Max

Anthropologists have been trying to theorize the difference between culture and society since the founding days of the field. While doing this, patterns have arisen in both the differences and similarities of the two concepts, as well as their relationship to technology. Through a thorough reading of the Wolf and Keesing articles there exists fundamental differences between culture and society. As Keesing states “Cultures are a system of shared ideas. Thus, culture can be referred to as an…

A Discussion on the Importance and Implications of Arendt’s Labour, Work, and Action As with most discussions and analyses, to best understand the text, it is important to understand the context and social milieu in which it was written. Hence, before scrutinizing the text, let us first learn a little about Hannah Arendt, the author of The Human Condition. Hannah Arendt and Her Thought Direction So who was Hannah Arendt? Hannah Arendt was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1906 as an only child and…

Marx’s theory of social development is also known as ‘dialectical materialism.’ Marxian materialism implies that ideas, institutions, philosophies, religions, etc., all are determined by real material condition of life and social classes. Marxian materialism simply means that men's economic activities are fundamental and they determine the general way the character of everything else they do. Marx got the idea of ‘dialectics’ from the German philosopher Hegel. According to the dialectical…

According to Bernstein (2004), the two main types of pedagogies- traditional and progressive are not neutral but based on the social class assumptions and interest. Firstly I will discuss the difference between the two modes of visible and invisible pedagogies. Secondly I will discuss the social assumptions of visible and invisible pedagogies. Lastly I will discuss the implications of the visible and invisible pedagogies for education practice. According to Bernstein (2004), visible pedagogy is…

Effects on Relationships Friendships can be quite satisfying, but are also be a source of contention. Argyle and Henderson (1984) found that friendship is reward-based and rules of engagement are needed to keep the conflicts to a minimum (p. 213). According to exchange theory, a person will not continue to be involved in a relationship if the costs outweigh the rewards. Common benefits of friendships include social interaction and having someone that provides caring, support, or assistance in…

Highmore, Ben. “Familiar things.” Ordinary Lives. London and New York: Routledge, 2010: 58-85. In Ben Highmore’s Ordinary Lives, his chapter “Familiar things” is an insight into the argument of the meaningfulness of objects in our everyday lives. Highmore’s claim begins by creating a relatable situation in saying that there are tons of things in our homes or daily lives that we interact with but pay no attention to. Highmore goes on to say “Things act on us and we act on things. There seems to…

The peer involved in the 6-week health program is Ashlee Sargent, aged twenty. An interview was conducted to identify the health behaviour that she wishes to change in the program. From the interview, relevant information was collected. The client is currently working as a receptionist in a physiotherapy clinic. She works on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. She has a gym membership and currently exercises for three times a week. She exercises for an hour and mostly runs on a treadmill. The speed…

C. Wright Mills argues that individuals are mindful of what they do in their own life that involves their visions being limited in the close-up scene but move vicariously in other social environments. In our society, there is an underlying sense of being trapped. Individuals that know what they need or what they feel they need carry a quality that will help them apply information and to acquire reason to understand what is going on in the world and what may be happening within themselves. This…

James S. Coleman’s concepts of norms and sanctions are prevalent to present day society, what I like about the chapter of exchange and rational choice theorist is how it enlightens how society is run. For example, Coleman introduces the reader to idea of norms which is defined as socially defined informal rights to control the actions of others. The premise of a norm is to guide individuals to conform to what is and is not socially acceptable behavior. Coleman states that in order for norms to…

My life experiences and sociological training shaped my mission as a scholar and as a mentor at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and the University of California, Irvine (UCI). At UCSB and UCI, I research the power and politics of marginalized people. In particular, I focus my research on social mobilization, economic and political development, and the state. My sociological training forged my theoretical and methodological approaches to understand how economic and social…