Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Sad, and reflecting musing that I forgot I wrote a while ago.
I wrote this small piece of writing in response to a report that a man had killed himself and his family, on Oct 6, 2008. This was a tragedy. This unfortunately shows a durkheimian school of thought.
Durkheim argues that modern society is always prone to anomie, but it is only in times of social and economic crisis does it come to the forefront. For example, A man which killed himself and his family because of the pressures of the economy and recession. This shows anomie taking form in society. This example which unfortunately is true is also proof of Durkheim’s ideas of Anomic Suicide. Like in our recession, people in our society in general have been put in a situation in which old norms do not apply, and new norms have not yet developed. Durkheim was a genius.
Anomie - state of normlessness, or lack of norms.
Norms - the do’s and don’ts of society, human conduct, and social interaction. Rules, Standards, laws, regulations, customs and traditions.
On a personal note, politics aside, we as humans should do everything in our power to help our fellow man in need. I can understand if the man doesn't seek help, but if he did, we should do everything we can. This is senseless and very sad.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Durkheim 2008/Obama : Collective Effervescence, Individuality, and cycles.
Collective Effervescence, Individuality, and cycles.
While reading and thinking about Durkheim, and his views on what he calls Collective Effervescence, I was thinking about how you could use this theory and apply it to the 2008 election with Barack Obama.
Individualism is a byproduct of society, because without knowing of society, then the individual does not know he is an individual, you must have other individuals to compare too and relate to in order to understand and appreciate your own individuality.
And Individuality is also formed by using others as your examples of what not to do and what to do, which creates a unique person because each situation in which you see or use an individual to express your own self is unique and different. And because other people are using you for their examples then you can say that no one individual can create, control, or even greatly influence society. Look at a transcendental person like Obama. He may be able to sway millions, but remember that those millions were not swayed by him as much as the millions that Obama was influenced by in his life. Society is in fact a great circle that continuously feeds off itself and renews itself.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
X-MAS, Family, and waiting.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
And now Durkheim.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Alienation, Office Depot, Capitalism, Corporations, THE ECONOMY........ohh my.
Why do I do this?
Money.
I have to have it to survive just like anyone else. I feel like a little piece of me dies off everytime I sell overpriced and unessential products and services. I know one thing, the economy doesnt like me because I would tell people to save their money and they dont need these things. Sometimes you do need things, but you should decide If you want it by yourself. I shouldn't have to push it on you. :( minus one for capitalism today. Plus one for socialism. I still do believe in the capitalist structure as being the most sound, but Hyper-Capitalism is dangerous and unethical.
But then again? Ethics.
Another danger is that a person can have ethics, but a corporation gives people something to shield their humanity with and become greedy and unethical. Maybe, Capitalism minus 2.
You know I have always had a feeling inside me that I didnt know how to interpret. It was this feeling that things in the human world( which is the world in which we control) is controlled. Go figure! Things like the Economy. I always had this feeling that the economy was controlled like a puppet on strings. It is. The economy is the easiest way to control humanity without using military force. People do not attack "the economy". If your government is bad you will revolt, if the economy is bad, you "accept it", the economy is not a human being, therefore it is hard to fight against it.
The Engine of Human History
We labor to furfill our needs, the labor transforms our needs, which leads to new forms of labor, which produce more needs, which we labor to fill...
Amazing, you could say we produce and expand to produce and expand. Life is of course, but only what we make of it.
I find it so fasinating that we can create huge societies just by furfilling basic human needs. Amazing. Where do these musings come from? Surprisingly enough, its Karl Marx.
Yes I said it, Karl Marx, If you seperate the work of the man from the image we have associated with him you will find a rather intelligent and surprising dialogue. I am enjoying some of it as a write.