...Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), Cnr Airborne and Rosedale Roads, Albany, Auckland 1310, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England First published in 2005 by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 13579 10 8642 Copyright © Jared Diamond, 2005 All rights reserved Maps by Jeffrey L. Ward LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA Diamond, Jared M. Collapse: how societies choose to fail or succeed/Jared Diamond. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-670-03337-5 1. Social history—Case studies. 2. Social change—Case studies. 3. Environmental policy— Case studies. I. Title. HN13. D5 2005 304.2'8—dc22 2004057152 This book is printed on acid-free paper. 8 Printed in the United States of America Set in Minion Designed by Francesca Belanger Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or...
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...clothing, and shelter. Poverty is primarily caused by hunger, illness, and thirst and affects the entire society by generating many problems and making people to live substandard lives. It is normally classified in absolute and relative poverty. Absolute poverty refers to a state of not being able to obtain basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing that are very important in sustaining life. Relative poverty, on the other hand, is a state of not being able to obtain resources in relation to a certain mean resource and normally applies to people who are not able to meet societal social needs. According to Townsend (1979), a family is considered to be in relative poverty if it is not able to afford the required diet, get involved in societal activities, and use basic health and educational facilities. Problems connected to poverty bring political, economic, and social disorder in the society. There are two theories that apply to poverty; conflict theory and structural theory. Conflict theory explains that poverty leads to class conflict in a society (Giddens & Simon, 2006). This comes as a result of the oppression of the poor by the rich. It says that conflict must remain in order to create a positive change in the society and that the wide gap between the rich and the poor is very significant. Structural function theory explains that poverty has a purpose in the society since it motivates people to work hard (Andersen & Taylor, 2006). This ensures that all jobs are attended...
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...The first social revolution is that of the hunting and gathering societies when the transformed to horticultural and pastoral societies. This kind of society enabled humans to stop moving around and make more permanent living areas. With dependable sources of food, human societies grew bigger, as well as the evolution of tools. This induced trade and set the stage for social inequality. Materialism brought about war. In return, wars brought about power and wealth. The second is the agricultural society. This kind of society emerged after the invention of the plow. The plow brought forth an even larger supply of food, which encouraged the evolvement of cities. People then had more time to engage in other activities such as philosophy, art, literature, and architecture. This period is typically known as the "dawn of civilization" because the changes are so abundant and profound. Social inequality increased. There were taxes and the elite surrounded themselves with what amounted to personal militaries. The third is the Industrial revolution that began in Great Britain. The steam machine was introduced to operate machinery. This tool opened the door for even bigger social inequality, more than any other ever seen. Those who first used the technology became very wealthy, and other peasants were made to leave their lands and had to move to the city, where they faced several hardships like starving, minimal wages, and stealing. This revolution brought...
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...means they see it as something created and defined by society itself. They believe we can see the position that children occupy in society is not fixed but differs between different time, places and cultures by comparing the western idea of childhood today with the childhood in the past and in other societies. It is accepted in our society today that childhood is a special time of life and that children are different from adults. They are seen as physically and psychologically immature and not yet able to run their own lives. Jane Pilcher (1995) notes the most importance feature of the modern idea of childhood is separateness. Childhood is seen as a clear and distinct life stage and children in society occupy a different status from adults. However this view of childhood as a separate age status, children and adults being different, is not found in all societies. Stephan Wagg (1992) says “Childhood is socially constructed. It is, in other words, what members of particular societies, at particular times and in particular places, say it is. There is no single universal childhood, experienced by all. So, childhood isn’t ‘natural’ and should be distinguished from mere biological immaturity”. This means that, while all human beings go through the same stages on physical development, different cultures construct or define this process differently. Ruth Benedict (1934) argues that children in simpler, non-industrial societies are generally treated differently from their modern western...
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...Business and Society Subject Code-3101 Fifth Semester Part : One “Business is a part of Larger Social system”-Explain from the system concept of business. (Page -12) What do you meant by move toward social concern? (Page -4) What is discontinuity? (Page -5) Define business. (Page -19) Give arguments for Social responsibility. (Page -24) Give arguments against Social responsibility. (Page -30) What is social responsibility? (Page -39) What is social response? (Page -46) Discuss the power-responsibility equation. (Page -47) What is the Iron Law of responsibility? (Page -50) Discuss the Changing role of Business Clients. (Page -59) Describe the elements of a Pluralistic social system. (Page -62) What do you mean by Diffusion of Power? (Page -66) Discuss the strength and weakness of a pluralistic society. (Page -69) Discuss the traditional business role. (Page -79) Define the Quality of life. (Page -85) Discuss the alternative ways is which business may respond to the social demands. (Page -85) Discuss in brief the different socially responsive roles played by a manager. (Page -102) Discuss the general effects of technology on society as a whole. (Page -117) What is social system? “Areas of social responsibility are expanding”- Explain. (Page -12, 7) Briefly discuss the role of socially responsive manager as a boundary mediator. (Page -104) What do you mean by social...
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... The apparent stimulating effect is due solely to the fact that it is deadens the higher control centres and progressively the centres as well thus weakening or removing the inhibitions that normally keeps us with in the bounds of civilized behavior. It is best if their behavior has been observed while the subject is sober..which the laws “being drunk” and disorderly or “being drunk” and incapable. Laws punishing public intoxication (also known as "drunken or disorderly conduct”) vary widely among states. The different approaches states have taken to regulating public intoxication reflect the various cultural viewpoints on the issue. Some states' laws reflect the feeling that because public intoxication disturbs the peace and harms society, it should be punished as a crime. In these states, public intoxication is a misdemeanor, punishable by fines, jail time, probation, and community service. Other states’ laws reflect the view that public intoxication, especially when it is chronic, is a medical condition or social ill that can be addressed through treatment or other non-punitive measures. These laws provide for consequences that by-pass the courts altogether, including sending the intoxicated individuals to a treatment facility or a jail until they are no longer intoxicated. Some states that take this approach specifically prohibit local municipalities from passing criminal ordinances against public intoxication. Some states do not have any statewide public intoxication...
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...day; however, many of them are unfaithful and were based on manipulate certain group of the society. Women known to be physically weaker than men, so they were usually their easy prey especially in masculine’s societies. In “Footbinding”, for John King Fairbank, illustrates a picture of women’s abuse of the tenth century in China. Chinese girls were subject to a process in which their feet were bent to make them small “… preferably only three inches long, by pressing the four smaller toes under the sole or ball of the foot” (279). That would allow them to socially fit and be able to get married otherwise they were subjected to disrespect and taunts of the community. That is how women was abused based on tradition was found at first by men. In “Shrouded in Contradiction”, for Gelareh Asayesh, I see another face of women’s abuse. Asayesh was born in Tehran, Iran where women have to wear “hijab”-Islamic covering, so they were forced to wear veil. In both cases I see traditions are being used to manipulate and abuse women as part of the society, which will lead to societies’ destruction as Fairbank says “the talent that one sees in Chinese women today had little chance to grow and express itself. This mad a weak foundation for a modern society.” (281). Women are essential part of any society, so controlling their free will to choose or treating them as possessions will impact society in general. In “footbinding”, it’s clear that women are being used to satisfy men’s need. The...
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...problems in today's society (Author’s name) (Institutional Affiliation) Introduction Social problems are problems which are believed to distress a few or all members of the community both directly or indirectly. When people come to subsist jointly in a social background, disagreement arises from their variations in opinions concerning religion, political matters, intellectual practices, and additional fitness and hygiene matters. We are able to declare that social problems are practically unavoidable. The diverse social problems there today differ from society to society, and per se, we cannot declare that all societies encounter related social matters. Societal problems include fiscal, political, and human life matters in society. We can as well incorporate cultural matters, poverty, prosperity, religion, joblessness, toxic waste, natural resource, and assets possession as a few common causes for the rise of societal clash in scores of communities (Maxon, 2006). Social problems in today's society Societal tribulations largely result from the variation in economic disparities amid social backgrounds. The wealthy access diverse and enhanced services from what the underprivileged do and this cause moderately a prodigious quantity of problems for the public. The underprivileged are short of appropriate edification, which results in bulk employment; as a result, they engage in unethical deeds. These are matters that have an effect on the whole society unconstructively, giving...
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...There are various forces that contributed to the cultural makeup of early civilizations; these forces also varied amongst different cultures quite naturally some forces being more influential than others. Customs, spiritual and religious beliefs that were often largely based upon population’s geographic, demographic, agriculture or available resources. Civilizations develop when the environment of a region can support a large and productive population (Sayre, 2010 p.2). These forces all contributed to the “makeup” of early civilizations, for example people in a geographic area not conducive to plentiful farming would be hunters and vice versa famers or gathers dictating their entire life style . Populations largely determined their cultural based on their means of survival and these forces and ultimately manifested them into customs, politics, laws, and an all-around societal structure. Social issues such as war and economic difficulties arose due to these forces of a civilization. Some of the main cultural influences were customs, spiritual, religious belief, laws, politics and societal structure as these behaviors were commonly passed done within a population from generation to generation. Culture is very important to a civilization, as it is the foundation of civilization. While Historical revisionism, can enlighten, bring new information and perspective forth, it can also alter or amend what we already know as history. This can...
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...Humanities and Sciences are both essential in each and everyone’s lives. Sciences are important as it ensures new possibilities and ideas for our society. Science can be defined as “the study of the physical, biological aspects of the world.” 1 It is very much like reality. Technology, medicine, business are all science-related courses that are essential in our daily lives in the future. Humanities, on the other hand, are more about “content with not knowing, but rather, practice questioning and questioning, never settling on one single answer, because the truth is just based on different perceptions.” 2 Humanities facilitate critical thinking and perspectives, and such subjects include literature, history, social sciences and the cultural identity of each country. Both the humanities and the science are correlated and work hand in hand. “Both the sciences and the humanities seek understanding; both offer explanations of various bits of the world.” 3 The Ministry of Education (MOE) too agrees that students should be exposed to both the humanities and the sciences. MOE has changed the Advanced-level syllabus on 2006. Each junior college student is required to take a minor in either the arts or the science combination. According to MOE, “Most people will change jobs at least a few times in their careers, sometimes switching to jobs in entirely new fields. What will give advantage is being able to adapt to new situations, to draw on insights from different fields, and to think...
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...me and resonated in my mind. The idea of a utopian society that was brought forth in class got me thinking of how our world would be like today if we adopted some utopian methods of living. In America we are very blessed to live in the land of opportunity yet we are always focused on what is the next and best opportunity for us to seize. The American people have grown accustomed to a fast paced living, never stopping to look around at the beauty of nature that surrounds them or share a smile with a stranger. We are always on to the next best thing and we forget to appreciate the aspects of human life that really matter. If we as a people decided to change our patterns of everyday living we could make America more than the land of the free and opportunity. If we connected with a utopian lifestyle, we might find ourselves actually enjoying life or maybe we will discover utopia isn’t the right choice for the direction of our country’s future. Either way in this paper, I am going to introduce the key elements of a utopian society and also another society that I think represents where America is heading today and into the future. A utopia is a community or society possessing highly desirable or perfect qualities. Utopia can be seen as an imaginary society of sorts because it does require a sense of perfection, and we all know perfection is impossible to achieve. Many utopian socialists have chosen to accept this imaginary society as the realistic blueprint for a working nation. In...
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...ought to behave, The analysis of important tests helps us to understand the human condition and why it is that we behave as we do. Indeed, the Humanities is very important in giving us an understanding of today’s world. There are a number of profound analyses of preventive war and the nature of colonial authority. Understanding the role of woman in society and gender issues has a long tradition. The nature of sexuality and the morality surrounding it is the subject of a multitude of profound commentaries. The difference between what is and what ought to be is at the centre of great protest literature, art and music. Second, the Humanities teaches about one’s own culture and many others. Through the Humanities, students can gain a deep understanding of one’s own background and knowledge of other societies. The Humanities asks questions which are cross-cultural in its attempt to find the best response. To issues about ethics, it considers formulations from a variety of sources, including those from aboriginal societies, Islam, Asian, European, African and Latin-American cultures. It often seeks the truth from those who are marginal to society, rather than the utterings of...
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...it's important to identify the causes of discrimination. Ignorance, fear and stereotyping Discrimination is often based on ignorance, fear and stereotypical viewpoints. For example, religious and/or sectarian discrimination is often fuelled by people living and working in separate communities and therefore not having ample opportunity to interact with people from the other group. Discrimination in Northern Ireland has not been helped by the fact that most children either go to protestant or catholic schools and many grow up in neighborhoods that are largely divided along the same lines. The erecting of walls (either real or psychological) between communities is a perfect breeding ground for discrimination. It is the responsibility of society to reject a "them and us" mentality wherever it is encountered and to ensure that young people get the opportunity to mix with people who have different backgrounds or characteristics. Irresponsible behavior by politicians, the media and other influential groups Most people get their views on a wide range of social and political topics from consuming media (TV, radio, Internet, newspapers, etc.) and listening to the views of politicians, religious leaders and other people who have some form of...
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...only have been changing humans lives but also have been bringing many new issues. So that, it’s important to know how our ways of communicate has changed by these modern technologies and to know both the positive and negative effects have be given. This essay will discuss about modern technologies’ effectives then find out whether they’re more positive or more negative. Frist of all, communication ways After that, these modern technologies make our society run in a high speed and give the condition to create more and more new technology. The most important element for businessmen is efficiency which allows them to deal with a case in a short time and create more wealth. A research was made in china about public transport, the experts found that the faster speed these public transport have, the more economic income will be created refer to the information given by these researchers in Shanghai.3 On the other hand, modern technology also has harm effects of communicate manner and lead to a shortage at social society. We used to learn social manners and polite ways of speaking, however, these things seem disappeared after the common use of modern technology. For example, we don’t need to ask for direction instead of check it by GPS. A extravert person on internet may also the person who is too shy to talk with others in a sit down restaurant. It’s much easier to write a blog than express their feelings to their friends. In conclusion, modern technology creates a completely...
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...Religion in a global contextFundamentalism- | Religion and social Change | Religion as source of conflict or consensus | Religiosity: Class | Religiosity: Age | Religiosity: Gender | Religiosity: Ethnicity | Belief Systems: Religion | Belief Systems: Science: | Belief Systems: ideology | Jun12 | Religion is still the most significant ideological influence in the world today. ’To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this view? (33 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Critically examine sociological views of sects in society today. (33 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the view that women are no longer oppressed by religion. (18 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jan 12 | The growth of New Age and similar movements is evidence of a spiritual revolution in society today.’ To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this view? (33 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Assess the usefulness of functionalist theories in understanding religion today.(33 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the view that most people today choose not to be lifelong members of religious organisations. (18 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jun ’11: | Assess the view religion is a force for social change...
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