Monday, 21 June 2010
Monday, 14 June 2010
Sociological Imagination
'Schemes are full of pregnant teenagers, unemployed, semi-literate thugs on benefits. They are all a bunch of wasters!'
Housing schemes are said to be a hotbed for pregnent teens, unemployed and semi-literate thugs. In a way this is true mainly because this is the only place they can go they may not be able to afford anywhere else. It is unfair to say the people born and raised in these schemes are destined for these lives.
Pregnant teenagers may of been kicked out their houses and without as job couldnt afford their own place, so the schemes are their only option besides the streets. The same aplies to the unemployed: they may not have the grades or skills to get a job so their only option is to live somewhere the concil gives them. Semi-literate thugs on benefits on the other hand suggests they are victims of the area they have been raised in an place where acting in this way is socially acceptable (Like in Emile Durkheim structural theory).
In some cases teenage pregnancies and the unemployed could be seen as a victim of circumstance: Protection failed no matter how hard you try or there may be no jobs in the area so you become unemployed. Although there are also those in this group who may not of taking these neccessary steps to prevent pregnancy or get a job.
Housing schemes are said to be a hotbed for pregnent teens, unemployed and semi-literate thugs. In a way this is true mainly because this is the only place they can go they may not be able to afford anywhere else. It is unfair to say the people born and raised in these schemes are destined for these lives.
Pregnant teenagers may of been kicked out their houses and without as job couldnt afford their own place, so the schemes are their only option besides the streets. The same aplies to the unemployed: they may not have the grades or skills to get a job so their only option is to live somewhere the concil gives them. Semi-literate thugs on benefits on the other hand suggests they are victims of the area they have been raised in an place where acting in this way is socially acceptable (Like in Emile Durkheim structural theory).
In some cases teenage pregnancies and the unemployed could be seen as a victim of circumstance: Protection failed no matter how hard you try or there may be no jobs in the area so you become unemployed. Although there are also those in this group who may not of taking these neccessary steps to prevent pregnancy or get a job.
Monday, 7 June 2010
Status
In sociology people can be described as having an 'Ascribed Status' or/and an 'Achieved Status'.
-'Ascribed Status' is the status you have in which you have no control.
-'Achieved Status' is the status in which you seek to achieve.
In my school community the 'Achieved Status' is required. This can be seen because the pupils would not particapate in 5th or 6th if they did not want to achieve something. In other words the educational sides of people must be 'Achieved Status' or they would not get far.
It is also fair to say i have an 'Ascribed Status': My personality and the social identification i have means that i have no control over what peoples opinions of me are and how this effects me or the aspects of myself that i inherit from my parents AKA my genes.
The 'norms' expected of me by society and especially my parents means that my 'Achieved Status' would be influenced by their targets because i would not like to disappoint them, this could be done consciously or sub-consciously. 'Norms' also effect my 'Ascribed Status' because in certain parts of my personality society will expect me to behave in certain way and i will comply with this.
Gender effects my 'Ascribes Status' because i have no control over it but i could choose not to act in a feminine way which would be appropriate for my gender and this would effect my 'Achieved Status'. It is a choice i have made to comply to society expectations of me as a female such as wear make-up, dress up, etc. It is however fair to say that some aspects of my personality are ascribed because i am given these traits when i was born: such as the ability to understand emotions more or my lack of competitiveness can be explained as gender traits. However they may be atributes of both genders in some cases.
A person is made up of both achieved and ascribed status and it would be impossible for them to be either/or since everyone must have 'Achieved Status' as this is free will, which we are all given. They must also have 'Ascribed Status' because there will always be things we cannot change such as gender or ethnicity.
-'Ascribed Status' is the status you have in which you have no control.
-'Achieved Status' is the status in which you seek to achieve.
In my school community the 'Achieved Status' is required. This can be seen because the pupils would not particapate in 5th or 6th if they did not want to achieve something. In other words the educational sides of people must be 'Achieved Status' or they would not get far.
It is also fair to say i have an 'Ascribed Status': My personality and the social identification i have means that i have no control over what peoples opinions of me are and how this effects me or the aspects of myself that i inherit from my parents AKA my genes.
The 'norms' expected of me by society and especially my parents means that my 'Achieved Status' would be influenced by their targets because i would not like to disappoint them, this could be done consciously or sub-consciously. 'Norms' also effect my 'Ascribed Status' because in certain parts of my personality society will expect me to behave in certain way and i will comply with this.
Gender effects my 'Ascribes Status' because i have no control over it but i could choose not to act in a feminine way which would be appropriate for my gender and this would effect my 'Achieved Status'. It is a choice i have made to comply to society expectations of me as a female such as wear make-up, dress up, etc. It is however fair to say that some aspects of my personality are ascribed because i am given these traits when i was born: such as the ability to understand emotions more or my lack of competitiveness can be explained as gender traits. However they may be atributes of both genders in some cases.
A person is made up of both achieved and ascribed status and it would be impossible for them to be either/or since everyone must have 'Achieved Status' as this is free will, which we are all given. They must also have 'Ascribed Status' because there will always be things we cannot change such as gender or ethnicity.
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