Sociology

Modernity and postmodernism are terms used to describe different eras in the development of human societies. It is different from most sociological perspectives in that it has no over arching theory. Some think that western societies have moved from an era of modernity to post modernity, but others do not agree. The debate between modernity and postmodernism tends to be about to what extent society has changed, and so which theoretical approach is the most appropriate. Modernism began as a way of describing the ideas that emerged during the .

There were three main elements modernism, economic, political and cultural. Modernist thinking supports the idea that the purpose of learning is to better the human condition. Postmodernism opposes each of the assumptions of modernism. They say there is no such thing as valid or invalid knowledge, they see knowledge as a form of control rather then liberation and that grand theories are inadmissible. Postmodernism began to have a significant effect on sociology in the 1980’s.

Most postmodernists believe that conventional approaches are no longer relevant to sociology, and must be discarded, approaches such as Marxism, functionalism and feminism they claim, were useful in explaining how society operated in previous eras but are no longer relevant to today’s society. Modern theorists such as Durkhiem and Weber claim to be able to provide a comprehensive and definitive theory of society. Post modernists claim that this is not possible. Postmodernists claim that enlightenment has been abandoned in contemporary society.

They claim people no longer believe in the inevitability of progress and the capacity of science to explain all. People are more pessimistic and no longer believe that grand theories such as Marxism and functionalism are able to explain society. There is now a much wider set of beliefs. French postmodernist writer Jean-Francois Lyotard argues that post-industrial society and so post-modern culture began to develop at the end to of the 1950’s, although the rate of development varies between countries.

Lyotard agrees that the advance of postmodernism undermines metanarratives of social progress, and people no longer believe that reason can conquer superstition. Lyotard’s explanation of how postmodernism has come about is somewhat vague, although he seems to attribute most importance to technology. He believes postmodernism rest upon the “miniaturisation and commercialisation” of machines. Computer technology has become the principal force of production.

He claims that post-modern society is founded on the production and exchange of knowledge and predicts that future wars will be about the control of knowledge as opposed to territorial disputes. It has been suggested that Lyotard’s theory sounds very similar to a Marxist criticism of capitalism, but postmodernism offers the possibility of tolerance, in which humans are not all corrupted by metanarratives. However critics have pointed out that wile Lyotard repeatedly critic’s metanarratives in his theory he himself has huge generalisations about the direction of human development.

He also provides little evidence to support his theory. Marxist critic Terry Eagelton has pointed out that Lyotard’s key concept in the development in human society is technical language, and he says this is nothing more than a justification for capitalism and the pursuit of profit regardless of human consequence. Jean Baudrillard is also regarded as a post-modern theorist. Like Lyotard he sees societies as having entered a new and distinctive phase. Unlike Lyotard, and indeed most postmodernists he is rather pessimistic about the outcome of these changes.

Baudrillard argues that society is no longer based production and economic forces involving material goods (in direct contradiction of Marxism). He says they have been replaced by the buying and selling of signs and images, which have no relation to material reality. To him society is based upon production and exchange of free-floating images that have little or no connection to what they actually represent. Baudrillard differs from Lyotard in that he sees humans as trapped in a type of powerless uniformity and not being liberated by diversity.

He too is vague in explaining how exactly postmodernism has come about. Unlike Lyotard he attaches significance to the television and mass media as an important factor. Critics have argued however that Baudrillards writing is very abstract. It offers examples to illustrate arguments and no systematic evidence. It has been suggested that Baudrillard was so immersed in his theory that to some extent he lost his grip on reality, as in later work he went on to suggest that the gulf war did not exist, but was just a series of images produced by the media, with no evidence that they were real.

One of the most inflection sociologists to reject the claims of postmodernism is Anthony Giddens. He does not accept that enlightenment thinking must be abandoned and that metanarratives no longer have a place. He believes postmodernity may develop in the future but unlike sociologist such as David Harvey he does not accept that we have entered an era of post modernity. He does however think that significant changes have taken place within modernity and claims that we are in a period of late modernity.

He says that when we move into an era of post modernity there will be four main institutional structures present in society. These are, multi-layered democratic participation, demilitarisation, and humanisation of technology, post scarcity system. He does admit that his idea of a post modern society is a rather idyllic one, as it is hard to imagine richer countries sharing their wealth with poorer countries for example, but is willing to except it may happen in the future.

His theory is backed up only by occasional example rather than systematic evidence, however it remains the main opposition to post modernism theories. The main criticism of postmodernism is that it is paradoxical. How can you have a general theory that argues that general theories are no longer relevant? However many consider postmodernism to be an important area of sociology even if they do not believe society has yet reached that stage in development.

In our day of age, technology has influenced many aspects of our everyday lives. There is not a day where we cannot go without our phones, computers or television sets. If all of that were to be taken from us, most likely we would be in an uproar. Being exposed to such technological devices, we have become consumed with social media. Social media has definitely shaped the way we communicate, get Information and the way we Interpret things. For example, Just recently Mile Cyrus released a music video called Wrecking Ball. Mile Cyrus is known for her innocent Disney role,

Hannah Montana, a young teen who is trying to live a normal life as she Juggles being a high school teen and her secret blonde wigged pop star career as Hannah Montana. However, when the music video Wrecking Ball came out, Mile traded her innocent, parent-friendly Image for a pixie-cut, red lipped and cropped attire. The video consisted of a naked Mile riding a steel giant ball destroying cement walls and licking a sledge hammer. When the video was released, many were shocked to see this coming from the former Disney starlet. Some were disgusted by the nudity.

Others loved the singer’s video and thought It was a great Interpretation of the song. Either way, the video shattered the Vivo record for most watched music video and caused many to correctly. Mile Cyrus did something that many here In America are not so exposed to, she broke a personal appearance norm. In America, we are not exposed to such nudity; and if so, the content is usually censored. But we also, have to include the gender roles. If a male is nude, it mostly likely considered as funny, but if a female is nude, it is most likely considered taboo and gets labeled a slut.

Once, Mile appeared fully due riding a giant steel ball; many labeled it as inappropriate and calling her names, such as slut. However, if you were to show this to people in Europe, they would not be bothered by it. In Europe, they are exposed to nudity; many would consider It as an art form. So why are people concerned with the imagery of the video rather than the meaning behind the song? It all has to with our culture and environment we are exposed to. Culture consists of language, the behavior and any aspects that surround you In that moment.

It Influences the way you see and accept at things in society. Every culture has a norms and sanctions that are considered acceptable. Norms are appropriate behaviors based on specific values and sanctions are prizes or punishment you receive when you go against the norm (Carl 54). Once you go against the norm, you are deviant and going against the social order. “Winners are the good and the normal; Losers are the sick, the crazy, the evil… ” (Introduction to the Sociology of Deviance) Social Norms cover almost every aspect of the way we live.

However, with standards and guidelines of behavior, it does lead to some pressure to conform (Social Norms, Sociology Norms, Basic Concepts of Sociology Guide). We see people conform every day because they fear society will shun them. Conformity and social norms In society all have to do with past generations culturally transmitting their values to us and the social Institutions teaching us hidden curriculum (Carl 50, 94) For Instance, In school whenever we see the American flag, we Immediately put our right hand over our heart and say the pledge of allegiance.

If we don’t do it, the America. By not placing our right hand over our heart, we would be considered deviant towards America. (Introduction to the Sociology of Deviance) Growing up, cheers and parents teach us to be proud of your culture and nation. As you can see, both the nature and nurture aspects come into play when we react towards a norm either being “broken” or “obeyed”. To get a better understanding of breaking a norm, I had to experience what it was like to break a norm.

My task was simple; I am to only speak Toga, a native Filipino language. But the problem was who, where and when am I going to break my norm. Luckily, my friend Alyssa, who I have known for three years, wanted to meet with me for a day of catching up as we shop at varies malls, local boutiques and stores in the San Diego area. I only speak English to Alyssa. So I thought this would be the perfect time for me to break my norm. However, to really comprehend the power of norms in society, I decided to perform the task on strangers too.

Now with my mission already planned out, all I had to do was put into action; I had to only speak in Toga to my friend, Alyssa and strangers I encounter during my one-day visit to San Diego. My experience in my norm breaking experiment, I realized the norm of speaking a language other than English, people react and look at you as if you were an alien. To be honest, I did expect people to react in this manner. However, I was blind sighted by the incident in the Anthropologist store. For me, growing up in a different country and traveling exposed me to the norms of different cultures.

I find myself learning something new; that does not mean I conform to the behavior or lifestyle. But I accept norms that I am not familiar with and have an open mind. But not everyone is accepting of different cultures or lifestyles, they are not familiar with. A huge percent of people in any society would feel uncomfortable and try to steer clear to those that are different from what they are used to. Society tends to Judge and criticize things because it’s to something they are used to or exposed to.

We have all experienced or witnessed something that was different from the way we live or behave, so we feel uncomfortable in the situation. We can change that, every society should look with culturally relativistic perspective. We don’t have to accept their behavior, but that does not mean, we should Judge the way someone acts or behaves in life. We have to be open-minded and make an effort, rather than be in an ethnocentric perspective (Carl 54). This world consist of diverse cultures and lifestyles, we all could learn from one another. Man has the ability to expand his knowledge.

HOW FAIR BRITISH EDUCATION FOR ALL This essay will analyse how education system helps to maintain class inequality in contemporary Britain. In Britain, a good quality of public education service has been promised for all children regardless of ethnicity, race or income. Unfortunately, School League Table and recent surveys show opposite. In 1944, the government passed Education Act which allowed all children to receive secondary education.

Children would be selected by ability for different types of school through an IQ test called the 11+ (in Scotland, the qualifying exam). Between 1964 and 1974, all secondaries re-organised into comprehensive schools instead of IQ test selection. In today’s Britain, there are state (92%) and private (8%) schools with level of primary, secondary and tertiary. Vocational or non-vocational curriculum is being used and leaving school age is 16 since 1972.

Universities continue to grow and now 40% of 18 year olds go onto university whereas in 1960s it was 5% of school leavers. Although the vast majority (80%) of private school pupils go into the university, almost 40% of state school pupils go into the further education. This shows that class inequality exists in British education system. All sociologists accept that education is important in society as people receive 15000 hours of compulsory education. However, they have different opinions about the role of education in society.

The originator of the functionalist ideology, Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) argued that education is an agent of secondary socialisation which transmits norms, values and roles (value consensus) and acts as a bridge between family and the whole social system. He claims pupils should see themselves as part of a nation by learning of certain subjects which can establish a common political identity for social solidarity, i. e. history, so pupils can see similarities between themselves and the past society.

American sociologist, Talcott Parsons (1903-1979) developed Durkheim’s ideas. He argues that everybody has the same chance to succeed, therefore pupils who are most successful in schools due to their effort and ability and different talents are fitted into appropriate jobs. This is known as meritocracy. People also learn skills required by modern industrial society in order to keep nation efficient and allow people earn a living. These skills may be general skills such as literacy and numeracy or specific skills required by particular occupations.

The weakness of functionalism is no explanation for how all schools, including religious and fee-paying schools, can transmit a common value system while there are many individuals with different values. They assume the education system establish fair standards for everyone so pupils can achieve their status in society. This meritocratic approach cannot be true if private and grammar schools are considered as private schools have advantage to state schools. 40% gap of entering higher education between middle class and working class children shows the reality.

The other strong ideology is Marxism. The founder, Karl Marx (1818-1883), assumes that education is part of society that is vital for the ruling class (bourgeoisie) to exploit the working class (proletariat). French Marxist philosopher, Louis Pierre Althusser (1918-1990) argues that education system tells people what to believe and how to achieve it which creates false consciousness known as Ideological State Apparatus (ISA). The system also legitimates inequality. Meritocracy and hidden curriculum makes people believe that individual differences are the reasons for success and failure.

In addition, Bowles & Gintis suggest that education system produces a workforce with the skills and attitudes required by employers, thus ensuring that profits continue to be made for the ruling class. They also insist there is a pattern of success or failure related to social factors such as class, ethnicity and selection does not occur on basis of ability. Although Marxism provides strong ideas, it has some weak points such as not telling how teachers are “tools” of the system and showing pupils as passive. It does not explain how the bourgeoisie control the system for their own benefits.

Functionalists defined “cultural deprivation” to explain working class underachievement. It means children who lack the basic cultural norms, values, language and skills that commonly shared by most other members of society. As Basil Bernstein states that working class families speak in “restricted code” which means smaller vocabulary, less adjectives and adverbs, information is short with no details or additional explanations, while middle class families speak in “elaborated code”, with more effective communication.

Therefore working class pupils have limited skills required by education such as describing, analysing and comparing whereas middle class pupils have enough mental stimulation which is crucial as teachers use elaborated code. Hart & Risley supported this thesis by saying a professional’s child knows more words than a working class family’s child and likely to be more successful in school. However, it fails to consider material deprivation and structural inequalities, the organisation of school and teacher’s expectations.

Nell Keddie states that working class culture is different not deficient. Blackstone and Mortimore (1994) argue that working class families have no less interest in their children’s education. Paul Willis tries to answer criticism of Marxism and shows that there is no meritocracy in a capitalist society in his study called “Learning to Labour”. The “lads” (12 pupils) had their own counter-school culture which was opposed to the values espoused by the school. The lads felt superior both to the teacher and to conformist pupils.

They can see through the ideological smokescreen which means they are aware of capitalistic society is not meritocratic and they will end up having low-paid jobs so there is no need to gain qualifications. Although they believe workplace is a sense of adulthood/manhood, they still have the same attitude: the lack of respect for authority and having a “laff”. Therefore education can have unintended consequences on pupils which may not be completely beneficial to capitalism.

Despite the significant findings, this study has a small-scale view as it includes only 12 boys and is gender biased so it is difficult to generalise the findings. Functionalists and Marxists try to address the problem differently, but none of them have satisfying explanations. Functionalists see the education system as providing a positive educational experience which benefits the children and society. They blame working class families or culture for the poor results of working class children. Whereas, Marxists claim that the system oppresses and harms people, and that it only benefits the powerful.

Both of them ignore gender, ethnicity and labelling (Stephen Ball) which develops self-fulfilling prophecy (Rosenthal & Jacobson) means when people treat you as if you had certain attributes, you start acting that way. All these studies and recent surveys show that there is a class inequality in Britain and education system maintains it. The Sutton Trust suggests a solution: secondary schools should be more balanced and disadvantaged youngsters should be attained in order to be in better position. Tevhide Turkmen

Is Sociology a science? This paper will aim to explore the question ‘Is Sociology a science? ’ We will explore the definitions of Science and Sociology and then go onto examine various perspectives and theories surrounding the subject heading. Sociologists such as Durkheim, Comte and Weber will be examined. This paper is intended as an overview of two different schools of thought, those of positivist and anti-positivist approaches I will outline the main principals for each Sociologist covered.

I will then give my personal views on the question, and attempt to answer it within my conclusion. Firstly, in order to examine the essay title it must be laid out exactly what we mean by ‘Science’ and ‘Sociology’ Science definition. Science is, according to the Oxford dictionary 2002 “The systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiments”. Sociology definition.

Sociology on the other hand is described as, according to the Hutchins encyclopaedia , “the systematic study of the origin of human society, in particular of social order and social change, social conflict and social problems. It studies institutions such as the family, law and the church, as well as concepts such as the norm, role, and culture. Sociology attempts to study people in their social environment according to underlying moral, philosophical and political codes of behaviour. ” There are various ‘schools of thought’ when it comes to answering the question we are debating.

This paper will take a brief look at approaches such as positivist and anti-positivist approaches. It is often debated that thee are two separate schools of thought when discussing Sociology. There is the first notion that Sociology is based on fact and figures using quantitive data and analysis. The second suggestion is that Sociology is based on qualitative data and is surrounded by the need to understand why’s, where’s and how’s that make up society. It is only right to start with the views of Emile Durkheim, who is seen as some, the father of sociology and one of the greatest positivists of all time.

The term ‘positivist’ simply relates to a person/group of sociologists whom believe that Sociology to be a science ie quantative data analysis He expressed the need for quantitive data and in depth analysis in order to gain a true insight. He appreciated the fact that data and results were an accurate way of analysing and assessing the world and he applied these principals to the examination of society. In his text ‘The Rules of Sociological Methods’ (first published in 1895) Durkheim set out how he believed logic and methodology was the key to the successful study of ‘sociology’.

Emile Durkheim carried out what could be described as a famous study where he studied the suicide rates of European countries. This process weighted heavily on analysis of data and actual facts, just as science is based on facts. Durkheim’s argument was that any theory should be backed up with evidence. This evidence could only be found by the gathering and analysis of data. He believed that the correct route was to gather the data and develop theories that supported that evidence.

Positivists view things “in the same state of mind as the physicist, chemist or physiologist when he probes into a still unexplored region of the scientific domain” (Durkheim 1964: xiv). Durkheim is what we would call a ‘Positivist’. Positivists believe that there are many similarities to the research methods embraced by scientists. When we consider this fact is it very easy to state that a posivitist will only study when its subjects and analysis can be quantified ie they are measurable, and can be observed and reported on.

Auguste Comte, whom is arguably one of the first Sociologists, sought an empirical way of thinking towards sociological issues . Comte states that sociology should only be concerned with matters where you can get results based on data collation and facts- not based on assumption. Comte believed it was possible to have a good handle on the prediction of further trends and patterns within society. Empirical evidence is the key in positivism. Comte argued that positivism goes through three stages, ” the law of the three stages”.

It ‘claims that human efforts to understand the human world have passed through theological, metaphysical and positive stages. ‘ (Giddens, 2006, page 11) Now we will go on to examine the ‘other sides of the coin’ and look at the subjectivists’ and realists sociologists’ theories regarding sociology as a science. Various writers could be seen to be labelled anti-positivist, or believers that sociology is not a science. Such sociologists believe that the researcher should concern themselves with human cultural norms, values and processes that are viewed from a subjective perspective.

Weber (1864-1920) defined sociology as ‘a science which attempts the interpretive understanding of social action in order to thereby arrive at a casual explanation of its course and effects’ (1964 p88). Weber was one of the founders of the “Verstehen” method, along with Simmel. Verstehen simply means “understanding” or ”interpretation”. This method involves an outsider attempting to relate to a person or persons from a specific group of people from their point of view.

The realists approach to Sociology generally consist of accepting that there are differences between science and sociology – but it should be mentioned that this approach does allow for a social science. Andrew Sayer (1992) expressed differences between ‘open and closed systems as arenas of study’ (Sociology in focus 638)A good example of this ‘closed system’ would be a science lab where conditions can be heavily controlled, this gives way to fixed conditions that can be maintained or fluctuated by the lab.

It has to be noted that a large amount of scientific research takes place outside of a controlled environment and this would be classed as an ‘open system’ Sayer argues that the behaviour and interaction of human beings takes place in open arenas and therefore the results cannot be predicted with any accuracy attached to it. But realists do not rule out completely the fact that sociology is indeed a science. Realists can be perceived to argue that the study named sociology could be based on the same principals as ‘science’ in the fact that both are concerned with exploring and evaluating an end roduct. Ray Pawson described the notion that there are two separate types of sociology as the ‘methodological myth’. He argues that two sociologies do not exist and that sociology is made up from a wide range of opinions Conclusion It has been shown within the context of this paper that Sociology can be viewed from both perspectives ie. As a science and the opposing view that it cannot be classed as a science. From a personal perspective I believe that Sociology is indeed a science, if carried out in its ‘true sense’.

In order for sociologists to be taken seriously in the world we must quantify what we are saying. This must be done with the assistance of data and observation, then opinions must be formed based on this data and facts we have collated. It is simply not good enough to provide readers with ideas of what may be true, as this is surely just opinion, rather than fact! If sociology was solely about opinions rather than showing empirical evidence to back up ones claims then surely each and every individual on the planet could rightly call themselves sociologists..

Bibliography Bilton, T, Bonnett, K et al (1996) Introductory Sociology 3rd Edition. Mc Millan Press: London http://sociology. org. uk/atssp7. htm. Accessed 14/2/2010 Cotgrove, S (1967) The Science of Society: An Introduction to Sociology, Allen & Unwin: London Hutchins encyclopaedia Keat & Urry (1975) Social Theory as Science, Routledge: London Oxford Dictionary ( 2002) Taylor et all (2000) Sociology in focus Causeway press:London www. jstor. org/stable/4026005 accessed 1/2/10 http://www. emile-durkheim. com/ accessed 18/2/10

The main essence of research paper

Hello, it will take a few minutes of your attention. Are you a big fan of studies? Does this process please you? Despite your answer, keep reading this article.

“We live to study,” said famous philosopher. It goes without saying that education is an integral part of the person’s development. Different educational institutions provide us with mental improvement, new knowledge, and skills. We can state that the time we spend at university or high school is one of the brightest pages of our life. According to the survey, not everyone can agree with such statement.

Most students are sure that learning process brings only troubles and ruins nerve cells. We assume that the reasons for it are different types of tasks, compositions, and of course, research papers. Each student is afraid of these academic writings that require a lot of time and patience. Nevertheless, we want to convince you that it is a doable task if to follow simple rules and steps. First of all, let us refresh your knowledge about the research paper definition.

You can find a lot of different incomprehensible determinations of this type of writing. But we don’t want to exhaust you with boring statements. So, a research paper is a kind of work which aims to discover some issue and give unique results. According to the investigation, such writing is well-spread in different universities as it helps to identify the level of understanding of a topic.

Moreover, we should highlight the advantages, in particular, it develops critical thinking and imagination of students; a research paper opens different aspects of scientific experiments, and the most important is that it can be the first step in our educational achievements. Be sure that there are cases when it is easier to write a coursework rather than answer simple questions. It is time to speak about the essential components of the research paper.

It is common knowledge that you should be aware of its structure as it is a basic feature of each paper work. Do you know the rule of three-components structure? In this case, it works as well. Each research paper should be well-structured and divided into the several parts. The first part is an introduction. In order to avoid misunderstanding, we want to say that here you do not give information about yourself and family. It is the paragraphs or even the whole page where you invoke people to read your work. Moreover, here you make a small overview of the topics that will be described. Do not forget, to end your introduction with the thesis sentence.

It is a good way to segway into second and the most significant part of the investigation –  main body. A question related to it is rather controversial, as students are sure that it is a kind of stream of consciousness, but still the main body should include precise and concise paragraphs. We highly recommend you to use various statements and evidence as it will make your paper more diverse and exciting.

The final part is a conclusion. We are intended to break your stereotype that it is the most complicated one. Keep calm and focus your attention on the results of the investigation because they should be given in conclusion. A small tip for you – do not depict new issues or phenomena in the end of work. Your task is to make a brief overview of the abovementioned data. There are cases, when students make a conclusion long and inconsequent. In order to avoid it, you should divide the ending of an investigation into several parts according to the paragraphs in the main body. It helps realize the aim and essence of a paper without reading of the whole work.

Second and no less significant thing is plagiarism. It is not a mystery that you will rewrite or take the main idea of somebody’s investigation; so, you steal thoughts and results. Unfortunately, this is the main reason for plagiarism. What to do in such case? It is a common fact that professors appreciate when students make in-text citations when they use the words of scientists or other prominent people. It is a good way to prove that you have worked only with credible sources and your paper deserves to be read.

Thirdly, we want to admit that your content should be informative. Do not try to be funny and depict important issues in a comic way. The language of the paper should be laconic and style – neat. Do not misapply different literary devices as it is a scientific paper, so it should not have an artistic essence. Be sure that you understand the meaning of a term in order to avoid false statements. You should consult a dictionary or ask your professor for help. There is no hesitation that it is better to specify rather than make a mistake.

In order to relax you, we want to share some methods of the easy writing of wordage papers. It is a typical situation when a student has troubles with the appropriate beginning of the paper as it is complicated to choose from millions of thoughts the best one. Do not let ambiguity destroy your inspiration. If the introduction goes first, it doesn’t mean that you should write it foremost. You can begin with the main body; perhaps, it will enrich your imagination and help start a paper well.

Another key thing to know is that you should use appropriate format. It means that you can be aware of rules of formatting and apply them in your paper. There is no doubt that your mark depends on it. Note that there is a big difference between ways of writing mathematics and scholar papers.

Do not flow into a rage if you have no ideas for writing. A psychologist suggests that wish and enthusiasm come with art. Perhaps, it will be productive for you to draw a picture or just to listen to music. There is no doubt that such light things will present you a new sip for creation. So, now you know how to make your writing procedure easy.

It looks like all significant things are highlighted, but there is one more issue that needs to be clarified. Perhaps, you have guessed that we are talking about interesting topics for the investigation. Everybody will agree that we can have some troubles while choosing the main theme. We have the opportunity to look over various paper topics and pick the best. Of course, it sounds like a piece of cake but how to put it into actions? We hope that given below information will help you answer this question.

How to title a research paper

Some phenomena can influence the title of paper. First of all, it depends whether you can name it without the approval of professor as there are cases when you should accept ideas of other people; but if you have the opportunity to do it by yourself – try this chance. You can find different interesting research topics, but we invoke you to pay attention to its structure, in particular, title should:

• Be precise and concise
• Consist of no more than two sentences
• Convey the main idea of the paper
• Be well-structured and grammatically correct

We agree that it is troublesome to create a magnificent topic immediately. Nevertheless, there are some steps that can help you get it started. Check it out!

1. Decide the area of investigation

It is essential to know which branch of science your paper should be dedicated to. If it is art, you can use different metaphors or other literary devices. Moreover, feel free to paste a quotation or sentence from some verses. Another key thing to know is that if you write the scientific research, you have a theme and style limitation. You cannot use epithets and affectionate words in order to make the title more attractive.

2. Examine your experience

Try to recollect themes that you have already investigated. It will help you select topics that cannot be described second time. Moreover, you can test yourself and write themes that enter your head. It is undeniable that brilliant thoughts come unpredictably.

3. Consider your interests

You can make a list that you are interested in and pick the topic that can be widely described. We guarantee that it will provide you with a successful result and high mark. The reason for it is that you will have more enthusiasm to create if you are keen on topic.

4. Pick the best three

When you finish your list, pick the three most appropriate topics that have not yet been investigated. You should be sure that they are interesting and can be described from different aspects. Moreover, unique and original information will attract a lot of readers.

5. Trust encyclopedia

Now you need appropriate terms in order to make your paper more scientific. That is why you can deepen your knowledge of the branch of your investigation, make notes of essential statements, and of course, be aware of its specificity. Moreover, you can find new facts that will make your paper interesting.

6. Mass Media

We advise you to address periodical press as there you can come across the current investigations of your theme or find keywords that will help you work up the outline.

7. Go to library

Probably, a librarian will give you the correct instructions and recommend some tutorials that can help achieve success. Moreover, it is a good way to find extra credible sources.

8. A landmark decision

Determine which topic has more sources that can be used during its investigation. The main reason is obvious as it will make the writing procedure easier. You will not need to make extra global searching as everything will be in “front of you.”

9. 1/3

So, pick one topic and start a creation. Now you can imagine its structure and frame.

10. Time to act

Rephrase your topic as a research question and try to answer. You have all necessary information that will be basic in your investigation. Think about the relationship between keywords. Are they suitable for your investigation? Accept a challenge and start writing, everything is in your hands.

Hope our set of steps will be crucial for your research paper. We aim to pick ones that are easy to apply in practice.

Research topics for high school students

It is a high time to focus your attention on good research topics that can be described from different aspects. Moreover, we offer you a wide list that can meet your wishes and expectations. Hope you will pick one that will be interesting for you.

It goes without saying, it is reasonable to classify themes into several groups, in particular, political science research topics, sociological paper topics, and political topics. Now the procedure of making a decision will be not troublesome for you.

Let us offer you some statements that can work as the thesis for your political research paper.

• Reasons, goals, and influence of political conflicts.
• The essence of discrimination.
• Causes of World Hunger
• Wage as the biggest motivation to work

Here are some topics for science research paper:

• Is cloning crucial thing for modern childbirth
• Future of NASA
• Nature as the home for insects
• Medical experiments on animals

And finally, cast a glance on some examples of sociological themes:

• A person and society
• The impact of Mass Media on our consciousness
• Family relationship
• The problems between parents and children

The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that study process is a fascinating thing that makes life more exciting and rich. The reason for it is that you discover new things, broaden erudition and have the opportunity to become a master of life. Accept challenges and prove your knowledge. Feel free and use this article because it will show you an easy way to success.

Point of view

Supply chain manager He ensures that their supply chain is efficient and cost-effective. A supply chain is the collection of steps that a company takes to transform raw components into the final product. Typically, supply chain managers are responsible in comprising the five stages of supply chain management: plan, develop, make, deliver, and return.

Statement of the problem

How should the management establish an efficient solution in producing exact number of tags that will be needed to meet and achieve the customer’s satisfaction and to avoid the shortage and excessive production of the plant tags?

Objectives

• To come up with a better solution for a achieving a match between supply of the producers and the demand of the consumers
• To maintain and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the company
• To improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the supply chain management system of MasterTag
• To implement a new style in producing tags that would enhance positive outcome to the company
• To formulate action based on the chosen solution for the problem

Areas of consideration

• The demand of the consumers (seed companies) didn’t match the supply of the company because its supply chain is not effective
• The company expects possible crop failures of the seed companies
• The management of MasterTag planned to introduce new items of seed companies

Alternative courses of action

Set a new supply chain management system by making a fairly large batch which would be produced and shipped directly to the growers instead of the seed companies.

And later, when the grower results became available, a second batch would be produced using information from growers on how many additional tags are needed. The second batch would then be made and shipped to the growers.

Pros

• There will be an assurance of exact numbers of plant tags.
• They will not end up with millions of leftover tags.

Cons

• Time consuming process. There is a lot of process to take.
• Deal and find a better consumer (seed companies) that will match the company’s supply.

Look for a company that can satisfy the number of products of the supplier (MasterTag)

Recommendation

Based on the alternative courses of action, we think that the best alternative course is to set a new supply chain management system by making a fairly large batch which would be produced and shipped directly to the growers instead of the seed companies.

And later, when the grower results became available, a second batch would be produced using information from growers on how many additional tags are needed. The second batch would then be made and shipped to the growers. In this case, although the action is said to be time consuming process, the company will achieve the consumer’s satisfaction because eventually, the supply and the demand will meet. The problem regarding the leftover and unused tags will be lessening.

At the same time, the chosen action achieved organization’s established objectives and deliver effective performance not only for the company but also to the consumers. We consider the importance of supply chain management system which involves coordinating and integrating flows in both within and among companies. It is said that the ultimate goal of any effective supply chain management system is to reduce inventory (which is the main problem in this case study).

There have been changes between generations of family structure and family oleos over the years. Both my great grandparents are Ghanaian. They had twelve children, my grandma being the youngest. In those days, houses in Ghana were largely built and accommodated every member of the extended family. Their main idea and aim of living together under one roof was to give care, support and perpetuate their cultural heritage. They provided each other with physical needs, emotional and economic support, meeting the basic human needs for food, shelter and intimacy.

Since hunting and gathering could not feed the whole family, they resulted to farming. Agriculture was their main source of work and income. It brought a very significant amount of produce to feed the entire extended family. The men were actively involved in farm work, particularly in the growing of crops and rearing of animals. The men ensured that the supply of food was evenly shared to the family members, whiles the women stayed home and performed household duties like cooking cleaning, caring for the children and the elderly among other functions.

My great grandparents made sure that the married couples procreate and socialism the next generation to perpetuate the society cultural heritage, traditions, practices, values, language, and so on. In addition, they ensured that the security of every member Of the family was achieved, as well seeing to it that the new generations were nurtured and rooted in the customs and norms of the society. My great-grandfather passed away at the age of 1 1 0, and my great, grandmother at the age of 1 15 respectively.

In their old age, my mother, among other siblings – including those from external branches of the family provided support for them in their daily activities such as personal care. My grandparents were both traders; they were into the exportation and importation of farm produce to various parts of the world. My mother being the eldest of six children helped my grandparents in the running of the business. Moreover, my grandparents, being the head of the family, provided moral guidance and ensured that members of the family lived harmoniously with each other.

This resulted in us spending more quality time with one another, promoting unity, integration and thereby fostering happiness. In addition to all these, my grandparents also assisted to the other mothers in the community in their support for the daily needs of the younger ones. My grandfather died peacefully, at the age of 96. His death really had a devastating impact on my grandmother since they performed various family functions together. She was later diagnosed with depression and dementia, which worsened with age.

My mother with her other siblings took turns in caring for her until she passed away at the age of 95. After the death of my grandparents, my mother married and divorced six years after. Her other five siblings also married and migrated from the village and are now scattered across Europe, America and Asia. Subsequently, my mother relocated to live in Germany and left me in the care of my father who eater remarried twice and had two children with each woman.

Fifteen years ago, got married, moved out of Ghana and have since lived in Chocolates with my family. Though am now separated from my husband, I still live in Chocolates with my four children. Although my father still resides in Ghana, my other half siblings are living in different countries around the world. Due to the distance between us all, our ability to see each other and provide care and support ; as was the case in my grandparent’s generation has been greatly reduced.

In view of the above, agree to the fact that due to the recent changes in the enervation of family, there has been issues affecting the family such as divorce, smaller families, single parenthood, families scattered across the globe and greater number of people living alone. This has really decreased the family ability to care and support each other. In this journal, I will define what the term , and also how George Morocco and Talcum Parsons viewed the family and its roles from a functionalist perspective.

Furthermore, I will again explain the changes in the roles and relationship within the family in the last century, followed by a conclusion. The arrival of he industrial revolution and the rise of capitalism were primary factors that resulted in the changes in family role and structure in this modern era. The family role has been an interest and focus by functionalists such as Tailcoat Parsons and Morocco George. Sociologist, anthropologist, historians, and economist have all defined “family/’ from their various different perspectives.

One of the main institutions that can have the most impact on society is the family. The meaning of family is different to every one of us. Family to me; is the basic building block of society. It comprises a group of people who are elated by blood, such as great-grandparents, grandparents, uncles, aunties, nephews, nieces, cousins, parents children who live together or apart, thus representing a single household (see picture 1). The family could also be seen as an institution or a social group united through bonds of kinship, marriage or adoption that joins members as one (Mansions and Plumper, 2008, p. 80). Pictures 1 : Extended Family. Source: http://www. Backslash. Com/De tutorial/05/08/edited . HTML. Ideally, the family is an institution Of solicitation and nurturing. It ensures unity and cooperation among members, providing protection, companionship ND security. Some other may also view the family as a group of people living in love, protecting and supporting each other in spite of race, blood, gender, culture etc. In order to further elaborate on this issue of family, I will look at how family was before and how much it has changed up until this date.

One of the main changes in the dynamics of families is the social changes in the Women’s movement and the changes from the extended family unit to nuclear family, then to other forms of families such as the single parent family unit, cohabitation, homosexuals families and so on. Parsons identifies two oleos the family plays. The first is the primarily, the socializing of children. He argues that through solicitation, children acquire language; absorb the accumulated knowledge, attitude, belief and values of their culture; and learn the social and interpersonal skills they need if they are to function well and effectively in the society.

The second aspect of the role Parsons assets is the stabilization of adult personalities. Parsons stated that the different roles men and women play could lead to stress and strains, thus family is seen as functioning when it provides warmth, security and emotional support for ACH other (see picture 2) and thus, all family members benefit from the loving relationships that they share with each other. This process is also known as the “Warm Bath” theory where the family provides a very relaxing atmosphere at home to release stress and tension after a hard day at work (see picture 3).

Pictures 2: The Family Members Supporting Each Other. Source: http://blob. Wellness. Com/blob/-not-set–vitamins-d-c-and-BBS-lend- each-other-helping-hands Picture 3: The Family Relaxing at Home. Source: http://cytologist. Ham. Com/2008/06/27/functions-of-the-family- part-2/ George Morocco, arguably, took an entirely different approach in defining family as “a social group characterized by common residence, economic cooperation, and production” (Sitting, 1 985, p. 60).

He added that the family includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the social cohabiting adults. Morocco (1949) looked at 250 societies and came up with four basic functions of the family. He claimed that the family is universal because it fulfils the following essential functions for society. These unction’s focus on: sexual, reproductive, educative and economic roles Of the family.

Morocco believed that the sexual function serves to regulate sexual behavior. This function relates to the activity between the husband and wife, mating to bring forth children. This leads us to the reproductive function, which relates to bearing and raising the children for the next generation. The educational function serves as a platform for families to train and transmits values and virtues to the younger generation, thus building human capital. This function socialists the children into the culture of their society thereby asking them responsible adults.

As the Bible states in Proverbs 22:16 “train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (King James version). Morocco fourth function of the family is how it serves as economic unit, which provides financial security and stability among members. Undoubtedly, households do entail an economic relationship in different ways; it ensures that the production and allocation of resources are distributed equally among members (Kittens, 1985, p. 62).

Families supply each other with basic necessities such as food, shelter, clothing and other eternal resources that insure the emotional ties to one another. The men are the breadwinner of the house whiles the women perform various household duties and provide constant care and support for the children and the elderly. The functionalist perspective has focused on the role of the and for its members. In other words, it looks at how the family, as an institution helps in maintaining order and stability in the society and the importance of the family for its members.

There are different kinds of family system, namely: the extended family, the nuclear family, single parent Emily, cohabitation family, gay and lesbian family etc. The extended family is defined as “a family system in which several generations live in household” (Oxford Dictionary of Sociology, 2005). Tailcoat Parsons believed that the extended family in the pre industrial era was the most beneficial as they were a unit of production. This means that the work and home lives were combined and so each member of the family takes turns in helping and supporting each other in times of need.

One reason that the extended family was often not more prevalent than now is because of the lower life expectancy rate. Today, grandparents are in good shape and are living longer; this can be attributed to a number of factors including the improvements in public health, nutrition and medicines. The welfare system has also encouraged the De- institutionalizing of the elderly and created changes within the family structures giving rise to grandparents to assist in the caring of their grandchildren.

Grandmothers in today’s world are playing a very vital role in caring for their grandchildren while their mothers and fathers go to work. It has been commonly believed that the nuclear family came about as a exult of industrialization, with small families better able to meet the demands of an industrialized economy (see picture 4). From my point of view, the nuclear family comprises of two adults, male and female, with their offspring (see picture 5). Sitting (1985) suggest that the nuclear family consist of a parent and a child or parents and children.

Industrialization, arbitration, and capitalism were the main factors that led to the promotion of the nuclear family and household change (Sitting, 1985, p. 133). The main reason for this change was that industrialization saw the development of stories, which facilitated the rapid growth of large urban centers to support and supply labor for factory-based production. Furthermore, these rapidly growing economic centers necessitated smaller family units in order to function optimally. Pictures 4: Extended Family. Source: http://YMMV. Ambulant. Com/about/family. Tm Picture 5: The Nuclear Family. Source: http://www. Preconditioning. Com/2013/03/13/parents-opinions- matter-win-prizes-with-parent-survey-panel-2/ Obviously, the structure of the family unit keeps changing, and with that, being a single mum or dad is much easier today than in previous years due to social acceptance and higher prevalence. Single parent families involve one adult and child (or children); most often the adult turns out to be female. This family unit is often derived from the nuclear family through the break-up of one family through divorce or death.

In the past, people got married and stayed married regardless of the problems and difficulties the marriage will be facing. A divorce procedure was difficult, expensive and could take ages to come to end, making it impossible for marriages to breakdown. However, the number of single-parent families is growing at length. Divorce parents with heir dependents do not bear the stigma they once did, as it has become a norm in this modern era. (Wolfing, 2005, p. 2) Nowadays, one can get married today and divorce tomorrow. More women are choosing to have children out of wedlock.

Functionalist like Parsons and Morocco have regarded the nuclear family as the best family unit for society since it fulfils many roles. Personally, I believe that the lone-parent family is still capable of socializing children into society. Gay and lesbian family unit is taking centre stage in today’s words. In the Islamic society it is recognized as a taboo and loud lead to punishment by death (Mansions and Plumper, 2008, p. 392). This family unit consist of adults of the same sex with or without children; the children could be their own from previous marriages Or adopted.

Society looks down on homosexuals for seeking sexual gratification from the same sex. This lifestyle is not seen as a social norm considered by the family and community where one lives. Due to recent changes in human right laws and regulations, same- sex marriage are seen as heterosexuals, given the same right and benefits as the nuclear family, overturning centuries of est. blushed radiation whereby homosexuals acts were kept out of the public domain and was seen as sin and a taboo. I Mill continue by outlining the changes in the roles of the family, how it has evolved and the impact on society since the twentieth century.

Despite the changing lifestyles and ever-increasing personal mobility that characterize modern society, the family still remains the central element of contemporary life; offering care and support, companionship, security and protection. But, the structure of the family, and society at large has undergone massive changes in terms of the roles they lay. Before the industrial revolution, families were a unit of production and were considered to be multifunction. Members within the family (extended Family) had to work to support each other.

Agric True was primarily their source of work and production. With the development of machine, equipment as well as the building of factories, which made the working process easier and increase in volume of production, people had to adapt to new conditions and lifestyle. Industrialization required a move from rural areas to urban centers and precisely, to where the factories were located, this ad a negative effect on the extended family since this led to higher geographic mobility reducing the kinship network.

This changes brought about the nuclear family system, which was better fitted at that time. Men were the breadwinners and chief provider of the house and the women and kids were confirmed to the house performing household duties such as taking care of the children, cleaning of the house, cooking, among other functions (see picture 6 &7) Pictures 6 & 7: The Misery of working conditions in the Early Periods of Industrialization. Source: http://www. Tepidity. Com/Genderless/How-Women’s-Roles-in-the- Family-Have-Changed/ Source: http://WV. Demutualization. Mom/business/bobcat/ Family+will+prove+good+thing+business+Ions/7939185/story. HTML However, functionalist like Karl Marx and Frederica Engel’s interpret the effect of industrialization, arbitration and the existence of the nuclear family from a negative perspective. They argued that the role of the family benefited the ruling class, thus helping to maintain class inequality and capitalism. Marx and Engel’s viewed the family as a unit of consumption, which promoted the products of the capitalist and generated profit for the capitalist businesses Kismet, 2007).

Marx believed the family socialists its members especially the children to become the next generation of labor power to the capitalist system. Marx went on to argue that parents exert authority and control over their children thereby preparing them to abide by the capitalist authority in the work place (Goode, 1964, up. 219-224). Throughout the years, the family unit has changed drastically, the role of women have shifted from home based to outside of the house likewise the men. Women have now moved into the workforce, equaling the same right and privileges men have in the ark place.

Stacey (1987: 238) seems to have noted that ‘the massive increase of female participation in higher education and the labor force are both cause and effect of this family crises; they both facilitate and are made necessary by family change” (cited in Jaeger and Wright, 1999: 4). At most majority of women in the workforce are highly positioned and managing various branches of the organizations due to their caring nature. Men’s traditional roles have also changed. With working wives they are relieved from the burden of being the sole responsibility for supporting the family.

Aside Of being the breadwinner, men are nowadays participating actively in the running and managing of the household. They help in the caring of the children, like taking them to school, picking them up from school, preparing meals for the family among other duties. In my opinion, the new changes in the role of the family can lead to family harmony and happiness since the mother, father as well as the children share in almost all the household activities. However, the changing relationship to work is also undermining the pattern of rights and expectations in the marriage.

As women attachment to he paid labor force increases, they would require to exert the same power, control and rights in the making of family decisions as supposed to men. When theses rights are not respected, most women find this intolerable leading to a break down of the marriage. Majority of women in full time employment continues to take responsibility of work in the household than the men, this is because they are pressured by the traditional sex roles duties in the past leaving them to work longer hours.

Women have been performing majority of household duties for decades, and they will continue to do so until should task becomes a paid profession. It is very obvious that the modern family has many changes and differences in comparison to the traditional family. In the past the family lived and worked together, so the family relationship was attached. The size Of the traditional family had two or more generations living together to provide care, warmth and support for each other. Children in this family unit are cared for not only by the parents, but other kindred.

In contrast with modern society today, children within the nuclear family unit often stay with child-minders and neighbors whiles their arenas are at work. When mothers are at the workplace or away from their children for various reasons, they sometimes feel guilty that someone is being responsible for performing their duty of caring and raising their child or children. There is limited time for solicitation in the nuclear family unit. Working parents may have less time for each other if they do not schedule a time for solicitation as a result of their hectic pace of family life.

This can have a significant effect on marriage and family life resulting in their life not being fulfilled. Relationship may become more stressful, family members will tot feel as close and as involved with one another, and family living can become less enjoying. For this reason, the relationship of today’s modern family system will not be close-knit as supposed to before. However, women who work outside the home report significant benefits associated with their job. They describe having high reputation and self-esteem and a greater sense of autonomy and respect.

When a mother enjoys her work and gains a sense of satisfaction from it as well as good earnings, her children can benefit more than if she stays home. There will be adequate income for the should decreasing financial pleasure, and promoting a healthy lifestyle and relationship. Marriage to me is the union between two people that is a man and a woman who show long time commitment for each other. From the beginning God revealed that marriage was a special union between a man and a woman to come together and replenish the earth. That was the only way to have children.

People marry for various reasons. These reasons could be based love, security, for protection, to procreation, financial benefit, among other reasons (see picture 8). Interestingly, people refuse to get aired for various reasons. Some people strive to stay single because they like freedom. Others would want to be free do anything they want and not have to feel the burden of a family. Some will remain single so they can have fewer responsibilities than a married person. Majority of people have the fear of getting divorce and this pushes them away from getting married.

This fear could be due to an experience the person has gone through or witnessed. From my standpoint, when parents or a relative of yours goes through an unpleasant marriage relationship, which ended in divorce when you were a nouns, this could have a negative impact on you thinking you will face that same experience and problems, thereby avoiding having a taste of marriage. Nowadays, marriage have become less of an important for women who are now able to undertake paid work outside the home and are able to fend for themselves and their dependents leading to their increasing ability to form separate households.

Adding to this, a divorce procedure doesn’t take a significant amount of time and money like it was in centuries past. This has also resulted in the increase rate of divorce. Picture 8: Marriage: the union of love. Source: http://manifoldness. Mom/2011 /09/15/7-reasons-to-believe-in-the- power-of-marriage/ For centuries now, the issue of divorce and increased in divorce rate in this modern era is increasingly taking centre stage in the public domain (see pictures 9 & 10).

In Great Britain for instance in 1 984, it was estimated that there were 940,000 lone parents families and half a million children living in these family unit (Snell and Millard, 1987, P. 389). Recently it is estimated that about one in two new marriages will fail (Wolfing, 2005, p. 2). Undoubtedly, divorce causes so much harm than good; however, it can be viewed from a costive angle. Parents being separated can be better for the children so that they will not have put up with so many quarrels and fighting among the parents.

Most often, the children are the ones who are being affected greatly when a divorce process begins. Quite interestingly, more than twenty studies conducted over the last thirty years confirmed, children of divorced are likely to end up the same way, thus they refrain from entering into marriage (Wolfing, 2005, p. 3). Many single parents are as a result of divorce, others could be the death of one of the spouse. Whichever way it comes, being a ingle parent with dependents from my own perspective is not an experience one should go through.

In most instances the men walk away leaving the women the sole responsibility in rearing and raising the child or children with very little help from the absent father. This often leads to financial constraint on the women (Wolfing, 2005, p. 4). However, the Welfare System has provided social security benefits such as (e. G. Tax credit, child benefit, income support, healthy start vouches, NASH exemption certificate, housing and council tax benefit, among other benefits) to help ease their financial burden. Most often, after divorce, people turn to cohabitate rather than getting remarried due to previous experience.