So, week one is down, you are frustrated and confused about theory and the course. We are right on track! We have had several conversations about the meaning of freedom, about the relationship of social theory to freedom, about your relationship to freedom or lack there of, and about the purpose of education. In this first blog discussion, review the drawings of your classmates on the Blog Home page, comment on an many of the photos as you find insightful and/or that raise questions for you, and then return to this conversation page and write an extended comment (several pphs) exploring where you are relative to our discussions thus far.
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Ok, we are ending week 3.
(PLEASE BEGIN ALL COMENTS IN RESPONSE TO THIS PROMPT WITH ALL CAPS “WEEK THREE COMMENT”)
We have discussed the purpose and meaning of education with regard to its relationship to oppression; we have discussed the importance of the enlightenment movement in Europe to the birth of social theory and sociology; we have discussed the difference between opinion and theory, between opinion and sociology; we have discussed the relevance of the biography and history (see C.W. Mills Sociological Imagination) of each social theorist to the social theory they work out; we have discussed the early theory of Comte, Martineau, Mill, Saint-Simone, Montesque , Turogot, Condorcet; we have discussed the “illusion of society” and the way our own history and biography constrain our freedom and the freedom of every society. For your next conversational post here on the Blog, turn to pages 11 and 12 in the “Society and Illusion” chapter from Discovery of Society, and read carefully the final pph on page 11 through the third pph on page 12 (just before the chapter break) and discus what it means to be a theorist, a sociologist, a soon to be sociology graduate. What will you bring to bar discussions, to your work place, to the voting booth, to the community in which you will live, to dinner table discussions of public policy, etc. that non-sociologically minded friends and colleagues will not?
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(PLEASE BEGIN ALL COMENTS IN RESPONSE TO THIS PROMPT WITH “TOQUEVILLE’s America”)
OK, now we enter into dialogue with the primary text. You are now reading Tocqueville in the raw, or in the translated raw in any case. So, and this should be the longest, most sophisticated post you have done so far, in your own words what is Toqcueville saying were the unique cultural, social and political aspects of the people, geography, and time period that allowed for a successful beginning to democracy in the US. AND Do you think the America he is describing is significantly different from the America of today? How or How not? and Why?
Title the next post WEBER RESPONSE
Choose from the following to comment:
a. Choose a recent revolution in the developing world and profile it according to the Goodwin and Skopal piece.
b. Choose a sector of the economy or a company to profile according to the Reich piece.
Discovering Theory 
So far, I think the pictures we have drawn have become a great way to help us understand these fun deep articles our oppressor has asked us to read! And after many discussion in class I think most of us are scared of to much freedom, who would have thought. This class has really made me start to think outside the box and see different peoples perspectives on our different topics involving humanization/dehumanization, freedom, enlightenment and Comte.
I was scared of this class on the first day because I can’t draw, I was intimidated by the readings, and the class just wasn’t what I expected it to be. After just a few classes however, my opinion of the class has changed. The readings are long, but interesting; the drawings don’t need to look professional, only creative and representative of the reading for its artist; and the conversations in class are intelligent and thought-provoking.
I believe that everyone has, and is entitled to, their own opinion regarding the topics of these readings and class conversations, and I think that most people in our class are comfortable with sharing their thoughts and listening to other classmates’ thoughts and respecting them.
I also feel better about the drawing aspect now. Translating the readings into diagrams and pictures is a great way to understand and explain them better. All the photos look good and it’s great to be able to share different ideas and understandings of the texts with one another.
I agree with both of you. I had really mix emotions on whether or not I would be able to engage myself in these readings, but the more I read the more I’m starting to realize that being open minded about them makes them much easier to get through. The readings are a little bit difficult to understand at times, but even more than that I think they’re almost frustrating because they force you to think outside the box and outside of the realm of thought that we’ve been used to for our entire lives. It’s even a challenge for me to adjust to the drawing method of outlining these readings because I’m so used to the regular method of outlining taught to me so long ago. I think what keeps me interested in the material and even the class for that matter IS the challenge, I enjoy that the class forcing me to think about things and do things in a way that I’ve never had to before. Even this blog is something that I’m not used to having to do for a class but I really think we can all benefit from seeing our classmates’ thoughts & perspectives on everything, including our actual drawings from class.
Lets go beyond likes and dislikes. beyond thinking outside the box. beyond being surprised a that you are not absolutely hating the course. into grappling with the readings directly. and perhaps applying the insights you are learning to real work critical thinking. sociological thinking.
After going through the pictures and the first week of class I have started to kind of understand what is going on in this class. Being in groups helps because you can get an idea before you discuss with the class.
Understanding the reading is hard, but when you put it into pictures and seeing what others put into the pictures, more of the details of what you are thinking is going on in the story or reading is put onto the paper. I’ve learned that trying to draw freedom is not that hard, but putting freedom into words is much harder.
I think that we have learned that we are not as free as we think. We might be able to come and go as we please, but in truth we still live by regulations and rules that are given to us. There are times that I do believe we all think that we need to do something about it, which we have talked about in class; but we never do anything about it. The only way we deal with the frustration of knowing that we are not actually free, is to talk about it and come to the idea that we can not do anything about this and learn to cope with everything. We never trying to think outside the box, because people would judge us and think that we are weird or different. So we stick with the standards like everyone else, which is to live by the same norms and values as everyone else. It seems to me that we all think that we are our own individual but in reality we seem to be all alike.
I believe that being in groups has become a great way to help us teach each other. I am much more likely to bounce ideas off of my fellow classes mates than I would in the clasroom. Being a group with others has also helped me see different perspectives (drawings) for the same readings. This has made the reading much more bearable and much more compatible with “real” life.
Class discussion has also caused me to think about things I’ve never thought about before. I like that not everyone in our class agrees on the same outlooks on our society. I like that there are differences between who some people feel are oppressors and the opposing idea. This makes for an interesting and heated discussion. I have found that I am much more likely to retain information this way,
I agree that in the beginning I was very unsure of this class. I did not understand why we had to draw instead of just taking notes, especially when drawing is Not my strong suit. The reading were long and complicated, and I think it almost took me longer to think of symbols that I could draw to represent what I was reading than the reading itself. However, when I came into class and had to remember what I read and be able to explain my drawings, my feelings changed. The symbols and stick figures thatI had drawn meant more to me than highlighting or note taking would have. This made the ideas of the readings were easier to remember in this form because I had to put more thought into in order to draw the pictures. So, even though it is still hard of me to draw the reading with my limited art ability, at least I understand the reason.
I thought all of the drawings were different but in a way that they were all connected to each other. I’m still having a little trouble making the same kind of diagrams as everyone, but seeing the pictures will definatly help me more now.
I like working in the groups because figuring out the readings and doing the drawings together is helpful because I get to see how my group is interpreting the readings which helps me figure them out better. However I do find the redings kind of hard to draw because I’m not really good at drawing concepts and I don’t know a lot of symbols to help me with that.
The discussions are nice because I like talking about all the different things in our lives that fit into these concepts we’re reading about and we also get to see a lot more opinions that others have even if i don’t agree with them it’s nice to hear the other sides.
I agree with what everyone is saying about the drawings, group work and what we’ve been discussing in class. The drawings allow me to use my mind in a different way and not think so “black and white” like I’ve always been conditioned to. The fact that we’re encouraged not to highlight and scribble down notes right away is awesome. The way we dissect the topic at hand in class really helps me get a grasp on the information. When we talked about Pedagogy of the Oppressed, for example, we had to dig deep in order to understand that this cycle of oppression will just continue. In order to be truly liberated, once must go through complete rebirth. I understood the concept by reading it, but it wasn’t until we were in class with Dr. Johnson throwing “well what about this…” and “why are we like this” type of ideas out that I was able to apply the knowledge I got from the reading.
With all that said, I really appreciate the Society and Illusion reading we had to read, but I kind of don’t get why we didn’t read that first. In my mind that’s a base and the Pedagogy of the Oppressed could have come after, being the next step in how society was formed by man and what “The Man” has done to everyone else in terms of superiority/inferiority and oppression. Maybe this is me being conditioned with order? It sucks that we are so conformed to everything these dead white guys made up. Is there any hope to change it? It seems to me we keep getting deeper and deeper into a rut, especially the young people (including myself) of today’s American society…and not too many of us seem very able and willing to make any sort of change.
As many above have already stated, I am both confused and overwhelmed by this class that seems so different from every other class I have taken in college so far. The readings are complicated and deeper than I am used to, although I am slowly beginning to extract meaning from them. The readings that I am uncertain of become clearer when we discuss them in class and in meeting with my group.
Before this class I was unaware of the oppression we face in everyday life. I was under the impression (maybe as a result of my social conditioning) that because everything appears to be okay in my immediate surroundings that there is nothing I personally have to worry about changing. The class discussions have opened my eyes to new perspectives and made me realize that there are things that people like us are capable of changing if we want to.
So far, the reading that I have found most interesting is Hooks. I think the reason I found her work the most meaningful to me is because I agree with most of what she wrote. I believe that the gap between theory and practice exists today and that is why it is so difficult for our generation to accomplish anything substantial. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that those of us in college are the theorists, who perhaps think too much and don’t act enough. Maybe we are the ones Hooks speaks of that get too technical and too wrapped up in theory to act on anything. Those who didn’t go to college are the ones who would be able to actually accomplish something, but lack direction because they lack theory. Perhaps since we are such separate groups with nothing to bridge the gap between us, that is why our generation has been unable to make any great changes in the world as of yet. If this is the case, we must figure out some way to connect with others to accomplish something meaningful.
Sorry, that wasn’t supposed to be just one giant paragraph!
The readings for me, I think are really serving their purpose. I am however still stuck on that idea of banking education. I can’t help but sit in my different classes and think, “is this the way the class should be taught,” “how would I do it differently,” “what will I really get out of this class,” and “how can I ensure I am not just a victim of banking education.” Because of this, I have found that I am more engaged in my classes, and the work outside of class.
In addition to this, I cannot help but look back at all the classes I have previously taken, both at Siena College, and the three schools I went to for public education. I am almost bitter that I was never really asked to express my opinions, think critically about any issue, or to look outside the box of what we were learning. One thing that does come to mind when I think back , is when we were assigned questions to do at the end of chapters in textbooks. Always, the first questions requested that you spout back facts of what you just read, and then there always was a “critical thinking” question at the end that asked you to look outside the box and apply what you just read to life. Those questions were almost never assigned, and in turn, I thought them to be unimportant. I regret thinking that, and I am sad to know that I was not alone in my thinking. To me, school was about remembering as many facts as possible, and being able to remember those facts long enough to repeat them on exams. Little by little, I have veared away from that type of thinking, but these assigned readings have made me believe even more that the most important part of an education is not how much you know, but what you are able to do with that information, and how it is relevant to your life and others.
Please indicate in all caps at the very front of your post the week you are responding to ie: WEEK THREE PROmPT
So far in the first week we were able to learn that we do have the choice to do what we believe is best for us and society but a lot of times we are scared and we are so used to being others rules that it just isnt right to do what we want to do. Sometimes I wish to do something but then again Im afraid if I would get in trouble etc. This part of class has shown me how constrained we are to rules and policies and how society has us living in a world which is a prison.
WEEK THREE PROMPT
Like the reading says, I believe that being a sociology major and soon to be sociology graduate means that I am more realistic about the world we live in. I am aware of the reality of our society while others may be misled by the illusions. In my own experience, I have partaken in discussions at the dinner table or in a classroom where, because of my sociology background, I had a better understanding of the matter being discussed. I am able to make arguments and back them up because of what I have learned to be true through studying sociology. One aspect of being a sociology major that has been most rewarding to me is that I look at life differently. I can refer to sociological theory everyday just by looking at social relationships and the people that make up a society. The fact that I can see sociology in my everyday life means, to me, that my degree is useful and important. That no matter what I do with my life, having been a sociology graduate put me at some advantage that others may never be able to attain.
Week Three Prompt
The reading that has caused me to think the most thus far is the reading by Freire, more specifically the reading in which he discusses the different methods of teacher. I had never known there were different methods of teacher before this class, I know some people are better at learning certain ways compared to others, but I didnt know that teachers can teach differently if they choose too. Why don’t more teachers teach using different methods if this is the case, I wonder?
I have learned that I have been used to the banking method of teaching my whole life. I have been fed information by a teacher and been expected to digest it and spit it right back out. The teacher makes deposits of information and we the students receive this. But repetition does not equal learning, which is what this method tries to do. I have been used to this method all of my education career until this class. This class is more question posing, which I have to say is kind of stressful thus far for me. I am not used to having to teach myself the information, let alone ask quesitons about the information in order to learn.
I think this way will take some getting used to but maybe it will do some good learning a method other than the banking system. It will be much more helpful by learning to ask question and then digest the knowledge given and apply it to my own answers.
“week 3”
Being a theorist, a sociologist and soon to be sociologist graduate means taking what we have learned throughout our lives and applying it. Making our lives “livable” as stated in the article “Society and Illusion.” Although we will be graduating soon with a piece of paper that basically says, congratulations you have made it to the next phase in your life, none of it matters unless we take what we have learned, our experiences and interactions and use them in our workplace, public places and community. Meaning, if you want freedom, take a stand and fight for it yourself, no one is standing in your way, not even the oppressor. Also, being a theorist does not mean the same as your opinion, being a theorist means, for example, when a ball falls off the table it will drop then bounce back up because of gravity, theory is an explanation of aspects of the natural world. If I bring sociology to my work place, for one it will help me understand the interactions between individuals and society. So hopefully, by the end of this semester I will have an even better understanding of theory in relation to sociology.
Week 3
So, I have yet to refer to myself as a sociologist. Now, after reading that post and taking in the fact that I will be a sociology graduate in May, it’s time to start thinking like one. I think having a sociological-mind will be a unique trait to have. We live in a very individualistic society where people are concerned mostly with their own well-being and how they can make it work for themselves. As a sociology graduate I think I’ll be able to bring to discussions a broader view and the ability to step outside of my bubble of what I want now, to see what works for the whole so more will benefit. This is important especially in the work place because I know choices and the “to do” list will not revolve around me nor one other single person. The best solutions are not individualistic and for a company or organization to work, it needs to run like a community. As a sociology major I know how a community operates and the inner foundations of it unlike other non-sociologically minded people.
WEEK THREE COMMENT
Just the other day I was talking with my advisor about my internship, describing different aspects of it and the whole dynamic of the office and he stopped me to say that the way I was visualizing the overall interactions of the people in the office and the way they work together was exactly how a sociologist views things. It made me realize that I’ve gotten to a point in my education where it has become almost subconcious for me to think about how society works. This is what drew me to become a sociology major to become with, the interest that I had in seeing things this way and its a relief to know that when I graduate in the spring I’ll be at a point where I can apply it to my life. I think that being a theorist/sociologist means going beyond knowing how a society works, but looking into why and how socities work in the way that they do. Putting thought into how social structures are formed instead of just accepting that this is the way that they are.
Wow, you are all having trouble reading directions I see. PLease title your posts exactly as I have asked in the prompt above. Thanks
WEEK THREE PROMPT
The things I have learned in sociology and the sociology classes that I have taken have all in different ways shown how to look at the world around you in different ways. Being a sociologist requires the ability to step back from the world and people around you and ask the question “Why?” Why do things in the world go the way they do and why do people react and interact in the way they do? On top of this, sociology makes a person try to think about the answers and theories that can explain these answers. This background will allow me as a sociology major to bring a different perspective to my work place, and just regular conversations. Rather than just believing things are the way they are, I will be able to look deeper into them and bring new ideas to the table rather than just repeating and imitating the world as it is now.
WEEK THREE COMMENT
Grasping sociological thought is no easy task. When you are applying sociological thought you are applying what you have learned through society. The issue is that I am so used to these institutions ruling my life. Before becoming a sociology major I never would have thought of wondering how these institutions work. Even simple interactions have so much sociology attached with them like eating dinner with your family. By applying C. Wright Mills sociological imagination I am able to understand the influences of other institutions have on a individual such as religion: do they pray before eating? whether they do or not is intriguing to a sociologist. Not only that but the context of the conversation is also important. The topics of discussion (if there is even is a discussion) are also fascinating because they determine where the person’s social class, racial identity, as well as family structure . This can be difficult to realize because we are so use to it, especially when applying it to our families.
TOCQUEVILLE’S AMERICA
There were many aspects in America’s political and social conditions that allowed democracy to flourish in a way that it did not in other countries. First off the people that came to America were coming with a sophistication already. They did not have to evolve as a nation because they already were. Plus they were coming after the enlightenment so they all had the same ideas about how they wanted their country to run. Once they got to America, they people set up a system of universal education which was unique because this was the first time that a country required everyone to have at least a base knowledge. This education helped with democracy because everyone was able to contribute something. The free press that was set up helped to involve people as well, because it kept them informed and aware of what was going on. One of the biggest things that helped democracy to flourish was the associations that people created. These associations got everyone involved and the division of work throughout the government helped more to get done than if just one person had to do everything. In the associations everyone worked together. No one person could accomplish something on his own because he didn’t have enough resources or wealth, so they had to get groups to work together. People in America also had another reason to work together. The lack of inheritance and the fact that wealth changed hands a great deal made people in different economic standings relate and be nice to each other because they never knew if that would be the position that they would be in soon. The jury system helped people to think about others because when serving on the jury they would think about how they would want people to judge them if it were them on trial.
Reading this book, it stands out as a very different version of how the United States is now. The lack of classes that Tocqueville observed is no longer relavent. Capitalism and family money has created a class system within America, even if many people do not want to believe that it is as rigid as it is. Another major part of what Tocqueville saw that is no longer a real part of American society is the amount of political activity that people do. Now it is hard enough to get people to vote much less work in associations, work to create policies or other things. The activism and pride in one’s country I feel has gone down a great deal since Tocqeueville observed America. The strength of the federal government has also increased while the role of the state government has decreased. It is almost as if the America that Tocqueville saw no longer exists.
So I just figured out what section of the blog of assignments were in so I am a little late…relative to the first week’s discussion however, I feel confused. It is as if I do not know how to feel because I have a teacher/”oppressor” asking me why don’t I become free? Is this a trap? But seriously in its larger context the concept of freedom as describe by our readings make me feel as though the system in which I have been born and raised in is very oppressed. The problem being nearly everyone is in that “fish in the water” stage that they cannot realize they are in water (in oppression). According to the reading the readings the only way to become free is for those who are oppressed to recognize it and rise up . This is hard because it would be being educated and informed to do so however, if it is the oppressors who are educating the oppressed (banking system) how will they gain enough knowledge to come together and rise against the oppressed?
“WEEK THREE COMMENT”
So upon checking to make sure there were prompts I have not yet completed I realized week three prompt was incomplete…
As a soon to be sociology graduate, possible sociologist and maybe even theorist, I can contribute in everything I do the ideas of a realist. As a sociology major, and as part of my general nature, I have learned to view the world as it is in many instances. This means never taking anything for face value and always proceeding with caution as it things are not always as they appear. As a sociologist, there has to be an understanding that most of life is an illusion, meaning that what we see is only a result of some of the truth behind it. This is the attitude that I already possess and bring to conversations that I have with people, including my college peers. I bring to them the viewpoint of reality, the idea that is is not always as simple is black and white because the world is shades of gray, the notion that these shades of gray play a role on both groups and individuals in society so therefore based on one observation or even fact a person cannot be stuck with a label. There is always cause and effect to consideration, and that is reality. That is what I bring to discussions, getting people to evaluate the causes because most of the time they just notice the effect.
WEEK FOUR PROMPT
As sociologists, we have an ability to look further into some things than non-sociologists. The sociological knowledge and perspective that we possess leads us to move away from just accepting something how it is, and in the direction of further exploration to ask ourselves WHY things are the way they are, and if they can be changed for the better, WHY don’t we do something?
In our society, to be part of the norm is to conform. Most people probably don’t even see this as a problem, or see it as reality at all, just because it’s what they’ve always known. With a sociological perspective, we can see reality, which is that we do live in a complex society and that people, in general, are afraid of change. To break away from the norm in order to bring about a specific change can result in individual and social consequences. What is important enough to us that we should risk this?
Other classmates had made comments about how they subconsciously think sociologically. I definitely find myself in the same situation. All of our readings and discussions have made me further focus on the how’s and why’s of our society. I also believe that our understanding of this material in relation to our lives and society at large is a result of the problem posing style of our class, as explained by Freire. We engage in critical thinking and discussion in order to learn from eachother, we share our original ideas, and discuss questioning reality. I wish that more college classes, and even high school classes, were in the form of problem posing because by engaging in this form of learning, I personally feel more willing to learn and have a better understanding of what is being taught, rather than just memorizing facts in order to pass a test and then forgetting about it altogether.
WEEK 4 PROMPT
I am glad that we were allowed to go back and fix our questions that we were posed last week. De Tocquville is very hard to understand, especially the style in which he write and I believe that he is important to understanding many basis of sociological theory. Going back and figure out that each posed question had several mini complex sub answers helped me to sum up and understand the section that we were supposed to be reading. Without this effort I would have not fully grasped each concept that these chapters entailed.
I really like working with my group. I think we work well together. We were able to seperate out the work into sections and then come together to make an answer that made the most sense to us, which turned out to work for the best.
DeTocqueville has started to make me think about how much work it has taken for democracy to form in this nations and how all social and political aspect of society, then and now and affected by said democracy. Also it has been enlightening to learn how much of a role the french revolution has played in beginning democracy. It is also strange to learn how the means of governance had been so different between the US and europe during DeTocquevilles time, I has always thought some countries had been fairly similar.
WEEK THREE PROMPT
In the text, it points out that there is no black and white solution to social problems, and that is why sociology is so difficult. I believe this point of view will be useful in the “real world” because so many people believe that every problem has one solution and merely knowing that every point of view has pros and cons will be beneficial. Also, as a sociologist, one is aware how everything is connected and how social institutions interact with one another, something that non sociologically minded people might not know.
TOCQUEVILLE’S AMERICA
There are many cultural, social and political origins that allowed for a successful democracy. Cultural and social aspects are what allowed for successful political aspects of America. The maintenance of democracy was one of the major social factors that Tocqueville stressed the most. This involved the manners and laws of the society. (By manners Tocqueville means the culture of society or the collective moral & intellectual characteristics of social man). He believed that the maintenance of institutions (such as government) were due to the practice, experience, habits & opinions (aka the manners) of the people of a society. The manners of the people in America were unique in that they all had similar manners. Because majority of them were coming from Europe, they shared similar likes/ dislikes of their previous government and therefore shared similar views of the type of government they wanted to create for themselves in America. It was also unique that they were albe to create an entirely new government; they had a “clean slate”. Some of the social aspects of the democracy that were imperative to being maintained in order to be a success involved the structure of townships, administrative decentralization, construction of the constitution while the political aspects involved tyranny of the majority, political associations, secondary institutions, freedom of press, the jury system, function of religion and the function of education. All of these aspects relate back to the manners of the people of the society and whether or not their manners allow them the ability to maintain these factors.
Tocquevillie’s American
what Toqcueville was saying about cultural, social and political aspects of the people, geography, and time period was that in order to establish democracy the people of the U.S. need to establish social origins. Such as, culturally, everyone is born FREE, with a willingness to work together to reach a political and civil objective. Despite peoples different cultures everyone started at the same level no matter their background and needed to work together to achieve goals. When Toqceville was speaking about manners he was also referring to the culture of society.Second, there needs to be a strong social web that can interconnect society. There also needs to be a dissemination of power and land so that everyone has an equal opportunity to strive for a better way a life and understand that one day a slave next day could be a rich person. Lastly, a primary education given to all. When culture, social and political aspects of people and their geography could meet a common ground and a common understanding it made it easier for democracy to be formed in the U.S. In ways America and democracy is the same as it was, such as in order to have democracy there needs to be a voice in the people and in their communities. People need to get involved in politics and social aspects of their communities and today that is still happening.
WEEK THREE COMMENT
I was not always a sociology major and I never thought I would be. But now that I am here, I can’t imagine not knowing all the things I have learned in my classes, especially this one. This class is teaching me how to really think hard about my everyday activities. I am able to create a discussion among my friends that actually has meaning behind it. I also look at the world in a different way, in a way that I can change it. I want to be a guidance counselor someday and having this background and knowing what I know now will be very beneficial.
“TOQUEVILLE’s America”
Tocqueville is a very hard read, but has a good idea of theory once you understand it. His idea about free education for all is definitely still seen in today’s society. We have public schools so that everyone can attend one, but there is also the option of going to a private school. He talks about a common past within all immigrants which might have been true back then, but now we have so many different nationalities living here, it is impossible to say that we all have the same background. His time period allowed for an easier way to look at democracy, because it was just beginning. While the main ideas that he puts out there are still true today, they are much more expanded upon and we have new technology that generates ideas as well. Tocqueville gives us some beginning arguments and that is what we have to look at as a reason to why our country is the way it is today.
TOQUEVILLE’s America
After getting into the “raw Tocqueville” I believe that I have a better grasp on his ideas and how he believed that France differed from America. Among the points he spoke about in America was the distribution of power among more than just the aristocrats. This distribution of power also relied on the active participation of the people living in America. Tocqueville also believed that America was at an advantage because it had a starting point different from the areas in France that were still controlled by the old society. Even in chapter 5 Tocqueville again emphasized that France was very similar pre and post revolution. As Tocqueville pointed out America was unique at the time period as a new democracy. I think that among the points he discussed that we also discussed in class one of the key reasons was that everyone had some basic form of education which helped form a society in which all people felt that they had a place to speak from. This I think was part of the idea that Americans never felt intimidated by their fellow citizens. This carried over into the attitudes as well because a person’s place and social class was not as rigid as it was in France and Europe at the time. From Tocqueville’s perspective the timing was also important. With the creation of America the people had the benefit of coming from a post-enlightenment Europe so that when they came to America their ideas weren’t dictated by a religion or for that matter any over arching and powerful ideology. Compared to the America that Tocqueville saw the America that we live in today is different. Of course this can be attributed in part to things such as cultural shifts or globalization.
Overall, I think that the America of today is drastically different that the America that Tocqueville witnessed. The more I read his description the more I was struck by the change in America. Some of the changes are I believe that result of changes that have occurred in society. For example it was easy to generalize the people of America when, at the time Tocqueville visited, it was a very homogonous society that only acknowledged white males all of whom had roots in Europe. Today the society is more hegemonic because of immigration which brought not only different people but also different ideas, as well as gender and racial differences. Also I think that the zeal and vigor of the American people has changed. Tocqueville admired that the American system is participatory and more importantly that people were eager to participate. Perhaps this is superficial evidence but education is becoming stratified because while everyone is entitled and mandated to get a basic education now college, graduate school and other forms of higher education are more important. By just looking at the schools of the past presidents I believe you can see that perhaps education has changed from being the one thing that helped create democracy to something that may create inequalities. Of course people can still seize power if they truly want to see change. This can be seen now with the Tea Party who are attempting to take power because there are people who have bonded together over the issues and are getting heavily involved in the political process and from the people there are elected representatives which does illustrate some of Toqueville’s points.
TOQUEVILLE’S AMERICA
Tocqueville states that it is certain sociological aspects that makes America unique in a way which allows Democracy to thrive. Some of these aspect include the fact that there is no established governing ideology, that all men are equal with the willingness to work together to reach political and civil objections (because they understand the things they want in a government, after emancipating themselves from a form of governing they did not agree with), this goes along with the fact that they are also post-Enlightenment people. Perhaps one of the most important unique features is that these people had a foundation of education and, in America, they allowed primary education to be available to all, not just the rich. With more educated people, there was more participation in choosing how one wants to be governed, giving way to Democracy.
While many aspects of Tocqueville’s America still exist, it is sad to say that some do not (for example, that all men are equal). While we still have a powerful Democracy, society has changed and transformed over time and I feel that the current day America has some negative aspects in common with the French regime that Tocqueville describes in later chapters (for example, taxation differentiation between classes).
TOQUEVILLE’s America
At first reading Toqueville was extremely overwhelming and I couldn’t figure out if he was for or against democracy because some of it seemed contradictry. However after rereading it and going over it with my group when we were allowed to do the two questions on the boards for those two days last week I finally understood what he was saying. Toqueville observed that deocracy flourished in America when eventhough it didn’t do as well in other countries. There were a lot of factors that led to this happening like the hisotry and ideas of the immigrants that came to the country, the time period being after the enlightenment which led to more open ideas about government, universal education to educate the population so they would be more apt to participate in the government, the law of inheritance, manners, and the constitution. All of these things working together is what helped democracy flourish and stick in America. I think this is very similar to the system we have in place now because this was the foundation for it. There have been many changes along the way but the initial integrity of democracy remains the same.
WEEK THREE PROMPT
To me being a sociology major and soon to be sociology graduate means that I am more realistic about society and the world as a whole. I’m more conscious about the realities of our society while others may night be so enlightened and only see what‘s right in front of them without looking at thing more objectively. My sociology background helps me in arguments because of what I have learned to be true through studying sociology. The fact that I can see sociology and use it in my everyday life means to me that my major has been very useful in my life. This will always help me understand people and society so much better then any other major would therefore being a sociology major has really helped me become who I am now and shapes how I live my life.
(i forgot to put my week 3 propmt up before so I put it here!)
Now that we have spoken about freedom and our own choices in theory, now the time has come to get down and dirty in what theory is all about. Toquevilla in his reading is talking about democracy, religion and the French Revolution. It is interesting to see how he speaks about political structures of democracy very thoroughly and the main point to all this is the enlightment. It is interesting how he speaks very clearly about human born free having the will to work together to reach a political and civil objective. In addition, this all falls back to the French Revolution and religion; during this period of time people already had the metality of having one common goal and when the French Revolution came about that is when their idea they have always had came about.
Toqueville speaks about how those that are wealthy were once poor before ever having an education and being wealthy. He also speaks about universal education which is route to find a person “imperfectly” aquinted with education. I feel that the French Revolution still take seems to be making an impact in our society today because like back then people were coming to one common goal to one control and I feel the same thing is happening today we are all coming together to one control.
“TOCQUEVILLE’S AMERICA”
I think that time period had much to do with how democracy was able to take hold of America. People were desperate for a change in their government and were seeking a way in which the “citizen” could participate in their government, so democracy seemed to be some type of solution. The problem that soon came about though was that even if these “citizens” ( some still couldnt participate, i.e. slaves) still could participate in their new government, the interest was usually only that of the majority, so a large some of people still was being left out. still culturally speaking people were trying to make this government work for the “common good”.
Culturally the peoples of America also wanted peace, which is something a democratic nation seeks to do. ” Democratic armies want war but democratic nations want/ seek peace”. Manner is also a major part of this culture which help to bond the peoples together at this time in order to make democracy even possible. Manners are basically a set of common beliefs. Many people within this democracy had these common beliefs set, at least the majority did anyway.
These manners needed to be upheld in order for this democracy to suceed. I think that the America described by DeTocqueville is not much more different than the one today. I still feel as if democracy is for the majority. Majority always rules. Individuals have become less important whilst the society as a whole has seem to become more important, which is what DeTocqueville was describing. The problem still remains now, as it did then, that our society needs to find a balance between liberty and equality. One should not be much higher than the other and this is where a lot of problems still lie today.
Third Week
This class is one of my more complex thinking ones. I feel that for this class one has to step out the box and think in depth on how it us affecting us as a whole. It is still a difficult process to understand for me. I feel like I am grasping it but still find it difficult to totally relate it to everything that I am learning. The readings make you go in depth and really question everything that has happened in one’s life. I feel that at this point though one would be able to just keep on going with questions and that there is no definite answer because there is so much information and history that can be added to a certain concept. Details are major in this class because if they are not taking seriously then one is not able to say “I truly understand know this”. As the weeks go by in this class I feel that I am learning how to extract details needed for the concepts that we are learning but I still have to find a way to put those details together and as a whole make sense of all that I am learning. The reading’s contain a lot of important history which of course is related and makes up are present. I have been able to grasp and in a way relate all this history to some of our present America. Its interesting to see how all these Sociologists unfold their theories. I can see this relating to what I want to do when I get out of Siena. This way of thinking and looking at things will help me now and in my future because the way of understanding information in this class is very similar to my other ones and in the career I want to go into. I want to be involved with Social Services and this class will allow me to carefully examine my clients.
TOCQUEVILLE’S AMERICA
I think one of the main areas Tocqueville focuses on is how the equality of American society affects the interaction among the individula citizens. His first example of this is how Americans treat fellow citizens treat each other with respect and compassion whcih uisn’t seen in aristicratic societies. Members of the same class treat each other well but those of different classes lack this respect in their encounters. This isn’t the case in America; because everyone is equal and can easily relate to each other there is a sense of mutual respect not found among members of different classes in countries like France and England. I think in today’s America there is less of this mutual respect between the classes. Right now there is a lot of anger towards those in the upper-classes who took advantage of those in the lower-classes during the financial crisis. There is also some resentment towards the lower-classes by those in the upper-classes because the some in the upper-class don’t believe their taxes should help those in the lower-class.
DE TOQUEVILLE’S AMERICA
In the first two chapters of “On Democracy, Revolution and Society,” De Toqueville discusses various elements that contributed to a successful democracy in America. First, the townships in specifically New England contributed to democracy because they protected the people from the federal government. Townships also taught people about government and because they were able to participate on a local basis they were loyal to the township. Another contributing factor to America’s successful democracy was the time period. The United States was settled after the enlightenment, which put the Americans in a much more analytical and scientific state of mind over South American countries that were settled pre-enlightenment and abided everything the church/monarchy said. The most important thing that made democracy successful in America, according to De Toqueville, are manners. The manners of the people in early America, especially the northeast, made it so that democracy was incorporated into their everyday lives. Universal education is also very important to a democratic society because everyone should be educated to vote.
Today, America’s foundation is still the based on the principles that De Toqueville described, save for one major change.Today the balance between liberty and equality is not even as it was in De Toqueville’s day. According to De Toqueville, there should be an uprisingof the lower classes to restore equality but it has yet to be seen.
Tocqueville’s America
The most important aspect that allowed for democracy to successfully grow in the United States was the notion of being “born free.” In the US the emigrants did not have to struggle to free themselves from an aristocracy and deal with the confusing after effects. Instead, the United States was “born free” with everyone on an equal playing field with common manners (culture). Equality is an essential characteristic for democracy to work. The more socially equal individuals are in society, the more willing they are to work with one another. Forming associations is key for a democracy and if people in society are not willing to work with each other and instead shun one another, no associations will be made and therefore no democracy will develop. Forming associations is also important because it builds a strong social web. People can belong to multiple associations, with all kinds of people from different backgrounds and social statuses. Another unique trait of the US was there was no established state religion and no religion was involved in political conflicts/decisions. This made it so no mandatory belief guided America and new ways of thinking were welcomed instead of forbidden allowing democracy to grow. Democracy also worked so well in US because the level of participation was so high. People learned the ways of democracy in everyday living when combining with people with similar interests and beliefs and in the education system. They knew it was in their best interest to participate in order to represent what they wanted in society and to secure rights.
I think the America Tocqueville is describing is different from America today. I think the participation in societal affairs and the government was much higher then compared to now because people did have the mind set that the government was working for them and represented what they wanted. I think today, the government is much more separated from the people and seems to run on its own agenda.
Tocqueville’s America
America was founded on escaping the manners of Ancien Regime, which was aristocracy. It was not possible to create a democratic institution in Europe due to the manners of the upper and lower classes. The flaws of Europe were recognized by the founders of America. In order to understand why America was a successful democratic institution, we must look at the social and political origins even before the formation in America. One of the most important flaws was the chasm in manners between the rich and the poor and then relaxing the authority of the government. This relationship is analogous to Friere’s banking system and the consequence is a bloody revolution without an understanding to why the people overthrew the government. America, on the other hand, had solidarity. One of the main reasons for this solidarity was because of free associations. With free associations there was no isolation between classes, which creates common belief. In order for this to work there has to be participation. Participation obliterates isolation. In order for there to be participation, the importance of it must be ingrained in the American citizen. America makes this possible by universal education and requiring participation such as jury and taking part in the authority of their township. This is a two-fold system, not only are the citizens learning the importance through the class room, but they are also applying it to their way of life. The Ancien Regime proves that when the people have no part of the system it is run by someone who doesn’t even know what it is like to be the majority of the people; it leads to an abysmal outcome such as the French Revolution and the Revolution of 1848.
Part of the reason that America was so successful was because they already went through the previous stages of development in Europe. By going through these previous stages they were able to distinguish what did and did not work in Europe. It is harder to start a democratic institution in Europe at this time due to the manners of the dominant, it would involve to complete dismantle of the whole government. It was the common beliefs, an understanding between the citizens that was able to keep the structure of America intact.
I think that there is a difference between America today than the America that Tocqueville is describing. I do believe that some of the early aspects within democracy are still prevalent today. I think that people are taking an interest in voluntary associations. However, there is a divide between classes and it is prevalent in the world of politics. The people in the federal government who are making the laws, or have the authority to enforce the laws, do not hold the common belief of the American people i.e. the persecution of Wall Street executives or companies that are violating health codes. Another area that Tocqueville fiercely argued is the importance of decentralized government. Decentralized government runs well because it gives a voice to the people (who in effect create a common belief), rather than having a certain group of people who don’t have any of the experiences of the majority. Another benefit is that the government regulates, but does not tell them what to do. Today, it seems that the two conflicting political forces (Democrats and Republicans) are demanding either centralization of power (it inevitably falls apart) or deregulated government. The deregulated government leaves the decisions of society within the few rich rather than the people. What I mean by the few rich is the private big businesses, which have an uncanny resemblance of the aristocracy.
WEEK THREE COMMENT
I think that as someone who has a knowledge of sociology one of the main things I bring into discussions about society is challenging beliefs and institutions and asking why things are the way they are. I think many people take for granted how our society is setup and attribute to it an almost natural quality, meaning they assume this is the only way for a society to work and don’t think about how it could be different. As sociologists to be, I think it’s our job to make people realize that our society is the way it is because this is how those in power have shaped it, but it is by no means the only way it could be. We have to continuously be a thorn in the side of the status-quo and remind people that just because society is the way it is now, doesn’t mean it can’t or shouldn’t change.
WEEK THREE COMMENT
Sociology requires one to think outside of the norms of society. It seems as though the reading supports the idea that ideas and knowledge don’t just get handed to you on a platter; working towards and through the idea(s) must be done in order to fully embrace what’s being discussed. Such is a big part of being a sociologist and a future graduate of sociology. As a student of sociology, I have learned to lean into discomfort and really dissect ideas I normally wouldn’t come up with or agree with. I’ve become accustomed to looking at the “big picture” and approaching subjects with a broader mindset. Getting away from the “banking method” mindset we are conditioned with is essential; we have to stop settling for what the “superior” says is okay! As a sociology graduate I will bring a broader and more open perspective to the table. I will continue to be more inclined to argue the simplicity of statements, as well as to question “why” in a much more legitimate manner than ever before. Currently as as student, I am able to bring up topics and points of views that many aren’t fortunate to think of due to their narrow subject of study. The way I view different aspects of the world is more abstract than ever. Like Megan Kelly said, it has become pretty subconscious to do so.
TOCQUEVILLE’s America
Those who came to America with the intention of starting a new life already, for the most part, had the mindset necessary in order to successfully unite as a democracy. Generally speaking, they were well beyond their times in terms of what a community should posses with the goal of being a well-functioning democracy. The idea of a hierarchal system with only an elite class controlling everything was out of the question. They were coming from an Enlightenment perspective, thus having a “flipped” perspective from that of Europe and its aristocracy. It, essentially, all comes down to manners. These founders sailed to America with having the same moral and intellectual characteristics. Such led them to a collective and common way of living. The concept of universal education, for example, was something that was agreed on, as well as a prime factor that allowed for a successful beginning to democracy in the United States. They were in agreement that everyone should be entitled to an education, allowing the community to continuously all have the same “base” of knowledge. Such ideas led to the formation of associations; minority groups used power in numbers and were able to have their voices heard. Diversity in ideas was encouraged and the independence of a person was recognized. At the end of the day, the people of this democracy had the same goal, but did not necessarily use the same route to achieve it. People wanted to come together for the better of the society as a whole. With this said, location did not have much to do with how well things were run, as in Europe; the laws go along with the manners of the people.
America today is significantly different from that of Toqcueveille’s description. Back then, white men and women (barely) were the only ones taken into consideration in terms of activity, opinions, and manners. Today, there are various other factors that are included in the characteristics of the standard human being, including race, gender, and sexual orientation. Our society has come up with other issues and influences that are way too embedded for things to be the same as Toqcuevville once saw them. The American individualistic mindset, for example, has become quite common and has affected how our society is run. We are not as collective as we once were (for various legitimate reasons) and no longer hold the same “ballpark” of manners that we used to.
Tocqueville in America
After reading Tocqueville one can see that all people in America are looking for equality. It is clear that everyone in the world like to be treated equally and fairly. One can see that those that are treated the best are the ones with the power and the money. In this book it clearly demonstrates how people would prefer to be treated badly as long as everyone is treated that way as well. The main theory of this reading is “Democracy will succeed when the balance of liberty and equality is imbedded in the culture practices (manner of the people). This is very important still today; I believe that if everyone was to be treated equally there wouldn’t be so many issues and violence in this world. But the greed and the power over others is allowing our society to get corrupt. In addition, education is also a main key in America, people need to be educated in order to better their standards of living and form better equality between the rich and the poor. During Tocqueville many white males and females were in power things have changed slightly in which we see more diversity in politics and executive positions. But one still feels that changes need to take place.
Tocqueville’s America
This book has proven to explain a lot of how society is formed. The main picture that I have been able to paint from Tocqueville is that everyone is looking for equality and not for freedom. Another main point that I have been able to figure out is that manners comes before anything for people. Tocqueville explains this through politics, social concepts, and changes society has had to undergo. Having been able to read about Europe and America I was able two differentiate to different societies, an aristocratic and democratic one. It is interesting to look at two different perspectives and how in a way all people are actually looking for the same thing. People act is if they are always looking for freedom but in reality they are satisfied with equality. This theory made me look at several issues that societies deal with now. One can look here at Siena College. We are imposed several rules and regulations that we have to do in order to form part of the college. One does them if everyone else also has to do them. Of course there are exceptions to this. This is also something very important to take into consideration when examining a theory and it is that there will always be exceptions to any situation. In Tocqueville he used social classes to examine this theory. The lower social classes fought for freedom but they were satisfied with being equal to the other social classes. Even though to a certain extant not everyone is equal because some hold more power than others they are considered exceptions.
This leads Tocqueville to come to come to say that America can never truly be democratic because of all the rules that have been imposed on us. I agree with this point because we are living in a world where there is always something we are not allowed to do or restricted from. We feel that we are being treated with freedom because these laws apply to everyone. Of course in this democratic country we have a lot of freedoms that others don’t but then we are not allowed to do everything that we do want. There are ways we can do to fight this as many others have done in the past but then again people don’t want to because they feel satisfied being treated as equals. Like African Americans fought in the past to be treated equally to the White American. Once they were given that equal treatment is when their fight stopped. OF course there is still discrimination that is being fought but from the most part one can see that one will stop once they realize they are being treated as an equal.
“TOQUEVILLE’s America”
I think that there were several unique circumstances of this time period that allowed for a successful beginning to democracy in the US. One of the factors was the common manners of the society. Toqueville argues, that without common manners, a society will not be able to function properly, no matter what kind of legislation it has in place. Because everyone had the same common manners, they all knew they could mutually benefit from each other, and everyone looked out for each other. Social mobility was possible, so it was in everyone’s best interest to be kind and civil to everyone else. Also, the state that everyone arrived in was very unique. America was a new society that was formed by educated individuals, so it had essentially a clean slate to start over with, and no general history behind it. No other nation had the advantage of starting a society from scratch, without any history behind it to influence social positions, or governmental processes.
Clearly, the America Toquevelle saw during his time is much different than the America that is here today. Now, it is clear that there is not a common set of manners, and the aristocratic ways of old societies seemed to be back in place. People are hesitant to acknowledge this reality, but our society is no longer set up on the basis of equality. There are clearly people in different social classes, and although it has not taken the form of “aristocratic” nations, we have still created a new system based on our capitalist society. Our capitalist ways and deregulation of the economy has allowed us to digress back to a place with great inequality.
WEEK THREE COMMENT
I believe that as a student of sociology, I truly have a different perspective on people, classes, history, society and life as a whole, compared to others. Unfortunately, people studying in a more narrow field are not challenged enough to think outside the box, and relate themselves to the world on this broader level. I have been taught to question even the smallest values and ideas I have always over looked and taken for granted. This type of attitude channels into my every day life; I am noticing that I am more critical, and aware of my surroundings, and often I ask myself way things are the way they are, and take an initiative to understand the broader picture. I believe this will prove to be a great strength of mine in forming relationships, making intelligent decisions, and even in sorting out my priorities and goals for my life. Not only does this new way of thinking affect me on a personal level, but I believe that it will allow me to bring to the table in a future career a significant, and unique perspective.
WEEK THREE COMMENT
Sorry, I know I’m far behind, but better late than never. As a sociology student, I started to realize that in my field of study I am not like every other student. I cannot relate to the world like everyone else does. What I’m trying to say, is by reading about all these theoriest, I am starting to look at society in a different scheme of things. I start to analyze the decision making process from what I think, to what another student might be thinking. In a way, I think this helps me out as a student, I am able to think outside of the box and not just see it as one way. There are different views that everyone has, and being a sociology student, I am able to be open minded and able to see the broader picture of everything. In my career I think this will help me in the criminal justice field. I might see a law or a crime one way, but I have to look at it from a different point and put something more realistic on the table.
“TOQUEVILLE’s America”
I believe that from what we have learned that equality and liberty must be equal for democracy to succeed. If the societies of have an unequal balance of freedom and liberty, then Toqueville says then that society is going to experience problems. Toqueville also states that demorcractice societies cannot be possible without common manners. Manners is what brings the society together as a whole. Also Toqueville says that education is very important. In a democratic nation, it is necessary to have a universal education because this allows the poeple to understand and know the laws. This will lead to equality of citizens. This would allow demorcracy to succeed in the U.S. because we would be an educated society who is starting from a clean slate with no baggage.
I believe that our society that is he is describing here is different, because I do not think that we have a balance of equality and liberty. Our society is far from equal. There are so many things that we tell people that they can and cannot do (gay marriage), another reasoning is the inequality of money and jobs. Men get paid more than women, its just an on going thing in our society. I think we have more liberty than equality but with liberty I think we are more strict. Our education system is lacking in the U.S., we understand the laws, but I do not think that it makes us equal. I know I’m jumping around with with everything, but in a way I wish we lived in Toqueville’s society. But I do not think this will happen for a long time, because we are so used to how society is and we believe that is how society should be.
WEBER RESPONSE
According to Reich in order to keep the economy prospering the middle class should sustain their level of wealth and eventually it will tricker down to the lower class. Manufacturers will be connected in a global web distributing their work outside of their own factories. Corporations will begin to form links with suppliers & distributors instead of only incorporating these functions within their organizational boundaries. Reich believed in Human Capital, meaning the people of the nation is what the economy was depended upon. A huge car manufacturer like HONDA is an example of a company where its goods are factored and put together all over providing many jobs for people. I think what Reich was referring to is important to the economy is when people are the reason for the economy going well and when the wealth can be distributed. Just like honda, people help design and build the cars and it is the peoples voice that makes the company so successful. Honda is such a successful company because they make a car that is designed around what the people want. There are also the people at the top who do very little work and make loads of money and the genius behind the car with the most skills are making the least.
PROMPT 1
For the beginning of this class I felt very confused and lost. I was very frustrated with understanding the material and reading. I felt as if I were never getting anything done because I had to read the same pages over and over again just to comprehend a small portion of it. The drawing and the class discussions in class really helped understand and put this together however, theory was still very confusing and frustrating. This class is the hardest most time consuming class there is, I believe. As things were put together in class over discussion and collaborating things started to fall into place… well some of the time. I was lost and then found my way just to be lost once more. Talking with classmates I feel that I am not alone in my boat of confusion and frustration.
WEEK THREE COMMENT
While reading this section in the book I have come to realized just how much of the world I know see differently. Before this class/reading I was just a regular person with no “inside” knowledge of the world. Now, I can no longer be in a illusion state I can be realistic about the world and how things “actually” work. Not only have I already felt different about things in the world from this class and reading has really opened my eyes. I can vote and really know what my vote is going to do or what it’s not going to do. I can look at groups of people know why they are with those groups. I can see why I was brought up a certain way and why my best friend was brought up differently and understand why. There is so much insight that I will have because I am/will be a sociology graduate. I will be a sociologist and the further my knowledge grows the further I will become more aware of the “real” world.
Weber Response
An excellent example that resembles the Goodwin and Skopal piece is the Saur Revolution in Afghanistan. Tribalism is dominant in Afghanistan so it would be consider the elites within the Afghan population. Because of the low development in Afghanistan societies are ruled by tribes (elites). Since the government and the elites had no cohesion prior to the Saur revolution it was inevitable for an uprising. The government was trying to institute reform, but it was not being reinforced, which means that there was no legitimacy in the authority. Furthermore, prior to the Saur revolution, Afghanistan was one of the poorest countries in the world, low life expectancy, widespread illiteracy, malnutrition, and an unproductive agricultural system. The government was unable to work with tribes and the monarchy had a deep dependence on the military force to gain legitimacy. The government did not have control over the Afghanistan population and the elites (tribes) were able to overthrow the government and de-legitimize the reforms. Since the tribes did not feel the benefit of the order of their government, they easily overthrew the government. Essentially, this a clash between tradition and modernity. Since the government was trying to institute a more bureaucratic system of government, (rationalization) and it received backlash. The resistance of the modernity of government, the government was unable to gain legitimacy in order. Most importantly, the tribes had agency.
All of this can be found in Modernizing Women by Valentine Moghadam
“TOCQUEVILLE’s America”
Tocqueville was the most difficult, confusing and frustrating readings ever. I have never felt so stuck and lost ever reading a piece of work but the whole reason it is so hard is because it is so complex and difficult. I believe that the primary example of why America was able to be different and have a democracy is because of primary education for everyone. In France the rich could only access education and that is why people didn’t participate there. Education is necessary for participation. In America with primary education people were able to participate and have a rights and a say in the things that mattered to them and to society.Today’s America is SO different from the America that Tocqueville saw. We don’t just have primary education we have college and so on that can be accessed by all people someway or another. Tocqueville believed we started out society with a mind set that everyone is equal and has rights and for France that wasn’t case and that is something that made them fall and America to keep changing towards democracy. The thing that works for America is that everyone wants equality( one common goal).
The main thing I got from Tocqueville is Democracy is a balance between liberty and equality.
Weber
Choose a sector of the economy or a company to profile according to the Reich piece.
According to Reich, manufacturer’s must also distribute some of their work to outside sources in order to keep the company flowing. This distributed work then goes back to the original manufacturer. This allows them to work outside their means, instead of keeping all the work inside their organization, they can accomplish more this way. The best example of something like this would be some kind of car manufacturer, where all the parts needed for the car have to be made in different types of companies. For example Toyota ( even with their bad ratings right now), the different structural peices needed to make each and every single individual car has to be outsourced to other smaller or different companies. This type of system is much like human capital, described by Reich. This way many different and various jobs are available to people, to help the economy grow and prosper.
Weber Response
The Tulip Revolution occurred in Kyrgyzstan right after the primary elections of 2005. The revolution took on the goal of overthrowing President Akayev, along with his family and associates. They succeed in this goal. As Goodwill and Skopal discussed in their writing “Revolutions in the Third World” there are several circumstances that made the overthrow possible. For example, the revolution had a large group of supporters including lower classes and higher classes, such as the police officers that were suppose to be controlling the riots actually joining in. As stated in this article, there needs to be revolutionaries from a variety of different classes for the revolution to be more successful. There also need to be a charismatic leader, which the Tulip Revolution had two of. The revolution actually did not go as far and was not as successful until these two leaders stepped out. The government was of the right type to be over thrown because Akayev led a corrupt government. This is essential because if the government is only closed to certain groups those that are not closed from it or suffering from it will support it. Governments that do not allow middle class, lower class, or even upper class in are the most likely to fall to revolutions because this is when broad and varying groups of people are likely to band together. Another point from the article was that revolutions are not created or won solely based from outside groups, though they may be of some assistance. This can also be seen in the Tulip Revolution because though they asked from assistance from outside countries they did not receive much, but those involved still were able to overthrow the President and government. The only point that was made in the article that the Tulip Revolution seemed to go against was that Goodwill and Skopal believed that ballots were the coffin of revolutions because those people that are allowed to vote will feel in control of the government and less likely to revolt. Though there was voting in Kyrgyzstan, as assumed because there were primary elections, the people still sought a revolution to overthrow the government.