Sociology
According to Peter Berger, there are four motifs of sociological consciousness. These are: 1) the debunking motif, 2) the unrespectability motif, 3) the relativization motif, and 4) the cosmopolitan motif. These four things allow sociologists to sort concepts and understand human psychology slightly better than would be possible without this understanding. Sociologists are human and thus equally subject to the same psychological pitfalls as the cultures and populations that they are studying.
The debunking motif is the idea that sociologists will want to ignore or debunk the rules of the social system that he or she sees. Indeed, there may be occasions where the sociologist in question will be faced with the need to eradicate the mythology of the social system as well. What is most commonly meant by "debunking" is the process of looking beyond or through what is most obvious. The culture or population being investigated will try to present to the observer a certain aesthetic or characteristic which may or not have any bearing on the true identity of that culture. This puts the sociologist into the position of being something of a detective wherein what is obvious is suspect and what is beyond the surface understanding is what is appreciated and best served.
The unrespectability motif is where the sociologist understands that people are not always respectable and that their behavior can be improper. There is also the understanding that the standards and morals of the society do not mean that everyone confirms to those ideals. Sociologists must understand how classes are identified and divided in the population they are investigating and whether or not that class structure allows for upper or lower class mobility. Are class differences attributed to wealth or are they based on genealogy and heritage, or are the divisions made on some other criteria.
The third motif that sociologists must be aware of is what is called the relativization motif. This term refers to the concept of...
QUESTION THREE: "Is inequality of social classes inevitable?" The conflict theory put forward by Ralf Dahrendorf begins with a discussion of Marxism and the fact that in industry, the conflict between classes - the capitalist and proletariat (worker) - the worker had a natural inclination to be in conflict with the capitalists who were the authority, the bosses. The same kind of conflict carried over into the political realm as
Accordingly, the significance of the application of the conflict perspective to American food is that its accuracy is so blatantly valid that it has progressed almost unnoticed through our nation's history. Out of the philosophical roots of Marx, conflict theory has evolved and broadened its scope; today, it is most commonly used to evaluate the legal system, but the core conflict remains that between the proletariats and the owners
sociological readings. One is by Herbert J. Gans, and the other by Peter L. Berger. While the readings are interesting, they are also relevant, even though, in the case of Gans, the narrative goes back to 1971, The Uses of Poverty: The Poor Pay All By attempting to associate poverty with "positive functions" Gans is stepping out into a narrative that would seem at the outset to be risky. After all,
(40) The foundation of the story demonstrates the social pull of religion as a way of life, that is inclusive, despite its obvious contradictions to the modern world, belief systems and economy. In a sense the social desire to fit in and be seen as different are met by the acceptance of the church as a lifestyle. According to Durkheim, "Deep down, no religion is false.... Each in its
Each author subsisted to two (2) different kinds of perspectives, which make up the second and third critical elements of the comparative analysis component of this paper. Berger analyzed humor based on social and political perspectives. Usage of these perspectives was most useful in discussing the two typologies of humor he thoroughly discussed in the book: satire and folly. Satire as a type of humor drew upon important concept that
This is because as a culture, female virginity is considered an important indicator of one's purity and innocence and although sexual intercourse before marriage is acceptable to men; the same case does not apply to women as premarital sex is strongly discouraged for women (Kayir cited in ibid). Premarital Sex: East Asian Cultural Views Sexual Revolution in China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan Results of a 2005 survey in China showed that in
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