CLASSICAL SOC CLASS ASSIGNMENTS

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CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice *

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Sociology

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Apr 3, 2024

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Week 4 Most “ponzi schemes” are directed at people who have a high opinion of their financial abilities (that does not actually match their financial knowledge) and who want to make a quick buck. Greed and opportunity are major reasons that people try and get away with this kind of behavior. Discuss using Marx's theory why and how some companies or individuals might sell tainted products or swindle investors. Remember to use in-text citations and references at the end of your postings in ASA style. A ponzi scheme is a form of fraud used to lure investors in to pay off profits and debts to other investors. It leads its victims to believe that profits are from a legit business when, the money is coming from another person, not the business. Greed takes over as the person at the center of the scheme doesn’t see anything but the monetary gain they’re about to get and whoever is at the bottom doesn’t matter. All of it ties into Carl Marx’s capitalistic theory. In his theory, Marx discusses the surplus value which is the difference between the amount of money raised through a sale vs the amount of money it cost the owner of the product. Marx argued, “The more industry prospers and the more the mass of workers grows, the domination of capital extends over a greater number of individuals.” (Dillon, 2020 PG. 59-60) When it comes to schemes and scams, the person doing it isn’t worried about how this would affect someone else, the only thought in their mind is to get what they need. Because we live in a capitalist world, supply and demand is high, but the problem is that according to Marx’s theory is that supply and demand only helps one person, it doesn’t change economic inequality, which has only gotten worse in the last 40 years. It’s easy to see how someone with the mentality to want to be rich and be at the top could want to scheme people. It’s no longer the rich vs the middle class, it’s the rich vs the super-rich and the greater need for consumption because we live in a society when the production of goods and profits is crucial for survival. (Dillon, 2020 PG.64) Dillon, M. (2020). Introduction to sociological theory theorists, concepts, and their applicability to the twenty-first century . John Wiley & Sons.

WEEK 5 Consider the increases in school shootings in the U.S. over the past 20 years. Applying at least two (2) of Durkheim's concepts--explain how this increase may result from sociological/social factors, and not from psychological/individual phenomena. In your response, please identify and define 3 concepts clearly, using your textbook material as a reference. Remember to use in- text citations and references at the end of your postings in ASA style School shootings within the last twenty years have grown an astronomical level. 380 since the Columbine massacre in 1999 with over 3000 kids having been killed. It’s a wonder how society continues to function in these times. Emile Durkheim stated in his theory of social integration The issue of school shootings, which has tragically become more common in recent years, is a complex problem that requires interdisciplinary analysis to fully comprehend and address. One prominent sociologist whose theories could shed light on the underlying causes of school shootings is Emile Durkheim, who argued that social integration and regulation are key factors in preventing deviant behavior and promoting psychological well-being. According to Durkheim's theory, school shootings can be seen as a manifestation of social anomie - a state of normlessness in which individuals are disconnected from social institutions and lack a sense of purpose or meaning in their lives. Durkheim believed that social integration, or the extent to which individuals feel connected to society at large, is crucial for preventing anomie and deviant behavior, such as school shootings. He also emphasized the importance of social regulation, or the presence of clear and consistent norms and values that guide behavior. Given Durkheim's emphasis on social integration and regulation, it is possible to identify some potential risk factors for school shootings. These might include factors such as social isolation or exclusion, a lack of community involvement, and insufficient support systems for those experiencing emotional distress. Additionally, Durkheim's theory of anomie suggests that school shootings may also be a result of broader societal issues, such as the erosion of traditional values or the breakdown of social institutions that provide guidance and support to individuals. Therefore, addressing the issue of school shootings requires a multifaceted approach that encompasses social, psychological, and cultural factors. In light of Durkheim's theory, developing interventions that build social capital and address issues related to social integration and regulation may be particularly effective in preventing future school shootings.

Week 6: Emile Durkheim (Responded) You are required to choose a public event such as a sporting event or a music festival. Analyze that experience using Durkheim's theory of rituals. What kind of symbols did you notice? What kinds of rituals did you notice? Did the rituals work as Durkehim said they would? What do you think this says about religious rituals in contemporary society? Can you think of other events that have the same characteristics? Remember to use in-text citations and references at the end of your postings in ASA style. I chose to analyze the experience of attending a music festival using Durkheim's theory of rituals. According to Durkheim, rituals are an essential part of social life, and they serve to reinforce the collective consciousness of a society. In a music festival, we can see how this theory is put into practice through the various symbols and rituals that are present. First, one of the most noticeable symbols in a music festival is the state. The stage is the focal point of the festival, the performers on stage are seen as symbols of collective consciousness and the music unites the crowd in a shared experience. For example, when the audience sings along with the performer during their favorite songs. It forms a collective that incites a sense of community. Dancing is another ritual that is often seen at music festivals. It forms a collective action that serves to reinforce the community in a shared experience. This can be seen in the way the audience dances with each other, forming a rhythm that unites them in a shared experience. There are many other events that have similar characteristics to a music festival that unite a community. Sporting events, political rallies, and even religious experiences. All these events have symbols and rituals that are used to emphasize the collective consciousness of society and create more community. For example, when someone attends a sporting event, the main purpose is to see the players play. Many of the attendees wear sports gear to symbolize the team they are rooting for. They bring signs and chant sayings for their team. Durkheim’s theory of rituals states that religious beliefs hold sacred rituals that provide a foundation for trust and action. According to the text, “We generally tend to think of religion as institutionalized churches and established religious traditions and we might readily call to mind well- known sacred sites, religious prayers and collectively recognized religious symbols, such as the cross, the star of David and the crescent. Durkheim argues that the sacred includes all these things. But importantly the sacred also includes many other things defined as sacred by any given community or society.” (PG 108.) In the end, I would say that the rituals of a music festival work as Durkheim would say they would. The serve to highlight the collective consciousness of the attendees and create a sense of community and experience.

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Week 8: Max Weber (Responded) Apart from his depiction of the role and function of the official, Max Weber characterizes bureaucratic organizations as operating with 'calculable rules' and 'without regard for persons. 'What does he mean by these terms? Does 'dehumanization' as Weber describes it have any positive consequences?" In your response, please identify 2 ways that bureaucracy and bureaucratic principles--as explained by Weber-- are helpful to society. Identify 2 ways that bureaucracy and bureaucratic principles--as explained by Weber--harm society. Remember to use in-text citations and references at the end of your postings in ASA style. According to the text, Max Weber said that bureaucracy, “can produce inefficiencies. But he also saw it as the most rational, i.e., the most efficient and methodical way of accomplishing tasks in modern.” (PG. 139) Weber stated that bureaucratic organizations use both calculable rules and operate without regard for humans. Calculable rules describe how administrative processes and judgments are based on measured and qualifiable standards, suggesting that laws are applied to all people and that judgments are made according to measurable criteria like performance and merit. What he means by without regard for a person is essentially the idea that connections and relationships shouldn’t affect the decisions that are made by the government, they are meant to be impersonal, objective, and dependent on policies and processes. Weber believed that the relationship between employees should be professional as that way, rules and procedures could be established and it could allow for high proficiency and consistent work to be done by all employees. He believed that it would make it easier for management to maintain control and professionalism and adjust when needed. On the other hand, many argue that it does the opposite, and it causes an environment that discourages entrepreneurship and treats employees as nothing more than resources. The company doesn’t allow room to grow those impersonal relationships thus creating a type of isolating workspace. And while bureaucracy allows for accountability to take place since a set of rules have been set in place, meaning it keeps employees working on guidelines, it limits innovation.

Week 9: Max Weber (Responded) After reading this week’s class material and going through my powerpoint presentation, please respond by creating a new thread. Explain Weber’s types of social action and give examples from Hollywood or foreign movies or documentaries or TV/ web series. Please describe the movie scene (you are not required to write the movie summary but only the scene that you are using as to explain the action). Remember to use in-text citations and references at the end of your postings in ASA style. For Max Weber, social actions explain the behaviors, effects, and consequences of human behavior. Social actions show how behavior can influence others and become a social movement that no longer isolates but is now part of a whole movement or society. It can trigger the means and ends of social actions and social interactions. According to the text, “power is the probability that one actor within a social relationship will be in a position to carry out his own will despite resistance.” (PG. 129) That, according to Weber means that “social action and social relationships do not occur in a vacuum but in societal and institutional contexts characterized by different forms of power and authority, different sources legitimation.” (PG. 135) Max Weber details the three types of social order as patrimonial, bureaucratic, and charismatic. Patrimonial order relies on old fashion rules and powers, meaning one person is in charge and everyone else must follow along. There is a certain order that needs to be followed. A perfect example of that would be the TV show Succession. In this show, a rich and powerful family fights for control over the family business. Siblings Siobhan and Roman Roy enter a lengthy battle with their older brother Kendall. The family patriarch and founder and CEO of the company, their father Logan Roy refuses to give control of the company, despite being in poor health. In a desperate act to gain control, Kendall tries to recruit others to join him in a hostile takeover of the company but ultimately, it ends up backfiring and Kendall is fired and ousted from the company. This is a perfect example of patrimonial order. Even though Logan knows he won’t be able to run the company for much longer, he would never let power be taken as long as he is around to give orders and everyone around him, including his other children must follow suit or end up with the same fate as Kendall. Dillon, M. 2014.Introduction to Sociological Theory: Theorists, Concepts, and their Applicability to the Twenty-First Century.2edition. John Wiley &Sons, Ltd.

Week 10: Georg Simmel After reading this week’s class material and going through my PowerPoint presentation, please respond by creating a new thread. Explain any one concept of Simmel’s work and provide examples from Hollywood or foreign movies or documentaries or TV/ web series. Please describe the movie scene (you are not required to write the movie summary but only the scene that you are using to explain the action). Remember to use in-text citations and references at the end of your postings in ASA style. In his essay "The Handle," Georg Simmel examines society's relationship with objects and how they shape our daily experiences. However, in his essay "The Philosophy of Money," Simmel explores the role of money in modern society and its effects on relationships and individual identity. In the documentary "Simmel and Foreign Films," Simmel's ideas on society and culture are applied to the world of cinema, particularly foreign films. By analyzing the themes, characters, and visual styles of foreign films through a Simmelian lens, the documentary highlights how these films offer unique perspectives on modern society and human relationships. Additionally, Simmel's concept of the stranger is also applied to foreign films and their audiences. The documentary "Simmel and Foreign Films" uses Georg Simmel's ideas on society and culture to analyze the themes, characters, and visual styles of foreign films and explore how they offer unique perspectives on modern society and human relationships. As Simmel's concept of the stranger is also applied to foreign films and their audiences, the documentary delves into how watching a foreign film can make us feel like strangers in a new cultural space, but also how it can allow us to gain insight into different perspectives and experiences.

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WEEK 11 (Responded) Imagine that tomorrow you wake up in a body that is "opposite" of yours in gender and of a "different" skin color and of a "different" sexuality. What do you believe would be the same about your daily life? What would be different? Approach this from both how you might perceive yourself as well as how others might perceive you. Discuss how the concepts of "Martineau's might apply to your perspective of yourself and to the perspectives of others to your "new" gender, race, and sexuality. What kinds of insights about the everyday patterns of subordination of women, non-whites, and non-heterosexuals do you have by having put yourself in the shoes of others as you think and write about this thought experiment? Remember to use in-text citations and references at the end of your postings in ASA style. I feel like there would be some aspects of my life that would change and some that wouldn’t if I woke up tomorrow with the opposite gender or different skin color or different sexuality. My character qualities and interests, I feel, would all be the same. I would still make sure to take care of all my everyday needs like eating, sleeping, and personal hygiene. While I think there are certain parts as far as my personality that would remain the same, I’m sure that there would also be some differences, especially if I were born a straight white male. History has proven that if I were born a different gender and not a minority, things would be so different for me, and I would be treated differently. I feel like in the world we live in, it would be much easier to navigate around in life than constantly worrying about how I am going to get ahead and whether I’ll encounter certain situations. For example, as a woman of color, I can experience prejudice and obstacles that a cis-gender white male, won’t. I would have access to things that I wouldn’t have before if I woke up tomorrow as me. I would be able to do things and go places and say things that as a woman of color, I wouldn’t normally be able to do. I feel like waking up as someone other than myself wouldn’t be something I would find enjoyable, mostly because I like my life the way that it is now, and I like myself the way I am now. Dillon, M. 2014.Introduction to Sociological Theory: Theorists, Concepts, and their Applicability to the Twenty-First Century.2edition. John Wiley &Sons, Ltd.

WEEK 12 (RESPONDED) This week we have read selections representing an array of sociological theories on race. All point to racial discrimination, bias, and oppression by social structures and institutional systems, and stigma, stereotyping, racist thinking, and behavior in habits of everyday life and discourse--all undergirded and reinforced by white privilege in the U.S. Please read the article below about the use of the 'white voice' by black performers (and watch the videos therein) to respond to the following items: In what ways do Du Bois's theory help us understand why blacks might use the 'white voice' when interacting in social situations? What specific concepts, for example, from critical race theory, regarding the notion of a post-racial society, or as part of constructing racial identities--fit with (or not fit with) the idea (ironic or not) that blacks might use the 'white voice?' Why, in our current society/times, would a film spoof on blacks using the 'white voice?' Remember to use in-text citations and references at the end of your postings in ASA style. When applying W.E.B. Du Bois’s double consciousness theory, it’s easy to see why black people might speak in a “white voice,” when involved in certain situations and social settings. According to Du Bois, double consciousness is the psychological state in which African Americans are continuously mindful of they are seen by both themselves and the dominant white culture. What Du Bois meant about double consciousness is that adopting a “white voice,” it meant that changing speech patterns, tone, and infliction to sound more like that more dominant culture could lead to many feeling pressured to assimilate and conform to white cultural norms and standards. Double consciousness could also be considered what is now known as code-switching. By upholding this, according to Du Bois, suggest that it might support the upkeep of systemic racism and oppression if it continues to happen, meaning black people may unintentionally support the idea that white culture is superior and the overall standard. W.E.B. Du Bois’ theory suggests that the structure to understanding the ways in which black people deal with racism and discrimination includes the need to have these dual identities, where blackness and Americaness are not interchangeable and are seen as two different things. For example, when African American parents have “the talk,” with their children about what to do when they encounter law enforcement, a conversation that white parents don’t usually have. African American children are given clear instructions on how to switch up their demeanor and behavior when around the police. Stand up straight, keep your hands visible and at your side, and speak clearly and properly. These types of conversations are a result of the dominant culture’s attitude toward blackness, black people, and black culture. In order to feel part of society, they have no choice but to adhere to these norms.

CLASSICAL SOC CLASS ASSIGNMENTS

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