1) Choose one social phenomenon or event (e.g. the evolution of women’s rights in Canada in the 20th century), and explain it using Functionalism, Conflict Theory, Symbolic Interactionism or Feminism.A person or group seeking social order due to inequality and power imbalances of dominant political or social ideologies will often be bombarded by people of higher social rank or more privileged groups to see that no competition for resources arise, thus causing conflict (Teevan, et al., 2006). The conflict theory can be exemplified in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Prior to this era, African Americans were heavily discriminated against and were considered unequal to the white race, even though it opposed the countries 14th amendment, which stipulates equal protection rights to all persons, regardless of their skin colour. The Civil Rights Movement between 1954 and 1968 was directed to eliminate racial discrimination of African Americans, particularly in the Southern America, where they were maltreated, marginalized, and segregated socially, politically, and economically. This social movement, however, did not arise in neat, sequential order. Instead, those who opposed the civil rights movement, even before it was radicalized in the 1950’s and 1960’s, did so with violence in order to protect their interests, since they felt that this advancement would interfere with the preservation of their version of the American way of life (Black & Reed, 1981). These extreme right-wing individuals believed that this would inevitably overthrow not merely traditional white southern values, but, in their view, traditional American values (Black & Reed, 1981). Once the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed, which banned discrimination based on “race, colour, religion, or national origin,” those who opposed it decided that the only way to prevent a further revolution was to kill the minority groups’ prominent leaders, and among those was Martin Luther King, Jr. According to the Conflict Theory, members of underprivileged groups may retaliate against the violence with violence in an attempt to improve their circumstances (Teevan, et al., 2006). The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. eventually led to a nationwide wave of riots in more than 100 cities (“1968: Martin Luther King shot dead”, 2006). Therefore, although all this social phenomenon can be explained with any four of the options listed, the conflict theory is most richly demonstrated in the African-American Civil Rights Movement, as it fits the four assumptions of the modern conflict theory: competition, structural inequality, revolution, and to some extent, war (Victor, 2006).
[References]
1968: Martin Luther King shot dead – 2006. Retrieved January 31, 2010, from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/4/newsid_2453000/2453987.stm.Black, M., & Reed, J.S. (1981). Perspectives on the American South: An Annual Review of Society, Politics, and Culture. New York: Gordon and Bearch, Science Publishers, Inc.
Teevan, J.J., White, J. & Hewitt, W.E. (2007). Introduction to Sociology: A Canadian Focus, (9th ed.). Toronto: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Victor, R. (2006). War is a Complex, Multi-Symptom Disease. Retrieved January 31, 2010, from
http://sangam.org/taraki/articles/2006/04-07_War_is_the_Disease.php?uid=1633.2) Discuss the effects of globalization on culture in both a Canadian and a developing world context.Each culture around the world has its own personality that reflects its members who embody it. Culture usually entails what people do, how people dress, what they celebrate, and the rituals they practice on a daily basis. Unlike most developing countries around the globe, Canada is made up of a mosaic of different cultures and people, as opposed to one culture speaking one language in which all citizens can understand. Most children who attend school in Canada are taught at a very young age to appreciate other cultures by understanding what makes each individual different in the world around them. This is one reason why most Canadian are so tolerant of other people’s cultures and often celebrate their differences by being respectful of others through a multitude of festivals throughout the year. Technology has created a global culture both here in Canada and in the developing world. Mobile telephones, chat-rooms, social networking websites such as Facebook, satellites, and television are shaping the way we perceive others and the way people perceive us. Globalization on culture spreads values, a phenomenon that has all sorts of impacts on developing cultures such as civil rights; it spreads norms, and even promotes Western ideals of capitalism in countries where everything is controlled by the government.
One of the greatest effects globalization has had on Canadians and other parts of the world is the aspect of food. Special dishes prepared in different cultures across the globe can be purchased locally for any meal of the day. People are now trying new things, exploring other’s cuisines, ingredients and changing their ways of cooking. Likewise, McDonalds, an American company, has continued to expand its global enterprise by opening restaurants in places where people have never even heard of French fries and hamburgers, and in turn, increasing job opportunities in developing countries and influencing their cultural preferences (Bellman, 2009). Globalization has also brought about the practice of using symbols and scripts from other languages as tattoos. For instance, it is now common practice for people to tattoo their names in another language, such as in Arabic or Chinese.
On the contrary, globalization also has its down falls. All across the global, people want to embrace the Canadian or American lifestyle – a fast paced lifestyle that is very demanding on people’s health, causing stress, anxiety, and other health conditions such as obesity. Food is being eaten quickly, competition is constantly increasing, people are disregarding their beliefs, and respect and tradition are being forgotten and undermined (Kanbolat, 2010). Consequently, globalization has the potential to push people into a lifestyle that is too strenuous and complicated.
Bellman, E. (2009). McDonald’s to Expand in India. Retrieved: Janurary 31, 2010, from
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124628377100868055.html.Kanbolat, H. (2010). The negative effects of a globalized culture of consumption on Turkish society. Retrieved: Janurary 31, 2010, from
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/columnists-162467-the-negative-effects-of-a-globalized-culture-of-consumption-on-turkish-society.html.
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