Sociology
Concepts about rationalization introduced by Emile Durkheim, Max Weber and Karl Marx demonstrated the importance of role specialization and division of labor in inducing social change in society. As 'motors of social change,' the ideas of these three sociologists vary in their conceptual framework, but share their similarities when operationalized in the context of human experience. Among the first proponents of rationalization is Durkheim, wherein his concept of moral density explicitly demonstrated the role of division of labor in the creation of a rationalized, or organic, society. His concept of moral density stems from the existence of competition among humans, which resulted from the gradual decrease in material resource and the increase in social volume or population density. As a result of scarce resources, competition emerges, and individuals are only able to survive this competition if they learn to develop the skills or knowledge that they have. Similarly, Weber's concept of rationalization is best described by the concept of specialization of functions of people in the society. While in Durkheim's concept of moral density, competition is a pre-existing condition, rationalization and social change in Weber's terms is determined by the enhancement or development of humans in their ability to adapt to their social environment. Competition, although a factor in the individual's social environment, did not become the focus of Weber's process of rationalization, as compared to Durkheim's conceptualization. Marx's dialectical materialism is likened to Durkheim's concept of competition in that through this concept, human society is illustrated to be part of an ongoing history of social change premeditated by class conflict, which emerged out of the unequal control of the mode of production or technology. The relationship between the forces (elite and working classes) and mode of production determine the existence of a class stratification and conflict in the society. This class conflict led to differentiated roles in the society, resulting to formal rationality, and ultimately, after a social revolution, this will become the catalyst for social change.
Sociological Theory The sociology of Max Weber (Question No. 1) Max Weber's sociology involved two important concepts: Protestant ethic and capitalism. Establishing a causal connection between this two concepts, Weber presented in his discourse, "Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism," how the Protestant ethic was the catalyst that propelled Western societies towards social progress through capitalism. This causal connection was developed through a string of observations and ideas that helped Weber
Here the marketer tries to project the product as an answer to these conflicts (Consumer Behavior: Chapter 3, 2010). With motivation having such a major influence on consumption patterns of the customer, there is a strong need to learn about it as part of marketing research. Qualitative methods of observation, focus groups and in-depth interview and analysis are often used to try and understand the hidden motives of a consumer.
Lastly, the abolition and non-subsistence to the principles of capitalism leads to the reinforcement of a communal society. This also eliminates the emergence of class conflict as a result of the inherent class division that develops from capitalism. The moral philosophy of the Utopians is primarily based on intellectual development and achievement of reason or rationalization. For them, virtue is the achievement of the common good through the equal provision
For example, Tocqueville was able to explain 18th century European aristocrat behavior by looking at social consequences. Like Tocqueville, Marx believed that they could explain individual actions by looking at subconscious class interests. Frey has demonstrated that people will accept individually negative outcomes, if they have positive group benefits. Nietzsche believed that, while conscious of class interests, individual actions and beliefs should be viewed from an individual perspective, since they
A favorite target for conspiracists today as well as in the past, a group of European intellectuals created the Order of the Illuminati in May 1776, in Bavaria, Germany, under the leadership of Adam Weishaupt (Atkins, 2002). In this regard, Stewart (2002) reports that, "The 'great' conspiracy organized in the last half of the eighteenth century through the efforts of a number of secret societies that were striving for
Their anticipated and desired results for their education, personal or practical, may vary widely in unpredictable ways. The attitudes towards educational processes may differ due to the greater and more diverse social and life experiences that color perceptions of classroom life, even more so than the raw educational materials used in the classroom. The teacher must balance addressing individual needs through conferences, personal contacts, and allowing for more independent
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