Durkheim Modernity Theory

Durkheim Modernity Theory Durkheim saw Modernity as a new form of thinking that would change the way individuals functioned in society. It took away the overarching order in which humanity, nature and God were interlinked and functioned as the higher power and order of life in traditional societies. The Enlightenment bought about values of questioning, it began to examine the relationship and function that traditional institutions, customs and morals had on the individual and society. Science and rationality began to take the place of stability and order. The modernity of these modes of thought lay in the innovative way in which the philosophes sought to demolish and replace established forms of knowledge dependent of religious authority, such as the biblical account of the creation of the world, with those new forms of knowledge which depended upon experience, experiment and reason quintessentially science. (Hamilton 1992, p. 29). This founding of individualism and new thought is what most worried Durkheim. He felt that strong bonds had to be maintained to keep solidarity which was what he felt society needed to function best. He questioned the place the individual now had in this modern society. To Durkheim, social solidarity is the key to society, Without these social links, he stated, individuals would be separate and unrelated (Morrison P. 128). It brings integration, social bonds and interchanges that he feels are key to a functioning society which cooperates together to achieve goals. After all, we are all fundamentally social where our life at home, work or worship is what defines us and gives us meaning and purpose. Without solidarity Durkheim felt, there would be poor cohesion which linked individuals to social groups. Durkheims The Division of Labour in Society (1893) puts forth the two diverse types of solidarity mechanical and organic. Mechanical solidarity saw society as a whole, with collective opinions and thoughts. The higher power of mechanical societies was held within religion. The stability and order of the Church gave continual reinforcement of the way to live your life and the population were bought together as a whole under this chain of being. This meant all individuals were directly linked and a part of society which carried with it strong social rules and moral values with little individual autonomy. At this time there was a strong collective conscience. The conscience collective exists over and above individuals and becomes implanted in them. It is a society in which the division of labour remains at a very basic level (Craib. I. 1997 p.65). Due to Industrialism, society took a major turn and organic solidarity came into place. Industrialism bought about specialisation in the division of labour. As labour developed individuals became reliant on each other to perform separate functions and individual bonds grew rather than loyalties to society. Durkheims concern of organic solidarity was that he felt it took away the social rules which became paramount in mechanical, Durkheim asserted that the tendency exhibited by utilitarians to reduce society to individuals led them to ignore the larger system of social rules which acted as restraints on individual action. (Morrison P. 125). Individuals now had become a product of society. Urbanisation developed so people moved from rural areas into the cities for better work and job opportunities. This created a growing social mass and intensified social interaction. Durkheim was worried that in this form of modernity created selfish individuals which would exist and focus on their own economic gain even at the expense of others. Here, the conscience collective has decreased in importance and now concentrates on the individual. The enlightenment bought about the significance of science. This new knowledge embraced reason and logic which were very important to Durkheim as he was a positivist. People now questioned what was happening instead of leaving it to fate or divine will like in traditional societies. Challenging ideas created differences in opinion which eventually lead to the secularisation of society and threatened values, all contributing to individualism. Industrialisation created a new way of work and lifestyle where labour became highly organised by the market and state and replaced the legitimisation of traditional authority. People began to become specialised in a particular form of labour which was then sold on or traded. Now, people were dependent on each other not reliant on society, The force of social bonds integrates individuals in their economic occupational functions, and the ties to society become indirect and operate through the division of labour (Morrison, P. 130). Durkheim felt there always had to be a higher power for society to function. Society cant be reduced to just individuals, it was bigger than that and needed a higher power. In mechanical, God took the place whereas in organic solidarity it was traded with the formulation of the individuals aim of reaching aspirations set by ourselves. The low conscience collective in organic solidarity concerned Durkheim in the way that without the clear boundaries and reinforcement that the traditional societies set, common ideas would be lost and societies would become unsystematic and disorganised and the level of behaviour expected would break down. Durkheim described this state in his book Suicide (1897) to be anomie. The anomic state was a type of suicide which reasoned that aloneness or estrangement occurred when a relationship between the individual and society is shattered. Durkheim felt that, Suicide is a result of societys strength or weakness of control over the individual (Shneidman p.24). They emerge from the collective but result in the individual belief. He saw this type of suicide as a social fact which ran through various societies not connected to each other. We see the reason for anomic suicide to be that society has in some way failed that individual. In some ways the individuals committing suicide havent been able to create social cohesion and solidarity with their surrounding community. The isolation from this malfunction is the reason for their act of suicide. To conclude, Durkheim felt that if we live our lives this way we will move away and deviate from a functioning society where working for the common good and living by shared norms was principal to the life that we should live. In some cases this may be true, with profit proving everything and exploitation of recourses and skills. Individuals are now placed and classified into society by their occupation and wealth. Durkheim hoped that in the future the importance of status from birth and inheritance would disappear. If everyone started from the same background and standing then societies would be equal and function best, Consensus is possible (Hawthorn p. 123). I feel that the disintegration of the conscience collective has affected the modern society we now live in. However, to say that the norms and values of traditional societies have disappeared is an exaggerated opinion of Durkheims. However, we do see that in todays society the impacts of industrialism and individualism has cre ated strong inequalities which Durkheim was afraid of happening and simply hopes that we can cooperate in such divisions of labour together.

The Power of Free Will in Milton?s Paradise Lost Essay -- Milton Parad

The Power of Free Will in Milton's Paradise Lost Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Remember always that you not only have to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one." To be an individual means to act by choice and make decisions with free will enhanced by the power of knowledge. Only then are people true to themselves and to others. In Paradise Lost, Milton clearly conveys this concept of acting freely under God. He shows the reader that only with the freedom to choose do a person's actions become meaningful and sincere. This idea also helps Milton to explain the importance of "the fall" and God's ultimate plan. Throughout the book, free will is demonstrated not only by Adam and Eve, but also Satan and the other fallen angels, as well as God's Son. Each character's fate further explains why freedom is so important in expressing true feelings. In Paradise Lost, Milton portrays his belief that God's real desire is power. To achieve this power, God has given to man the freedom to choose. By giving mankind, more specifically Adam and Eve, this freedom, God will have undefeatable power because those following him will be true. As Eve later states, For we to him all praises owe, And daily thanks, I chiefly who enjoy So far the happier lot, enjoying thee Pre-eminent by so much odds, while thou Like consort to thyself canst nowhere find (Milton, 4.444-48) By following God of their own will, the praise Adam and Eve give to God is real. It is not a dreaded act done out of fear. To take away the freedom Adam and Eve are given would be taking away God's power. This helps to convey the understanding among mankind that part of God's ultimate plan of holding power is to allow people to act on their own free will. .. ...e, the decision to do so is much more meaningful. Thus, God has an even greater following, which again, fits into his ultimate plan. Without the freedom of choice, a person's actions are not sincere or meaningful. As a part of God's ultimate plan, he gives the angels in Heaven and Adam and Eve free will in their actions. By doing so, God heightens his own power because his following is strong and faithful. Satan's character, on the other hand, gains followers out of fear. As a result, he does not attain the same power that God does, which helps to support the thesis that true power can only be gained with free will. Milton also adds depth to this concept by connecting the power of knowledge to free will. Works Cited Empson, William. Milton's God. London: Chatto and Windus, 1961. Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Ed. Roy Flannagan. New York: Macmillan, 1993.

Applied Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay

1) Why do you think Starbucks has been so concerned with social responsibility in its overall corporate strategy? â€Å"I think that Starbucks has been concerned with social responsibility in its overall corporate strategy because in the long run it affects the bottom line. By being socially responsible, the business is also showing that they care about more than their profits. Caring about more than just profits allows for greater employee commitment, investor loyalty, as well as higher customer satisfaction. Research has also shown that social responsibility and good business ethics contributes to higher profits. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2013)† 2) Is Starbucks unique in being able to provide a high level of benefits to its employees? â€Å"No, Starbucks is not unique in being able to provide a high level of benefits to its employees. Business ethics has become more important in the business world and it has been found that if a company is dedicated to taking care of its employees, the more dedicated the employees will be. If an employee sees that the company is acting and treats them in an ethical manner, the employee is more likely to act in an ethical manner. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2013)† 3) Do you think that Starbucks has grown rapidly because of its ethical and socially responsible activities or because it provides products and an environment that customers want? â€Å"I think that Starbucks has grown rapidly because it has combined a product and environment that people want with great business ethics and social responsibility. This combination has allowed the company to expand exponentially during a good economy and maintain in a bad economy. By being socially responsible and treating their employee’s right, the company has less of a turnover rate and in the long run has been able to avoid large layoffs and shutting down a large amount of stores. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2013)† 4) In what other ways does this case relate to the concepts that we have learned in the chapters so far? â€Å"This first chapter has shown that ethics is a big part of business. It can basically make or break a company. In the case of Starbucks, it has made them. They have based their business around social responsibility and ethics and have been able to maintain in an economy that has tanked because they treat their employees and customers right. According to our textbook, being ethical pays off with better employee performance, and higher employee honesty and integrity. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2013)† Bibliography Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2013). The Importance of Business Ethics. In O. C. Ferrell, J. Fraedrich, & L. Ferrell, Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases (pp. 17-22). Mason: South-Westen.

Basic Facts about U.S. Territories

Basic Facts about U.S. Territories The United States is the worlds third largest country based on population and land area. It is divided into 50 states but also claims 14 territories around the world. The definition of a territory as it applies to those claimed by the United States are lands that are administered by the United States but are not officially claimed by any of the 50 states or any other world nation. Typically, most of these territories depend on the United States for defense, economic and social support. The following is an alphabetical list of the territories of the United States. For reference, their land area and population (where applicable) have also been included. American Samoa Total Area: 77 square miles (199 sq km) Population: 55,519 (2010 estimate) American Samoa is made up of five islands and two  coral atolls, and is  part of the Samoan Islands chain in the south Pacific Ocean. The  1899 Tripartite Convention divided the Samoan Islands into two parts, between the US. and Germany, after more than a century of battles among the French, English, German and Americans to claim the islands, during with the Samoans fought fiercely. The U.S. occupied its part of Samoa in 1900 and on  July 17, 1911, the US Naval Station Tutuila  was officially renamed American Samoa. Baker Island Total Area: 0.63 square miles (1.64 sq km) Population: Uninhabited Baker Island an atoll just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean about 1,920 miles southwest of Honolulu. It became an American territory in 1857. Americans tried to inhabit the island in the 1930s, but when Japan became active in the Pacific during World War II, they were evacuated. The island is named for Michael Baker, who visited the island several times before claiming it in 1855. It was classified as part of Baker Island National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Guam Total Area: 212 square miles (549 sq km) Population: 175,877 (2008 estimate) Located in the western Pacific Ocean  in the Mariana Islands, Guam became a U.S. possession in 1898, following the Spanish-American War. Its believed that the indigenous people of Guam, the Chamorros, settled on the island roughly 4,000 years ago. The first European to discover Guam was Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. The Japanese occupied Guam in 1941, three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.  American forces liberated the island on July 21, 1944, which is still commemorated as Liberation Day. Howland Island Total Area: 0.69 square miles (1.8 sq km) Population: Uninhabited Located near Baker Island in the central Pacific, Howland Island comprises the  Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Its part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. The U.S. took possession in 1856. Howland Island was the destination aviator Amelia Earhart was headed for when her plane disappeared in 1937.   Jarvis Island Total Area: 1.74 square miles (4.5 sq km) Population: Uninhabited This uninhabited atoll is in the south Pacific Ocean halfway between Hawaii and the Cook Islands. It was annexed by the U.S. in 1858, and is administered by  the Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system.   Kingman Reef Total Area: 0.01 square miles (0.03 sq km) Population: Uninhabited Although it was discovered a few hundred years earlier, Kingman Reef was incorporated by the U.S. in 1922. Its incapable of sustaining plant life, and is considered a maritime hazard, but its location in the Pacific Ocean had strategic value during World War II. Its administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the  Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. Midway Islands Total Area: 2.4 square miles (6.2 sq km) Population: There are no permanent inhabitants on the islands but caretakers periodically live on the islands. Midway is nearly at the halfway point between North America and Asia, hence its name. Its the only island in the Hawaiian archipelago which is not part of Hawaii. Its administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The U.S. formally took possession of Midway in 1856.   The Battle of Midway was one of the most important between the Japanese and the U.S. in World War II. In May 1942, the Japanese planned an invasion of Midway Island which would provide a base for attacking Hawaii. But the Americans intercepted and decrypted the Japanese radio transmissions.  On June 4, 1942, U.S. aircraft flying from USS Enterprise, USS Hornet, and USS Yorktown attacked and sunk four Japanese carriers, forcing the Japanese to withdraw. The Battle of Midway marked the turning point of World War II in the Pacific. Navassa Island Total Area: 2 square miles (5.2 sq km) Population: Uninhabited   Located in the Caribbean 35 miles west of Haiti, Navassa Island is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The U.S. claimed possession of Navassa in 1850, although Haiti has disputed this claim. A group of Christopher Columbus crewmen happened on the island in 1504 on their way from Jamaica to Hispanola, but discovered Navassa had no fresh water sources. Northern Mariana Islands Total Area: 184 square miles (477 sq km) Population: 52,344  (2015 estimate) Officially known as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, this string of 14 islands is in the Micronesia collection of islands in the Pacific Ocean, between Palau, the Philippines and Japan.   The Northern Mariana Islands have a tropical climate, with December through May as the dry season, and July to October the monsoon season. The largest island in the territory, Saipan, is in the Guinness Book of Records for having the worlds most equable temperature, at 80 degrees year round. The Japanese had possession of the Northern Marianas until the U.S. invasion in 1944.   Palmyra Atoll Total Area: 1.56 square miles (4 sq km) Population: Uninhabited Palmyra is an incorporated territory of the U.S., subject to all provisions of the Constitution, but its also an unorganized territory, so theres no Act of Congress on how Palmyra should be governed. Located halfway between Guam and Hawaii, Palmyra has no permanent residents, and is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Puerto Rico Total Area: 3,151 square miles (8,959 sq km) Population: 3, 474,000  (2015 estimate) Puerto Rico is the easternmost island of the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, about 1,000  miles southeast of Florida and just east of the Dominican Republic and west of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth, a territory of the U.S. but not a state. Puerto Rico seceded from Spain in  1898, and Puerto Ricans have been citizens of the United States since a law was passed in 1917. Even though they are citizens, Puerto Ricans pay no federal income tax and they can not vote for president. U.S. Virgin Islands Total Area: 136 square miles (349 sq km) Population: 106,405  (2010 estimate) The islands that make up the U.S. Virgin Islands archipelago in the Caribbean  are St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas, as well as other minor islands. The USVI became a U.S. territory in 1917, after the U.S. signed a treaty with Denmark. The territorys capital is Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas. The USVI elect a delegate to Congress, and while the delegate can vote in committee, he or she cant participate in floor votes. It has its own state legislator and elects a territorial governor every four years. Wake Islands Total Area: 2.51 square miles (6.5 sq km) Population: 94  (2015 estimate) Wake Island is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean 1,500 miles east of Guam, and 2,300 miles west of Hawaii. Its an unorganized, unincorporated territory is also claimed by the Marshall Islands. It was claimed by the U.S. in 1899, and is administered by the U.S. Air Force.

A Readers Responsibility

A Readers Responsibility Yall ever read Suite T, the blog for Southern Writers Magazine? Its pretty good, and this past week,  Terry Whalin  posted  4 Ways to Support Writers. I want to take this a step further and not state HOW a reader can help a writer, but WHY they have a responsibility to do so. When a reader picks up a book to read, they expect to invest hours into the entertainment. The author and publisher on the other end are waiting with fingers crossed to hear how the reader liked it. They need feedback to better understand how to proceed with subsequent works. Any type of industry needs feedback. Are they doing it right? Are they creating the right product? Publishers, agents, and bookstores hang on public feedback to determine whether an author is worth fooling with. Silence is deadly. So, if a reader likes a story, or an author, they need to speak up. Otherwise they risk losing a good story, or worse, a good author. Lets talk about a readers responsibility when they read a book: 1) Buy the  book. An occasional freebie is fine, especially when test-driving an author. However, authors, publishers, agents, cover designers, etc. depend on income to eat and put a roof over their head. Buy a book. 2) Write a review.  Do you want more stories like the one you just read? Then post a review. Otherwise, how is anyone supposed to know that this type of writing needs to continue? Call it a thank-you to the people who fought hard to put that book in your hands. They cannot read your mind. 3) Reply to blog posts.  Blogs are free, frequently used to sell books or an authors prowess. Dont read a post  and silently blow away. At least thank the writer or blog host. Yes, youre busy, but so are they. What if you did a job and nobody told you whether it was good or bad?  Again, the silence is a killer. 4) Take responsibility for your social media.  Dont just read. Dont just rant about politics or the neighbors noise next door. Dont just take and not give back. When you see a book promoted, and you like it or the author, then retweet or share. Its a button, people. 5) Use your word-of-mouth.  If you do not relay to others about a good book, and everyone else remains just as silent, that good book disappears along with the subsequent books after it from that author. Many an author has withered away due to lack of feedback, because feedback equates to sales, which equates to contracts and/or earning a living. Ive seen good writers think they were no goodall because readers remained quiet. Oh, and if youre a writer? Magnify that responsibility

The Indiscriminate Nature of Cancer Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Indiscriminate Nature of Cancer - Case Study Example The WHO and The Pfizer Medical officers held their research from different perspectives of age, one at a tender age, and the other at his sunset days. For instance, Mariam’s case explains why the failure of people to make use of the available knowledge about chronic disease prevention and control mechanism continues to endanger the future generations (Redman, 2007). Mariam case exemplifies the culture shock, most impounding on the poor majority of the global community. The Sridhar’s case is a cancer condition brought by his way of living. Having chewed tobacco and drank heavily since his youthful days, this lifestyle has deteriorated his respiratory and blood systems resulting in cancer. Since cancer continues to endanger people’s lives through such lifestyles, the main issue lies in having enough knowledge and awareness or resources, like Mariam’s problem, to prevent the spread of cancer (Ray, 2005). Studies done in India to examine the percentage of elde rly people at risk of having cancer or already battling with it indicates that 2.3 percent is battling with cancer while 4.5 percent risks being victims due to their lifestyle (Weisman, 2002). In Tanzania, the researcher also found that the younger generation born of able families, despite their lavish and uncontrolled feeding habits had a1.9 percent chances of having cancer. In addition, children from poverty-stricken families have uncontrolled eating habits yet cannot afford reasonable medical cover, hence 5 percent of them are more susceptible to cancer at tender ages of 14-25 years (Mukherjee, 2010). The WHO and The Pfizer Medical researchers separated the two cases in order to highlight their assessment. The most important issue that the group had in place was to disseminate the knowledge in understanding what cancer was. By making cancer more realistic to the youthful generation, not only in India but also in Tanzania, the group thought this would alter the resultant effects of cancer in old days because of unreasonable living (Ray, 2005).  Ã‚  

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions - Essay Example However this evolution came with a struggle that was marked by numerous constitutional crises. Perhaps the most important early constitutional crisis that dealt with this issue revolved around the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts. These laws, which dealt censorship in the press, immigration, treason, and related punishments, were established by national government and endorsed by a majority of the states as a means of securing the national safety and welfare during its time of early development, but they were believed by several key founding fathers – notably Thomas Jefferson and James Madison – to be unconstitutional. In response to the laws, Jefferson penned the Kentucky Resolution and Madison the Virginia Resolution – both documents that mapped out a protest against the national laws which eventually fed into those later constitutional fights. In this brief paper, the arguments Jefferson and Madison put forward will be compared and contrasted. Both Jefferson and Madison relied on a theory of a national compact in the establishment of the US Constitution which argued that the states were the true representatives of the people and that they had endorsed the national constitution, but only so far as it went in carrying out its limited powers enumerated in the Constitution. Madison (1798) wrote that the Virginia Assembly viewed the national government’s role â€Å"as resulting from the compact, to which the states are parties; as limited by the plain sense and intention of the instrument constituting the compact.† He argued that that the states had a â€Å"right† and in fact were â€Å"duty bound† to â€Å"interpose† when the national government overstepped its role and sought powers that the states believed were beyond the limits of its authority. Jefferson (1799) agreed, claiming that if the national government were the sole authority regarding the limits of its authority it would lead to the dissolution of the states and a