7.1 How do societies rank people in social hierarchies? The ranking of people into various “classes” is a common practice in many of the world’s cultures. While these social rankings are practiced throughout the world, they can vary widely depending on each society’s cultural values. The text provides a familiar example in the form of the American social class system. On the surface, it is plain to see that much of American society is focused on income and material possessions. Additional hierarchies such as gender, ethnicity, and age play a large part in how we live our lives. Upon peeling back the layers of how we compartmentalize ourselves, one notices the vast array of different categories we place each other into. Education is another social hierarchy that many of us rarely give any thought. Pursuing a post-secondary has been so heavily set upon young Americans that it could very well narrow our perspective of other forms of education. Upon looking at the United States as well as many different cultures studied during this course, it is clear to see that social hierarchies are created to benefit those in power, rather than the “common” individual.
7.2 Why do social and economic inequalities persist? During my reading of this section, Robbins points out three key sources to persisting economic inequalities. These main ideas consist of debt and the devaluation of labor. Beginning with debt, I would agree that while the economic structure of many cultures is reliant on debt, western society has come to the point at which nearly everyone possesses some form of debt. In many cases, an individual’s debt will steadily grow as they age. Unfortunately, debt can cause members of society to become bogged down and unable to climb the economic ladder. The devaluation of labor is another major issue we are facing as a culture. While the corporations many of us work for continue to push ahead and become more profitable, wages have steadily declined over the years. Another startling thought is the impact increasing university attendance will have on careers in the trades. 7.3 How do people come to accept social hierarchies as natural? The belief that social hierarchies are natural is due in part to the nature of human beings. When looking across the globe, it is plain to see that human beings must assign meaning to their surroundings. Our instinctive desire to categorize combined with our ego has led us to believe that unfamiliar groups are beneath us. I believe that this primal drive to organize and seek answers are hardwired into who we are. Another aspect of our acceptance of social hierarchies can be tied to our upbringing. Since we were children, our perspective has been shaped to accept the idea of social classes. In addition to this repetition, the impressionability of children could also play a large part in causing us to accept the idea of a class-based society. 7.4 How do people living in poverty adapt to their condition? With the beginning of this section, Robbins refers to a term coined by Oscar Lewis called the culture of poverty. The culture of poverty refers to the lifestyle and perspective of those faced with extreme poverty. Later on in the section, I found Carol Stack’s research to be very insightful. Her research examined African American families in an average sized Midwestern city. She found that unemployment among this community was 20% and that healthcare was abysmal. Upon further examination, she discovered that the community responded to their condition through forming close bonds with each other. Relying on one another through times of hardship greatly aided in their …show more content…
The Kiowa Native American tribe had a rather comprehensive hierarchy of honor. The horse played an integral part in their society and their system of honor was based around it. Kiowa men were ranked by their bravery in battle and on raids as well as by the number of horses they possessed. This practice encouraged horse theft as well as violence during raids. I found the passage regarding religious justification for violence to be very interesting. Robbins refers to violence being encouraged through the framing of a struggle between good and evil. Examples of this can be examined throughout history ranging from the Crusades all the way to the conflict currently occurring in
7.2 Why do social and economic inequalities persist? During my reading of this section, Robbins points out three key sources to persisting economic inequalities. These main ideas consist of debt and the devaluation of labor. Beginning with debt, I would agree that while the economic structure of many cultures is reliant on debt, western society has come to the point at which nearly everyone possesses some form of debt. In many cases, an individual’s debt will steadily grow as they age. Unfortunately, debt can cause members of society to become bogged down and unable to climb the economic ladder. The devaluation of labor is another major issue we are facing as a culture. While the corporations many of us work for continue to push ahead and become more profitable, wages have steadily declined over the years. Another startling thought is the impact increasing university attendance will have on careers in the trades. 7.3 How do people come to accept social hierarchies as natural? The belief that social hierarchies are natural is due in part to the nature of human beings. When looking across the globe, it is plain to see that human beings must assign meaning to their surroundings. Our instinctive desire to categorize combined with our ego has led us to believe that unfamiliar groups are beneath us. I believe that this primal drive to organize and seek answers are hardwired into who we are. Another aspect of our acceptance of social hierarchies can be tied to our upbringing. Since we were children, our perspective has been shaped to accept the idea of social classes. In addition to this repetition, the impressionability of children could also play a large part in causing us to accept the idea of a class-based society. 7.4 How do people living in poverty adapt to their condition? With the beginning of this section, Robbins refers to a term coined by Oscar Lewis called the culture of poverty. The culture of poverty refers to the lifestyle and perspective of those faced with extreme poverty. Later on in the section, I found Carol Stack’s research to be very insightful. Her research examined African American families in an average sized Midwestern city. She found that unemployment among this community was 20% and that healthcare was abysmal. Upon further examination, she discovered that the community responded to their condition through forming close bonds with each other. Relying on one another through times of hardship greatly aided in their …show more content…
The Kiowa Native American tribe had a rather comprehensive hierarchy of honor. The horse played an integral part in their society and their system of honor was based around it. Kiowa men were ranked by their bravery in battle and on raids as well as by the number of horses they possessed. This practice encouraged horse theft as well as violence during raids. I found the passage regarding religious justification for violence to be very interesting. Robbins refers to violence being encouraged through the framing of a struggle between good and evil. Examples of this can be examined throughout history ranging from the Crusades all the way to the conflict currently occurring in