Comparing societies with reference to social organisation

Comparing societies with reference to social organisation Discuss the similarities and differences between any TWO societies. In your answer, make reference to the role of cultures, norms, values and inequality in social organisation. The twentieth century is packed full of History. The revolution that hit Russia in 1917 is arguably one of the most economic interpretations of History in the twentieth century. This led to one of the first and definitely the biggest Communist state the world has ever seen. Spanning over Seventy years the Russian revolution had a huge impact on world affairs. This essay will look in to the similarities and differences in the norms, values and inequalities of social stratification, between Communist Russia and modern day Capitalist Britain. Everyone in Communist Russia was required to have jobs. Children, retired and disabled were the only exceptions. If you did not have a job in Communist Russia you would then be considered a parasite on the proletariat (Jary,D.Jary,J.1995) and could end up in jail for such an offence. Income was not the same: However, your salary was determined by the nomenklatura government. If you were a factory worker you would be able to achieve a bonus, this was only if you did not question and were a great worker. With your salary you were unable to buy land. The land was and maybe still is owned by the state. (Oxley,P.2001) In modern day Capitalist Britain we have cultural diversity, and perceive things in an ethnocentric way. Not everyone in modern day Capitalist Britain is required to work. We have a very beneficial welfare state (Jary,D.Jary,D.1995) which looks after every member of society not just the people who cannot work. Also if Britons wanted to buy land they could do such a thing. Saunders (1990) sees the old class divisions based on work becoming less and less relevant. For Saunders, what you do with your money is more significant than how you get it. (Saunders, P.1990 cited in Moore, S.2001) In Modern day Capitalist Britain over the past few years, people from all types of heritage have had greater access to higher education through a meritocratic society. Because of this, wealth distribution is altering and social mobility is occurring. The British class system is still very much in tact although in a more subconscious way. The British believe the playing field has levelled, but British still pigeon hole people dependent on class. (www.kwintessential.co.uk). In Communist Russia, despite Marxist-Leninist notions of a classless society, there were a Capitalist ruling class, the nomenklatura, which consisted of party officials and key personnel in the government and other important sectors such as heavy industry. This class enjoyed privileges such as roomy apartments, country dachas, and access to special stores, schools, medical facilities, and recreational sites. The social status of members of the nomenklatura increased as they were promoted to higher positions in the party. (http://www.country-data.com ) Many people in modern day Capitalist Britain believe in the idea of equal educational opportunity. They believe that everybody within the society should attain an equal chance and their educational qualifications should be based on merit, on their ability and effort. If a person is clever and works hard they should do well no matter what his/her social class or background may be. (Haralambos,M.1996) People knew little about the educational system in Communist Russia. After the coup that brought down the Soviet Empire, Russia released many of its secrets including those involving its education. Communist Russia did not let non-Communist teachers teach. They had a huge mission to ensure Communism was drilled in to them at a very early age. (Corin,C.2002 and Fiehn,T.2002) After 1917, Russia based its entire school system on the teachings of German philosopher Karl Marx (1818 1883). Marxism states that one should achieve freedom through giving up the self to benefit the state. This Marxist theory created an unpopular form of government from a democratic point of view; however, it made Communism an efficient educator. (http://www.milford.k12.il.us) Marxists argue that the working class rarely challenge Capitalism. This is because the people who have the control on economy also control the family, education, media and religion in fact all the cultural institutions that are responsible for socialising individuals. Neo Marxist Althusser (1971) argued that the function of those cultural institutions is to maintain and legitimate class inequality. (Althusser,L.1971 cited in Moore,S etal 2001). This is very similar to modern day Capitalist Britain The social structure of Communist Russia was characterized by self-perpetuation and limited mobility. Access to higher education, a prerequisite to social advancement, was steadily constrained in the post-war decades. Moreover, the sluggish economy of that period reduced opportunities for social mobility, thus accentuating differences among social groups and further widening the gap between the nomenklatura and the rest of society. (http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-11420.html 20/10/2010) In modern day Capitalist Britain Social class is an umbrella category. Being of a different class may involve differences in culture, economic circumstances, educational status, dietary preferences, housing conditions, property Ownership and power. There will always be fuzzy edges with people who could be counted in more than one category and people who have encountered social mobility. (http://www.ucel.ac.uk) There are many differences in norms, values and the social structure in Communist Russia and modern day Capitalist Britain. Looking at the impact the nomenklatura government has had on Russia and how that stopped any sort of meritocracy, and in turn they had a sort of ascribed status. If the people of Communist Russia did not work they could have faced a prison sentence. Also it looks at how Karl Marx had a huge impact on Communist Russia. How much affect did it have, as there was no room for non Communist teachers? This was there secondary socialisation and it moulded how the youth of Communist Russia were to think. However it can be seen that social mobility is occurring in modern day Capitalist Britain. The British believe that there is a level playing field however; subconsciously, Britons are still classed individuals. Modern day Britons also believe everyone has a right to equal education opportunities. Evidently, social mobility in modern day Capitalist Britain is occurring. Posing the question, ultimately is there a difference between Communism and Capitalism?

In Search of a Methodological Foundation for Applied Ethics :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

In Search of a Methodological Foundation for Applied Ethics ABSTRACT: The problems that face contemporary applied ethics are indissolubly related to some characteristics of postmodern civil society. In this paper I will try to take a stand in the discussion between a proponent of a particularistic approach and one who favors a universalistic approach to the present difficulties that accompany human action. Karl-Otto Apel combines in his ethics of discourse a focus upon universal and normative structures of communication with a Kantian transcendental method of thought. Paul van Tongeren follows Aristotle and Nietzsche in arguing that the local and historically determined contingent traditions are the basis on which to approach our ethical questions. After giving a brief presentation of their respective contributions to the discussion, I shall end with some reflections on the difference between, and the merits and demerits of, a universalistic and a particularistic ethics. Until very recently in the history of mankind, most people lived in rather small communities. Their knowledge of and their influence on distant cultures was rather limited. With the rise of modern science, resulting in the present communication era, things changed considerably. Today, man's cultural evolution has reached a point where the local and the global dimensions of his actions are hard to distinguish. Another feature of our existence at the present 'fin de sià ¨cle' is the declining influence of the great narrative traditions. In our liberal democracies the new leading narrative is that of the free market, accompanied by the imperative of unlimited profit making and consumerism. The lack of a consensus on many basic social values which results from the declining influence of the 'great stories' of our traditions, generates a mentality of 'collective individualism' and value relativism. In this situation we face the danger of initiating a process in which the rather fashionable ideals of pluralism and tolerance turn out to be mere indifference. (1) The problems that face contemporary ethics are indissolubly related to these characteristic features of post-modern civil society. In this paper I will try to take a stand in the discussion between proponents of a particularist approach and those who favour a universalistic approach to the present difficulties that accompany human action. After giving a brief presentation of Karl-Otto Apel's and Paul van Tongeren's contribution to the discussion, I shall end with some reflections on the difference between, and the merits and demerits of, a universalistic and a particularistic ethics.

Organizational Developement

This is a very important concept in effective consulting because hen we are aware of our involvement in the organization, it's allows the consultant to see in which level are the people, how can we do to improve certain things, how they use to work. It's allows the consultant to find a solution to some problems. 2. If people are smart, why do they need to learn how to learn? What does Argyles mean by that? By that Arises means that even If people are very smart they need to learn how to learn.In the text Arises said that:† They rarely experience failure† and since they are almost always successful, they don't know how to handle failure the day when it's arrive. This Is call â€Å"single loop learning'. He also explains that people don't see that they can Improve their learning by use the concept call â€Å"Double loop learning†. This concept speak about how to allow us to think about how and why a person acting. 3. What is the difference between process and conten t? What is your comfort as a consultant working on the process level? On the content level? How strong are your process skills? How do you know?What are your â€Å"content† specialty areas? I. E. , where could you, as a consultant, add content value In organizational decision making? ) And should you? A process can be define as Sequence of interdependent and linked procedures which, at every stage, consume one or more resources (employee, time, energy, machines, money) to convert inputs (data, material, parts, etc. ) into outputs. These outputs then serve as inputs for the next stage until a known goal or end result Is reached. A concept can be defined as something which must be done a purpose to accomplish; this Is what composes the process.I think I would be stronger on the process level. I know that because I'm the member of a Hip Hop band that I have created, and I know that when we have something to do for example a music to perform or to record, I know exactly what to d o and what I need to say in order that the other members of the band did what they have to do, I think that regarding to my study my content specialty area will be the marketing and the management part 4. How could/would a successful change agent apply Chain's model to his/her work?But there was a lot of people this year so they couldn't allow everybody to participate and all the persons who were in internship like me had not the right to go to this special day. * Egocentric dilemma: In one of my last internship I was working with a manager who was really egocentric and all the time when I try to propose him some news things he was changing my proposition with one of him and say to me it was because he has more experience than me.

Pros and Cons of Affirmative Action Essay - 1185 Words

Analytical Paper 3 – Affirmative Action Introduction According to Raymond A. Noe, affirmative action is an organization’s active effort to find opportunities to hire or promote people in a particular group (Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 68). There are various arguments for and against affirmative action. Some believe that it gives certain groups of people an equal opportunity to find employment where they would otherwise be kicked under the rug. Others believe that even though it creates an opportunity for minority groups, the issue of reverse discrimination comes into play where once predominantly white male jobs offerings go to women and minority groups instead. The topic of affirmative action remains very controversial and†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ I know it is a big selling point for college admissions, but†¦ †¢ What advantages and disadvantages do affirmative action really provide? In order to answer these questions it is necessary to lay out the pros and cons of implementing affirmative action. Pros One of the most obvious key takeaways of affirmative action is the diversity that is desirable in the workplace. Students and business professionals in the workforce alike are more than likely going to work with someone of a different race or nationality. Integration and the removal of segregation laws have proven to be very influential in understanding the true character behind a person not of the same skin color or ethnicity. These characteristics would put an end to the reliance of crude stereotypes that would otherwise diminish any objectivity in the treatment of that person. In this sense, it would seem unimaginable to live without affirmative action. Otherwise, history would be prone to repeat itself. Aside from the most straightforward advantage of diversity, affirmative action also opens up new opportunities for minorities. As a testament to the next discussion point of opportunities, especially within the realm of college admission, I have experienced firsthand the opportunities presented by affirmative action. As a low-income, first-generation college student, Virginia Tech had offered me a full scholarship based solely on merit and financial need. As a â€Å"minority† according to Virginia Tech, I had anShow MoreRelatedPros And Cons Of Affirmative Action1548 Words   |  7 PagesAffirmative action is defined as â€Å"an active effort to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minority groups and women sought to achieve a multicultural staff through affirmative action; also: a similar effort to promote the rights or progress of other disadvantaged persons† (Affirmative Action, n.d.). Affirmative action is a government policy that ensures that diversity is maintained in schools and in the workplace. 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AffirmativeRead MoreAdvantages and Disadvantages of Affirmative Action Essay1667 Words   |  7 PagesEssay The Affirmative Action Debate Affirmative Action Defined Affirmative Action can be defined as â€Å"positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education, and business from which they have been historically excluded (Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)†. However because those steps involve â€Å"preferential† selection affirmative action generates intense controversy (Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Affirmative Action (Negative)Read MoreAffirmative Action : Is It Really Necessary Today?1347 Words   |  6 PagesJavier Santana March 23, 2017 English 103 Affirmative Action, Affirmative action, it remains present today but is it really necessary in today’s society? Affirmative action is an action favoring those who have suffered from discrimination either past or presently. It was put in place at a time when it was absolutely necessary in society and it was to give people of color the same opportunities as the white majority, the intention was to become more open-minded as a country and inclusive of allRead MoreLegal Writing1315 Words   |  6 PagesAffirmative Action College Admissions 2 Abstract Affirmative action has been a strong subject of discussion and debate for more than 30 years. Its use in college admissions has even been heard and ruled by the U.S. Supreme Court. Affirmative action is in essence, a policy or procedure developed by numerous institutions of higher learning to attempt to diversify their student bodies racially and by ethnicity. Looking closer at this procedure will display the advantages and disadvantages of