Borderless World
Kenichi Ohmae is a business consultant and the author of various books including The Borderless World- Power and Strategy in the interlinked economy, which appeared in 1990, and deals with nature of business and economy in this era of rapid globalization. The main purpose of the book according to Ohmae is to illustrate the benefits of globalization by highlighting the role played by multi-nationals in creating and distributing choices. This purpose should make the book interesting enough for readers to read beyond the preface. Who doesn't want to know if globalization indeed has something positive to offer? With so much negative press, globalization truly deserves some positive comments and Ohmae undertakes this task but whether he succeeds or not is solely a matter of individual interpretation and perception. For some Ohmae is an expert whose views should be valued, but for others including myself, Ohmae often adopts the…...

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Reference:

1) Ohmae, Kenichi, The Borderless World: power and strategy in the interlinked economy

London: William Collins, 1990

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 well, sometimes violent. The problem was that there was no system whereby conflicts could be resolved. But Marx's analysis, Dahrendorf goes on, was tainted because of his obsession with proletarian revolution.

At this point in his essay, Dahrendorf, though rejecting Marx in that context, asserts that since there are "interest groups" and "quasi-groups" those must then be considered "classes." And if there are classes, it is then logical to assume there will be groups, and quasi-groups that will always have "conflicting…...

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Works Cited

Berger, Peter; & Luckmann, Thomas. (1966). The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise

In the Sociology of Knowledge. Garden City NY: Anchor Books, pp. 51-55, 59-61.

Collins, Particia Hill. (1990). Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. Boston: UnwinHyman, pp. 221-238.

Dahrendorf, Ralf. (1959). Class and Class Conflict in Industrial Society. Stanford: Stanford

Take as an example McDonald's venture to extend its business operations in countries within the Asian region. Through globalization, the company has learned to adapt to the culture of the country it invests in. Examples of such adjustments are the introduction of rice in most of the meal offerings of McDonald's in the Philippines, inclusion of spicy foods in McDonald's menus in India, and the establishment of large McDonald's buildings in China in order to accommodate the large number of consumers that patronize the fast food chain. These are examples of companies' conscious effort to recognize globalization and its principles.

ibliography

Consensus." Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consensus.

Feminist Utopia." Available at http://www.amazoncastle.com/feminism/ecocult.shtml.

Introduction to globalization." Available at http://www.globalization.com/intro.cfm?page_id=1321.

Positivism." Available at http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/help/mach1.htm.

Postmodernism and its critics." Available at http://www.as.ua.edu/ant/Faculty/murphy/436/pomo.htm.

Socialization." Available at http://anthro.palomar.edu/social/soc_1.htm....

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Bibliography

Consensus." Available at  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consensus .

Feminist Utopia." Available at  http://www.amazoncastle.com/feminism/ecocult.shtml .

Introduction to globalization." Available at  http://www.globalization.com/intro.cfm?page_id=1321 .

Positivism." Available at  http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/help/mach1.htm .

Sociology
Thorstein Veblen's The Theory of the Leisure Class: An Economic Study of Institutions is a sociological discourse that centers on the phenomenon of new technology, popularly termed as the technological revolution of human civilization. Veblen discusses the relationship between new technologies (particularly technologies in communication) and how these (technologies) affect the degree of social interaction and shaping society and its culture. He introduces the technological theory of history, where he posits that "the "state of the industrial arts," that is, the technology available to a society, determines the character of its culture... A new technology erodes vested ideas, overcomes vested interests, and reshapes institutions in accord with its own needs" (Coser, 1977:273). Of particular interest to the study of technological and information technology revolutions are found in the fourth chapter of his discourse, entitled, "Conspicuous Consumption." orrowing from his ideas that technology will eventually determine the culture of a society,…...

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Bibliography

Coser, L. (1977). Introduction to Sociology. New York: Harcourt-Brace.

Veblen, T. (1902). The Theory of the Leisure Class: An Economic Study of Institutions. Available at  http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/VEBLEN/chap04.html .

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 of the means of production. In this way, the conflicts surrounding the exponentially expanding fast food industry reach between the working class and the social elite. McDonalds's, in particular, represents one of the most glaring examples of how the social elite in society have managed to package, sell, and justify their prominent position in American society to the masses.
The central premise of social conflict theory is that individuals and groups within society generally use their power -- as much of…...

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Works Cited

Amaladoss, Michael. "Global Homogenization: Can Local Cultures Survive?" 2006. Available:

 http://www.sedos.org/english/amaladoss2.html .

Berger, Peter L. Invitation to Sociology. New York: Anchor Books, 1963.

Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1999.

Finally, the rise of science and technology due to industrialization militated against institutionalized religion (Bruce, 2002, p. 18). As people became more educated and reliant on science and technology in their everyday lives and work lives, religious disagreements with science and led people to abandon institutional religions as unscientific and backward. People knew that science and technology worked; therefore, religious arguments against science and technology tended to be rejected. In sum, the religious and secular teachings of the Protestant Reformation caused people to move toward greater secularization for religious, economic, social and intellectual reasons.
3. Conclusion

The Protestant Reformation significantly contributed to both Capitalism and Secularization in the est. By eliminating or reducing the Roman Catholic Church's underpinnings, including the Sacraments and obedience to Church authorities for salvation, the Reformation caused individuals to search here on earth for signs that they were saved and to rely on themselves rather than the…...

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Works Cited

Bruce, S. (2002). God is dead: Secularization in the west - (Religion and spirituality in the modern world). Malden, MA: Blackstone Publishing, Ltd.

Stepan, a.C. (October 2000). Religion, democracy, and the "twin tolerations." Journal of Democracy, 11(4), 37-57.

Weber, M.A. (2003). The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc.

Sociology of Youth
The Structural Arrangements

The class view using the Social-Psychological perspective precipitates a point-of-view in the context of society as the dictator to the actor, the environment perpetuating the role that young individuals play in contemporary society. The social interaction is engaged through the environmental variables that lead to the psychological parameters to which the youth operate within. This approach is ostensibly akin to Ethnomethodology that views humans as a rule ridden species predicated on acting within a given societal or moral framework.

The identity formation of bonded child laborers in India is an example of youth that have no control over their environment and to where their environment or social paradigm shapes their individual thought process. These youth become a function of their environment. Essentially, a product of their environment that is based on exploitation and abuse of the children of the society. The structural arrangements for these youth are…...

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References

Erikson, Erick H. "Adolescence and the life cycle stage. Identity, youth & crisis,(pp. 128-135). New York W.W. Norton & Co. 1968.

Hostetler, J. "A sectarian society. Amish society (pp. 6-17). Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press. 1980.

Kovasevic, Natasa. "Child Slavery." Harvard International Review 29.2 (2007): 36,36-39. ABI/INFORM Global.Web. 16 June 2011.

Milner Murray. "Freaks, Geeks and Cool Kids, American Teenagers, Schools, and the Culture of Consumption." (2004) Routledge

Industrial and Organizational Psychology shares much in common with several related fields, and there are multiple professional partnership opportunities. The field most closely linked to industrial and organizational psychology, and one that is important to my personal career development, is going to be human resources. As Cascio & Silbey (1979) point out, assessment centers have transformed the nature of human resources and the candidate selection process, helping organizations make more educated decisions about crafting the ideal organizational culture. Likewise, Murphy, Dzieweczynski & Yang (2009) show how the field of psychology, and organizational psychology in particular, has contributed to the evolution of assessment measures used at every stage of the human resources process from initial intakes and screening for candidates to ongoing assessments and evaluations. In this sense, human resources depend on organizational and industrial psychology.
The field of industrial and organizational psychology adds complexity to the human resources selection process, and…...

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References

Cascio, W. & Silbey, V. (1979). Utility of the assessment center as a selection device. Journal of Applied Psychology, 64(2), 107-118. (EBSCOhost Accession

Number: AN 5112753).

Murphy, K., Dzieweczynski, J., & Yang, Z. (2009). Positive manifold limits the relevance of content-matching strategies for validating selection test batteries. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(4), 1018-1031. (EBSCOhost Accession Number: AN apl-94-4-1018).

Prins, S. (2006). The psychodynamic perspective in organizational research: Making sense of the dynamics of direction setting in emergent collaborative processes. Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology, 79(3), 335-355. (EBSCOhost Accession Number: AN 22557999).

Sociology of Work
ASSESSING UREAUCRACY

Max Weber advocated a management system, which would replace the influence of tradition and personal connection with clearly defined roles independent of those who occupied them. It was the need of his time when he and fellow theorists sought ways of increasing efficiency in production. Machines were then taking over the workload of many industries and people's lives, necessitating an immortal organization. He believed that a hierarchy had to be established to get things done. With the help of his contemporary Henry Ford, the concept of specialization was incorporated into system. Weber firmly believed it would increase efficiency of production. Strong rules and regulations must be set to keep tight control by management ranks. The bureaucratic organizational structure has been handed down to the present time with mixed effects. It has enabled governments and corporations to assert and exert power and to project power in a unified…...

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Altay, A. (1999). The efficiency of bureaucracy on the public sector. DEUIIBF Dergisi:

Dokuz Eylul Universitesi. Retrieved on November 27, 2012 from http://www.libf.deu.edu.tr/dergi/1999_2_4.pdf

Carnis, L.A.H. (2009). The economic theory of bureaucracy: insights from the Niskanian model and the Miserian approach. The Quarterly Journal of Austrian's

Economics. Retrieved on November 27, 2012 from  http://mises.org/journals/qjae/pdf/qjae12_3_4.pdf

They are therefore not determined or restricted by factors such as norms, morals or external principles. A concise definition of this view is as follows:
Constructivism views all of our knowledge as "constructed," because it does not reflect any external "transcendent" realities; it is contingent on convention, human perception, and social experience. It is believed by constructivists that representations of physical and biological reality, including race, sexuality, and gender are socially constructed

Constructivist epistemology)

Another theoretical and philosophical stance that is pertinent to the understanding of the status of the family in modern society is the post-structural or deconstructive view. This is allied to a certain extent with the constructivist viewpoint, which sees society as a social construction and denies the reality of transcendent factors. This view therefore sees the family as a structure which is not fixed or static but is relative in terms of the norms and values that determine…...

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References

Anderson, G.L. (Ed.).1997, the Family in Global Transition. St. Paul, MN: Professors World Peace Academy.

Baker, M. 2003, 'Reinventing the Family: In Search of New Lifestyles', Journal of Sociology, Vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 178+.

Constructivist epistemology. [Online] Available at  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_constructivism 

Coulter, G. 2001, 'Cohabitation: An Alternative Form of Family Living', Canadian Journal of Sociology, Vol.26, no. 2. p. 245.

Sociology
Introducing Alexa Madison

Basic facts from her childhood

Basic facts from her adolescence

Basic facts from her young adult life

Issues related to race

Detailed analysis of race-related issues in Alexa's life

acial identity in a multicultural society: the factors that help create an individual's racial identity and membership in a specific social group based on race or ethnicity.

Implications for social status; in particular, the self-perception of African-Americans vs. The expectations placed on African-Americans

Stereotypes

Institutionalized racism

Link to external sources to present Alexa's life in the broader context of African-American culture, life, and history.

The 2008 film Crips and Bloods: Made in America is about gang warfare and violence in Los Angeles, but the underlying message is that problems impacting black communities in the 21st century have their roots in institutionalized racism.

(a) Alexa might not have had any interaction with gang members, but her experiences reflect an ongoing struggle for African-Americans to create and sustain their own social networks…...

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References

Anderson, E. (1994). The code of the streets. The Atlantic. May 1994. Retrieved online:  http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1994/05/the-code-of-the-streets/306601/ 

Crips & Bloods: Made in America (2008) (excerpt, 41 min.)

Epstein, C.F. (2007). "The Global Subordination of Women." Pp. 283-302 in The Spirit of Sociology: A Reader, 3rd ed., edited by Ron Matson. Boston: Pearson.

Lareau, A. 2010 [2002]. "Invisible Inequality: Social Class and Childrearing in Black Families and White Families." Pp. 611-626 in Mapping the Social Landscape: Readings in Sociology, 6th ed., edited by Susan J. Ferguson. New York: McGraw Hill.

Sociology Take Home Final
Unequal Power Relationships and Laborers

The unequal power relationship that characterizes many employment relationships is characteristic of industrialized capitalism. Capitalism itself is defined by the manufacturing division of labor, which systematically divides the work of economic production into limited operations. The result is that no one man in the Capitalist system would know how to produce a good from start to finish, destroying the traditional notion of occupations, e.g. artisans or craftsmen.

ecause each worker is only qualified to perform a particular, often narrow, task which creates no value in itself but must be combined with the fruits of other tasks by the Capitalist, the worker is at the mercy of the Capitalist who owns the means of production. The dominant mode of employment arising from the manufacturing division of labor is wage labor. In wage labor, a worker does not work to improve his own property, as with…...

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Bibliography

Adler, William M. Mollie's Job: A Story of Life and Work on the Global Assembly Line. New York: Scribner, 2000. Print.

Appiah, Anthony. Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2006. Print.

Bowe, John. Nobodies: Modern American Slave Labor and the Dark Side of the New Global Economy. New York: Random House, 2007. Print.

Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed: On (not) Getting by in America. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2001. Print.

In this view, the fact that underprivileged subcultures already promoted a different set of social values emphasizing "street smarts" and toughness instead of socially productive attributes and goals combined with the substitution of deviant role models for father figures is a significant source of criminal conduct, particularly in poor communities (Adler, Mueller & Laufer, 2008).
Other modern sociological perspectives began reconsidering crime and other forms of socially deviant behavior as primarily a function of individual psychology.

However, whereas earlier theories of individual responsibility focused on the role of rational choice, the modern approach viewed crime much more as a function of the cumulative psychological effects on the individual of the consequences of social labeling.

Furthermore, it has been suggested that much of the difference in crime rates in underprivileged communities also relates directly to the different types of characterizations and institutional responses to different types of crime in American society. Typically, many…...

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References

John Adler, John Mueller, and John Laufer. Criminology (6th Edition). City, State:

McGraw-Hill, 2008. MLA

Adler J, Mueller J, and Laufer J. (2008). Criminology (6th Edition). City, State: McGraw-Hill. APA

Sociology: Labor Studies
Unionization

This particular excerpt from The Oxford Companion to merican Politics provides a fairly attenuated summary of the history and the efficacy of merican labor unions. It traces the chronology of union involvement within labor practices dating from the founding of the merican Federation of Labor in 1886, to the present day splintering of union solidarity that accounts for virtually all-time low participation rates. Furthermore, this excerpt provides a readily accessible synopsis of the benefits that membership in unions yields to its employees, which are readily contrasted with the benefits and wage information of non-union employees. The government's involvement in both the incline and decline of unions in the United States is recounted as well, while certain key facets of union membership (such as stratifications including the public and private sectors of labor) are also detailed in relation to economic, political, and technological changes throughout the years.

ccording to this…...

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According to this excerpt, the U.S. government played a profound role in the development and eventual decline of union prowess and density. The goal of unions, of course, is to unite workers throughout a particular industry and allow for more rights and a better quality of life for such employees. The government's involvement was crucial to initial union success during the Great Depression, by enabling the passing of legislation, most notably the National Labor Relations Act (which is also called the Wagner Act), that allowed for unionization and collective bargaining. One of the most prominent of unions, the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) was founded soon after in 1937. Union involvement would flourish the most during the 1950s, when 35% of all eligible workers were members of labor unions.

However, the government would also prove to be influential in the reduction of union authority and involvement with the nation's workers. Legislation was passed to circumscribe some of the positive effects of the NLRA, including the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 and the Landrum-Griffith Act of 1957. Other noteworthy governmental actions that helped contribute to the decline of labor unions included Ronald Reagan's firing of air controllers in 1981, as well as the large amounts of "right to work" legislation that outlawed beneficiaries of collective bargaining contracts to pay dues to unions. Other factors responsible for the decline of union involvement include globalization and the outsourcing of traditional industries and sources of labor to overseas countries where there are no unions. Additionally, the splintering of the traditional AFL-CIO into other factions significantly detracted from the solidarity of unions.

The information provided within this excerpt appears to be poignantly true, particularly when it details the wage advantages that union membership offers vs. employees who are not part of labor unions. Furthermore, the awareness that such unions raise in their employees of non-wage related benefits, such as health coverage, increased vacation time, and lower premiums for health and life benefits, is certainly productive and may partially explain why the government was largely responsible for decreasing the effectiveness and the authority of unions in the past several decades. Yet what is suggested throughout the duration of this excerpt is that the true strength in unions lies in their membership. If enough people join them and become involved in them, it appears as if there potency can be elevated again to enable working class people to attain middle class status.

Sociology -- Social Work
Poverty

Poverty is the condition of one who lacks a definite amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution refers to the one who lacks basic human needs, which normally includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. Nearly two billion people are anticipated to live in absolute poverty today. elative poverty refers to lacking a normal or communally acceptable level of resources or income as compared with others within a society or nation. For most of history poverty had been typically accepted as foreseeable as conventional modes of production were inadequate to give an entire population a comfortable standard of living. After the industrial revolution, mass production in factories made wealth increasingly more economical and accessible. Of more importance is the transformation of agriculture, such as fertilizers, in order to provide sufficient yields to feed the population (Poverty, 2012).

People living in…...

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References

Areas with Concentrated Poverty: 2006 -- 2010. (2011). Retrieved from  http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/acsbr10-17.pdf 

Bartle, P. (2011). Factors of Poverty The Big Five. Retrieved from  http://cec.vcn.bc.ca/cmp/modules/emp-pov.htm 

Poverty. (2012). Retrieved from  http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/473136/poverty