As Drabber says, Real democracy is one person, one vote. One dollar, one vote, is the logic of the market, but it is opposite of the equal representation of all citizens that democracy is about. As a sovereign principle, one dollar, one vote, is inherently undemocratic, and it ensures a growing gap between rich and poor because it gives the rich far more political representation ( 439). These rich corporations have a lot more money than most of us and in result have a lot more political and social say in our market democracy. (Rich, Power and authority) also, in this market democracy, those who do not have any money have no a say at all. Countries look at our society as The Free World because the lack the economies and capital to buy all the stuff we have (the ability to choose products). In our society, with the poor and now even the middle- class, it is becoming more difficult to buy the necessities we need, even though we can see the things we would like to have through advertising. More and more, people have to choose between food, shelter, medication, health insurance and other needs. Still, corporations do not care as long as the consumers buy their products and consumers still try to buy it, even if they do not have the money for it (get loans, credit cards, etc. ). In the end, corporations get their money and often more money Han the products were actually worth. As we see that these articles supplement each other because they describe the same phenomena; Globalization, Lovely Hula hands shows impact of globalization on a person or group of people(Hawaiian) meanwhile one world under business describes the influence of globalization into the whole society. Both articles have an outstanding or rather interesting facts which I would agree that these facts take place everyday in our day to day society. Having said this they share an outstanding sociological significance because they concern to the different branches of sociology.

Palestine israeli conflict for international relations class Research Paper

Palestine israeli conflict for international relations class - Research Paper Example The common thing in both perspectives of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict is that the main reason is on the issue of land and there are serious consequences that accompany the conflict. There has been loss of land, loss of lives and immigration of the people from their ancestral lands in order to obtain safety in other countries. The research on international relations relate to the Palestinian Israeli conflict. The research paper examines the conflict from a Palestinian perspective. The research will conduct an analysis of the cause of the conflict, which constitute the factors that led to the start of the fight. The history of the conflict helps in understanding the causes, effects, interventions, and future of the conflict. The two parties could just have easily settled their conflicts amicably, but this has not been the case. Both territories have seen the need for continuing to fight a war that started way before they existed. The help from outside parties in trying to arbitrate the conflict have further pushed the countries into further and more serious measures of dealing with the conflict. There are several impacts that have resulted from the conflict. Israel, for example, has become a highly militarized country, with every gender from the teenage years becoming full soldiers. It is a rite of passage for the children to become soldiers when they reach a certain age. For the Palestinians, the oppression they have suffered at the hands of the Israelis has made them have a lot of hate and distrust for the Israelites. The Palestinians also do not have trust in the external parties who have had a history of favoring the Israelites over them when it came to the conflict. The Palestinians further blame outside forces for heavily contributing to the fight. From the Palestinian perspective, the Palestinians are the wronged party, and they would not concede to the Israelites. They want revenge and

Administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Administration - Essay Example Likewise, knowledge, change and globalization are the three driving force of this era. Consequently, various transitions were brought out; and so most businesses go all-out to adapt to this phenomenon.First, most businesses today were highly globalized, they were conducted by the used of modern gadgets. People from around the world are working together to achieve a common goal. Even they were being raised with different cultures and beliefs, their mutual interests bind them to do business together. To think about all this happenings, the role of the administration is quiet hard, isn't it Back in the 90's, businesses conducted communication through the use of fax machines or telephones. This time, two individuals from two countries can do a conversation without any communication barriers-face to face. However, consequent to this are the technical, cultural and linguistic challenges of globalizations hence managers have to adjust in the midst of these diversities. Technically, as globa lization takes its place, old business entities need to update all their gadgets to compete in the global market or take advantage of the rapid technological change.

PERSONAL PERSPCETIVE( REFLECT ) OF MANAGING CHANGE Essay

PERSONAL PERSPCETIVE( REFLECT ) OF MANAGING CHANGE - Essay Example Introduction Change occurs from time to time and change is the nature of things. Nothing in this world is constant or unchangeable. Would we like our own house for instance, if for years we had the same furniture, the same upholstery, the same colors? We like to make things different and we also know that any change around the house makes us feel better. The mind wants change but when the mind is not prepared for the change, it resists change. However, if we are informed of the change in advance we become mentally prepared for it and then we are not disturbed. This implies that change causes resistance when change is not accompanied or preceded by effective communication. Change is also a part of the life cycle of any product. When we speak of different stages in the life cycle of an organization or a product or service, change is implied. Abrahamson (2004) believes that without pain no change is possible and justifies that either one must change or perish. Why, then is change in the corporate world a topic for discussions, for theory formation and framework building? Focusing on the personal perception of change management this paper analyzes the factors that influence change as has been seen during the semester projects. The change management process studied during the semester will be reviewed along with the skills necessary for change. Change can occur in an organization for varied reasons ranging from change in the stage of the life cycle, to change during mergers and acquisitions, during downsizing, restructuring and during expansion and growth (Stanleigh, 2008). Change, in fact, is essential for progress as the human mind always seeks something new, something different, something exciting. However, I never realized that change could require so much planning to be effective. Having spent hours on the topic and having read about how changes have been implemented within different organizations, I realize that change has to be effectively managed. When I com pare it with an individual’s life, I find change in our life has to be equally well managed. Change cannot be a hap hazard process. This paper will reflect on the change management process adopted by Apple and McDonald's and what planning went behind the change. Critical Review We were first analyzed the organizational change undertaken by Apple. The drivers of change at Apple were competition, finances and open unidentified markets. These were arrived at through SWOT analysis and Five Forces Model which helped to understand the initiative for change undertaken by Apple. However, it appears that Apple’s focus was on enhancing profits as the employees as well as the customers were confused with so many models available at the same time in the market. They did not have a customer-centric approach which is essential for any new product launch. They did not try to understand customer needs and communication was lacking at Apple. Communication and information must precede c hange. This sounds so simple to implement but what I have learnt through reading and find it extremely interesting, is that communication is not a simple term that encompasses the quality or the ability to talk. It does not merely mean to inform or speak; it also means to listen. Having the strength and courage to listen to subordinates in an organization enhances communications (Pfeffer & Sutton, 1999). Thus, listening is also a part of communication. The

Gorilla Behavior and Human Behavior Essay Example for Free

Gorilla Behavior and Human Behavior Essay Gorillas are often seen in the movies and television shows are big monster that people have to learn to deal with in the long run. Sometimes, gorillas are portrayed as scary creatures. There are times, however, when gorillas are shown as friendly animals which are a lot like human beings. Gorillas can be described and defined in many ways, especially with the help of mass media. Then again, in a scientific context, here is a gorilla really is: The Gorillas Population: There are a lot of living primates in the world, and the largest of its kind are gorillas. These are herbivores that live by dwelling on the ground. Most gorillas are found in Africa, especially in the forests of the said country (Alverdes, 1969). Gorillas survive very well in subtropical or tropical forests although a lot of them thrive in mountains and in different elevations. Elevated areas where gorillas can be found are the Virunga Volcanoes in Albertine Rift. Some gorillas thrive in the lowlands, too, where lots of them are found in marshes, swamps and thick forests (Alverdes, 1969). Gorillas Family Life: The family life of gorillas shows how much similar they are to humans. Gorillas are considered social creatures who typically build harems. Harems, in this context, means that silver back male gorillas will live with its offsprings and a lot of adult female gorillas (Alverdes, 1969). Then again, with the gorillas that live in mountains, only 40% of which have various closely-related male gorillas (Alverdes, 1969). Generally, gorillas groups contain more females than males. In fact, males in the gorillas family are considered â€Å"left-overs†. Male gorillas go round and about the forests alone. The male gorillas, being loners themselves, make up only five to ten percent of the general population of gorillas. An all-male group of gorillas even exists, all of which are found in elevated areas. This all-male gorillas group is called the mountain gorillas (Alverdes, 1969). Gorilla groups come in different sizes. On the average, there are only four to ten members in a gorilla group. It was in the Central African Republic where the largest gorilla group was found. The largest gorillas group was made up of 52 gorillas (Alverdes, 1969). Gorilla groups have leaders, too. What, then, happens when the leader of the gorilla group dies? It is either the whole group just gets dissolved, or a gorilla takes over. Like humans, gorillas have standards, too. The only gorilla who can take over the leadership is the son of the leader who passed away. If not, then it should be the subordinate silver back male gorilla (Alverdes, 1969). These western lowland gorillas are one of the sub-species of the family of gorillas. Each group is composed of ten gorillas and sometimes only six. The leader is the strongest and the fiercest male called the silver back gorilla (Alverdes, 1969). The leaders of such group are challenged, too, to know who deserves to take over. Adolescent males wait until they grow big enough for the challenge and if they dont get the leadership in their hands, they can always leave home and be the leader of the new family he will have to build (Alverdes, 1969). Recent studies show that the 100,000 lowland gorillas in the western part of Africa are no longer 100,000. Today, there may only be around 50,000 gorillas left because of the trade in ape meat (which is illegal) and also because of a disease caused by ebola virus (Alverdes, 1969). Gorillas – A Lot Like Humans? Now here are some behavioral patterns that make gorillas and human beings similar to each other: Gorillas are generally aggressive creatures. Their aggressive behaviors found in the human population are their habit of headlong charge, roaring very loudly and beating their own chest (Derbyshire, 2007). With this, it goes to show that gorillas have a macho reputation like humans. However, despite this reputation, these creatures are very gentle especially when it is their time to eat their meals. Researches show that they also have the habit of cleaning their faces and fingers especially when they just finished consuming their food in a messy manner. If humans use water and soap to clean their fingers and faces, gorillas use giant leaves to replace what humans would call as napkins (Derbyshire, 2007). Dr Noelle Kumpel, a researcher from the Zoological Society of London in West Africa, was surprised when he saw how gorillas used leaves as napkins. How do gorillas do this? They simply tear big leaves from trees and plants. Gorillas wipe their hands and mouths after a meal. No one can deny that is a very basic human activity because before and after eating, humans really clean themselves up. They wash their hands and clean their mouths and dry themselves with a dry towel (Derbyshire, 2007). It has been mentioned awhile ago that gorillas, like humans, are social beings, too. Whatever image of gorillas there is that is portrayed on the television and the cinema are not any inch close to how they are in person. Gorillas are very gentle and delicate creatures, sometimes even gentler and more delicate than human beings. Members of the Zoological Society of London in West Africa observed the behaviors of gorillas in Gabon, a conversation park where lowland gorillas are found. They learned and witnessed with their very own eyes how gentle gorillas are compared to chimpanzees. They show sings of sympathy, friendship and leadership among themselves (Derbyshire, 2007). Another amazing thing about gorillas is that, like humans, they care about their diet, too. Observers discovered that gorillas follow a vegetarian diet. They only eat whatever they see around them, but it is limited only to fruits and leaves (Derbyshire, 2007). Like human beings, gorillas care about how they look. If they see a mud, bug or a flee in another gorillas body, they take it away from that gorillas body. It clearly goes to show that gorillas take pride in their hair which they consider a very significant part of their family life as gorillas (Derbyshire, 2007). Another surprising behavior that gorillas have is that they are technologically minded. If their cousin chimpanzees use stones, twigs and other tools to get some food, gorillas do it differently (Derbyshire, 2007). Like humans, gorillas find better ways to make life easier and more convenient for them. Gorillas use sticks to get to the other side of the pools and swamps or in some other areas they will otherwise not reach without the help of the sticks (Derbyshire, 2007). In A Nutshell: To summarize the whole study, what, in general, makes the gorillas similar to human beings? It is how they behave in a given environment and how they react to situations. It is with the way gorillas try to survive. It is with their ability to think. Not all animals will think about removing flees from another animals hair because only gorillas and human beings know the value of cleanliness and hygiene. The same goes with how gorillas tear giant leaves from trees and plants to clean themselves up after a meal. What makes gorillas and human beings a lot like each other is their ability to think, plan and execute the plans to come up with a result. It is basically about wanting to win the battle of survival called life which other creatures wouldnt even be aware of. Works Cited: Alverdes, Friedrich. â€Å"The Social Life in the Animal World. † Routledge Press, 1999. Ciochon, Russell and John Fleagle. â€Å"Primate Evolution and Human Origins. † Aldine Transaction Press, 1987. Derbyshire, David. 20 June 2007. â€Å"How gorillas have perfect manners at meal times. † Daily Mail. 13 May 2008 http://www. dailymail. co. uk/pages/live/articles/news/news. html? in_article_id=463365in_page_id=1770. Fossey, Dian. â€Å"Gorillas in the Mist. † Houghton Mifflin Books, 1988. Taylor, Andrea Beth and Michele Lynn Goldsmith. â€Å"Gorillas Biology: A Multidisciplinary Perspective. † Cambridge University Press, 2004.

Fiction in Magazines :: Essays Papers

Fiction in Magazines In developing a discussion on magazine fiction, it is first necessary to develop strong reasoning as to why this is a relevant topic at all. If one is to discuss fiction in books, which many people have, why does the subject of magazine fiction even have to be brought up? Aren't the two of them one and the same? The answer to this is no. It is true that magazine fiction and book fiction have much in common, but they have many differences as well. For instance, the medium itself is cause for much difference. The process of creating a book is minimally a year long. So, a person who picks out a book of short stories from their local bookstore will be reading books that are at least a year old. Magazine fiction, however, is more recent, and thus much more exciting. It is very possible for a writer to have his story published only a couple of months after he has written it. Magazine fiction has a stronger feel for the pulse of literary society, which makes it relevant and interesting when speaking of fiction in general. There are hundreds and hundreds of literary magazines. Every Tom, Dick and Harry is seemingly starting a journal. However, in the entire scope of literary magazines, there are three basic types. The first type is the largely circulated, prestigious magazine. These include The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, and Playboy, among others. These magazines usually only publish one piece of fiction per issue. It is extremely difficult to get published in this first type of magazine because 1) they don't publish as many pieces of fiction a year, and 2) every writer is trying to get published in this sort of magazine. However, if you do get published in this sort of journal, the paybacks are larger. You normally get paid more for getting published than in the other two types, and the prestige of getting published will likely land you many more published stories and much more publicity. The second type of literary magazine is the medium journal, which is one scale smaller than the first. These include Story, Paris Review, and others. These magazines publish more pieces per issue, and tend to be easier to get published in. The prestige of getting published, however, is still very good, although not as great as the first type.

Thomas Hardys Philosophy Influences His Writing Essay -- Biography Bi

Thomas Hardy's Philosophy Influences His Writing In a letter written in 1920, Thomas Hardy comments, "it is my misfortune that people will treat my mood-dictated writing as a single scientific theory" (Hicks 111). Hardy did not write under the pretenses of a single belief system, but was "so often misunderstood that he had to try and give some clear and precise statement of his beliefs" (Hicks, 110). Although he did not fulfill the role of philosopher, often these statements were read as Hardy's "philosophy." According to Jacobson, the task of a philosopher is to "develop articulate, settled systems of thought about the nature of the world, about the moral constitution of mankind, and about the grounds and modalities of knowledge itself." He continues to explain that these ideas must be "coherent, not just within themselves . . . but also with those put forward in the other two[systems of thought]" (115). While Hardy explores the ideas of nature, morality, and knowledge in his writings, he focuses on the multi-faceted aspects of ea ch idea, not on any general conclusions about each idea. Although Hardy did not support an individual or personal "philosophy," echoes of the late nineteenth century philosophers, including Nietzche, Comte, and Schopenhauer, are found in his works. Nietzche comments on the nature of human drives, arguing that one could understand culture by studying the conflict between the Apollonian and Dionysian drives. The Apollonian drive, according to Nietzche, strives to find order in a confused, chaotic, and cruel world. The Dionysian drive, on the other hand, desires to break down that artificial order. An example of these opposing drives is found in Hardy's short story "The Fiddler of the Reels." Ned, ... ...eas represent a powerful combination of the philosophies introduced by contemporary thinkers. Bibliography Bailey, J. O. Thomas Hardy and the Cosmic Mind: A New Reading of The Dynasts. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1956. Baybrook, Patrick. Thomas Hardy and His Philosophy. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippencott, Co., 1927. Drabble, Margaret, ed. The Genius of Thomas Hardy. NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1976. Hicks, Granville. Figures in Transition: A Study of British Literature at the end of the Nineteenth Century. New York: McMillan, Co., 1939. Jacobson, Dan. "Thomas Hardy: The Poet as Philosopher." American Scholar, vol. 65, no. 1, Winter 1996, pp. 114-19. Millgate, Michael. Thomas Hardy: A Biography. New York: Random House, 1982. Orel, Harold, ed. Thomas Hardy: Personal Writings. Lawrence: The University of Kansas Press, 1966.