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sociology by definition
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Generally speaking I believe sociology by definition is a science that tackles issues affecting an individual’s life and how the issues generate a response. I also strongly support the idea that sociology is a science. This is as a result of using methodological study in learning about the human behavior. Fascinatingly enough its fields of interest seem to be manipulated by common emerging trends in the world. They include popular trends fashions and new ideas (Kuhn, 2010).
After studying the science keenly I realized the human psychology is very delicate where a slight experience can cause insurmountable impact on one’s life. Distortion of family dynamics, personal growth and group behavior can occur due to the sensitivity of the human psychology. Anthony Giddens a renowned sociologist defined sociology as the scientific study of mankind’s social life societies and groups (Comte, 2010).The study however covers a wide scope ranging from the growth of Islamic fundamentalism to the scrutiny of passing encounters.
In my opinion before the discovery of modern science and sociology many people thought that spirits and gods were responsible for natural events such as earthquakes. After the discovery of sociology that dealt with family matters culture religion language and poverty people became more intelligent (Tischler, 2011). I will discuss all this aspects in detail but first we will need to discuss the reason why both you and I need to understand sociology and the benefits resulting from understanding the science.
The main reason why we study sociology is because the science has an impact on our lives daily. If the study is taken earnestly valuable modules and lessons to improve our lives will be generated. The Science is intended to make tomorrow a better place for our children. Remarkably also the study of the mortal human behavior benefits the whole world. After studying sociology certain characteristics have started influencing me (Heywood, 2007). Where of late I have been very keen on appreciating and considering other people’s perceptions .Rather than assuming my own perspective is unquestionable and perfect. Taking other people’s ideas for granted is a thing of the past now.
My reasoning after studying sociology grew astonishingly. I was able to understand other people in a better way. This intelligence could be useful especially in the working environment. Employees who have an idea or have learnt sociology in most occasions have a unique form of bond with their bosses. Production from my point of view is also increased (Newberg, 2011).
To acquire a vibrant understanding of the society certain sociological theories were formulated to assist in the study. The most well-known theories are three namely functionalism, conflict and symbolic internationalism theories. Functionalism focuses on the whole society. Conflict theory focuses on a specific group in the society and finally the Symbol Interactional deals with personalities within the group (Barkan, 2012).
The symbolic interactionism perspective as I believe directs sociologists to contemplate the details and symbols of life. George Mead H an American philosopher introduced the perspective in America. The theory traces its origin from the Max Weber’s contention. The contention insinuates that people make decisions based on their interpretation of what their world revolves around on (Brunner, 2011). Individuals assign different meanings to symbols evidently shown by the verbal conversations. Spoken words act like predominant symbols meaning that words require interpretation and intention. A conversation according to the theory is an intermingling of symbols between constant world interpreters of the world.
A Symbolic interactionism has solemn interests on how people behave .Even before striving to define the means used by people to allocate their own symbols. Symbolic interactionism in my own point of view however disregards the macro level or the big picture in social interpretation. In simple terms the theory may be left out in recognizing mega issues affecting the society by focusing on the minute matters (Murdock, 2008). My second criticism on the approach is its rather weak swaying capabilities on institutions and social forces.
The second theory is known as the functionalist perspective which I believe insinuates that every trait of the society is interdependent. The government offers education to children belonging to a certain family the family in return pays taxes that maintain the state. I keenly observe that the family relies on the school to ensure the children are well educated. This is to ensure respectable jobs are acquired by the children after growing up. Later the children will in return also pay taxes after reaching adult hood and maintain the government (Durkheim, 2011).
The perspective considers consensus to be the pillar of the society. The social consensus is divided into two sections namely the mechanical solidarity and the organic solidarity. The two were established by Emile Durkheim an eminent sociologist. My criticism on the approach is its neglect on undesirable functions such as divorce (Jones, 2009). I strongly disagree with its justification of complacency and the status quo in the society. The theory seems to discourage active involvement in the transformation of the social environment which is intended to be beneficial.
The last theory is known as the conflict theory with its origins dating way back to writings by Karl Marx’s. This approach according to me is rather mind provoking since unlike the rest it concentrates on the negative challenged society. The theory proves its marvelous intention when it agrees to challenge the status quo and encourage social change. The frequently changing nature of the society is due to the conflicting agendas and values among the imbalanced groups (Comte, 2010).
Sociology also deals also with family matters. A family is a lesser social group of individuals who are either related by affection or by ancestry. They may live in the same residence and have an ongoing emotional bondage. When I observed America for instance I noticed their evolution of the traditional family system (Heywood, 2007). Currently the existing one is that of a couple and their kids but in recent years as I learnt in historical books most generations lived together in a common residential area.
Another astonishing discovery that I discovered is that extremists such as Hitler, Osama and Bush were able to manipulate both you and I after establishing the power of sociology. The extremists discovered the supremacy acquired after gathering the strength of public opinion. They later used it to their advantage thus enabling them to manipulate both you and me into doing whatever they wanted us to do (Kuhn, 2010).
Religion is another aspect involved in Sociology. Am sure you are wondering what relationship exists between the two. I will answer your query with the most suitable answer which is that religious faith has almost similar results with sociology on a person. I strongly believe in religion. I am sure defining it as a unified or cohesive system of practices and beliefs that relate to what is presumed to be sacred is the perfect definition (Brunner, 2011). Being a Christian by faith does not mean I do not respect other religions such as Buddhism Hindu and Islam in fact my knowledge on sociology has helped me appreciate them. You will be surprised to learn that most religions share common aspects like rituals.
Language is another aspect in sociology that I believe is very crucial especially in matters involving social relations. I discovered that interactions take up a linguistic form. Language is very vital where matters of organization or distribution are mentioned. I believe by now you have understood how important the language is not only for interaction purposes but also for a course like sociology. Detecting a societal disturbance then becomes an easy task since you can notice a change in dialect or language (Murdock, 2008).
I will conclude by saying that activities such as relationships, lifestyles and technology affect an individual’s behavior. Recently technology has proved to be on top of the list of innovations that has many positive and negative consequences on an individual (Jones, 2009). Sociology nevertheless has shown a marvelous job of trying to help us understand ourselves extensively. In my opinion everyone should be given a chance to study the splendid course.
References
Kuhn. T .2010. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Comte, A. 2001. Sociology 4th ed. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Tischler, H. L. 2011. Sociological Research Methods. Retrieved from <www.fdbond.com/Sociology>
Heywood, A. 2007 Politics 3rd ed. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Newberg, A .2011. Religious Experiences Shrink Part of the Brain, retrieved from <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=religious-experiences-shrink-part-of-brain>
Barkan, S. 2012. Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, retrieved from http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/pub/1.0/sociology-understanding-and-ch/364125
Brunner, Dr. 2011, The Function and Dysfunction of Religion in our Secular State, retrieved from <http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/religion_and_conflict>
Murdock, G. (2008). Social Structure. New York: The MacMillan Company.
Durkheim, E. (2011). The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life. New York: The press.
Jones, R. A. (2009, March 19). Durkheim homepage. Retrieved from The Durkheim Pages:
<http:/www.durkheim.uchicago.edu/index.html.org>
Speech, First I wish to candidly thank the people of Gulf, Waite Mata and the Auckland
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“First I wish to candidly thank the people of Gulf, Waite Mata and the Auckland council for supporting me with resounding energy. My name is Ed miliband and I am vying for the seat of a city councilor and during this campaign period I have enjoyed walking along the streets of the democratic electorates and meeting with the local residents. The lovely gardens and old homes reminded me of just how unique this place the Bay, Grey Lynn and Ponsonby is. We are extremely lucky to live in this suburb. I would humbly request you to allow me to contest in the race for the seat of a councilor in this ward as I have previously worked with the council as a member of the local council (David, 2011).I have worked in the local government for over 18 years and most of the time as a member of the Auckland Local Council.
I would also like to acknowledge the Bristol northwest labor party for choosing me as their preferred candidate in order to fight for this ward in the up-coming councilor elections. I promise to work tirelessly to ensure the federal government appreciates our inimitable techniques in handling problems facing our people in the ailing economy. I will offer a vivid vision for the bright future of this ward (Stephen, 2011). All these will be achieved by creating more job opportunities to restructure the local economy and health services free to all and extra front-line police officers to ensure our neighborhood is safe.
I will definitely campaign alongside the community together with my labor party associates. As an evolution referring to the new style of political affairs I will engage with all the organizations and all people regardless of their political affiliations .In order to acquire the best deal for this ward. I will be very honored and delighted to be selected to contest in this election. I was motivated by the head of hall city council who attempted to challenge the coalition government (Cheles, 2010). The motivation has influenced me into trying to secure the rights of the labor victor.
If you allow me to work with the council I will ensure it handles the local parks network. Ensure the Auckland port is in the able hands of the public. Redevelop the Wynyard quarter into a marvelous headland park inside the Wynyard point. Opening the Queen Wharf to the members of the public, proclaiming and refurbishing it as the main cruise ship station will be my second priority (Joseph, 2013). Then concentrate on the refurbishing of Auckland rail. The project will involve setting up the groundwork for linking the city with the rail networks and electrifying the rail in Auckland. The move aims at delivering an efficient transport network system.
Then I would like to raise a question concerning the bus route which is a factor affecting access to the park. The biggest concern is about the 294 buses that transport passengers from Harold Hill to Collier Row. The 294 actually takes about an hour from Harold Hill to Collier surprisingly enough it takes just ten minutes when using a personal car. A new housing country estate has been built in the Whitworth and Broxill centers thus taking away the privilege of the people from that region the chance to shop in either HH or Collier Row. Also, the Broxhill road has no single bus route thus denying access to the park. Most people without cars have to walk for a long distance in order to reach the visitor Centre and the Park (Dundas, 2009). There is also another rumor that the Bedford’s Park at the Georgian walled kitchen garden will soon be history due to the rumored community project on food growing. I am not against any industry project but they should not interfere with the recreational facilities at all.
An environmental factor that the council should handle with a lot of seriousness is on how the north island kokako island is being endangered .Unique species of birds almost disappeared overnight due to the unsustainable decreasing population. This definitely unmasked the critical situation of the figures of breeding birds. Through a political initiative I will actively tackle the problem and protect the Kokako solemnly. As an active bird and forest member I am vividly aware of the plight facing kokako. That is why if I am allowed to contest and win the election I will definitely conserve the Hunua Ranges (Stephen, 2011). Charles Fleming once said “The skylines of the natural forest represent the adventure and mystery of the unknown to almost every youngster”.
I addition to the Hunua ranges I will welcome the new suggested ideas of introducing brown kiwis in the range if I am elected. Expanding the kokako management from the current 1050 ha or establishing more secondary zones is also an idea that could be under implementation. The reason for this type of attitude is to ensure capitalization of the investment is done in establishing pest free regions and restoring birds such as kokako (David, 2011). This will attract the public support and imagination support since conservation is supposed to be our biggest ally.
The housing system in Cranham is very impressive but recently a pungent smell has been permeating into our houses and the surrounding environment. The smell is very offensive and perhaps the most worrying issue is that no one seems to know the source of the smell. If I am given a chance I will definitely investigate the problem and report back after tackling the issue. I have been living in Cranham for the last 30 years and I am sure that is not the normal smell of the fertilizers in the fields. I think that an immediate and proper investigation should be carried out to find if toxic fumes that could be hazardous to the human health will be found. On matters of police officers dealing with serious accidents it is weird that none of them wears a head gear for the purpose of differentiating them with security guards and impose a sense of authority. I think the issue should be dealt with a lot of seriousness, the police should definitely proclaim a lot of authority in matters dealing with security and emergencies (Stephen, 2011).
I believe there is no time for kid gloves or even beating around the bush. Mealy mouthed speaking has no exception at all. I will do my duties the same way men fight in battles. If we join hands and try to do it half as well we will win one of the greatest victories ever known. I will advocate for a lasting peace and avoid premature peace (Dundas, 2009). I will stand firm to promote the development and encouragement of the awesome national resources and ensure fairness among all the people irrespective of their different social classes. Thank you for listening”
References
David, P.P. 2011. Inside the Radical Right .Chicago: University of Chicago press.
Stephen, J.M. 2011. Understanding British Party Politics .London: Polity Press
Cheles, R. 2010. Neo-Fascism in Europe. London: Longman press.
Joseph, P. 2013. Race with the Devil: My Journey from Racial Hatred to Rational Love. Charlotte, North Carolina: St. Benedict Press.
Dundas, L. 2009. The Spider and the Bee: The Artistry of Spenser’s “Faerie Queene” .Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
Self-Regulation Plant-based Food Dieting a Measure against Obesity and Overweight
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Self-Regulation Plant-based Food Dieting a Measure against Obesity and Overweight
Self-regulation implies the human capacity necessary for individual survival but equally crucial for groups and human species, yet failures abound to this behavior (Lopez et al. 193). As such, the current obesity rates and the epidemic is a suggestion about the failures to self-regulate. This is equally confirmed by the ever-growing dieting industry (Turner-McGrievy et al. 369), all indicating the degree to which people have failed to exert self-control in eating. The failure to realize the long-term dietary and weight management goals are but attributed to innocuous and small decisions, including people overindulging in eating ice cream servings, cake, or every fails to resist the urge to but candy from a supermarket. Those with self-regulation challenges would challenge any recommendation for self-exerted control on dieting as a tedious task, impossible undertaking, and infringement on personal choices or decisions (Swinburn et al. 127). Some have even challenged that vegans are overly obsessed with food intake and are doing it for ‘belonging’ and not specifically to diet or maintain good body weight (Jones 1). Yet, the empirical evidence is there for everyone to digress, even for anti-vegans. Every single step that one takes in dieting by exercising self-control reduces the chances of obesity or overweight. Planning a diet is about a person knowing the standard calories to take in a day, limiting oneself to unhealthy habits like eating candies, drinking sugar-sweetened beverages. Hence, this argument maintains that exercising self-control through the dietary intake of plant-based foods protects individuals against weight gain and dangers of obesity, a way of limiting animal-foods and encouraging diet-conscious behavior.
Exercising self-control or regulation involves limited unhealthy and negative eating patterns like binge eating, but not specifically restrained eating as some would think. In so doing, there is a greater extent of restrained in eating necessary in preventing obesity and overweight. This follows research by Swinburn et al. who confirmed that “a ‘flexible restraint’ eating pattern is associated with a lower risk of weight gain” (126). As such, the author stresses the need for self-regulation and control by avoiding bad habits like binge eating. This is further supported by the notion that from cross-sectional studies, binge eating has been found to have a relationship with obesity patterns. Although studies have always found a complex relationship between binge eating and obesity, most of the reports outline binge eating as one of the development trajectories towards obesity and overweight. Therefore, it stands out clear from the current argument and assertion that self-regulation is needed to address obesity and overweight. Although exercising self-control is a challenge, this is the only evidence-proven means by which the obesity epidemic can be addressed.
Self-regulation as an aspect of dieting concerns how body weight is influenced by dietary patterns, of which limiting or regulating the amount and type of food taken is a step towards preventing obesity or overweight. As such, this conception and assumption follow derives from epidemiological studies that have explored how bodyweight differs based on dietary patterns. For instance, Turner-McGrievy et al. identified such patterns as vegan or pure vegetarian and the moderating role in weight gain (370). As such, dieting practices like veganism is associated with weight loss, since “studies have shown that vegans gain significantly less weight as they age compared to omnivores” (Turner-McGrievy et al. 369). In this case, self-regulation and control will be about consuming less of animal-based foods and increasing the amount of plant-based foods in the plate or diet. The evidence confirms the inherent need for self-control and regulation, more so a focus on an entirely plant-based diet, or even limiting the number of animal foods and increasing the servings of plant-based foods. Therefore, this shows how self-regulation and control as aspects of dieting call for shifting to plant-based foods and reducing the number of animal foods that have been confirmed to result in excessive weight gain.
Self-regulation and control when it comes to dieting are about consuming quality foods or diets. Diet, quality, in this case, is associated with the health and well-being of an individual to which consuming certain foods is associated with profound health benefits like maintaining a good healthy weight and low Basal Metabolic Index. This conception is supported by the existing empirical evidence. For instance, Turner-McGrievy et al. noted about vegan diets being “healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in preventing and treating some diseases” (370). The central argument, in this case, is about the inclination towards consuming healthy towards as with regards to the behavioral change to consuming ‘qualify foods’. Quality food, in this case, should not be about consuming the most expensive and delicious meatballs, pizza, grilled meat, chicken, and the likes. Quality food, in this case, is about consuming food with health benefits. Therefore, a behavioral change towards planning for ‘quality foods’ should be about self-discipline to consume foods with fewer calories like plant-based diets that have less cholesterol and pose less danger to overweight or obesity.
Arguments against self-regulation center on infringing on personal choices and morality of imposing ideologies on others. Yes, it is right within any person’s capacity to refute the infringement of personal choice and even imposing other people’s ideologies as the universally accepted way of viewing food. For instance, others will say “that food and anything to do with diet is specifically a personal choice” (Jones 2). Hence, the direction of argument is about eating animals or plant foods boiling down to choice and freedom, especially the morality of autonomy. Therefore, they believe and take vegans as individuals who want to force views, direct and influence people on inherent choices. However, this is not a question of personal choice but rather, public health. Obesity and overweight is a major public health problem ranking among the leading killer non-communicable diseases. The diseases we have around, including hypertension and diabetes all find their basis from obesity. In this case, the discussion should not about imposing ideas on others but a concern for public health. Self-regulation and control through dieting with plant-based foods should be viewed as a public health intervention against obesity.
In conclusion, for obesity rates to reduce there is the inherent necessity to practice behavioral change and regulation. It is about people seeing and valuing the need to reevaluate their behaviors and think of better ways that they can protect themselves against the repercussions that come with gaining weight. Weight gain is majorly attributed to poor dietary habits like consuming junk foods and more servings of animal-based foods or fats. In so doing, there is the inherent need to have a relook on people’s behaviors and be motivated to exercise self-control and regulation by getting accustomed to plant-based diets as a dietary or nutritional behavior. It is confirmed by empirical studies that the way to address obesity is for people to consume more of plant-based foods and internalize this as a behavioral change or ascription. Self-control or regulation through dietary planning towards plant-based foods and the reduction of animal-based foods is the only way society can address the ever-increasing obesity rates.
Works Cited
Jones, Robert C. “20 Anti-Vegan Arguments and Replies.” Encyclopedia of Veganism and Animal Ethics, Presses Universitaires de France, 2020 (2020).
Lopez, Richard B., et al. “Motivational and neural correlates of self-control of eating: a combined neuroimaging and experience sampling study in dieting female college students.” Appetite 103 (2016): 192-199.
Swinburn, Boyd A., et al. “Diet, nutrition and the prevention of excess weight gain and obesity.” Public health nutrition 7.1a (2004): 123-146.
Turner-McGrievy, Gabrielle, Trisha Mandes, and Anthony Crimarco. “A plant-based diet for overweight and obesity prevention and treatment.” Journal of geriatric cardiology: JGC 14.5 (2017): 369.