...In American society, Marxism is painted as the great other, the opposite side of the coin. The United States prides itself on being a society build on the ingenuity and progress of modern man and for generations the country has seen communism, and in turn Marxism, as its sworn enemy. In actuality Marxism and Capitalism were both born out the the same need, the same ideals. Though they require the participant to go about things in different ways, both are a call to duty working to create a better society. One came out of the movement away from the traditional Feudal System that had been prevalent for hundreds of years. The other came from the divides that Capitalism created between the working classes and the leaders of industry. Both ideals...
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...Sociology Major Essay – Modernity “To be modern is to find ourselves in an environment that promises us adventure, power, joy, growth, transformation of ourselves and the world - and, at the same time, that threatens to destroy everything we have, everything we know, everything we are.” – Marshall Berman, All That Is Solid Melts Into Air, (Verso, London, 1988 p.1). Drawing on a variety of sociologists writings on modernity explain the idea of modernity as both positive and negative. Modernity is defined in the Collins English Dictionary as the quality or state of being modern. (Hanks 1979) This state of modernity, as described by M. Berman, is one that has positive and negative influences on both the private and public spheres. The modern world in which we live is one that is heavily influenced by the havoc of war and the ongoing process of capitalism. In order to understand the complexities of modernity, one must weigh its pros and cons. Ex-Cambridge Lecturer and sociologist T. Bilton pinpointed the origins of modernity to be during the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century. He discusses the slow industrialisation, new attitudes towards capitalism, and mass urbanisation. These attributes of modernity saw positive growth in wealth and the creation of bigger and more fluid markets. The trends that originated in 1780s England were to soon spread globally, with an increasing concentration of workers in larger workplaces, in tandem with deteriorating work conditions and...
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...(A) Identify and briefly explain three reasons why the new Christian right might have failed to achieve its aims? * The moral majority was never a majority, but 15% of the population at most; this meant that it was hard for them to fully implement their views, as they didn’t have enough believers in order to actually have an effect and change in society. * It campaigners found it hard to cooperate with people from different to cooperate with people form different religions, even when campaigning on the same issue, as such as abortion. This affected their ability to reach their aims, as they didn’t gain popularity as a religion’s group as they were seen to be very exclusive and didn’t support other religions even when fighting for the same cause. * The new Christian right lacks widespread support and has met with strong opposition from groups who stated freedom of choice, such as Planned Parenthood. As there view can be said to be strong and traditional most people didn’t agree with them, meaning they struggled to get any laws past, due to most people liking the way there was more freedom instead of being restricted by rules of traditional society. (B) Using material from item A and elsewhere, assess the contribution of religion to social change? There are many ways in which religion may have contributed to social change, but there is however the argument that religion tries to keep society the same by conservative force. Most religions have some sort of...
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...The Trend of Global Capitalism Qiudong Wang All sovereign societies on earth can be put roughly into two categories: developed and under-developed countries. The developed countries, including the United States, Canada, most of west Europe countries, Japan and Australia, are all free capitalist society with a well functioned democratic government and a free market economic system. The under-developed countries, including Russia and east Europe countries, India, China, Mexico, South America and Africa, are relative poor, where capitalism has not yet developed into a healthy form. In Middle East, Israel belongs to welldeveloped camp but the rest goes to under-developed category. In this essay I will discuss the history, the present and the future trend of politic and economic relationship between developed and under-developed countries. My purpose is to develop an intellectual framework, through which one could acquire a comprehensive understanding on basic characteristics of various human societies and their interaction in today’s world: where they were from; where they are now; and where they are likely heading to in future. I will illustrate that there are three different systems in under developed world: the under-developed capitalism, the totalitarian capitalism and the military imperialism of developed countries in Middle East. Developed countries, in dealing with under developed world, are in a very much favored position. They are with full strategic initiatives in the on-going...
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...ability to obtain any amount of wealth, job opportunity, and position in society. Capitalism is the idea that the foundations and most aspects of the economy is dictated and regulated by that of the citizens wants, needs, and desires. The question arises on how well America has been able to use this form of economical idea to enable the industry and trade of the nation to prosper and build the nation on its back. To understand how well the capitalist system benefits the world we must acknowledge the past events of both of the capitalistic system and those on par with it, how the heart of the nation (the middle or working class) prospered, and how more...
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...In 1902, German economic historian Werner Sombart published ‘Der Moderne Kapitalismus.’ In his piece, he hypothesizes that there is such a thing as a “spirit of capitalism” a spirit which has worked as a guiding force in the evolution of modern capitalism (Green 1973). Werner does not offer any explanation as to what the nature of this spirit might be, or where it came from, but he does argue that this spirit is responsible for the development of capitalism in the modern world. After reading Werner’s work, German sociologist Max Weber, one of the founding creators of sociology, seized upon Werner’s idea and set out to explain the origins of this spirit of capitalism. Weber’s visit to America, the heart and soul of capitalism, in 1904 brought him his answer. While in America, Weber observes that matters of business are very closely related to religious affiliation. This attitude manifests itself in many ways, but one example he provides is the story of a man’s visit to the doctor: “the patient’s statement of his church membership was merely to say: ‘Don’t worry about the fees’ (Gerth & Mills 1946, 304).” This, of course, meant that this man was financially sound, because he belonged to a specific church community. Weber explains: “Admission to the congregation is recognized as an absolute guarantee of the moral qualities of a gentleman, especially of those qualities required in business matters (Gerth & Mills, 305).” Essentially, in order to become a part of a religious sect, a...
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...The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism Name: Institutional Affiliation: Date: Max Weber through his book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism seeks to give a vivid picture on the religious dogmas contribution to the proliferation of capitalism in the modern society. In essence, Weber argues that the Protestants doctrines facilitated the rise of new social order that was heavily capitalistic. He highlights the use of religion to impose and develop the common standards in the society. Religion is exposed as a driver to the economic model adopted in the modern civilized society. For instance, Weber notes that; "Now naturally the whole ascetic literature of almost all denominations is saturated within the idea that faithful labor, even at low wages, on the part of those whom life offers no other opportunities, is highly pleasing to God. In his respect Protestant Asceticism added in itself nothing new. But it not only deepened this idea most powerfully, it also created the force which was alone decisive for its effectiveness: the psychological sanction of it through the conception of this labour as a calling, as the best, often in the last analysis the only means of attaining certainty of grace. ... The treatment of labour as a calling became as characteristics of the modern worker as the corresponding attitude towards acquisition of the businessman." (Weber, & Parsons, 2005,p 121). In the quoted section of the book, Weber seeks to clear understanding...
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...Abstract This paper explores and analyzes the article Capitalism, Industrialization, and the Factory written by Jonathan Purdue discussing the definition of factories in the early republic. Purdue expresses the need to look beyond the common definition of factories, which focuses on big machinery and increasing numbers of workforce, to the distinguishing key elements of production and increasing output and profits (Purdue, 2006). This paper discusses how modern day conceptions of factories and industrialization affect the interpretation of historical industrialization and provides thoughts on whether the development of factories represents positive progress in the transition to capitalism. Modern Day Conceptions of Early American Factories & Industrialization One of the earliest symbols that man recognizes as a representation of economic change and industrialization in the early republic is the factory (Purdue, 2006). Conceptions of the modern day factory have influenced the oversimplification of the complex nature of what factories in the early republic actually were (Purdue, 2006). When the 21st century American thinks of a factory we immediately think of large concrete buildings filled with machinery and huge clouds of black smoke emitting from tall smoke stacks. This notion of vast centralized technologically-driven structures filled with large numbers of underpaid workers is one stereotypically pictured when imagining what the...
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...Many people in America symbolize the place called “Wall Street” (located in New York City, New York) as the country’s source of wealth and opportunity but most Americans are ignorant to the history that the famous Wall Street was created from. In order to understand how Wall Street became the wealth center that it is today and its role in the system of global capitalism, it is imperative to know Wall Street’s upbringing. Wall Street was made from the backs of African Americans and to this day, it remains a key component in preserving racial inequality and financial oppression. The Dutch settled in what is known as present day New York and named it New Amsterdam during much of the 17th century. Through the Dutch West India Company, the Dutch used enslaved Africans for labor when they were first brought to this colony around 1627. These African slaves built the wall that gives Wall Street its name,...
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...Summary What does the term "the spirit of capitalism" mean? This term can only be applied to something that is "a complex of elements associated in historical reality which we unite into a conceptual whole from the standpoint of their cultural significance." The final concept can only come out at the end of an investigation into its nature. There are many ways to conceptualize the spirit of capitalism. We must work out the best formulation based on what about that spirit interests us; this, however, is not the only possible point of view. To come up with a formulation, Weber presents a long excerpt from the writings of Benjamin Franklin. He says that Franklin's attitudes illustrate capitalism's ethos. Franklin writes that time is money, that credit is money, and that money can beget money. He encourages people to pay all of their debts on time, because it encourages the confidence of others. He also encourages people to present themselves as industrious and trustworthy at all times. Weber says that this "philosophy of avarice" sees increasing capital as an end in itself. It is an ethic, and the individual is seen as having a duty to prosper. This is the spirit of modern capitalism. While capitalism existed in places like China and India, and in the Middle Ages, it did not have this spirit. All of Franklin's moral beliefs relate to their usefulness in promoting profit. They are virtues for this reason, and Franklin does not object to substitutes for these virtues...
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...Kevin A Capitalism in United States What Kind of Capitalism does Americans want? First of all, I am going to show a quick overview of the unfolding of capitalism since the Great Depression, which I believe is vital in order to understand the capitalism that exists in the United States today and some of the problems to it. Then I will look at four different complex areas of free market capitalism in America compared with the Scandinavian government control capitalism. I will then talk about what kind of capitalism we want: We being different interest groups, such as the shareholders, the C.E.O.'s, the average worker and the poor. Finally I will talk about what values might be at stake in capitalism. In the United States, the 1930s Great Depression threatened to knock out the capitalism that had been gradually developing for the past 400 years and this led to abandoning the laissez faire capitalism and instead embracing the New Deal concept of government managed capitalism in order to control money supply and government expenditure, and in order to limit the increasing gap of inequality of income. The 1950s and 1960s were decades of equality, but the energy crises of the 1970s forced the government to kick start the economy imposing new taxation benefiting the rich and once again causing widening inequality. Today, capitalism is the most important economic system of the Western world, in its however various forms: In the United States a more free-market capitalism exists and...
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...Comparing two Ideologies Liberalism and Socialism Danny Milla Political Science Modern Theory Professor James Stone May 10, 2014 Introduction During the 20th Century the old type of economic system Feudalism, became virtually extinct. At this time two powerful economic systems came to be. First the command economy, which involved more government control of the economy, and second was the market type which believed in free trade and no regulation. This led to a new economic world order which changed the ideologies at the time. Socialism is regarded as the more left wing radicalization of liberalism. Socialism starts on the normative principles that started the bourgeois revolution. Liberal society seeks to embody these ideals of freedom, free trade, and capitalism. Socialism is a more extreme way of pushing forward for liberalism. As Etienne Balibar would say Liberalism’s core values liberty and equality exist in a state of tension with their supposed intentions in the structure of liberal society. This results in a struggle that tends to outrun the limits of liberal capitalism. For Americans socialism and liberalism have a distinct relationship. That binds the economic power into a market, which allows for trade and profit. But after this the ideologies of liberalism and socialism come into effect. Yet for the Europeans especially the left wing for them the idea of a relationship between these two is scandalous. Liberals see socialists as class...
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...Mass culture in American disenchantment yielded enchantment with promoters such as P.T. Barnum. Barnum, creator of the first American beauty pageant, stated in the mid-nineteenth century, “the public appears to be disposed to be amused even when they are conscious of being deceived.” American audiences were challenged to determine whether what they were seeing was real or not and how such realistic illusions were created. Mass culture gave rise to a subjective passion of wonder for illusion. Theatrical producers manipulated the new mass media, such as newspaper, to promote debates about the authenticity of their exhibits, submitting to “a new, media-driven form of curiosity – perpetually excited, yet never fully satisfied.” The ceaseless proliferation of representations consequently undermined truth. The illusions and discussions they engendered served to distract audiences away from the Victorian cult of truth and sincerity and pushed for a new awareness of contingency and illuminated the possibility of multiple perspectives. Deceptions and emerging ideas of modernity generated from the changing nature of the economy, contested accounts of race, class and gender and novel findings by scientists and philosophers about the connections between perception and reality made way for a centrality of illusionism to modern life. The ubiquity of representations generated by the mass market blurred distinctions between artifice and reality....
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...Immanuel Wallerstein This presentation is based on the theory of Immanuel Wallerstein as presented in books listed in the bibliography. A summary of this and other macro-social theories can be found in Macrosociology: Four Modern Theorists, by Frank W. Elwell. Marx’s legacy in social theory does not lie in his predictions of future utopias but rather in his analyses of the workings and contradictions of capitalism. Within contemporary sociology this tradition is very much alive in world-systems analysis, a perspective developed by Immanuel Wallerstein in the 1970s. According to Wallerstein, the modern nation state exists within a broad economic, political, and legal framework which he calls a “worldsystem.” Just as individual behavior cannot be understood without reference the sociocultural system in which they are members, individual societies or nation states cannot be understood without reference to the world-system in which they are embeded. Modern nation states are all part of the worldsystem of capitalism, and it is this worldsystem that Wallerstein seeks to understand. Wallerstein believes that there are only three basic types of social systems. The first he terms as “mini-systems,” these are the small, homogenous societies studied by anthropologists. Hunting and gathering, pastoral, and simple horticultural societies are relatively self-contained economic units, producing all goods and services within the sociocultural system itself. The second...
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...of the classical sociological element. The first section of this paper includes an explanation of classical sociology along with an overview of the theories associated with some of the greatest sociologists of this time. The next section of this paper explores reasons and explanations for the failure of classical social theory and interpretations to why before-mentioned theories were compromised. The final section of this paper summarizes some of the conclusions drawn about the failure of this particular ideology. I. Classical Sociology/Theories Explained Classical sociology includes the idea that people can change the course of history through developmental progress. The object of study was society itself. The development of modern, industrial, and capitalist societies was believed to have separated people from the traditional way of living. The...
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