Theorising Social Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Theorising Social Life - Essay Example Howard Becker (1963) not only worked on the concept of symbolic interaction, but he also analyzed the effect of social construction on the identity and actions of people. The Labeling Theory mentioned in the Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance (1963) by Becker, theorizes that â€Å"deviance is based on the reactions and responses of others to an individual’s act (Becker 1963).† According to Becker (1963), â€Å"deviance is not a quality of the act the person commits, but rather a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an â€Å"offender.† The deviant is one to whom that label has successfully been applied; deviant behavior is behavior that people so label† (Orcutt 2002). An individual is labeled as a deviant when the people around the individual study their behavior and as a result label that individual as a deviant. As Becker (1963) states clearly, â€Å"no particular act is inherently deviant until a group with socially powerful statuses or positions label it as such† (Kyvsgaard 2003). Furthermore, Becker suggests that deviance approach should be concerned with active interactionist concept rather than cause-and-effect relationships between inert variables. He states that â€Å"all causes do not operate at the same time, and we need a model which takes into account the fact that patterns of behavior develop in an orderly sequence (Becker 1963)†. Becker takes the concept of career in the labeling theory to explain deviance more clearly. In Outsiders, this concept is used to study the stages and possibilities involved in the establishment of a deviant career. Becker explains deviant career as a steady guide of deviant behavior which is a result of the labeling process (Orcutt 2002). Becker suggests that numerous individuals sometimes commit non-conforming actions without becoming directly caught up in a constant

The Current State of Development in Latin America Essay Example for Free

The Current State of Development in Latin America Essay Throughout this paper I will be making reference to Peter Winns book Americas. Winn states on page 4 that Latin America is equally an invention, devised in the nineteenth century by a French geographer to describe the nations that had once been colonized by Latin EuropeSpain, France, and Portugal. In attempting to establish the current state of development in Latin America, historical chronology serves as the foundation necessary for a broad logical position. Latin American development has evolved in distinct phases, which lead to the present day standings of the politics and peoples throughout the region. The conclusion of distinct historical attributes: conquest, colonialism, immigration, capitalism, and industrialism, serve as the developmental path from the past, to allow an understanding of the current state of development. The conquest is a major factor in shaping Latin America. In 1492 Christopher Columbus landed on the shores of the Caribbean and claimed the new land in the name of Spain and God. From then on the world was changed forever in the sense that there was a whole New World to conquer. Conquistadors like Cortez and Pizarro then followed and claimed entire new lands and people in the name of gold and wealth. These men started a revolution that changed an entire continent. It was transformed from a free race of people at one with the land to one of slavery and oppression in which man was bound to the land. This was the beginning of colonialism in the New World. The newly founded colonialism changed everything about the land, its inhabitants, culture, and religion and even created new races of people, of which we still do not know everything about. With the curiosity of European countries piqued and rumors of cities made of gold, the Old World decided that there were no boundaries established within the New World and the land was for the taking. The controlling influence of the Catholic Church in the social and spiritual life of the colonies was deeply rooted in the Spanish past. Royal control over church affairs, in both Spain and the Indies, was founded on the institution of the royal patronage. As applied to the colonies, this patronage consisted in the absolute right of the Spanish kings to nominate all church officials and found churches and monasteries in the Americas. They converted prodigious numbers of natives, and some championed the rights of the Indians against their Spanish oppressors. Immigration and migration has held a major role in shaping our country. Immigrants have provided many things such as customs, manufacturing, inventions, and entertainment. Many people today dont realize how greatly we have been affected by immigration. Indian culture and the ways in which the Indians responded to the Hispanic invaders were shaped by their own long history on these continents. The Indians arrived from Asia by way of the Bering Strait no less than forty thousand years ago and in the course of time spread over both the American continents and eventually developed a wide range of cultural types, ranging from nomadic groups of hunters and food gatherers to the elaborate empires of the Aztecs and the Inca and the culturally advanced Mayan states. These three civilizations had certain features in common. All three were based on intensive farming that made possible the development of a large sedentary population and considerable division of labor. These civilizations, however, also evolved along distinctive lines. Mayan culture was distinguished by impressive achievements in writing, calendrical science, mathematics, and architecture. The Aztecs were mighty warriors, and a distinctive feature of their religion was large-scale human sacrifice. The Inca were the greatest empire builders of ancient America, and they made a serious and largely successful effort to unify the institutions and language of their extensive empire. On page 21 Winn states that as a result of these migrations, Latin America and the Caribbean is now a polyglot region with diversity of races, ethnicities, and cultures. Industrialism and capitalism go hand in hand in the shaping of Latin America as Winn states on page 13, Yet its geology has also helped the region, forming rich deposits of metals and minerals, as well as petroleum and gas reserves that are among the largest in the world. Side by side with the subsistence-and tribute economy of the Indians, there arose a Spanish commercial agriculture producing foodstuffs or raw materials for sale in local or distant markets. Stock-raising was another important economic activity in the colonies. The introduction of domestic animals represented a major Spanish contribution to American economic life. Mining, as the principal source of royal income, received the special attention and protection of the crown. Silver, rather than gold, was the principal product of the American mines. As in other times and places, the mining industry brought prosperity to a few and either failure or small success to the great majority. These points that I have mentioned are just a few of many that contributed to the shaping of Latin America. Many of the contributions follow the conquest and its consequences. As you can conclude the conquest gave birth to combining of cultures and a collision of European, Native American, and African people in which all helped mold Latin America into what it is today. Work Cited Winn, Peter. Americas. Los Angeles, California: University of California Press. 1992.

Child development research :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The article entitled An Analysis of Schema Theory and Learning Theory as Explanations for Variance in Adolescent Adjustment to Divorce is a research done with adolescents to see how well a child and his or her parents adjust to divorce. The researchers are trying to find a way to help children deal with divorce. The researchers are trying to see if there is a connection between a child?s age and their sex that affects the way they adjust to divorce. After trying to see if these two factors are connected, researchers then also study to see if a child?s relationships with his or her parents also have a role in the child?s adjustment. This research was done to help understand if schema theory had something to do with the children?s adjustment when it came to divorce. With all the possibilities, the researchers wanted to narrow it down using the schema theory. The schema theory is said to be a way of thinking, and not wanting to change what you know.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another article entitled Assessments of Trust in Intimate Relationships and the Self Perception Process is about trust and how every health human relationship should have it. This article tells about how trust is what gets two people to work together, side by side, and help make their bond stronger.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Holmes and Rempel looked at the different issues people had with trusting their partner. The participants had to go through a couple of different tests to see how trust issues interfered with the relationships they shared. This research goes over how an individual gains trust and how certain factors can affect it. An individual?s personal experiences could even affect a relationship they share. They may have gotten traumatized before. This also shows how one person in a relationship trusts their partner, and then how another set of participants in another relationship have problems. Article 1: Abstract An Analysis of Schema Theory and Learning Theory as Explanations for Variance in Adolescent Adjustment to Divorce Learning theory and schema theory were used as different reasons for how adolescents deal with divorce. Different types of questionnaires were given to children by the students at Stellenbosch University. The adolescents who participated in the study took Antonovsky?s Life Orientation Questionnaire, Hudson?s CAM and CAF questionnaires, a bunch of questions that measured how the adolescents felt about divorce, and questions about the adolescent?s life. The schema theory was not found as the main reason, the results stated very little proof of the way an adolescent acted as being the means by which the adolescent dealt with his or her relationship with its parents, or the how the child adjusted to the divorce.

Destructive Force: Reality Television Essay

Reality television shows are shows based on real people in real time. Individuals are put, as a group, in a particular environment where each person, or team, experiences roughly the same things. The fan base for realty shows is extensive and the number of shows has been rapidly increasing in recent years. Reality television has become very popular and, for some, even addicting. These shows, overall, have become detrimental to the public. The negative effects these shows have on the public at large far outweigh the entertainment value or positive effects. While there are shows that are beneficial, reality television can have negative effects on the public because it can become an addiction, it raises the standard of beauty for women, and it can prematurely advance the development of sexuality in teenagers. Reality television makes a huge impact on teen and pre-teen audiences. Increased sexual awareness and insecurity are the two most prominent. Some of the most popular reality shows for these groups are romance based shows like The Bachelor. The Bachelor is a show where a single man is presented with a group of attractive single women of which he must choose one to be a potential wife. The man goes on dates with each woman individually and sometimes in groups. Weekly, he must decide which candidates he does not wish to go on another date with. During the first few weeks of the show, multiple women are eliminated at the same time. Later on, however, they are eliminated one by one. The same is true for the show Joe Millionaire. Yet another show that is romantically based is Temptation Island, where a couple tests the strength of their relationship by each living in a separate residence with a group of attractive individuals of the opposite sex. The goal is to resist the temptation of getting romantically involved with any of the individuals living with them. It is thought that the reason teens and pre-teens watch romantically themed reality shows is that they are viewed almost as a game show. â€Å"Temptation Island and similar programs usually feature a competition-based format, elements of game shows, sensationalism, a lighthearted, lively tone, and teasing and/or romantic storylines† (Vandenbosch & Eggermont 2011). Watching these shows has the possibility of increasing teen and pre-teen sexual awareness as well as changing the perceived normal sexual attitude. Vandenbosch and Eggermont hypothesize that â€Å"Watching RTRT is positively associated with (a) increased stereotyping of male and female sexuality (referring to men’s sexual obsession and women as sexual objects), with (b) stronger endorsement of a positive attitude toward steady, long-term relationships, and with (c) an increased importance attached to romantic characteristics of the perfect partner. Using The Bachelor as an example, this means that by watching the show, it is possible that the teen and pre-teen audiences will believe that a man is supposed to be able to â€Å"shop around† and a woman should be competing for a man’s attention, long term relationships are something to avoid until the â€Å"right one† is found, and that there are certain qualities the perfect partner have to possess. The viewing of these shows also leads to increased peer to peer conversation about sexual relationships. For young people, their peers are one of their most trusted sources of information; therefore, speaking with each other about sexual relations can easily lead to actually performing the act itself. Viewing the fact that there are a large number of pre-teen viewers, it can be hypothesized that this can lead to premature sexual activity. Viewing RTRT is positively related to increased estimates of the sexual experiences of peers. † ( Vandenbosch & Eggermont 2011). A study was taken on teens and pre-teens versus specific shows. The purpose of this study was to see how many of these young people watched 5 of the most popular reality shows on the air. The youths were broken into two age groups, 8-12 and 13-18. For the 8-12 age group, the percentages ranged from 40%-70% depending on the show. The 13-18 age group had a slightly larger percentage range of 27%-70%. Reality television creates a huge impact on women’s views of themselves. Shows such as Extreme Makeover raise the bar on the standard of beauty for women. Extreme Makeover is a show where women who are unhappy with their appearance and the romantic aspect of their lives. The show performs cosmetic surgeries and sends the client to high end shops for makeup and wardrobe. Shows like this make many women insecure about their looks. It portrays the image that if a woman’s physical appearance is not equivalent to the standards depicted on the show, then the woman cannot be happy. A study was conducted on a controlled group of both male and female subjects from multiple ethnic groups. The individuals were exposed to the Extreme Makeover show and then given a survey afterwards in which they answered a controlled group of questions and then were allowed to make their own judgment of the show at the end. This study concluded that there was really no difference in the response to the presentation of the standard of female beauty. â€Å"In contrast to our hypothesis, we did not find a gender difference in emerging adult men and women’s responses to the media presentation of idealized female beauty. (Markey & Markey 2012) The study did show, however, that while the majority of men were indifferent to the idea of pursuing plastic surgery after watching the show, a large portion of women, mainly composed of individuals that enjoyed reality shows, had an increased desire to pursue plastic surgery. These types of shows can have a deeper impact than just raising the standard of female beauty and increasing the desire for cosmetic surgery. These shows can also lead to an increase in the severity of emotional disorders among women. Another show that has an impact on the standard of females was discussed earlier, which is The Bachelor. The Bachelor portrays beautiful women as emotional and attention seeking. The show does not focus on the remaining women throughout the show. They focus on the man and the women who have been eliminated. â€Å"The action of the series is propelled by a drawn-out process of eliminating women until one remains, with the narrative focus on how and why women are not selected by the bachelor. † (Dubrofsky 2009) This includes the borrowed term,†money shot. This refers to the clip of an eliminated contestant being overly emotional. The show indicates that if a woman cannot control her emotions completely, she is undeserving of love. By focusing on this, the show gives the impression that most women are uncontrollably emotional and there are only a few who have the composure it takes to be loved by a man. Men and women take different things from this, but still arrive at the same conclusion. Men see women as highly emotional and not worth their time, while women see themselves as not worth a man’s time if they show emotion. This ultimately leads to shorter relationships and low self esteem for women. A third problem that reality television can incur is addiction. People have a tendency to become addicted to these shows and feel the need to watch them every week. While this does not seem like it would be an issue, it becomes one when an individual watches multiple shows. The addiction can take priority over other aspects of daily life, especially for youths. School work gets neglected in favor of seeing what will happen on the weekly episode of their favorite reality shows. Reality television can become an addiction from the empathy and relation the audience can have to the individuals on the show. From the women on The Bachelor to the people on The Biggest Loser, almost anyone can relate to one or more of the individuals on these reality shows. There are some positive effects and a few reality shows that are beneficial to the public. Shows like Supernanny and The Biggest Loser promote wellness to the public. Supernanny is a show where the supernanny goes to homes in which the children have gotten out of control and the parents have no idea how to handle them. The supernanny coaches the parents and the children in ways to communicate and be closer as a family. Videos are taken around the clock to see how the parents and children respond to each other in typical home situations. These videos allow the audience to view the right and wrong way to approach things and what the consequences are. â€Å"Reality TV parenting programmes, such as Supernanny, Little Angels, and The House of Tiny Tearaways, all use embedded video as a prominent element, not only of the audiovisual spectacle of reality television but also of the therapy, counselling, coaching and instruction intrinsic to these programmes. (McIlvenny 2011) While watching someone like the supernanny coach families, the at home audience also receives advice on how to deal with issues at home. The Biggest Loser is a show where severely overweight people are selected to compete for a large sum of money. These people are put through exercise routines, challenges, and dieting. The team or individual that loses the largest percentage of weight wins the week and the individual that loses the smallest percentage of weight is eliminated and sent home. The show also reaches out to the community and sends the finalists home for a eek to test their resolve, but also to lead their community in an exercise day. In the most recent season of The Biggest Loser, not only did the network select overweight adults, they also selected 3 overweight youths for a special program. By doing this, they showed the at home audience that children are having weight problems as well, and that it can be dealt with. Throughout the season, references are made to the families of the people on the show, with the main focus on the family members that were also overweight but had been inspired to lose weight due to their relative losing weight on the show. The participants in the show are put through rigorous exercise routines by 3 fitness experts, taught how to eat healthy and what foods are acceptable, given competitive challenges for special rewards. There are other benefits to reality television besides the show specific benefits to health and welfare. The wide range of viewing audiences allows for watching reality shows to be a family event, bringing families closer together. Another benefit is using reality TV as a way to wind down from daily life and activities. Come home from a long day at work and watch your favorite show. Though there are benefits to reality television, the premature advancement of sexuality in youths, the addiction that can occur from watching reality shows, and the forming of idealized female beauty make reality television a negative influence on society. If only reality shows that were beneficial to the public were to be allowed on the air, these issues would be avoidable. Another option would be to make more reality shows similar to the few current beneficial shows.

Real Estate Data

68. Refer to the Real Estate data, which reports information on homes sold in the Phoenix, Arizona, area last year. a. Select the variable selling price. 1. Find the mean, median, and the standard deviation. 2. Write a brief summary of the distribution of selling prices. b. Select the variable referring to the area of the home in square feet. 1. Find the mean, median, and the standard deviation. 2. Write a brief summary of the distribution of the area of homes. Price| Bedrooms| Size| Pool| Distance| Twnship| Garage| Baths| 263. 1| 4| 2300| 1| 17| 5| 1| 2| 182. | 4| 2100| 0| 19| 4| 0| 2| 242. 1| 3| 2300| 0| 12| 3| 0| 2| 213. 6| 2| 2200| 0| 16| 2| 0| 2. 5| 139. 9| 2| 2100| 0| 28| 1| 0| 1. 5| 245. 4| 2| 2100| 1| 12| 1| 1| 2| 327. 2| 6| 2500| 0| 15| 3| 1| 2| 271. 8| 2| 2100| 0| 9| 2| 1| 2. 5| 221. 1| 3| 2300| 1| 18| 1| 0| 1. 5| 266. 6| 4| 2400| 0| 13| 4| 1| 2| 292. 4| 4| 2100| 0| 14| 3| 1| 2| 209| 2| 1700| 0| 8| 4| 1| 1. 5| 270. 8| 6| 2500| 0| 7| 4| 1| 2| 246. 1| 4| 2100| 0| 18| 3| 1| 2| 194. 4| 2| 2300| 0| 11| 3| 0| 2| 281. 3| 3| 2100| 0| 16| 2| 1| 2| 172. 7| 4| 2200| 1| 16| 3| 0| 2| 207. 5| 5| 2300| 1| 21| 4| 0| 2. 5| 198. | 3| 2200| 1| 10| 4| 1| 2| 209. 3| 6| 1900| 1| 15| 4| 1| 2| 252. 3| 4| 2600| 0| 8| 4| 1| 2| 192. 9| 4| 1900| 1| 14| 2| 1| 2. 5| 209. 3| 5| 2100| 0| 20| 5| 0| 1. 5| 345. 3| 8| 2600| 0| 9| 4| 1| 2| 326. 3| 6| 2100| 0| 11| 5| 1| 3| 173. 1| 2| 2200| 1| 21| 5| 1| 1. 5| 187| 2| 1900| 0| 26| 4| 0| 2| 257. 2| 2| 2100| 0| 9| 4| 1| 2| 233| 3| 2200| 0| 14| 3| 1| 1. 5| 180. 4| 2| 2000| 0| 11| 5| 0| 2| 234| 2| 1700| 0| 19| 3| 1| 2| 207. 1| 2| 2000| 0| 11| 5| 1| 2| 247. 7| 5| 2400| 0| 16| 2| 1| 2| 166. 2| 3| 2000| 1| 16| 2| 1| 2| 177. 1| 2| 1900| 0| 10| 5| 1| 2| 182. 7| 4| 2000| 1| 14| 4| 0| 2. | 216| 4| 2300| 0| 19| 2| 0| 2| 312. 1| 6| 2600| 0| 7| 5| 1| 2. 5| 199. 8| 3| 2100| 0| 19| 3| 1| 2| 273. 2| 5| 2200| 0| 16| 2| 1| 3| 206| 3| 2100| 1| 9| 3| 0| 1. 5| 232. 2| 3| 1900| 1| 16| 1| 1| 1. 5| 198. 3| 4| 2100| 1| 19| 1| 1| 1. 5| 205. 1| 3| 2000| 1| 20| 4| 0| 2 | 175. 6| 4| 2300| 1| 24| 4| 1| 2| 307. 8| 3| 2400| 1| 21| 2| 1| 3| 269. 2| 5| 2200| 0| 8| 5| 1| 3| 224. 8| 3| 2200| 0| 17| 1| 1| 2. 5| 171. 6| 3| 2000| 1| 16| 4| 0| 2| 216. 8| 3| 2200| 0| 15| 1| 1| 2| 192. 6| 6| 2200| 1| 14| 1| 0| 2| 236. 4| 5| 2200| 0| 20| 3| 1| 2| 172. 4| 3| 2200| 0| 23| 3| 0| 2| 251. | 3| 1900| 0| 12| 2| 1| 2| 246| 6| 2300| 0| 7| 3| 1| 3| 147. 4| 6| 1700| 1| 12| 1| 0| 2| 176| 4| 2200| 0| 15| 1| 1| 2| 228. 4| 3| 2300| 0| 17| 5| 1| 1. 5| 166. 5| 3| 1600| 1| 19| 3| 0| 2. 5| 189. 4| 4| 2200| 0| 24| 1| 1| 2| 312. 1| 7| 2400| 0| 13| 3| 1| 3| 289. 8| 6| 2000| 0| 21| 3| 1| 3| 269. 9| 5| 2200| 1| 11| 4| 1| 2. 5| 154. 3| 2| 2000| 0| 13| 2| 0| 2| 222. 1| 2| 2100| 0| 9| 5| 1| 2| 209. 7| 5| 2200| 1| 13| 2| 1| 2| 190. 9| 3| 2200| 1| 18| 3| 1| 2| 254. 3| 4| 2500| 1| 15| 3| 1| 2| 207. 5| 3| 2100| 1| 10| 2| 0| 2| 209. 7| 4| 2200| 1| 19| 2| 1| 2| 294| 2| 2100| 0| 13| 2| 1| 2. | 176. 3| 2| 2000| 1| 17| 3| 0| 2| 294. 3| 7| 2400| 0| 8| 4| 1| 2| 224| 3| 1900| 1| 6| 1| 1| 2| 125| 2| 1 900| 0| 18| 4| 0| 1. 5| 236. 8| 4| 2600| 1| 17| 5| 1| 2| 164. 1| 4| 2300| 0| 19| 4| 0| 2| 217. 8| 3| 2500| 0| 12| 3| 0| 2| 192. 2| 2| 2400| 0| 16| 2| 0| 2. 5| 125. 9| 2| 2400| 0| 28| 1| 0| 1. 5| 220. 9| 2| 2300| 1| 12| 1| 1| 2| 294. 5| 6| 2700| 0| 15| 3| 1| 2| 244. 6| 2| 2300| 0| 9| 2| 1| 2. 5| 199| 3| 2500| 1| 18| 1| 0| 1. 5| 240| 4| 2600| 0| 13| 4| 1| 2| 263. 2| 4| 2300| 0| 14| 3| 1| 2| 188. 1| 2| 1900| 0| 8| 4| 1| 1. 5| 243. 7| 6| 2700| 0| 7| 4| 1| 2| 21. 5| 4| 2300| 0| 18| 3| 1| 2| 175| 2| 2500| 0| 11| 3| 0| 2| 253. 2| 3| 2300| 0| 16| 2| 1| 2| 155. 4| 4| 2400| 1| 16| 3| 0| 2| 186. 7| 5| 2500| 1| 21| 4| 0| 2. 5| 179| 3| 2400| 1| 10| 4| 1| 2| 188. 3| 6| 2100| 1| 15| 4| 1| 2| 227. 1| 4| 2900| 0| 8| 4| 1| 2| 173. 6| 4| 2100| 1| 14| 2| 1| 2. 5| 188. 3| 5| 2300| 0| 20| 5| 0| 1. 5| 310. 8| 8| 2900| 0| 9| 4| 1| 2| 293. 7| 6| 2400| 0| 11| 5| 1| 3| 179| 3| 2400| 0| 8| 4| 1| 2| 188. 3| 6| 2100| 1| 14| 2| 1| 2. 5| 227. 1| 4| 2900| 0| 20| 5| 0| 1. 5| 173. 6| 4| 2100| 0| 9| 4| 1| 2| 188. 3| 5 | 2300| 0| 11| 5| 1| 3|