...major change that has occurred in the Western family is an increased incidence in divorce. Whereas in the past, divorce was a relatively rare occurrence, in recent times it has become quite commonplace. This change is borne out clearly in census figures. For example thirty years ago in Australia, only one marriage in ten ended in divorce; nowadays the figure is more than one in three (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1996: p.45). A consequence of this change has been a substantial increase in the number of single parent families and the attendant problems that this brings (Kilmartin, 1997). An important issue for sociologists, and indeed for all of society, is why these changes in marital patterns have occurred. In this essay I will seek to critically examine a number of sociological explanations for the 'divorce phenomenon' and also consider the social policy implications that each explanation carries with it. It will be argued that the best explanations are to be found within a broad socio-economic framework....
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...James Raymond Discussion 13 SOC100-35W The Sect-Church cycle is the explanation of the relationship between the relatively low tension churches and the relatively high tension sects. This cycle shows that religious bodies generally start as a smaller sect that is divided from a main belief structure, and if it can gain enough following will within itself become transformed into a church. This shows that these sects will shift from a high tension environment to a lower tension environment. The cycle continues as discontent grows within the once sect and now church and is then divided once again into a smaller sect striving to obtain a greater following to become a lower tension environment. This cycle can help us understand sociological change...
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...Assess the sociological explanations of changes in the status of children (24 marks) Childhood is a socially defined age-status. There are major differences in how childhood is defined both historically and cross-culturally. Some may believe that childhood is biological. The age and development of children are biologically determined as these remain the same throughout time and cultures. But childhood, the way children are viewed and treated, changes throughout time and cultures. This is why childhood is viewed as a social construction. Some sociologists suggest the changes in the status of children are good, while others suggest they are bad. To examine the change in the status of children, we have to see how it has been constructed by society. In the UK people follow the western modern notion; that childhood is a special separate life stage. However, this view is not found in all societies as suggested by Wagg (1992). There is clear evidence of this when childhood is examined cross-culturally. Ruth Benedict (1934) argued that children in simpler, non-industrial societies are generally treated differently from their western counterparts. Benedict suggested that children take responsibility from an early age and that there is less value placed on obedience to adult authority. She also suggests that children’s sexual behaviour is often viewed differently. Many sociologists have studies to support this. Malinowski (1957) found that Trobriand Islanders took an attitude of ‘tolerance...
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...Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess sociological explanations of changes in the status of childhood The status of childhood has always been changing with time and in this day and age there are many views over the position of children, being confined, disciplined or controlled by the adult authority. Others say that they are growing up to fast and the distinction between the adults and children is overlapping. Some sociologists believe that childhood is socially constructed, that childhood is dependent on society’s cultures, beliefs and laws etc. An example for this theory is Stephen Wagg’s (1992), who believes a single ‘universal’ childhood, which everyone goes through, does not exist. He says that childhood isn’t natural or defined by biology. By this he means that although all children go through life stages and physical development, it doesn’t create their position in society and instead the society and its differential culture, religion and laws decide this for them. Earlier centuries like the middle ages didn’t regard childhood at all and adults and children were almost equal with each other, work, clothing and playing. As item A describes ‘little distinction was drawn between adults and children’. This is a view taken up by the historian Philippe Aries where the child entered the wider society on most the same terms as adults and taking the responsibility of work from a young age. Evidence of this is from Bruegel’s 16th century painting which shows children...
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...a whole; “The Sociological Imagination” demonstrates this connection. Mills states “Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both.” The sociological imagination tells us that there is a relationship that exists between Private Troubles and Public Issues which people are often unaware of. Mills explains that the distinction of private troubles and public issues is essential in grasping the sociological imagination. The distinction can be made in that private troubles are personal because of the individuals’ character. Public Issues; however, differ in that they are problems that have come from society and in turn effect the people within that society. The problem which occurs is that an individual often takes on the burden of a society created issue as their own private trouble, often without realising they have done so. An example of this given to us by Mills is marriage and in turn divorce. Individuals often feel that because their marriage is a private relationship the issues which grow within must be their own troubles. However the sociological imagination tells us that with substantial divorce rates, there must be a more logical explanation which is being overlooked. If divorce rates were low, this would indicate personal troubles. However as divorce rates continue to be so high there must therefore be a society based force causing the decline in marriages being sustained. The sociological imagination demonstrates...
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...Thinking and Reflecting This essays purpose is to present the concept keys that define sociological imagination, in Mills’ vision. I will also bring to discussion personal examples that are relevant to the topic of the essay. Their role will be to explain the way in which Mills thinking is reflected in everyday life. From the beginning he portrays the way people see themselves “Nowadays men and women often feel that their private lives are a series of traps.”(Mills, 1959:1). This traps represent an obstacle that cannot be overcome, mainly because their sources are the same decisions taken to improve the lifestyle. As they become more conscious of their surroundings , the more trapped they feel. The only solution is to find different ways to see the world, to understand how the changes that are happening in history and society, are affecting them. Only when people will be capable to make these connections, they will be able to free themselves. In Mills vision this is called sociological imagination and it “enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society.” (Mills, 1959:3). Sociological imagination is what “enables its possessor to understand the large historical scene in terms of its meaning for the inner life and the external career of a variety of individuals” (Mills, 1959:2) To be able reach it, people should find not only their place in history but also of those that have been in the same situation as them. They have to be able...
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...In The Sociological Imagination, by Kenneth A. Gould and Tammy L. Lewis, it discusses the aspects of the Sociological Imagination. This writing is hoping to prepare the reader to view the world in a different way, and to initiate the use of their sociological imagination more than they had before. This chapter explains how individuals are influenced by, and how they impact the society that they belong to, “A key theme of an introduction to sociology course is that individuals affect and are affected by society” (Gould, Lewis 4). The authors use Mills writings to explain how there is a difference between personal problems and public issues. Personal problems are problems affecting a person who is also the source of the problem, while public...
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...beneficial in changing the judgmental attitude many women faced. Because of the desperation to flourish during this time, there was little room left for discrimination of age, marital status, or race. Most importantly, the pressure a woman had to fulfill the housewife and mother role dissolved. Now the act of leaving a child at daycare to hold a job was praised (Lindsey, 2015). Unfortunately when the war ended, women were expected to return to their domestic roles and leave the labor force. However, many women kept their sense of independence and were keen to make a change. Although men once again monopolized employment opportunities, the blatant evidence that employed women thrived could not be erased. It became difficult for the media and society to convince women that their proper place was in the home, when the contrary had been proven (Lindsey, 2015). Lindsey, Linda L. (2015). Gender Roles: A Sociological Perspective. Boston, Massachusetts:...
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...path. Many sociological definitions of deviance simply elaborate upon this idea. Thus deviance consists of those areas which do not follow the norms and expectations of a particular social group. Deviance may be positively sanctioned (rewarded), negatively sanctioned (punished), or simply accepted without reward or punishment. In terms of the above definition of deviance, the soldier on the battlefield who risks his life above and beyond the normal call of duty may be termed deviant, as the physicist who breaks the rules of his discipline and develops a new theory. Their deviance may be positively sanctioned; the soldier might be rewarded with a medal, the physicist with a Noble...
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...Assess the sociological reasons for the change in the social position of children and the consequences of these changes for the family and society (24 marks) The social position of children over time has greatly changed, this evident through the work Philippe Aries. During the Middle Ages (10th-13th Century) Aries (1960) argued that ‘the idea of childhood did not exist.’ He used works of art as evidence to show that children of that time appeared without ‘any of the characteristics of childhood; they have simply been depicted on a smaller scale.’ Children were in effect ‘mini-adults’ with the same rights, duties and skills as adults. They even dressed the same and carried out the same work. However from the 13th Century on Aries said ‘the notions of childhood were gradually emerging’ changes were beginning. Schools were specialising in purely education for children. There was a growing distinction between children’s and adults clothing. By the 18th Century, hand books were being made on rearing children, there was a sign of growing child centeredness of family life at least among the middle class. Then in the 18th-20th Century major changes happened. Laws were made restricting child labour and excluding children from work. This change was made in order to stop children from carrying out all types of labour but most importantly to stop intense or dangerous labour e.g. young boys working in mines and chimneys. Compulsory schooling was introduced 1880. The growth in industry...
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...In 1959 American sociologist C. Wright Mills introduced the term social imagination to the English lexicon. Mills coined this term to describe a human ability to connect personal experiences with overall society. It is an outlook that is applied to disassociate us from ourselves so that we can begin to look at what and why we do things with a fresh perspective. This social imagination outlook will allow a person to connect their own personal struggles with the overall workings of society and to gain an understanding that their own personal strife may actually be caused by public issues. And with this knowledge gained, a person or society can begin to formulate a plan that can be used to progress or enact changes that will be beneficial to the overall public....
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...Management Behavior on InterClean-EnviroTech Merger The current essay has the intention to briefly analyze the merger situation between the two companies InterClean and EnviroTech, after the acquisition of the latter from the former organization. As a part of InterClean’s new strategy newly proposed solutions/service model, sales reps from both companies will be set into multi-functional teams taking advantage of all the expertise gathered mutually from these organizations in the Cleaning and Sanitation Industry. A merger or fusion between organizations is always a sensitive subject to deal with, since the human capital from the companies involved will experience a cultural, structural and managerial change that needs to be handled delicately during the transition, in order to impact the least on areas like employees social identity, behavior and attitudes toward organizational commitments, turnover intention of key players among the company, to name a few. Lipponen, J., Olkkonen, M., & Moilanen, M. (2004) explain the approach of social identity theories, by stating that they “share the same fundamental assumption that individuals define themselves in terms of their social group memberships and that group-defined self-perception produces distinctive effects on social behaviour and intergroup relations. This means that the more an individual conceives of him- or herself in terms of membership in a group or, in other words, identifies with the group, the more his or her attitudes...
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...responsibility, their personal life could really lack fulfillment and pleasure. An individual that is lacking personal responsibility cannot live to their full potential and have everything they have ever wanted on a mental and material level. If a person lacks a main aspect to live the right way, they cannot become satisfied with their life and are not doing anything to take charge of the problems that they have acquired along the way from incompetence. If there is a lack responsibility, then they do not have any confidence (Clouder, 2009). Confidence is a feeling that anyone should have about life as an adult. An individual might find it hard to take charge of their life the way they want to because they are not confident that their life might change for the better. Confidence in yourself and in others, to take charge, could be a good way to ‘get out of the rough’ when there is a desire to make a difference. Motivation is key to keep me from underestimating myself and short changing my career. My motivation is not to just create a better life for myself, but also for my family. In a way,...
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...The Ways Nestle Managed Its Environment Over Time Nestle used different ways to manage its environment. It did this through expansion of the product offering, expansion of the customer base, and by developing lower-cost ways to make and sell products. Early on, Nestle managed its environment by expanding into new markets, in both developing and emerging nations. As trade barriers fell, the CEO of Nestle Barbeck-Latmathe seized the opportunity and decided it’s the right time for Nestle to expand geographically into the developed and emerging markets such as those in Eastern Europe, India and Asia. By doing this, Barbeck drove Nestle’s performance dramatically, taking into consideration the massive number of potential customers in these regions and the enlargement in Nestle’s customer’s base. In the 1990’s; Nestle managed its environment by acquiring other companies. The companies which Neslte acquired at that time included U.S. food companies Carnation, Buitoni Pasta, Ralston Purina, Dreyer’s ice cream and Chef America, the British chocolate maker Rowntree, the French bottled water company Perrier, and the Mexican food maker Ortega. It is noticeable that Neslte regards acquisitions and efforts at diversification as logical ways to supplement their business. Nestle only acquires food making companies, the business it has special knowledge and expertise in. After all, Barbeck’s intentions were to customize these products to suit the tastes of customers in different countries...
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...A Raisin in the Sun Act III-A Lesson Learned In the final scene in “A raisin in the Sun,” some very important and much needed lessons are learned. Life changing decisions are made and for the better. In the last scene, Walter calls Lindner over to agree to take payment in lieu of moving into the all white neighborhood. Walter, as usual, can only think of money, and in his mind believes the large payoff from Lindner will be well worth selling out his family’s pride and honor. Lena decides, as Walter’s mother, to force his son Travis to stay to witness this life changing moral decision, in hopes that Walter will come to his senses; to everyone’s surprise he does. Walter looks into his son’s eyes and can’t sell his family short with his son watching. He decides to do what is best for the family’s morale rather than do what will put money in his pocket. That one decision shows the enormous lesson learned by Walter and how he changed. Character: The characters are well illustrated for us by the way they speak, their actions, and reactions to things. It is clear that Lena (Mama) has very little education and comes from a different time than the others. Ruth and Walter, the next generation, are slightly better spoken but still lack the educated speech that Beneatha and Travis, even younger, display with their current educations. Mama (Lena) is described as a big, strong woman, which is shown by how she reacts to the other characters, steering them the way she wants and mothering...
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