Assess the view that religious beliefs and practices are changing to reflect a new era of diversity and choice
Assess the view that religious beliefs and practices are changing to reflect a new era of diversity and choice There is a view held by some that religion is in fact changing to reflect changes taking place in society, as opposed to declining. There have been numerous examples noted by sociologists to highlight the way in which religion may be changing in today's society. Some believe that changes in religion occur due to changes in wider society, such as greater individualism and consumerism and a shift from modern to late modern or postmodern society. One idea that sociologists use to back up the theory that religion is not declining is the "Believing without belonging" theory. This theory states that religion is not declining, where as it is taking different, more private form. An example being, people no longer feel that they have to go to church because it is "respectable" to do so. Thus although church going is declining has declined this is simply because attendance to church is now a personal choice and not something which is an expected practice. Believing without belonging is essentially people holding religious views but don't go to church. This highlights a change from traditional church going religion to a more privatized form of modern religion. The idea of believing without belonging and personal choice regarding religious practice is carried on by Danielle
Assess the view that sociology can and should be seen as a science
Assess the view that sociology can and should be seen as a science. Now sociology is know as a social science, along with subjects like politics and economics. The subjects which are known as sciences are, subjects like chemistry and biology, which involves explanations and reason. Positivists use quantitative data and methods such as questionnaires in order to gain trends, patterns and correlation. Science is about getting the right answers every time the experiment is done. In science if you get the wrong answer then you have done the experiment wrong, or you have the right answer but it will be dismissed as scientists have proven the correct answer is different to yours. In sociology it is difficult to get a wrong or right answer, as the experiment cannot often be redone as the variables can not be controlled, were as laboratory experiments can be redone as many times as it's needed. Durkheim argued that social facts, customs, beliefs systems and social institutions should be considered things. Durkheim also claimed to have discovered cause and effect relationships between social facts. Durkheim also found correlations between suicide rates and social facts. Comte, who invented the term sociology, argued that sociology should be based on the methodology of the natural sciences. This would result in a positive science of society, which would reveal the invariable laws.
Assess the view that the nuclear family functions to benefit all its members and society as a whole
Sociology Essay: Using Information from items A, B, C and elsewhere, assess the view that the nuclear family functions to benefit all its members and society as a whole. The Nuclear Family is formed from two generations, i.e. an adult heterosexual marriage and their dependent children, all living, in the same household. Each theoretical perspective all have different opinions on what the nuclear family represents. For example feminists believe the nuclear family suggests the woman would have to stay at home to cook, clean and tend the children while the man would have a job and provide the family with wealth. However, in less than 40 years, the proportion of households fitting this nuclear family description has dropped from 52 per cent to just 36 per cent of people in the U.K living as a Nuclear family. Here is a short essay discussing my view of different theoretical perspectives on whether the Nuclear family benefits all its members and society as a whole. Functionalists believe that society is based on a value consensus – a set of shared norms and values – into which society socialises its members. This enables them to cooperate harmoniously to meet society’s needs and achieve shared goals. Functionalists see the family as a particularly important to society because it plays the dominant role amongst all social institutions in making individuals feel part of wider
Analyse and evaluate the relationship between religion and social change
Analyse and evaluate the relationship between religion and social change A hot sociological debate is the relationship between religion and social change. Sociologists have long been divided on the issue. Sociologists such as Weber and Parsons believe religion is a force for social change whereas others like Marx and the postmodernist Bauman believe religion is not a cause for social change. Sociologist Weber argues that religion encourages social change. Weber wrote the protestant ethic about Calvinism. Calvinism were a group of people who valued working for money and any money they earned they put back into their own business. The Calvinists also believed that they were the chosen and elect ones who believed they were the only ones going to heaven. Weber called this the spirit of capitalism. However Karl Marx argues against Weber and instead says that religion is a conservative ideology that prevents social change. Weber says that religion disguises inequality and creates a false sense consciousness for the working class. Religion also maintains the status quo and the interests of the ruling class rather than for everyone. This is very much the opinion of every Marxist due to the fact that Marxists believe that religion is beneficial to the ruling class and no-one else. Marxists argue the fact that religion can just be used to dull the pain of oppression and is the
"Official statistics on crime give an account of crime as opposed to a count of crime." Evaluate this statement using examples to illustrate your answer.
CRI101 Introduction to Criminology Assignment 2: Essay Tutor: Nicola Groves "Official statistics on crime give an account of crime as opposed to a count of crime." Evaluate this statement using examples to illustrate your answer. Student: Jennifer Gartland Student ID: 032805136 70% The Official statistics of crime have been compiled by the Home Office from police and court records since 1876 (Maguire 2002, p. 334). These statistics have for some time been the dominant measure of crime. They have been used by the media, politicians, policy makers and academics to make judgements about society (Jupp et al 2000, p.58). Crime trends have been identified and new legislations and practices have been put in place as a direct result of these statistics. The Official Statistics have shown a continual increase since they commenced, with around 100 thousand crimes recorded in its first year and with around 5.2 million recorded in recent years. The major increase occurring from the late 1950s to 1992 when the 'crime rate' hit its peak. Why has there been such a dramatic increase in crimes? Are the Official Statistics an accurate measure of crime? And can we solely rely on these statistics to form judgements about our society? This essay will address these questions, investigating the reliability of the Official Statistics and identify changes and other sources of
Empiricism Vs Rationalism
Empiricism vs. Rationalism Epistemology is the study of knowledge, what knowledge is, what we can know and how we can know it. The two main parts of Epistemology are Empiricism and Rationalism. The disagreement between rationalism and empiricism is the way in which we gain knowledge. Rationalism is a theory that reason is the basis of all certainty of knowledge whereas empiricism is based on the principles that all knowledge comes from experience especially that from our senses and that the knowledge we acquire is the basis of our understanding. Rational knowledge occurs in any situation where we are taught something. Impersonal or propositional knowledge are examples of rational knowledge for the reason that through both logic is used to acquire knowledge. Rational knowledge requires the mind to be active in gaining knowledge whereas experience is downplayed. Decartes is a key rationalist thinker. Empiricists share the view that there is no such thing as innate knowledge, and that instead knowledge is derived from experience either sensed via the five senses or reasoned via the brain or mind. A key Empiricist is John Locke. Each theory, however, has a problem of knowledge because you can never solely have empirical or rational knowledge. This essay will explore the arguments for each theory in turn. The fundamental idea of Empiricism is that we can only be sure of
public law
PART I: INTRODUCTION AND HISTORICAL ANALYSIS Introduction The passing of public law 105-301, "Crime Victims with Disabilities Awareness Act", in 1998 directly led to research on the details of crime victims with disabilities. That research was to be included in the Bureau of Justice Statistics in its annual National Crime Victims Survey. However, the research resulted in its own publication: "Crime Victims with Developmental Disabilities: Report of a Workshop." It was written by the Committee on Law and Justice in the Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education of the National Research Council. There was no study done, but a group of researchers, specialists, and advocates came together to analyze existing data and the extent of the problem. The results of the workshop by the National Academy of Sciences emerged in 1999 with the Crime Victims with developmental Disabilities: Report of a Workshop by the committee on Law and Justice. In the following pages, there will be an analysis of the social problem (crime victims with disabilities) which led to the policy enactment. In that section there will be an explanation of how other research policies were developed and their success in solving and understanding problems. In a later section, the goals, implementation and provisions of the legislation will be explained. Finally, there will be an explanation of how
Using information from the items and elsewhere, assess the Marxist view that education benefits the ruling class
Using information from the items and elsewhere, assess the Marxist view that education benefits the ruling class Marxism is a structuralist perspective with the economy as its foundation. As such, the Marxist view focuses on the idea that it is the economy that drives the rest of society and in relation to education, it is suggested by the Marxist idea that education benefits the ruling class by weaving ruling class values into the education system. One of the main ways Marxists, and in particular Althusser, argue that this occurs is through what is known as the hidden curriculum; that is, values and attitudes that we learn in school as opposed to the material we are actively taught. Marxists argue that what we encounter in the so called hidden curriculum prepares us for the world of work for example through hierarchies and obedience to those who are above us in them. This almost conditions us to the idea of either having someone to report to or obey or having people who do those things to us depending on our position, which benefits the ruling class as on a very basic level it ensures acceptance for these methods later in the world of work. However, it is also suggested that students learn an element of powerlessness in this way as they are rarely given a voice, whilst it is arguable that in the world of work and indeed as adults, a person does get to have more say in
Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the contribution of functionalist sociology to an understanding of the role of education in society.
Sociology Miss Rowbotham Education Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the contribution of functionalist sociology to an understanding of the role of education in society A) Explain what is meant by 'streaming'. (2 marks) Streaming is when you organise children into different classes in school depending on their ability. B) Give two examples of ways in which the school curriculum may be seen as ethnocentric. (4 marks) The school curriculum may be seen as ethnocentric as they only teach main culture/religion subjects and they do not give children a broad education. C) Suggest three ways in which schools act as agencies of socialisation. (6 marks) Schools act as agencies of socialisation as they teach children manors, the difference between right and wrong - i.e. deviance, and they give children the chance to interact with other children and other members of society. D) Identify and briefly explain two reasons why females in general are now achieving better GCSE grades than males. (8 marks) One reason that I think females are achieving better GCSE grades than males is that more pressure is being put on females nowadays due to women being more determined to be treated equally to men in areas such as jobs. Another reason, is that I think women are becoming more independent are striving harder to reach their targets and goals. E) Explain how the hidden
The struggle for the emancipation of women.
Cherry Robinson/ Dannie Hills 10/79 01/05/2007 Coursework: The struggle for the emancipation of women. Today we take for granted that women have the same rights as men. This was not always the case, before the first world war very few people believed women should have the same rights as men, even women themselves believed this was true. But some women did realise that they had as much right as men to do the things they did and were just as clever. Describe and compare the progress made to secure the rights for women between 1870 and 1900. There were three social classes: Upper class, middle class and working class. All women, though, were expected to raise the children and maintain the household. For upper class women this meant ordering their servants. Upper class women were very rich and were happy with their lives. They were treated almost as ornaments by men, to just look pretty. And they did, they had the finest clothes and a life of pleasure. They did not see a need for change. Middle class were not so wealthy but wanted to be like the upper class women and so they copied and mimicked them. These were the wives of men who worked in manufacturing. Working class women were poor both mother and father of a family would work and the children would do nothing. They had large families. They had very poor diets and very little education. Most working class women
![Outline and evaluate the functionalist view of the role of the family in society [33 marks]](https://mbt-essays-prod-public.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/1211066/listing/1211066_1.jpg)
