...display the flaws in the industry and what it represents; yet they also end up proving the fact that it can be modified with positive influence and that pornography is not something to be deemed utterly unethical. Intro – Power and sexuality are two topics that often tend to intersect, becoming a source for much controversy and ethical debate surrounding the issues that they may bring up. Although the interaction of power and sexuality has been a popular topic of interest historically, a more modern focused issue has been brought up on the topic of pornography. Paragraph 1 – Catharine MacKinnon looks at the issues of sex and power in pornography in her paper called Not a Moral Issue, where she sees no value in what it represents, deeming it as “central to the institutionalization of male dominance” (MacKinnon, 303). She believes pornography to be a misinterpretation of our sexual reality, which mirrors, creates, and reinforces negative connotations in real life. From her point of view, pornography is built solely on gender equality and power and “is a form of forced sex, a practice of sexual politics and an institution of gender inequality” (MacKinnon, 304). Her main issue is in how pornography emphasizes the position of power on the man, and therefore “furthers the idea of sexual inferiority of women” (MacKinnon, 307). By arguing that pornography is the educator in how we should be aroused and how we experience desire, she believes it is the submission of female to male in...
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...Assess the view that secularisation has been a feature only of modern European societies (33 marks) There is no agreed definition of the word secularisation- depending on how you define it will determine whether or not it is happening/exists. Some will argue that; secularisation is happening, it never happened, it did happen, or it’s a western issue. The exclusivist definition sees religion as involving beliefs in some supernatural, supra-human being or forces of some kind, which would indicate that secularisation is apparent in modern society as church attendance has declined in the UK from 11.1% of the population in the 1980s, to 6.6% in 2005. The inclusivist definition takes a less traditional approach, and includes beliefs and activities that most wouldn’t define as religious e.g. New Age Movements that look at spiritual therapies; this suggests secularisation isn’t happening and that religion is never likely to decline as alternative activities replace traditional roles of religion. If secularisation is defined as the exclusivist definition, then the UK can be classes as experiencing secularisation. Different sociologists have different theories contributing to our understanding of secularisation, for example Webers rationalisation theory. However, opponents of the secularisation debate argue that secularisation is only apparent in modern European societies, as church attendance and religious participation is in the increase in countries like America. Firstly evidence...
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...Assess the view that science has replaced religion as the main ideological influence in society today. Many argue that the radical social changes brought about by industrialisation have led to religion being undermined by scientific rational thought. For instance, many phenomena, such as earthquakes and diseases, are explained in terms of science rather than through religion. On the other hand, religious thoughts are still dominant in some aspects of life- for instance; many still reject the theory of evolution, or see evolution as guided or initiated by some divine force. Whether or not science has replaced religion as the main ideological influence in modern society is a question that requires answering in two elements. Are science and religion ideological? Although there are many who argue that religion is an ideology or contains ideological aspects, whether or not science is remains a controversial subject which requires criticisms of the objectivity. If science is not an ideology then the view given by the essay question is falsified. If both are ideological then we may proceed to assess the whether science has supplanted religion in this sense. The term “ideology” is difficult to define. Roughly, an ideology is a belief system or framework of ideas which present a partial or distorted view of reality. In this assessment, I wish to apply Manheim’s definitions of two types of ideology- an ideology which justifies current social order, and an ideology which presents...
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...PHI-112, Summer 2013 The Good Life, Late-Modern vs. Post-Modern Hart, M. J. June 16, 2013 Most of the late-modern philosophers took a completely different view of ethics and a moral society as their predecessors. Aside from Kierkegaard’s deeply religious views, their ideas were to get away from religion being necessary to achieve a good life. The emphasis was one in which people should not think in order to be ethical one must be religious. This seemed as if they were all of a sudden coming out and saying the earlier philosophers were wrong in tying ethics and religion. The post-modern philosophers pursued this line of thinking further, going back to the basics from the beginning of recorded history and evaluating just how moral beliefs evolved. By trying to understand why religious ideas and living the good life became so intertwined in early philosophers’ psyche, the post-modern philosophers do have a better understanding of the good life as opposed to the late-modern philosophers, who were still working through some of the fallacies which have developed over the centuries, with the 20th century philosophers embracing a friendly debate of opposing ideas. Because religion was felt so necessary centuries ago, the natural course of progression to an understanding that one could be ethical and moral regardless of religious beliefs, we had to go through the religious denial stage of the 19th century, which seemed to be the overarching...
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...How Far Is Religion a Conservative Force? (33 marks). In the views of functionalism, neo-functionalism, feminism, and Marxism, religion is a conservative force that prevents social change from happening and maintains the current status quo. Yet neo-Marxism and Weber contrast this view by saying religion is used as a force for social change, while post-modernism argues we have the ability to ‘pick and mix’ our religion with the growth of new-age religions. This is all then contrasted by fundamentalism, which looks to bring about social change to take society back to biblical traditions and values. Before we try and figure out if religion is a conservative force or not, we should first define the difference between substantive and functional definitions in sociology: substantive definitions are more concerned with looking at what makes religion distinctive, while functional definitions look at how it is that religion contributes to society as a whole. Starting with functionalism, this is supported by Durkheim, Malinowski and Parsons, this views religion as a conservative force. Durkheim split all items into two different categories: the sacred and the profane. The sacred items were ‘special, unworldly and forbidden’, while all other ‘normal’ objects were just profane, such as a chair. Specifically, Durkheim focused his research on the Aborigines. He found that their Totems were sacred (a Totem was a carved animal), and they were often carved from bull roar wood, the most sacred...
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...Evaluate the view that new cults and sects are replacing traditional religion as the means for experiencing and expressing religious belief in the world today In this essay, I will be evaluating the view that cults and sects are replacing traditional religion as for expressing religious belief in the world today. To do this I will be referring to a number of sociologists view on the idea of sects and cults. New religious movements such as sects and cults have become more common over the years. Many people are becoming influenced by these religious groups which tell citizens in society if they join them they will lead a better life. Many sociologists have argued that NRMs are increasing in size and popularity due to unjust events people are seeing in modern society. To begin with, many sociologists have argued that NRMs are no big influence on society and are just really to some extent a way of showing societies change, which is sure to happen over the years anyway. Wallis identified three main kinds of new religious movements. These are world affirming, world accommodating and world rejecting groups. Sociologists have argued the one that is short lived than the rest is the world rejecting. This group is usually classed as a sect or cult in which they are always highly critical of the outside world and demand significant commitment from their members. An Example of one of these is the Unification church (the Moonies) founded in Korea. They reject the mundane the secular...
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...Jan 2012 socio past paper Q1. Three reasons why members of minority ethnic groups may seem to be more religious than the majority of the population is as follows. Firstly, they may follow religions than are not declining in popularity like Sikhism and Islam whereas Christianity in certain countries is on the decline. Secondly, if they are immigrating to a new country, they may use religion as a cultural defence and so will become more religious. Finally their culture that they come from may use religion as an integral part of socialisation and so they will carry on practising it when the reach new places. Q2. Religious organisations have been around since the first civilizations, they have been integral to do the development of the human race and modern day society. In the current day, many researchers and sociologists believe that people have stopped becoming lifelong members of these organisations, in this essay I am going to assess this view and find out if it’s true. There is arguments on both sides regarding the extent to which secularisation (decline of religion) is present in the world today, some believe it is associated with the modern day societies. Modernists feel the same way seeing our societies as focusing more on developments into science and rational research. Because of this, many sociologists see religion as being “incompatible” with our societies. The sociologists Weber (1905), sees humanity as becoming disenchanted (preferring scientific explanations...
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...Assess the view that secularisation has been a feature only of modern European society. (33 marks) Secularisation is the transformation of a society from one where religious belief played an important part, to one where it has less and less influence. In the UK it is fair to say that there have been some major changes in the religious beliefs that people have. For example there has been a decline in the percentage of the population going to church and there are now fewer baptisms and church weddings. One reason for this could be that there is a might greater variety of new religions and new age movements that seem to appeal more to society today. Wilson argues that Western society has been going through a long process of secularisation and that since the 1960s the percentage of people going to church has fallen by around 30%. Statistics like this show that European society, in particular, is becoming a lot more secular. Rationalisation is one way that secularisation in Europe can be explained. This is when rational ways of thinking come to replace religious ones and many sociologists argue that this is what has happened in Western society. Weber argues that the process of rationalisation began in the Protestant Reformation which undermined the religious worldview and brought to light the rational scientific outlook. For Weber the medieval Catholic view that dominated Europe saw the world as being like an enchanted garden and God (as well as other spiritual beings) were seen...
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...live by, and taught them the importance of believing in their gods. The main character was able to show this important message in the book, because of the plot following his return home. He was captured, and lost many of his crew member’s lives, because he did not trust the gods like a man of that time was supposed to. This book also inspired the movie ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’, a movie where a man escapes from jail and is in need to return home before his wife gets remarried. Religion is one of the major themes from the book that showed up in this movie. The people around Everett (the man who represented Odysseus in the movie,) are very religious and sensitive to Everett’s lack of belief. The Coen brothers were able to use events inspired from the book to show how strong the idea of religion is in any given society, including the modern society shown in the movie and the ancient society represented in The Odyssey....
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...religion could be said to be carrying out in modern Britain (9 marks) There are many functions that religion could be said to be carrying out in modern Britain today. One of these is that it promotes a sense of belonging to its members. This motivates members of society by helping them to overcome certain things which would potentially put us down. As well as this is gives members within society support to achieve certain goals in life with religious figures supporting people in times of need. Another function that religion performs in modern Britain is funerals and marriages. For example these are mainly held in a religious form as they help perform a sense of solidarity through praying etc. Marriages are similar as they are performed by religious figures called priests or other religious figures as are all other marriages in order for them to be legal in most countries. One more function that religion performs in in modern Britain is maintaining the value consensus, order and social solidarity. Religion brings people together and contains shared beliefs in what’s right and what’s wrong and as a result of this social solidarity is kept as people want to obeyed by their religion. Identify 2 similarities and 1 difference between Marxist and functionalist theories of religion ( 9 marks) Marxists and functionalists both see religion as performing a beneficial function for society and they both however have two different views on this and see religion as having its benefits...
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...This is an examining of the profits in the Hebrew Bible. A. Heading - Possibly focus on visionary? On others? B. Heading – This is how this shows up. C. Heading – Pull in Cultural aspect – Ezekiel prophesized to the Israelites anyone else would have thought he was nuts. How are profits qualities or characteristics related to what is relevant today? How would those prophetic qualities exhibit themselves today? How is this type of information communicated in the media? A profit believes what is given to the profit to be true. The media suggests they are speaking the truth. What does it mean? What is the prophetic outlook underlying the millenials? What does that mean about where humanity is going? What does that mean in Ecclesiology? (for the churches?) ************************************************* Hook Sentence: (Get the reader’s attention.) How do the profits qualities or characteristics relate to what is relevant today? How would those prophetic qualities exhibit themselves today? Explain the Hook. (Why is it important to the topic?) How are these things communicated in the media of prophetic literature of the Hebrew Bible and in today’s media? The profit believed what he said was true and was it the truth? The media today suggests they are speaking the truth and is it really the truth? Transition Sentence (Central Idea) Although the ideas of the profits and of the media appear to be true, what causes pause for further evaluation...
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...between religious values and economic progress. Spiritual health and material well-being are not enemies: they art natural allies." Or: "We can blend successfully the religious and spiritual values of our heritage with the benefits of modern technology." Or: "We Burmans have a sacred duty to conform both our dreams and our acts to our faith. This we shall ever do." All the same, such countries invariably assume that they can model their economic development plans in accordance with modern economics, and they call upon modern economists from so-called advanced countries to advise them, to formulate the policies to be pursued, and to construct the grand design for development, the Five-Year Plan or whatever it may be called. No one seems to think that a Buddhist way of life would call for Buddhist economics just as the modern materialist way of life has brought forth modern economics. Economists themselves, like most specialists, normally suffer from a kind of metaphysical blindness, assuming that theirs is a science of absolute and invariable truths, without any pre-suppositions. Some go as far as to claim that economic laws are as free from 'metaphysics' or 'values' as the law of gravitation. We need not, however, get involved in arguments of methodology. Instead, let us take some fundamentals and see what they look like when viewed by a modern economist and a Buddhist economist. There is universal agreement that the fundamental source of wealth is human labour. Now, the modern economist...
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... Judaism is the way it is today because of Leopold Zunz. Leopold was born in Detmold, Germany in 1794. Throughout his life, Zunz critically investigated Judaism. Through his interesting and intriguing points of views, he influenced the modern days of Judaism. Leopold Zunz is shown as a contributing figure to the evolution of Jewish culture in the 19th Century, as seen through his writings that stressed the importance of reform in Jewish customs, the modernization of Jewish texts and his involvement in the study of the Science of Judaism (Wissenschaft des Judentums) movement. Leopold Zunz produced many pieces of writings throughout...
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...Laura Gutmann Japanese Literature 4/23/14 Final Exam #2 (Death) A recurring theme seen throughout traditional and modern Japanese literary works are the topics of death and religion. It is common knowledge that any person on any given day may be faced with death, regardless of whether it is expected or not. In any culture, people recognize that every living thing must eventually die, because life does not exist without death. This belief is very prominent in Japanese culture and exists in all kinds of traditional and modern Japanese literary works. In this class, all of the readings seem to have something in common: Death is inevitable. Although all of the readings seem to deal with the topic of death in many different ways, I believe that the different representations of death are subsumed under a single point of view. In The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu and The Mother of Captain Shigemoto by Tanizaki Junichirō, Buddhism is a key element in the understanding of the Japanese view on death. In The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu, there are many instances in which the relationships between death and Buddhism are evident. This traditional novel, written in the 10th century, describes an aristocratic worldview in the Heian period, therefore allowing for a closer look at the religious and spiritual understanding of the Japanese during this time. While Shinto influence is mentioned in the novel, Buddhism, a popular religion in Japan, plays a part in the...
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...century was the time when new, alternative religious movements sprang to life and started their triumphant parade across the world, attracting millions of people to their allegedly innovative concepts of faith and salvation. This religious expansion, unpredicted and unexpected in the middle of the century, the diversity of schools and teachings, as well as their significant impact on the lives of many people are a phenomenon that demonstrates a high potential of such theories and practices. Their evolution was facilitated by spiritual requirements of people who were seekers of new ideas and formats of faith. These people distrusted traditional religions and were often disillusioned and disappointed by orthodox tenets and concepts; they wanted to find more updated and socially adapted religious teachings. Scientology is a dramatic example of a new religion of this kind, and its analysis provides an insight in the complex, controversial, and sometimes perplexing domain of today’s religious and spiritual practices. Officially recognized as religion in the USA, Scientology was denied this status in European countries, for example, the UK, Germany, France, and others. Investigating an impact of this popular religious practice on individuals, groups, and communities is significant for understanding the effects, possible implications, and hazards it has in store for society. The Origin of Scientology and its Founder Scientology, a religious teaching defining its major purpose as “the...
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