Functionalism and Marxism: Education and Employment

Functionalism and Marxism: Education and Employment Sociologists study human society. Their subject matter includes human behaviour in various social contexts, social interaction, social institutions and organisation, social change and development (Haralmbos, Van Krieken, Smith Holborn 1999). For this reason, unemployment is an issue which sociologists delve. Unemployment has far reaching affects in all areas of society. Stratification in the areas of age, race, class, gender, ethnicity, sex and disability is rife amongst the employed and unemployed alike, unemployment creates further segregation amongst these already stratified people. This essay will look at unemployment from the functional and conflict theory perspective, as well how four main institutions (family, education, government and health) are affected by unemployment. It will also look at Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim and their contribution to sociology and the theory of functionalism and conflict. Unemployment affects almost everyone to some degree during their lives, th e need to understand how we can deal with the issue is becoming critically important to society as a whole. Functionalist Theory Function is an unclear term, often used by orthodox sociologists to define the logical and social place of roles, institutions and structures in terms of the production and reproductionof a society as a social system as in the idea that the function of the family is to socialise new members of society (Bessant Watts, 1999). Functionalists believe everything serves a specific function in our society and these functions need to be understood. Everyone has a role to fill in this functional society, in other words we need to have stratification so as everyone has a purpose. Functionalists are very boundaried and thin within the square. For this theory to really work, there needs to be a consensus amongst the individuals that make up society, they need to believe everything is in the best interest of this so called utopia. There is obviously no conflict of interest. This does not seem possible in this modern age, so can functionalism still be considered a plausible theory. It does of course have its merits, yes everything does have its function, but these functions are up for a degree of interpretation and change. Unfortunately functionalism does not explain change except in a gradual evolutionary way. Conflict Theory Conflict theory is a body of theories including marxism, which claims that all social orders are fractured by social conflict, typically between classes and other groups, over control of valued resources including wealth, power and property (Bessant Watts, 1999). Conflict theorists believe that conflict is the basis of social order and that a minority of people with power are able to impose their will over others. There is a conflict of interest, people have different goals and purpose. They will use whatever means to gain this, even to the detriment of others in their society. Those with more power and money have the ability to gain a higher level of services by the main institutions in our society (such as education and health), thus creating a greater level of stratification in society. This in turn creates more conflict as those who cannot get the services they need turn to deviant or dependant methods to gain the same baisc needs. Unfortunately it is a vicious circle which cont inues to breed contempt from both sides of the fence in our society. Durkheim Durkheim (1858-1917) was one of the original founding fathers of positivist sociology (functional theory), his concern was how to preserve society. The basis for social order (how society hung together and worked over time) was not economic but moral for Durkheim, expressed in the type of solidarity that a society exhibited (Willis,1999). Durkheim was particularly concerned to distinguish social facts, which he sometimes described as states of the collective mind, from the forms these states assumed when manifested through private individual minds. This distinction is most obvious in cases of customs, moral and legal rights and religious beliefs etc. Marx For Karl Marx (1818-1883), the transformation had to be understood primarily as a change in the economic structure of societies; a change in the means by which economic production was organised from a system called feudalism to one called capitalism (Willis 1999). Marx was a man looking to understand society, he followed many different paths and was alienated many times for his ideas. His theories on value and surplus value, accumulation, exploitation, pauperization, crisis and appropriation, class struggle and revolution made no immediate impact on the workers movement, until after his death in 1883 (Rius 1999). Unemployment We are entering a new phase in world history one in which fewer and fewer and fewer workers will be needed to produce the goods and services for the global populationFor the whole of the modern era, peoples worth has been measured by the market value of their labournow new ways of defining human worth and social relationships will need to be explored (Rifkin 1996). Life has changed, globalization and feminism have had a huge impact on the work environment around the world. Technology has also made many jobs redundant. Unemployment has become an issue allaround the globe, explanations of this phenomenom are plenty. How does unemployment serve a purpose, or is it just another chance for the powerful to stamp on those with less power? The government views the unemployment situation as an idividual problem. It is due to the lack of training of the individual, they now make people have training to continue to get unemployment benefits. This is a great idea as far as keeping the individua l busy and increasing the self-esteem and knowledge, but what then? We are now creating alot of qualified people for positions which dont exist. We need to look at why there are not enough positions to employ these individuals. If it is not lack of skills, then what is it? Could it be that they government or us as a society are not doing enough to promotebusiness in Australia, instead sending our work load overseas for cheaper labour. We need to look at why the positions are non existant rather than assuming it is the individuals fault. Unemployment affects our society in so many ways. The four main institutions I am looking at are family, education, health and government. Firstly the family, unemployment places added financial and mental strain on the family. The lack of income can cause many families to have to live without the basic necessities which we take for granted, they then need to turn to welfare agencies in order to survive. Lack of income also means children often have to miss out on school activities and sports programs as the family budget can no longer stretch the distance. This monetary strain can cause breakdown in both the individual and family. This can turn in domestic violence, alcoholism, gambling, family dysfunction and even suicide. Unemployment has such wide ranging affects on family life. Alcoholism, smoking, the illegal use of drugs and crime are associated with unemployment (Makkai 1994).This can then be made even more significant when their is further stratification caused by age, disability, ethnicity, gender, sex, class and race. For example, if your race was one that expected the men to work and the wife to stay at home and raise the children. When you become unemployed, you may lose your standing as both a husband and member of your community, as you can no longer provide appropriately for your family. Each of these aspects further increases the impact of unemployment. Secondly, there is education. Public versus private is already a hotly argued issue, do children get a better education from private or public education. This is not an issue for Australians who cannot afford the private education system. It is still a struggle though to pay for books, uniforms, excursions, camps and other school activities. Add in unemployment and the issue becomes even harder. If you currently have your children in private education and become unemployed, you may not be able to meet the financial demands. Taking your child out of their school and changing them to the public education system can then be very traumatic for everyone involved. Once again add any of the other stratification issues mentioned before and the situation can become very volatile. You may have certain reasons for attending special schools, if then cannot afford to maintain this situation what happens to your child. For example, a special school for your disabled child, mainstream public school may not be able to handle your childs disability. Your child is then left in a situation which is detrimental to their well being. Thirdly, government, unemployment is such a hot issue with voters that the government must be seen to be doing as much as they can to help the situation. They are always making promises to decrease the unemployment rate, unfortunately the unmployment rate does not really give an accurate picture of how many people are out of work. It is only those who are registered as looking for work. The government provides welfare and training for unemployed but they do not seem to see the bigger picture. The government also creates stratification by having different payments and services for different races, rather than basing services provided on an individual needs basis. For example, Austudy and Abstudy. Finally, health system, the health system is hit hard by unemployment especially with the drop in bulk billing. Many unemployed people cannot afford to go to a non-bulk billing doctor so instead go into their local emergency department. This is causing congestion in the emergency department. There is also an increase of illness (mental and physical) and suicide amongst the unemployed. This is creating a huge draw on our medicare and health system. Those on low incomes or unemployed cannot afford to have private health insurance, so are therefore no getting all the help they need. We are creating a system where people are leaving illnesses and injuries until they are quite serious due to the fact that they cannot afford to see a specialist. We will now look at what the functionalists and the conflict theorists say about it. Unemployment (Functionalism) Functionalists believe unemployment serves a purpose in society. We need unemployment in our society, it plays its own part. For all those who are or have been unemployed, it is hard to see how it can possibly be good for society, part of the master plan. Unemployment creates so much misery and further increases the problem of stratification. Those in the underprivileged class have to rely on government handouts, which only creates further poverty as those people struggle to make ends meet. This in turn affects the family structure by adding extra money pressures. This is the point though, unemployed people create work for centrelink staff, welfare agencies, counsellors and keep cheap discount stores in work. It also maintains that there will always be someone to take the menial jobs that others dont want. Those lower classed people will do the jobs others wont. We need the divisions to make sure there are people to cover all types of places in society. Unemployment (Conflict Theory) Conflict theorists see unemployment as more evidence of those in a powerful or priviledged position taking advantage of others. Power is the emphasis is an employment situation, while employed you have a certain amount of power, both over your work environment and your own life. Once unemployed you become powerless, reliant on the government to provide you an income. Once in this position, an individual is likely to take a job which is below their abilities and for less pay, just so as to be earning an income. The difference in class and standing continues to increase. Those with money, do not need to stoop to this type of position, they can instead wait until an appropriate job comes up or they can indulge in further education to improve their position even more. Conclusion Unemployment plays are major part in our society, its affects are wide reaching. The implication that unemployment is an individual problem due to lack of skills, only seeks to increase the problem. The idea that who we are is depicted by what we do as a job, creates further stratification of our society. Long-term unemployment has been shown to be one of the most important contributors to domestic violence and other forms of crime, as well as psychological illness and suicide (Baker 1993). Whether we look at unemployment from a functional or conflict perspective, there is no right or wrong answer. We need to look at it from both perspectives to get a better idea of the situation, and then to look at possible ways of dealing with the issue. There will always be unemployment due to changes in the environment, whether they are biological or technological. For this reason further insights into how society deals with unemployment is necessary. Stratification is a principal aspect of the evolution of a societys social identity, when this is compounded with unemployment, alienation and dysfunction becomes a consequence.

Is “American Culture” a Contradiction in Terms?

Is â€Å"American Culture† a contradiction in terms? American Culture can often be thought of as a contradiction of terms because every piece of â€Å"American Culture† arises from a different source. It first must be noted that the founding of the United States was not based on spreading a certain country’s colonization (in most regards). The United States was founded because religious separatists, or purists, desired freedom to practice their religion freely. In an effort to do so, these â€Å"pilgrims† built the backbone of what many know as American Culture. The reason American Culture often seems a contradiction in terms is because culture can often be defined as a way of eating, dressing, or cultural values. In the United States there are very few original foods; ways of dressing that are not common among other parts of the world; and generally diverse religion, values, and viewpoints. It is also difficult to define because each piece of American Culture has roots in another culture (hamburgers are not American, but McDonald's popularized it). However, the core of American culture remains the â€Å"American Dream†. Americans seem to believe that the sky is the limit. Although these sentiments may be shifting because of increased comfort and lack of youth education, the idea that anyone can be anything runs deep from the values first instilled by the Pilgrims. The values only increased with the addition to the United States after the Louisiana Purchase and expansion to the west. On the other hand, upon founding the United States, the Americans killed or ostracized the Natives (â€Å"Indians†). Thereby they rid the country of nearly any influence from this group. Furthermore, American culture innovates and publicizes. American culture is often associated with new things. These â€Å"new† ideas are often the combination of different cultural values. Again we can return to McDonald's. The hamburger is not American, but fast food is purely a result of faster and faster paced American life. The combination of these two aspects created a worldwide phenomenon characterizing Americans as moving too fast to enjoy life and eating more than necessary. With such a large land area, no single culture can characterize the United States. Consequently, as often seen in American politics, the South is usually more conservative, the north and west being more liberal. The food, music, and concepts of time differ greatly across the expanse of the United States as well. The US is a worldwide example for capitalism and its results. Often things associated with capitalism, both positive (better standard of living) and negative (the lack of care for the poor) can characterize American Culture as unwilling to care for social causes. In conclusion, although American Culture does provide undoubtedly some contradictions, it is still no contradiction in terms because all the different cultural pieces that one can find in the US create American Culture itself.

A Review of Essay Topics about Literature

A Review of Essay Topics about Literature Top Essay Topics about Literature Secrets Therefore, the topic needs to be debatable! Fernand has married Mercedes and is currently called Count de Morcerf. Parents should speak to kids about drugs at a youthful age. Parents of bullies should need to pay a fine. School should happen in the evenings. Children should have to read more. Teens should have to take parenting classes. They should be able to choose their bedtime. The more research you can do in order to secure better at your upcoming profession, the better. Perhaps a number of the very best college research topics nowadays are IT research paper topics. Also SITE and INSAT programmes have contributed a good deal in the area of education. In a nutshell, conducting an extensive review of the literature can spare you time and money when helping increase your research benefits. Gun ownership ought to be tightly controlled. Finding the most suitable arguments can help you prove your point and win. When it would probably not be possible to really determine what proportion of everything'' demographics would be in a position to analyze and explain, it's possible to figure out how significant it is. When selecting a topic it should be in the correct subject field. The important thing is to locate a question that's not too wide. After choosing a wide topic, you've got to do some preliminary research. Definitions of Essay Topics about Literature Literature is a critical portion of a youngster's education and it should find more focus in the classroom. Literature essay topics allow you to narrow back on a sure idea or detail, it's important to pick the essay topics you're interested in. Research papers are trying, but in addition they have the capacity to be somewhat rewarding. The cost of an essay is dependent upon the quantity of effort the writer has to exert. Thus, to compose a great essay you must brainstorm all thoughts concerning your life experiences. Reader foreknowledge is crucial. There's, obviously, a limit on the range of pages even our very best writers can produce with a pressing deadline, but usually, we can satisfy all the clients seeking urgent assistance. You may have a paper that's directly pertinent to your research question but if the standard of the paper is poor it may not assist you as much as you believe. The writer that you personally select from our pool of writing candidates can give a literature essay sample that will enable you to have a look below the hood and see that which we're made from. If you still feel you need help, even if you've managed to pick a topic, you may always seek the services of a custom writing service to assist you produce a fabulous research paper of which you'll be proud and will guarantee you a nice mark. Every spot on earth has a story. You will be hard-pressed to discover many books which don't deal with death in some manner or another. Some men and women live their lives depending on their religion while some don't think you should factor that into decision making in regards to determining rules for everybody. Somebody gets essential wisdom and experience there. Now you have a great idea of the way to hunt for college research paper topics, you are prepared for some suggestions. At times you might require some expert help with argumentative essay topics. In the procedure for writing research articles, it's required to adhere to a specific topic. The review topics selected will generally be the field of research and study for many months or longer.

Campaign Advertising Essay - 632 Words

Campaign Advertising Though clearly constant in the effort to win the electorates vote for each candidate, campaign advertising since the 1950s has become more intricate. In each decade since television advertising for a candidate has begun, the messages have been designed in one way or another to play on the emotions of the electorate. However, over time the way in which this is done has changed constantly, most clearly in the utilization of positive and negative ads. Moreover, the utilization of information and statistics in ads has changed dramatically, delivering the core message of a candidate in concise, hard hitting, and effective way. Though positive and negative ads have been†¦show more content†¦In addition to the types of advertisements, the content of modern campaign ads have changed over time. These ads blend truths or partial truths and emotional sentiments to elicit the desired response (a vote for the candidate being advertised). These ads have also been present since the 1950s but have intensified over time in the juxtaposition of visual and audio imagery, and the fact being stated. They have progressed from the Eisenhower Answers America Campaign where perhaps an incisive comment about how the Democrats before him raised taxes was elicited by the President, to President Lyndon Johnsons ad against Barry Goldwater that displayed a map of the United States where the eastern seaboard was being cut-off by a saw. This imagery, both audio and visual, was accompanied by a narrators quoting of Goldwater saying he wished the eastern seaboard could be sawed off and let drift into the ocean. The height o f this type of advertising was seen in the 1988 campaign between then Vice-President George H. Bush and Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. 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