...Culture and Socialization Learning to be Human Understanding Cause & Effect • Correlation - the existence of a regular relationship between two sets of occurrences or variables. • Causation - a relationship in which one event or situation brings about the other. • Correlation does not imply causation. But a causal relationship must mean that two variables are correlated. Sociological Imagination • The more we understand what is happening in the world, the more frustrated we often become, for our knowledge leads to feelings of powerlessness. We feel that we are living in a world in which the citizen has become a mere spectator or a forced actor, and that our personal experience is politically useless and our political will a minor illusion (Mills 1959) Macro argument. Chapter 3 Culture & Society The Concepts of Culture Culture - The values the members of a given group hold, the norms they follow, and the material goods they create. Values - abstract ideals. For example, monogamy is a prominent value in most Western societies. Norms - definite principles or rules people are expected to observe Society - a system of relationships that connects individuals who share the same culture. The Concepts of Culture Culture and society are closely related. Cultural variations among humans are linked to different types of society. No culture could exist without a society; equally, no society could exist without culture. The Concepts of Culture Ethnocentrism – judging...
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...MGMT314: Lecture 12 / chapter 9 Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility ETHICS * Ethics concerns principles of right or wrong conduct * The moral principles and values that govern the behaviour of people, firms or Govt. regarding what is right and what is wrong * Being truthful * Demonstrating integrity of character * Not cheating customers * Not harming people and trading with decency BUSINESS ETHICS * Involves the application of general ethical principles to the actions and decisions of businesses and the conduct of their personnel * Are not materially different from ethical principles in general because business actions have to be judged in the context of society’s standards of right and wrong * Ethic behaviour in business requires adhering to generally accepted norms Why study ethics in business? * Ethical behaviour is simply the right thing to do. It is often prescribed within law and regulations * Ethical behaviour is demanded by customers, govt. and the news media. Unethical firms risk attracting unwanted attention * Ethical behaviour is good business, leading to enhanced corporate image and selling prospect. Firms with strong reputations have an advantage when hiring and motivating employees, partnering and dealing with foreign governments. * Related issues * Bribery (over US$1 trillion in bribes is paid around the world) * Kickbacks; illicit payment made to someone in return for facilitating...
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...function effectively, unless there was some kind of agreement on what is right and wrong. There seems to be a universal human acceptance on what right or wrong should be. If you look cross culturally over time it seems to suggest we all follow a certain basic rule, one that, Matthew 7:2 from The New Testament sums up quite efficiently: “ For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging, is the standard by which you will be judged” This very widespread principle would amount to us as a society today in the 21st century as more common sense but where did morality actually come from? According to All About Science(2013), the Darwinian principles suggest, we are all a product of evolution, from a process called natural selection. Natural selection is the continuing process in which biological characteristics become either more or less common in a population. Meaning that: Individuals in a species that show a wide range of variation is because of differences within their genes. Individuals with characteristics most suited to the environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, as the genes that allow these individuals to be successful are passed to their offspring. This theory would lead you to believe that moral behaviour arose in humans as an extension of the biological altruism and empathy involved in the animal worlds care of its mates and offspring. If morality was a direct product of evolution, why would people constantly...
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...relation to each concept is identified and described. In conclusion, philosophical findings are incorporated into a personal view on the ultimate meaning of life. Philosophical Issues Personal Identity Personal identity of the most basic nature is “what makes one the person one is” (Olson, 2010). This basic nature then leads to the complexities of personal identity. Complexities include questions such as: * Who am I? * What is it to be a person? * What does it take for a person to persist from one time to another – that is, for the same person to exist at different times? * How do we find out who is who? * What am I? * How could I have been? * How different could I have been from the way I actually am? (2010) These questions are crucial to discovering self-purpose of life. Hume’s philosophy is that personal identity is “nothing but a bundle or collection of different perceptions” and “too inconstant” (n.d.). Several philosophers disagree, arguing that “when the soul and the body are united, then nature orders the soul to rule and govern, and the body to obey and serve” (Chaffee, 2011, p. 91). There are many theories of philosophy pertaining to personal identity and social identity. In most cases, the compulsion to rationalize identity by understanding and knowing who we are and where we belong is a derivative of human nature need. We are compelled to find answers to self-identity questions by our nature. Human nature is traditionally viewed...
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...explores the status, foundations, and scope of moral values, properties, and words. Whereas the fields of applied ethics and normative theoryfocus on what is moral, metaethics focuses on what morality itself is. Just as two people may disagree about the ethics of, for example, physician-assisted suicide, while nonetheless agreeing at the more abstract level of a general normative theory such as Utilitarianism, so too may people who disagree at the level of a general normative theory nonetheless agree about the fundamental existence and status of morality itself, or vice versa. In this way, metaethics may be thought of as a highly abstract way of thinking philosophically about morality. For this reason, metaethics is also occasionally referred to as “second-order” moral theorizing, to distinguish it from the “first-order” level of normative theory. Metaethical positions may be divided according to how they respond to questions such as the following: * Ÿ What exactly are people doing when they use moral words such as “good” and “right”? * Ÿ What precisely is a moral value in the first place, and are such values similar to other familiar sorts of entities, such as objects and properties? * Ÿ Where do moral values come from—what is their source and foundation? * Ÿ Are some things morally right or wrong for all people at all times, or does morality instead vary from person to person, context to context, or culture to culture? Metaethical positions respond to such questions...
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...thought of it."Piaget created a theory of cognitive development that described the basic stages that children go through as they mentally mature. He believed that children are like "little scientists," actively trying to make sense of the world rather than simply soaking up information passively. Schemas One of the key concepts in Piaget's theory is the use of schemas. According to Piaget,schemas are cognitive frameworks or concepts that help people organize and interpret information. As experiences happen, this new information is used to modify, add to or completely change previously existing schemas. For example, a young girl may have a schema about a type of animal, such as a cat. According to her schema, cat's are furry and have four legs. When she first encounters a dog, she might initially believe that the animal is a cat. Once the she learns that this is actually a dog, she will revise her schema for cats and create a new category for dogs. Stages of Cognitive Development * The Sensorimotor Stage: A...
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...Morality (from the Latin moralitas "manner, character, proper behavior") is the differentiation of intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are distinguished as proper and those that are improper.[1] Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from acode of conduct from a particular philosophy, religion, or culture, or it can derive from a standard that a person believes should be universal.[2] Morality may also be specifically synonymous with "goodness" or "rightness." Moral philosophy includes moral ontology, or the origin of morals, as well as moral epistemology, or knowledge about morals. Different systems of expressing morality have been proposed, including deontological ethical systems which adhere to a set of established rules, and normative ethical systems which consider the merits of actions themselves. An example of normative ethical philosophy is the Golden Rule, which states that: "One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself."[3] Immorality is the active opposition to morality (i.e. opposition to that which is good or right), while amorality is variously defined as an unawareness of, indifference toward, or disbelief in any set of moral standards or principles. An initial naïve attempt at a descriptive definition of “morality” might take it to refer to the most important code of conduct put forward by a society and accepted by the members of that society. But the existence of large and heterogeneous societies raises...
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...There are a lot of things we have learned in this course from ethical theories to moral reasoning and I think what we have learned in these last five weeks will help and should help us in a decision making process in the future. Virtue Ethics says that a person should make a decision on behalf of them rather than their culture or laws, as long as they are a good person, it is a good decision. It is person based rather than cultural. Virtue, practical wisdom and eudemonia, are the three main concepts that virtue ethics’ enforces. Aristotle and Plato are virtue ethics principle ethicists. Utilitarianism’s principal concepts are: egalitarianism, hedonism, consequentialism. This ethical system is based on a perception that a choice is moral when it has a result that is more positive for people. Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-73) who was actually one of Bentham’s students, are, ethicist’s involved in developing utilitarianism. Social contact is that the persons’ moral or obligations are dependent on a contract or agreement. To be polite, not cheat or lie to one another in marriage, which marriage is like a contract. The ethicists that were involved in this were Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Individual relativism says that is not a universal standard. “All values are subjective because they are based upon the personal preferences that express one’s own self-interest” (Argosy, 2015). What you says goes basically, what you think is the...
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...Week 2 Reading summaries Claude Fischler “Food, Self and Identity” (1988) * Food goes deeper than being a source of nutrition, it is central to our individual identity given that we are constructed, biologically, psychologically and socially by the food we choose to incorporate into our lives. * Omnivore’s paradox: One of the fundamental components of our identity as omnivores is that we have the autonomy, freedom and adaptability to consume a wide range of food. However this liberty also implies dependence and constraint. Omnivores cannot obtain all the nutrients it needs from one food alone and omnivores must also avoid harmful foods. * The principle of incorporation dictates that food and cuisine are a central component of the sense of collective belonging. * Disgust is a socially constructed biological safeguard. The psychology of eating behavior reveals that children have the tendency to accept only a limited range of food they are familiar with. This gives us insight into our natural instinct as humans to put new exotic foods through thorough examination before we consume it. * Because of how complex identifying a food can be based on its cultural origins, the culinary system provides a pre-fabricated matrix where one can identify a food by understanding its place in the world. * In today’s society as food is becoming more processed and integrated through globalization our cultural and physiological identity through food is becoming...
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...RACHELS “Morality differs in every society, and is a convenient term for socially approved habits.” Ruth Benedict, Patterns of Culture (1934) 2.1 How Different Cultures Have Different Moral Codes Darius, a king of ancient Persia, was intrigued by the variety of cultures he encountered in his travels. He had found, for example, that the Callatians (a tribe of Indians) customarily ate the bodies of their dead fathers. The Greeks, of course, did not do that—the Greeks practiced cremation and regarded the funeral pyre as the natural and fitting way to dispose of the dead. Darius thought that a sophisticated understanding of the world must include an appreciation of such differences between cultures. One day, to teach this lesson, he summoned some Greeks who happened to be present at his court and asked them what they would take to eat the bodies of their dead fathers. They were shocked, as Darius knew they would be, and replied that no amount of money could persuade them to do such a thing. Then Darius called in some Callatians, and while the Greeks listened asked them what they would take to burn their dead fathers' bodies. The Callatians were horrified and told Darius not even to mention such a dreadful thing. This story, recounted by Herodotus in his History illustrates a recurring theme in the literature of social science: Different cultures have different moral codes. What is thought right within one group may be utterly abhorrent to the members of another group, and vice versa. Should...
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...ethically 7 3.1 Assessment of the role of the company acting as moral agent: 8 3.2 Analysis of the development of mechanisms for achieving employee involvement and empowerment 9 Employee Involvement Model 9 4.1 Research a current ethical issue affecting your selected business: 10 4.2 Report on how this business could improve the ethics of their operations whilst meeting their objectives and ensuring good employer/employee relationships: 10 4.3 Design a suitable ethical code: 11 Task 1: Ethical Perspectives in Business ------------------------------------------------- 1.1 Business Ethics: Business ethics is knowing right from wrong in the workplace setting. It concerns the effects of products and the needs of people who have an interest in the company (called stakeholders). Business ethics also focuses on the well-being of everyone because of the power over society that modern businesses hold. Business ethics can be difficult to understand because there are many schools of thought that list different ways to be ethical. In attempting to understand business ethics, it's best to start with universal ethics and then move on to more specific ethical philosophies. ------------------------------------------------- 1.2 Absolute and Relative ethics Business Ethics reflects the behavioral aspects and a common culture which have been accustomed in any organization. It is a specialized branch focusing on how moral standards apply to business organizations and behavior. There are some schools...
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...OUTLINE I. What is Culture? A. Culture and Human Intelligence B. Culture, Nation, and Society II. The Components of Culture A. Symbols B. Language 1. Language and Cultural Transmission 2. Is Language Uniquely Human? 3. Does Language Shape Reality? C. Values and Beliefs 1. Key Values of U.S. Culture 2. Values: Inconsistency and Conflict 3. Values in Action: The Games People Play A. Norms 1. Mores and Folkways 2. Social Control A. "Ideal" and "Real" Culture B. Material Culture and Technology C. New Information Technology and Culture I. Cultural Diversity: Many Ways of Life In One World A. High Culture and Popular Culture B. Subculture C. Multiculturalism D. Counterculture E. Cultural Change 1. Cultural Lag 2. Causes of Cultural Change A. Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativity B. A Global Culture? I. Theoretical Analysis of Culture A. Structural-Functional Analysis B. Social-Conflict Analysis C. Sociobiology I. Culture and Human Freedom A. Culture As Constraint B. Culture As Freedom I. Summary II. Key Concepts III. Critical-Thinking Questions IV. Applications and Exercises V. Sites to SeePART II: LEARNING OBJECTIVES * To begin to understand the sociological meaning of the concept of culture * To consider the relationship between human intelligence and culture * To know the components...
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...doctrines that mandate the large-scale redistribution of wealth and other goods. But there is a prior, conceptual question: is there an illuminating sense in which these disagreements are aptly described as concerned with justice? Alternatively put, is there a concept of justice of which these rival accounts can be interpreted as offering different conceptions? (Rawls 1971/1999: 5-6). If not, the dispiriting conclusion looms that these disputes are „verbal‟ rather than genuine, like a debate about the nature of „banks‟ in which one party has in mind financial institutions and the other party the sloping bits of land at the sides of rivers. One answer is that the concept of justice marks out the entire domain of moral evaluation, or at least the whole of inter-personal morality, excluding only moral concerns relating purely to oneself or to non-persons, such as animals. This expansive reading of justice – as (inter-personal) moral rightness or virtue – has a venerable pedigree. The Greek word for justice, dikaiosyne, can mean acting rightly or as one ought (although there is a real question about the extent to a specific category of the „moral‟ comes into focus within ancient Greek ethical thought). This is a meaning „justice‟ bears when Plato and Aristotle claim that all of virtue is contained in justice. 2 The wide sense is also found in modern writers such as Hugo...
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...Ethics Adam Smith’s Theory Adam Smith developed a comprehensive version of moral sentimentalism in his Theory of Moral Sentiments. Smith claims that every man, by nature, always takes care of himself more than of any other person and concerns himself more than any other man. This individual freedom is rooted in self-reliance, the ability of an individual to pursue his self-interest. Yet Smith explains that as social creatures we are endowed with a natural sympathy (pity, compassion) towards others. When we see others distressed or happy, we feel for them and, likewise, others seek our sympathy and feel for us. As we grow from childhood to adulthood, through experience we gradually build up a system of behavioral rules (standards) – morality. So it stems from our social nature. Smith believes that for society to survive there must be rules to present its individual members not to harm each other which they have to obey and these rules are called justice. Also if people go further than obey the rules and do good (beneficence) we welcome it, but cannot demand such actions as we demand justice. Smith ends The Theory of Moral Sentiments by stating that a truly virtuous person is willing to sacrifice all his inferior interests to the greater interest of the universe, great society. By doing that such a person, he suggests, would embody the qualities of justice, beneficence and self-command. Hume’s Moral Philosophy According to Hume, our intentional actions are the immediate product...
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...they become character. Watch your character, they beconme your destiny.” ANONYMOUS Preliminary Notions: A. Etymological: The word ethics comes from the Greek word “ethos” ,meaning : custom, a habitual way of acting character, a meaning that the Latin terms “mos” , “moris” also connote. Among the Greeks , “ethics” meant what concerns human conduct/human action. B. Descriptive: Largely a concern of cultural anthropologists and sociologists. Its task is to describe how some person, members of a culture or society address all sorts of moral issues, what customs they have, and so, how they are accustomed to behave. C. Met-ethics: Concerns itself with the meanings of moral terms: like good and bad, right and wrong, duties and rights, etc. Hence the concern is with the understanding of the use of these terms, their logical forms and the objects to which they refer. Sometimes the concern of meta-ethicist is even more fundamental: What is the possibility of moral philosophy. D. Normative: Ethics is normative, not in the way that logic is, namely. With regard to the correctness of our thinking, but with regard to the goodness of our living, the right orientation of our existence. It is a practical science, not simply because it treats human action, but also because it aims at guiding this. Moralists are not content to describe human conduct: they intend to judge and rectify it. They propose rules and give warning, they provide counsels and issue precepts, so as to...
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