...is the distinction between Structural and Social action theories. Structural or macro perspectives analyses the way society as a whole fits together. Structural theory sees society as a system of relationships that creates the structure of the society in which we live. It is this structure that determines our lives and characters. Structured sets of social relationships are the 'reality' that lie below the appearance of 'the free individual' of western individualism. Structuralism focuses on the particular set of 'structural laws' that apply in any one society. Despite their differences, both functionalism and Marxism use a model of how society as a whole works. Many functionalists base their model of society around the assumption of basic needs and go to explain how different parts of society help to meet those needs. Marxists, on the other hand, see society as resting upon an economic base or infrastructure, with a superstructure above it. They see society as divided into social classes which have the potential to be in conflict with each other. However, the main differences between functionalist and Marxist perspectives then, is the way they characterize the social structure. Functionalists stress the extent to which the different elements of the social structure fit together harmoniously. Marxists stress the lack of fit between the different parts, particularly social classes, and so emphasize the potential for social conflict. Not all sociological...
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...Affirmative Action In America University of Phoenix, Axia College Affirmative Action In America Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” This statement will always ring true especially on the subject of equal opportunity employment and Affirmative Action. While Affirmative Action seemed to be a hot topic in the past, it is still one that should continue to be addressed. Affirmative Action is needed in the American workplace to improve morale and create equity among all Americans. The history of Affirmative Action (AA) is a long one. The first federal law passed was The Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law started the term, “Equal Opportunity Employment” and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The first legislation to pass was Executive Order number 11246 on September 24, 1965 (Aberson & Haag, 2003). This essentially stated that employers needed to take affirmative action to ensure no one was discriminated against for their race, religion, color, or country of origin. In more recent years, employers have added sexual orientation, abilities, and ethnicity to their list of nondiscrimination. Unfortunately, during these times white men were not always accepting of women and minorities in the workplace. Women who joined the workplace in the 1960s and 1970s were expected to do chores for the men in the workplace. They would also be sexually harassed and abused by their male coworkers...
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...numerically fixed race or gender balance is suspect under Title VII.[2] Under both bodies of antidiscrimination law, quotas are regarded as discrimination. If a civil rights initiative can be portrayed as encouraging employers to adopt quotas, its political demise is nearly certain in the United States.[3] Narrow forms of affirmative action have survived, legally and politically, only to the extent that they can be distinguished from quotas. Quotas are so widely regarded as legally, politically, and morally repugnant that they are taboo: The “q-word”[4] is rarely the subject of any serious debate, even by those who favor stronger civil rights protections for women and minorities. The related belief in the illegitimacy of ever pursuing numerically informed demographic balance – especially along lines of race or gender -- is gaining strength in the Supreme Court’s major antidiscrimination cases in the last several years.[5] It is widely accepted – even by civil rights advocates – that pursuing racial or gender balance as a goal, “for its own sake,” would be illegitimate.[6] This principle threatens the constitutionality of race-based affirmative action, which may meet its demise in Fisher v. Texas next Term. Meanwhile, in Europe, quotas have made a definitive comeback, as a way of pursuing gender equality. Legislative and constitutional transformations over the last few years have led to the adoption of various policies requiring gender parity quotas in positions of political...
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...Structural theories One of the theories is Marxism who studies society on a macro perspective so they generate a lot of statistics. They concentrate a lot on class and believe there is conflict between two opposing classes’ bourgeoisie and working class. They have a similar view to the social action theory and that view is in society there is struggle between the powerful and the powerless. They also have a view on feminism and that is it’s not just men who exploit women but also capitalist. Their view is capitalism is the root of all exploitation which also creates competition between social classes. They have views on the role of the family and they believe family maintains capitalism. They have a very strong opinion on school and believe education reproduce a passive workforce for capitalism as in students are taught workers should accept their position and that causes less conflict for the capitalists. They also believe education creates class inequality as in upper class are meant to succeed whilst lower class are meant to fail. They believe school is just preparation for the work force as in the rules students are told follow. This creates ideological dominants by the school as they promote the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. They also believe that education reproduces the public structure. The Marxist theory has been criticised by other theories which is typical in sociology. Functionalists believe they focus too much on class and need to look more at ethnicity...
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...he criticized the regime and turned the country western. Turning the country western, would help the people escape from being under the Shah and his religion. The reforms gave Ayatollah the freedom to speak out against the Shah, which ultimately led him to succeed against the Shah and taking power. Ayatollah Khomeini took power and promised the people laws, policies, and a philosophy for the country that would supply for all. Gender gaps in the industries of Iran are still present in the adulthood of one even with the promised philosophy of Khomeini. Women specifically are faced with various social and legal barriers that restrict their own lives and livelihoods. Social norms are altered for women to follow as a way to keep women safe, but it ultimately discriminates women from men. Ayatollah Khomeini's philosophy strives for a secure more equitable republic for all, but the philosophy only led to inequality between men and women in the public eye, in the workplace, and even at...
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...have to put more hours of work and tend to be from low to middle class backgrounds. Uber has provided so many people with work opportunities by making it easy to apply. As the company grew in size, background checks have lagged and employing just anyone doesn’t always work out for the best. Alejandro Done a Boston native Uber driver was charged with aggravated rape, including kidnapping and assault and battery. The driver pled guilty to raping a young women that was told she had to pay cash for her ride knowing that Uber only takes credit/debit card transactions. Done took the women to a secluded area, in order to withdraw cash from the ATM and ended up physically assaulting her. This story was one of the many incidents that have been occurring with Uber drivers around the world. So, is it worth risking your life for a cheaper ride? Rape can be defined as unwanted sexual intercourse or physical interaction. Forcible rape is considered a violent act and a social problem. Rape is often the result of men exerting power over women. The US report statistics on statuary rape is not valid, as many of the victims are discouraged from reporting the crime. The victims are usually embarrassed or scared that the abuser might find out and attack again. Victims might also feel that people won’t...
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...Is Affirmative Action still necessary? Introduction This topic will explore if Affirmative action is still necessary in the 21st century. Affirmative Action is the encouragement of increased representation of women and minority group members, in employment. It has been commonly referred to as a positive discrimination policy or program designed to counter discrimination against minority groups and women in areas such as employment and education (dictionary.com). “Pro” position There are several reasons to justify Affirmative Action. It was developed to assist society’s less-advantaged members by promoting affirmative action policies is to remedy the effects of past discrimination. Along with the use of the Affirmative Action policy there is the recognition that wrongs have been committed in the past and acknowledgment that there is a moral obligation to set things right (pros and cons). African Americans are not the only, or even the main beneficiaries of affirmative action. There are a wide range of groups that have benefited from Affirmative Action. Some of the groups include women, Native Americans, Arab Americans, Latino/as, Asian Americans, and African Americans. According to the United States Department of Labor, it found that white women are the primary beneficiaries of affirmative action (aapf.org). “Con” position The opposing view point states that it is reverse discrimination. Those opposed of affirmative action do not contest the moral obligation to...
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...Morality, and Social Responsibility of Wal-Mart’s Response to Sex Discrimination and Pay Lawsuits Nova Southeastern University MGT5015_Legal, Ethical, Social Value Business September 9, 2012 We certify that we are the author of this paper and that any assistance received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. We have also cited any sources from which were used data, ideas of words, whether quoted or paraphrased. I also certify that this paper was prepared by us specifically for this course. Table of Contents Abstract (Natalie Rondon) 3 Introduction ( Natalie Rondon) 4 Legal Section (Franciso Amado) 5 Ethic Section Utilitarian Ethical Analysis (Kyle Lozito) 8 Kantian Ethical Analysis (Christian Varillas) 14 Additional Ethical Analysis (Natalie Rondon). 18 Social Responsibility Section (Shirley Simmonds). 20 Conclusion (Natalie Rondon). 25 References. 26 Abstract This is a library research paper on the integrating values of Wal-Marts to sex discrimination and pay lawsuits that Wal-Mart has encountered over the years. The paper will discuss the legality of the situation and how Wal-Mart might be able to fix the issues that they are having. The paper will also discuss Utilitarian ethical analysis, Kantian ethical analysis and Socrates and the Socratic method. It will go into detail if Wal-Mart as a company has acted ethical or moral against its employees based on the ethical analysis just listed. Social Responsibility...
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...Gender Equality: * Introduction: * Gender equality is a social order in which women and men share the same opportunities and the same participation in both the economic and the domestic areas of responsibility. * Issues: * It refers to valuing both men and women equally, * works to defeat the misjudgment, * Women are ranked last in the ladder of society, * Relative Equality: * When both sexes have relative equality, economies grow rapidly, less corruption occurs and children’s health improves. * Gender inequality refers to Men and women being physically different but it is the barriers between one another. * These include social, economic, political and legal interpretation that lead to inequality between both sexes. * Gender equality is a vital and important human right. * Issues And Reasons: There are many issues relating to social inequality: * Men and women have different daily responsibilities and roles. * Men overrule women, as men tend to have a high status in society as the work they do is riskier and heavier compared to women’s which is providing food for their family and caring for their children. * They have unequal access to education and health services. * Women are not treated equally. * Within in the terms of political and legal inequality, females are treated unfairly and are poorly represented at all levels of formal decision making in society. These issues leads to unequal rights...
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...European women in the late Middle Ages did not hold considerable power. They were usually passed from the control of their fathers to the control of their husbands. Certain women, however, did not follow this path, which led to their marginalization in society and often to their turn to prostitution. Since prostitution is widely believed to be the oldest profession in history, one might imagine that it was considered an acceptable profession in society. However, prostitution was an area of great debate during the Middle Ages, as it was a practice which was considered morally repugnant, but its value in society could also be seen. Considering the large influence that Christianity had on medieval European society, the church’s opinion of prostitution was adopted by society at large. Since Christianity valued virginity in women so highly, it would seem natural that the church would be against prostitution and would try to eliminate it as a profession in society. However, in practice, the medieval church did not go to great lengths to punish prostitutes. Considering this fact, what was Christianity’s and more generally society’s attitude toward prostitution? In what ways did the church and the legal authorities face the morally unacceptable practice of prostitution? Based on the laws of the late Medieval period and evidence of the abundance of prostitutes in Europe, it is clear that society had an ambiguous standpoint towards prostitution, denouncing it as immoral while simultaneously...
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...Introduction/Policy Statement This action memorandum proposes to change the current legislation surrounding the criminalization of women in prostitution within Canada. This memorandum suggests altering the current legislation similar to the ‘Swedish Model,’ through the criminalization of the purchase of sex while decriminalizing the supply in order to protect sex workers’ equal rights and reduce violence against women, specifically those within the sex trade market. Summary The current legislation on prostitution in Canada prohibits the action of prostitution, specifically surrounding the issue of solicitation and the use of public space. Although, it appears that prostitution is legal in Canada, the current law is riddled with arbitrariness, hypocrisy and virtually no enforcement. The current law reflects inherent bias and sexism towards women who decide to work within the sex industry and forces women to work in dangerous isolation, afraid to seek help. This reinforces patriarchal norms that insist women seduce men to the point where they no longer have any self-control, placing societal blame on the woman. This sexism locks women in to prostitution where they are subject to rape, violence or physical and psychological trauma. In Canada, Aboriginal women are over-represented within the sex trade industry because of vulnerability to exploitation driven by poverty. The current legislation does not adhere to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, negating women’s right...
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...Gender and Social Change in the Middle East: The Islam and Women Phenomenon Written By: Amelia Ramraj Arguably the most heated, widely discussed and controversial topic in gender and social change with respect to a cultural context is the state of women in the Middle East and the role that religion plays as a primary source for further derived influences of politics, economics, legal and family affairs to the social situation as a whole. This social stratosphere of revolving and intricate subjects of change and progression represent a multitude of conflicting ideologies, theories and realities. The media serves as an informational anchor, particularly in its portrayal of social situations and change, primarily divided into Western and Eastern media. The broader subject at hand is gender and social change in the Middle East, but specifically, how women, as the primary subject of the gender discussion, and Islam, as the foremost engine to drive the social scene across the Middle Eastern peninsula co-exist to create an unprecedented dynamic in the Middle East. This research paper will attempt to progressively reveal and discuss related subjects in order to create a transitional framework for a relevant understanding of the gender and social dynamic of the Middle East. As an outline, this paper will begin by briefly discussing the global role of women from a gender and sexuality perspective. It will then analyze how such roles are portrayed and what movements exist in order...
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...Two Mothers, One World Chilean women’s societal roles have historically been impacted by traditional gender norms as well as a patriarchal cultural; just as most cultures have. However, throughout the years, Chilean women have proven themselves a force not to be reckoned with by involving themselves more and more into the political world. The film Machuca is a story of national violence and guilt seen through the innocent eyes of a boy named Gonzalo Infante and through him we meet two important women; Silvana and Maria Luisa Infante (IMdB, 2004). Machuca validates the moral crises of Allende’s fall with dramatic force, especially by the women of Chile. Through Gonzalo we witness the representation of Silvana and Maria Luisa, two women that come from very different backgrounds and political stand points who are trying to survive in Santiago. The theme of social structure and symbolism in the women is evident throughout the movie which is shown frequently through the actions of the right-winged and left-winged women; particularly in The March of Empty Pots and Pans and the symbolism of the roles each woman plays. Outside on the streets of Santiago, the audience often sees political slogans draping the city buildings and influential marches from both sides frequently disrupting the peace which both reflect the political ferment that’s in the air (Wood, 2004). The three friends, Gonzalo, Pedro and Silvana, help Silvana’s father take advantage of the political situation by selling...
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...Political Empowerment of Women: Comparative Study of South Asian Countries Amna Mahmood A South Asia is a home of variety of cultures, languages and religions. Here we can find a number of variations in customs, value systems and ways of life. But one thing is common among all the cultures and regions of South Asia that is gender discrimination. Women traditionally are considered subordinated to the male and this remained a prominent feature both in the rural and the urban areas. In urban areas a little improvement is due to enhanced level of education and economic independence in women. There is very less distinction of educated and uneducated as that of religion in this regard. The situation is improved with regard to political empowerment especially with the allocation of 33% seats in local government in South Asia but in most of the cases this change is not satisfactory. The real empowerment would be achieved only if it would be accompanied by the social and economic empowerment. For that purpose, society has to be changed at large. Such change cannot be materialized only through any coercive legislation or strong state action in the blink of an eye. But the fact remains there that in societies where all the changes start from top to bottom these measures along with a strong political will can stimulate a change to improve the situation gradually. This paper discusses the measures taken by different governments in South Asia to achieve the goal of political empowerment and...
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...traction through social media, the news, and blogs. In the process, consciousness raising though the Internet has brought many changes to the way protests are organized and the way people share their stories. The Internet has started a revolution for feminists. Feminism and consciousness raising has moved in to the digital...
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