Modernization Concept Meaning And Relevance Sociology Essay

Modernization Concept Meaning And Relevance Sociology Essay ABSTRACT We live in a changing world and change is inevitable. The use of new technology, tools, adoption of new values and practices in organizations are all aspects of change and modernization. There is, however, a paradox in the attitudes of various generations towards change. The generally urban-ward movement, particularly among the young, has spelled greater independence for them with diminishing parental control and influence on their lives which may pose many undesirable consequences on their behavior. Such changes along with the rapid development in information technology and the spread of mass media play an important role in shaping their behavior. This paper is an attempt to uncover the attitudes of the management students towards change and the various facets of modernization. The sample consists of 120 management students studying in a business school located in the national capital region in India. Attitude towards modernization was measured by using Dr. B.M Mathur Modernization attitude scale which consists of 35 items measuring the five dimensions: Social Mobility; Position of Women; Family Planning; Marriage; and Religion and Superstition. Mean, SD, t-test and correlation were used to analyze the data and conclusions were drawn on the basis of the results. Statistical analysis showed a positive attitude of management students towards different facets of modernization. However, a significant difference was found between female and male students on two dimensions of modernization i.e. social mobility and position of women with female students scoring higher on both the dimensions. Dr. Sombala Ningthoujam is a faculty Member at IBS Gurgaon and can be reached at [emailprotected] Dr. Shalini Khandelwal is a faculty member at IBS Gurgaon and can be reached at [emailprotected] Modernization: Concept, Meaning and Relevance Human society has changed much over the last centuries and this process of modernization has profoundly affected our lives. Modernization is the process of changing the conditions of a society, an organization or a group of people in ways that change the privileges of that group according to modern technology or modern knowledge. There are differences of emphasis with respect to the meaning of modernization due to its relationship with the most contentious concept of development. The transition from the traditional to the modern society can be treated with a primarily negative emphasis in terms of removing institutional obstacles to development, or with a positive emphasis in terms of creating the cultural environment necessary for development (Bernstein, 1971). Acc to Lerner (1964), modernization is the social process of which development is the economic component. Development or modernization denotes a particular kind of social change. Thus, the participation of social science disc iplines in the discussion of development is recognized as necessary and is often being expressed in the social conditions of economic growth or non-economic barriers to economic growth types of formula (Bernstein, 1971). Modernization means the appearance of modes of social life or organization which emerged in Europe from about the seventeenth century onwards and which subsequently became more or less worldwide in their influence (Giddens, 1991). The goals of higher standard of life, freedom, security, social justice are more of the accepted goals of modernism (Srivastava et.al, 1976). Modernization theory states that the economy, social conditions and cultural values of a society are to a large extent structurally and functionally linked and change in relatively predictable ways (Rostow, 1971; Inglehart, 1997; Inglehart and Baker, 2000). Modernity is the attitude to adjusts from ones inner being to the rapidly changing condition of socio-cultural and economic milieu. This attitude implies a scientific and rational world view and inculcates universalistic and secular values. Modernity also implies flexibility of attitude, while traditionalism implies rigidity. Basic belief in the idea of modernity i s that everything is destined to be speeded up, dissolved, displaced, transformed and reshaped. Globalization, the end of the Cold War, ethnic conflicts, and the proliferation of information technologies are some reasons to adopt a new vision to navigate social development. The development towards fully consolidated modernity implies a simultaneous transformation of linked social conditions and values. All societies eventually pass through the same stages of development, moving from traditional agrarian to modern industrial society and from there further to post-industrial or postmodern forms (Kragh and Djusaa, 2006). The goals of higher standard of life, freedom security, social justice are more of the accepted goals of modernism (Srivastava et.al, 1976). Socioeconomic modernization is an underlying factor influencing civic culture and democracy at the level of society, and commitment and classroom egalitarianism at the level of business schools. Peoples general attitudes to change as such are extended to modernism and new technologies in general- the electronic mail, television, in vitro fertilization, new learning and teaching methods, female ordination, males plaiting their hair and wearing earrings or agitation for gay rights. Within the basic assumptions of modernization theory, there is a considerable variety of emphasis on different levels- according to whether conceptual p riority is assigned to personality factors, institutions, cultural orientations or social processes (Bernstein, 1971). It has been seen that in societies with relatively more rural population than urban, there is a lower level of tolerance of modernization and that urban and city dwellers accept modernization more easily. Attitudinal changes favorable to socio-economic modernization can contribute significantly to the development of a national leadership dedicated to removing institutional blocks to economic growth. Basic to the entire process of a countrys development from a traditional agrarian society into a modern market-oriented society, is a striking transformation of outlook and values. The influence of western civilization on china can be seen not only in material, substantive areas such as technology, but also at the conceptual levels, in philosophy and basic values (Yang, 1986). Zabin et al (2009), in their study on adolescent sexual behavior in three Asian cities viz. Hanoi, Sanghai and Taipei found that each of these three cities is undergoing rapid economic development, profound social change and increasing contact with the outside world. These changes may have profound effects on adolescents as they undergo the transition to adulthood and the effects may differ in case of urban and rural population and males and females. It was also reported that traditional Asian values-whether transmitted within the family or by the larger community-could mediate young peoples departure from earlier behaviors. Rindfuss (1991) suggested that many of the transitions to adulthood such as those from single life to marriage, from school to work, and from living in the parental home to independent living-tend to become more varied and also less sharp , or crisp with increased modernization. As modernization consolidates, the notions of citizenship and loyalty with the modern institutions of society grow stronger, creating the foundations for democracy. An important aspect of this change lies in the weakening of the family and in-group loyalties. As the strong ties of the family break down, the weak ties between out-group members gain strength, and relationships of solidarity and trust increasingly begin to develop among non-family and out-group members (Granovetter, 1973; Fukuyama,1999). In an advanced modern society, former strangers have learned to trust each other and commit themselves to cooperation as members of the same individualized culture (Scruton, 2003). The family and in-group values lose importance, citizen values gain in importance, and authoritarianism declines because of the growth of universalistic civic values, making coercion and control obsolete. Therefore, the extension of organic organizations dependes on the civic culture of society, which again d epends on the stage of modernization. In less advanced modern countries, we should thus expect to find a lower ratio of organic to mechanistic organizations due to the influence of a weaker civic culture and the underlying stage of modernization (Kragh and Djursaa, 2006). The Dark Side of Modernization Modernization brought a series of undisputable benefits to people. Lower infant mortality rate, decreased death from starvation, eradication of some of the fatal diseases, equal treatment of people with different backgrounds and incomes, and so on. However, there are a number of dark sides of modernity pointed out by sociologists. Many critics point out psychological and moral hazards of modern life like alienation, feeling of rootlessness, loss of strong bonds and hedonism. Individuals in modern society have become isolated. With the growth of the media and the consumer society, people have become passive conformists, filled with egoistic, solitary obsessions rather than obsessions with solidarity and they dont accept the old, possessive family values. The only bonds in the modern society are the bonds of immediate interest and immediate worth and not of enduring value. Modernization and Social Mobility The long term development of patterns of social mobility has been a major research issue for a long time both in sociology and economics. The main questions have been to what extent social mobility differs between countries at different levels of development or with a different institutional structure, and whether mobility changed during and after industrialization (see, e.g., Ganzeboom, Treiman and Ultee 1991; Erikson and Goldthorpe 1992; Ferrie 2005; Long and Ferrie 2007; Bourdieu, Ferrie and Kesztenbaum 2009; Van Leeuwen and Maas 2010; Hout and DiPrete 2006). These questions are also related to issues of social stratification more generally, and the extent to which these patterns are dependent on economic development (see, e.g., Treiman 1976). Mobility chances depend on the opportunity structure, i.e. the social structure of society, and if industrialization changes the occupational structure it will also affect total mobility. The new economy did not only change mobility patterns via changes of the class structure, but also through changing mechanisms of socioeconomic attainment. The social bottlenecks which act as impediments to development are insufficient attitudinal modernization and a markedly dualistic structure of society. The absence of a sizeable indigeneous middle class, low levels of secondary education and literacy, and inadequate social mobility also constitute important obstacles to raising capacity for long term growth (Adelman and Morris, 2001). Modernization and Religion Attitudes to change may be intimately linked with religious beliefs. The more religious a people are the more conservative they may tend to be and consequently the less favorable may be their attitude towards change, especially towards modernity. Modernity is seen as an iconoclastic and corrupting intrusion upon well-established, age-old values, while it fosters values and practices that tend to incite upheavals and disequilibrium in society. Industrial development follows a coherent pattern of growth, and would in time produce certain uniform social and political structures across different countries and cultures (Fukuyama, 1992). Modernization brings in its wake the diminution of the social significance of religion (Wallis and Bruce, 1992). Studies on Indian population have revealed that changes are taking place in the area of social as well as cultural life and the urban population of Hindus is modernizing its attitudes toward marriage and caste (Prabhu, 1956). Fundamentalism often opposes social differentiation and rationalization. Religious activity also has an impact on peoples attitudes. It has been reported that the more the respondent attends religious services the more traditional gender role and women employment attitudes he/she holds (Vukovic, 2007). To some extent, the revival and radicalization of Islam appears to be a global movement brought on, in part, by a strategic rejection of the apparently secularizing tendencies of modernity (Lechner, 2003). The modern society has indeed become increasingly secular and that this trend would continue; the lack of religiosity in Europe was a glimpse into the future for non-Europeans (Davie, 2000). Modernization, Position of Women and Family Planning Demographic research deploys a notion of culture that links models of change to the acceptability of modern birth control. People in traditional cultures are more fatalistic and leave reproduction to the will of God. Modernization of behavior has led to the constitution of modern families, which are more open to the use of modern contraceptives. The level of education, autonomy of women and consensual companionate marriage is linked to high acceptance of contraception. This idea of free individual choice linked to the language of rights and set in the context of a companionate marriage and a nuclear household, has helped most international family programs. Female education plays a key role in the social developmental approach. Cleland and Wilson (1987) have argued that education lowers fertility mainly by changing womens perceptions, ideas and aspirations rather than by affecting such objective realities as their work opportunities or the cost of children. A large body of Indian and international evidence points to the role of rising female education in lowering fertility. In addition to reducing desired family size, female education is likely to affect the relationship between desired family size and planned number of births. (Dreze and Murthy, 2006). However, several studies have found little evidence of the positive link between womens education and female autonomy (Jeffrey and Jeffrey, 1996; Vlassoff 1996; and Visaria, 1996) India was one of the first countries in the world to introduce a national family planning program in the 1950s. This was followed by a more gentle approach stressing that development is the best contraceptive. It was thought that economic growth would automatically reduce poverty and slow the growth of population. Over time, the focus shifted from economic growth to social development (Dreze and Murthi, 2001) The Role of Gender in Modernization Many researchers have reported of the changes in attitudes towards values beliefs as a result of modernization influences. Studies of Manhardt (1972) found that traditionally men were more concerned with the long-range career objectives, and women were inclined more forwards comfortable working conditions and good interpersonal relations. However, Hakim (1996), in his studies on European population, reported people are increasingly more positive to womens labor market participation. This change in peoples attitudes is usually explained by the raising level of education for women, better possibilities for career development for women, and also the increasing number of families that are dependent on two incomes for their level of living (Sundstrom 2000). A comparative study conducted by Sumer (1998) on the social position, attitudes and identies of younger Turkish and Norwegian women with higher education found out that Turkish and Norwegian differ considerably in terms of social ident ities. Turkish do not perceive gender as a significant social determinant in their lives and do not identify women as a general category whereas Norwegian perceive gender as a significant societal determinant in their lives and identify women as general category. Study conducted by Vukovic (2007) on a sample of 1250 Croatian citizens aged 20+ revealed that there is difference between males and females in all age-groups, in a way that females are more liberal, the difference is largest among the youngest respondents. The youngest female respondents were found to be increasingly dissatisfied with traditional beliefs, while male counterparts very slowly follow that attitudinal shift toward modernity and greater equality. Chia, Chong and Cheng (2001), in their study on relationship of modernization and marriage role attitude among Chinese college students, found a significant sex difference with women holding a more modern value and a more equalitarian attitude toward marriage-role. This more equalitarian marriage role attitude may also characterize Chinese who are more accepting of western values. The Role of Education in Modernization It is commonly held that standards of education determine attitudes towards change and modernization. The more education people have, the more easily they identify with modernity; the less they have, the more negative and suspicious they are of modernity and consequently the more resistant they are to change and modernization. Kragh and Djursaa (2006), in their study comprising 26 countries found that teaching styles in post-industrial societies are more likely to follow the organic model, involving greater empowerment of students and less formal authority. In the business school context, this empowerment is shown to rest on students cultural values of solidarity and social commitment. Educated respondents turn out to be more liberal and egalitarian in their attitudes towards gender roles and womens employment (Vukovic, 2007). Existing research suggests that business school teaching and management in organizations in general tend to enact similar sociocultural values (Senge, 1997; Senge et al, 2000; Hofstede, 2001; Brown and Lauder, 1992; Brown et al, 2003) and it is possible to generalize findings from business schools to other type of organizations. Business schools are important providers of potential managers to companies and both the content of teaching and the attitude to management and cooperation which students acquire during the process of socialization at the institutions, are therefore strategically important for business (Kragh and Djursaa, 2006). Research Objectives To investigate the management students attitude towards modernization with respect to Social Mobility, Position of Women, Family Planning, Marriage and Religion and Superstition. To find out the difference in attitude towards modernization among the female and male management students. Research Hypothesis There is a positive attitude among the management students towards modernization with respect to Social Mobility, Position of Women, Family Planning, Marriage and Religion and Superstition. There is a significant difference in attitude towards modernization among female and male management students. The Sample The Study on which this paper is based was carried out in a well-known institute of management located in the National Capital Region (NCR), Delhi. The institute has been in existence for 17 years and it runs a two year (full time) postgraduate program in business administration. The sample for the study consists of 120 management students studying in their 4th semester (final) of MBA full time programme. Variables N Age 20-27years M=22.8yrs Gender Female 60 Male 60 Parent occupation Business 36 Govt. Service 84 Rural/Urban Rural 13 Urban 107 Religion Hindu 110 Sikh 7 Muslim 2 Others 1 Tools for Data Collection and Analysis: Attitude towards modernization was measured by using Dr. B.M Mathur (1997) Modernization Attitude Scale which consists of 35 items divided into five dimensions: Social Mobility (7 items); Position of Women (7 items); Family Planning (7 items), Marriage (7items) and Religion and Superstition (7 items). Test Retest reliability ranges from .85 to .90. Content validity was judged by 30 judges. The questionnaire was personally administered by the researchers in classrooms after the classes were over. Scoring: Yes answer is given 1 mark for positive question and No answer is given 1 mark for negative question. The higher the score, more is the positive attitude towards modernization. The responses to the questionnaire were keyed in and analyzed using the SPSS (version 12). Results and Discussion (Table 1 here) (Table 2 here) Table 1: Showing the mean, % and SD of the five dimensions of modernization. Variables N Mean Mean as % Std. Deviation Social mobility 120 5.78 82.57% 1.03 Position of women 120 6.35 90.71% .81 Family planning 120 6.26 89.43% .91 Marriage 120 5.39 77% 1.07 Religion and superstition 120 5.25 75% 1.04 Total modernization 120 28.56 81.6% 3.92 Table 2: Showing the t-test of five dimension of modernization in terms of gender. Variable Gender N Mean Std. Deviation Df t-value Sig. Social Mobility Female 60 6.15 .84 118 4.12 ** Male 60 5.41 1.09 Position of Women Female 60 6.58 .61 118 3.12 * Male 60 6.13 .93 Family Planning Female 60 6.31 .72 118 .59 NS Male 60 6.21 1.07 Marriage Female 60 5.61 .96 118 2.32 NS Male 60 5.16 1.15 Religion and and Superstition Female 60 5.3 1.03 118 .52 NS Male 60 5.20 1.07 Modernization Female 60 29.86 2.26 118 3.82 * Male 60 27.26 4.75 ** Significant at .01 level, *Significant at .05 level, NS= Not Significant. Graphical representation of means of female and male students in terms of five dimensions of modernization A perusal at table 1 shows that the means of the five dimensions of modernization are all having high score, which shows that there is a positive attitude towards modernization among the management students. Among the five dimensions, the mean of the Position of Women (M=6.35) was higher than the others dimensions followed by means of Family Planning (M=6.26); Social Mobility (M=5.78); Religion and Superstition (M=5.25) and Marriage (M=5.39). This shows that these management students have a very positive attitude towards the Position of Women emphasizing on the equality of gender rights, status of women upliftment, and provision of education and accepting women at higher positions. In terms of their attitude towards Family Planning, the students consider it an important factor and notion of individual choice within the nuclear family is paramount. Modernization of behavior has also lead to the constitution of modern families, which are more open to the use of modern contraceptives an d believe in the concept of small family means a happy family. With regard to social mobility, the students are totally against caste, the concept of untouchability and have a view that such beliefs are an obstacle in the progress of the society and must be eliminated. The students have shown a positive attitude towards the upliftment of the scheduled caste and tribes. In case of religion and superstition, the students have the opinion that religion and superstition should be based on ones faith and one should not be superstitious. The modernization theorists of the past three decades largely accepted the view of the modern world as a space of shrinking religiosity (Appadurai, 1996). In case of marriage, the sample have the opinion that people should be given freedom to select ones own life partner and they have also indicated a positive attitude towards love marriage and even inter-caste marriage. The findings indicating a positive attitude towards modernization have been supported by many researchers. Acc to Srivastava et.al, (1976), the goals of higher standard of life, freedom security, and social justice are more of the accepted goals of modernism. Family values and teaching styles in business schools are part of the same cultural complex of linked values and norms (Kragh and Djursaa, 2006). Hence, our hypothesis 1 which states that there is a positive attitude among the management students towards modernization with respect to Social Mobility, Position of Women, Family Planning, Marriage and Religion and Superstition, is accepted. A look at table 2 shows the t-value of the five facets of modernization in terms of gender. The overall modernization score shows significant differences among female and male (t- value=3.82) and the mean score of female students (M=29.86) was higher than mean score of male students (M= 27.26). This shows that female management students are having more positive modernization attitude than their male counterparts. There is also a significant difference in female and male scores on two dimensions of modernization viz. Social Mobilty and Position of Women. The t-value of female and male in Social mobility is 4.12 which shows significant at .05 level and mean of female (M=6.15) was higher than mean of male (M=5.41). This indicates that female students have a more positive attitude towards social mobility in terms of eradicating untouchability, caste system and believe in the upliftment of the minority section of people. This result shows that female students are more welfare oriented tow ards the upliftment of society. According to the liberal theory of industrialism, economic development sponsors more mobility and encourages equal opportunities (Dribe, Helgertz and Putte, 2012). The t-value (3.12) shows significant differences between female and male management students in their attitude towards position of women. The mean of female (M=6.58) was higher than mean of male (M= 6.13). This is understandable that female will have higher regards for the position of women in the society. The position of women in society is closely related to family values. This finding shows that female students have higher opinion about the upliftment of the female role and equality in the eyes of society. In the long term, it is seen that that modernization brings systematic, predictable changes in attitudes towards gender roles. Mukherjee (1997), in his study on the ideas and attitudes of students towards modernization, found that female students wished to become economically independent and acquire equal status with males in jobs and houses. The t-value in family planning; marriage and religion and superstition shows no significant differences between females and males; even th ough in terms of Attitudes towards Marriage, the mean of female (M=5.61) is having higher than male (M=5.16). Thus, our hypothesis 2 which states that there is a significant difference in attitude towards modernization among female and male management students, is partially accepted and partially rejected. Conclusion Modernity is the attitude to adjust to the rapidly changing condition of socio-cultural and economic milieu and to break from traditional mode of life. Modernity is one thing towards which every society is inevitably moving, although at different rates of development. The findings of this study show that the attitudes of management students towards the different facets of modernization are positive and they favor development. This could be due to the reason that standards of education determine attitudes towards change and modernization. The more education people have, the more easily they identify with modernity; the less they educated they are, the more negative and suspicious they are of modernity and consequently the more resistant they are to change and modernization. Also, interestingly, female students were found to have a more positive attitude towards overall modernization and also towards the two dimensions of Social Mobility and Position of Women. Female students favor the integration of social classes and do not consider themselves as a weaker section of the society. They want to be stronger; free from being prejudiced and no longer under the domination of male counterparts.

Enchanting a disenchanted world: Revolutionizing the means of consumption Essay

â€Å"Cathedrals of Consumption† concept was coined by George Ritzer and it means a site of consumption that is part of a, multinational corporation, and has international success of exceptionally high level (Ritzer, 1999). Ritzer (1999) explained that the corporation success and its Cathedrals of Consumption, is in a way that it displays of excess and abundance and gives rise to consumer cult. Besides providing different commodified services and goods at their different locations existing around the globe, Ritzer (2015) indicated that Cathedrals of Consumption often allows the consumers to do things themselves, and other strategies making consumers believe that their shopping attitude that is new found will change their lives forever. Cathedrals of Consumption are designed with an expectation that the consumers will develop the passion for getting goods and services gradually. They are places of excessive consumption, and this has led the consumers to hyper-consume than they need. Disney World and its other aspects are of interest to this paper because it represent a Cathedrals of Consumption in myriad ways. From the definition of Cathedrals of Consumption, as provided by Ritzer (2015), Disney World falls as one of the Cathedrals of Consumption. Disney World or Walt Disney World Resort is operated and owned by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, which is a branch of Walt Disney Company which is a corporation (Walt Disney World, n.d). This implies that Disney World is part of an international corporation, and it is just a site of consumption for the larger corporation. Ritzer (2015) further showed how Disney World is a Cathedral of Consumption. Disney World in a way displays of excess and abundance and gives rise to consumer cult, besides providing different commodified services and goods at their different locations existing around the globe. At Disney World, I have consumed many things such as a day at Walt Disney World, T-shirts, fast foods and other non-obvious things such as a day at the ballpark, medical service and a lecture. I have become a loyal consumer of Disney World’s many goods and services that I think I need and other essential goods and services. Additionally, Disney World has global presence through its several products, theme parks and many of its business enterprises such as the television shows (the Disney channel),movies (Walt Disney Studios), and cable television network (Walt Disney World, n.d). Lefkon & Safro (2013) pointed out that the CEO of Disney World claimed that over one billion people globally use Disney prod ucts monthly. Moreover, there are 229 Disney stores online and in innumerable stores, Radio Disney for children, Disney Mobile which are wireless phones that are very popular in Japan, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Publishing that is the largest publisher of children’s books globally, Disney Ownership of ESPN and ABC, Disney credit card, Disney catalogue, and Disney theatrical. Lefkon & Safro (2013) asserted that all these are synergistically employed to market one another in a system that is tightly integrated and this sells the brand of Disney and yields large profits, hence has created a consumer cult. How is this cathedral an example of re-enchantment in a disenchanted world? Give concrete and specific examples The Cathedrals of Consumption, such as Disney World, must be re-enchanted continually if they are to maintain their attracting ability of sufficient number of consumers. Disney World is an example of re-enchantment in a disenchanted world in many ways. Ritzer (1999) defined re-enchantment as a process of creating a spectacle through simulations and extravaganzas. Spectacles According to Ritzer (1999, p. 96) are astonishing shows such as the Mardi Gras, conventions, fairs and even the department stores. You must offer something extra for whatever you have to sell. Disney World re-enchanted by transforming the amusement parks, creating moral order compared to the early parks, cleaned them up and making them be accepted as family entertainment. Walt Disney World (n.d) pointed out that Disney offered controlled, self-contained environments free from different forms of problems that undermined earlier parks. Despite the fact that visitors who arrived in early parks felt danger and sense of looseness, the tourists arriving at the Disney World take comfort and know for a fact that within Disney World lies a world that is tightly regulated. How does it enchant and re-enchant? What mechanisms does it use to do this? Show this by using the following concepts from Ritzer, Chaps. 5 & 6: Spectacles, extravaganzas & simulations Disney World enchants and re-enchant using different mechanisms such as spectacles, extravaganzas and simulations. Spectacles These are astonishing shows such as the Mardi Gras, conventions, fairs and even the department stores (Ritzer, 1999 p. 96). The new consumption means in Disney World create spectacle in order to bring very many people to buy services and goods. A casino, a mall or a theme park that is half full or empty has a smaller population of selling and does not generate a similar excitement as a full house. Disney World uses spectacles since it understands well that sparsely populated consumption cathedrals generate less appeal and can fail. Many people are animated by presence of a large number of persons, and this translates to increased sale of services and goods. Extravaganzas These are different devices used in creating a spectacle (Ritzer, 1999 pp. 98). They are also intentional shows put to produce spectacles. In Disney World, they distinguish themselves by putting on spectacular shows than their competitors. Disney World uses variety of devices in creating their spectacular shows such as legendary stars, large orchestras, huge casts, potentially dangerous and live animals, elaborate production numbers, booming sounds, blinding light shows, breath-taking technology. Ostentatious sets, daring nudity, incredible costumes among others (Ritzer, 1999 pp.98) Simulations This is the process of creating an illusion of reality, where the real imitates the imitation now, and the unreal becomes the reality (Ritzer, 1999 pp.103-111). Some of the entertainment simulations at Disney World include the video and computer games that correctly simulate the environment. Film simulations are also popular in Disney World since they are controllable, of high quality. Moreover, theme park rides are simulators where the ride simulators feel like they are realistically moving according to the motion scripts pre-recorded. How does the Cathedral use science and rationality to create the magic of these spectacles? Be sure to give concrete examples The Cathedrals of Consumption uses rationality and science in creating magic of these spectacles in many ways. AS they attract more consumers of their products, their enchantment must be reproduced on demand over and over. In addition, branches of the enchanted settings that are successful are opened globally and across the nation with the result that the same magic essentially must be reproduced in many locations. To realize this, the magic is systemized in a way that it is recreated easily from one place or time to another. For example, use of wienies, the examples seen on DVDs (Ritzer, 2015) Is your cathedral a landscape of consumption? Using Ritzer’s definition explain why or why not Landscape of consumption encompasses a number of Cathedrals of Consumption r geographic areas encompassing two or even more Cathedrals of Consumption (Ritzer, 2015, pp. 103). Disney World is a landscape of consumption because it has a variety of Cathedrals of Consumption. Walt Disney created a revolutionary amusement park that is the theme park devoted to a particular motif. Others include Disneyland Park, Downtown Disney, Disney World in Florida, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Resort Paris. Moreover, magic kingdom is at the heart of the Disney World. According to Lefkon & Safro (2013), a trek through the Disney World begins and then ends on the main street of United States, an outdoor shopping mall. This leads to other six lands that are themed which includes Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, and Mickey’s Toontown Fair. More broadly, all of these theme parks as well as other consumption means are found in one geographic area or even adj acent to Disney word, making it landscape of consumption. Is your cathedral in devolution (Chap. 8, p. 189) or in some other postmodern transformation (p. 188)? Disney World is in postmodern transformation since recently it experienced setbacks and declines and there is a possibility that the declines could be transformed into devolutions that are long term where consumptions continue to retreat (Walt Disney World, n.d). How do you think the Great Recession has affected your cathedral? Be specific The great recession affected Disney World in many ways because before the great recession; Disney Wonderland had irrational exuberance, and this led to overbuilding of different structures and a great deal of excess capacities. After the recession, newer settings of consumption that were able to overcome the challenges and the weaknesses came up (Ritzer, 1999). Are there some social and political policies that have affected the development, growth, or devolution of Cathedrals of Consumption? There are some social and political policies that have affected the development, growth, or devolution of Cathedrals of Consumption. There are efforts through policies to find new uses for of the consumption cathedrals such as the big box stores, soon-to-be empty. Additionally, in some cases, I have seen true devolution as where contemporary consumption means are replaced by independently owned small shops. Moreover, I have seen in some malls especially the strip malls vacated by the chains being occupied by independent small entrepreneurs. All these changes are as a result of social and political policies. References Ritzer, G. (2015). Essentials of Sociology.Ritzer, G. (1999). Enchanting a disenchanted world: Revolutionizing the means of consumption. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Pine Forge Press. Walt Disney World. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2015, from https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/Lefkon, W., & Safro, J. (2013). Walt Disney World 2014: Expert Advice from the inside source. New York: Disney Editions. Source document

Write About the Ways Love Is Explored in Two Soliloquies. One from Romeo and Juliet, and One from Othello.

Write about the ways love is explored in two soliloquies. One from Romeo and Juliet, and one from Othello. Write about the ways love is explored in two soliloquies. One from Romeo and Juliet, and one from Othello. A Soliloquy is an dramatic technique used in plays to convey to the audience, a character’s true most inner thoughts, feelings and emotions. Shakespeare is famous for using soliloquies to place the audience in an omniscient position, allowing them to develop an intimate relationship with the characters, often creating dramatic irony and tension.Shakespeare expresses the theme of death throughout Romeos soliloquy to enable the audience to empathise and feel pathos toward Juliet â€Å"Death that hath suck the honey of thy breath†. The word â€Å"breath† is ironic and is symbolic of how Romeo cannot bare to be without Juliet, so much so that he feels the sensation of suffocation. Dramatic irony is also apparent as the audience knows that Juliet is still al ive; this sentiment provokes emotion as the audience is willing for Romeo to notice that she is not dead.Also the fact that love is blind plays an ironic almost humorous part here as Romeo is failing to see Juliet is still alive. The theme of death continues as Shakespeare personifies death throughout the soliloquy to present it as a more sinister force and rival for Juliet’s love: â€Å"shall I believe that unsubstantial death is amorous? And that the lean abhorred monster keeps thee here in the dark to be his paramour? † The negative language negative language used to personify death, â€Å"lean abhorred monster†, illustrates Romeos sense of disgust but more importantly, the fear that death has taken Juliet from him.Romeo’s fear is clearly expressed when Shakespeare writes: â€Å"For fear of that I still will stay here with thee/here i will remain†. The repetition of â€Å"here† conveys Romeos determination to stay with Juliet to the exten t that he will take his own life. Therefore, the audience get the impression that Romeo feels he must kill himself to preserve their love, a trait which links with his hamatia. Furthermore, Shakespeare employs the ongoing lexical field of death to create a sense of foreboding and heighten the dramatic irony.The main protagonist Romeo personifies death using a metaphor to express its severity. He explains how death has not â€Å"conquered† Juliet’s beauty â€Å"yet†. The word yet implies that death is inevitable which links to the phrase â€Å"star crossed lovers† that is delivered in the prologue. Elizabethan people were highly superstitious and believed heavily in fate which would have contributed to the many attributes that make Romeo a tragic hero. â€Å"And deaths pale flag is not advanced there. Shakespeare‘s use of nautical language is used to infer how Romeo has almost been â€Å"shipwrecked† (as he says later in the soliloquy) which highlights his solitude and his incomplete sensation he feels without Juliet present. In Addition, the audience so observes that Romeo’s obsessive and unconditional love for Juliet contributes to his fall from grace and greatly adheres to his hamartia. â€Å"Thee here in dark to be his paramour/here’s to my love†. Dramatic irony and a paradox of light is used her to show Romeo’s possessiveness and impetuousness.The fact that he says â€Å"my† shows his obsessive naivety, as he almost loves Juliet too much so to speak. It is clear for the audience to see that Romeo is ruled by fate, doomed from the start. A contemporary audience would have profoundly disagreed to this ethos as in a modern way we believe that we choose or make our own â€Å"fate†. Contrastingly Shakespeare uses powerful repetition to emphasise the importance and severity of Othello’s opening line. The use of monosyllabic words creates tension, highlighting Othelloâ€⠄¢s chilling tone. It is the cause, it is the cause my soul â€Å". Here Othello is addressing his soul and conscience, trying to justify the terrible act which he is about to commit; but in his mind he already has established the inevitability of his actions. The fact that Othello uses the word â€Å"It â€Å"shows he cannot bring himself to name the act that Desdemona has supposedly committed. Even this early in the soliloquy, the reader can clearly distinguish Othello’s hamartia (the traits that make a tragic hero).We see his serious errors in judgment (believing Iago without proof) which later leads him to committing the dead (Taking Desdemona’s) that leads to his downfall. Additionally, Othello changes the address of his soliloquy from his inner self, to the â€Å"Chaste stars â€Å". It is a commonly known fact that the Elizabethan era were very superstitious; so it is very understandable that they could empathise with Othello’s â€Å"cause â€Å" a nd understand his alliance with the stars. â€Å"Let me not name it to you, chaste stars â€Å".This is reminiscent of the prologue in Romeo and Juliet, where it refers to â€Å"star crossed lovers â€Å", the audience can now see a clear correlation between obsessive love and death, which is sad as in both plays the deceased lovers are â€Å" innocent â€Å". Here Othello is further trying to reassure himself that he is doing the just thing; that his actions are almost written in â€Å"alabaster â€Å"inevitable. Referring to the â€Å"chaste stars â€Å" is also part of Othello’s hamartia; the idea of being doomed from the beginning .Also his obsessive, overpowering love for Desdemona, distorts his perception of reality, which is why he failed to detect the lies being fed to him by Iago. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to highlight Desdemona’s innocence, the fact that Othello says â€Å"chaste â€Å"is almost humorous as the audience knows that Desdemona is completely innocent, never committing adultery in her extremely short life. Just as Romeo speaks of Juliet’s beauty, even in death, to emphasise his love for her, so too does Othello in acknowledging Desdemona’s outward perfection and beauty. â€Å"†¦.. hiter skin than snow/And smooth as monumental alabaster†¦.. † Here Shakespeare uses and extended metaphor, which is ironic as Othello is comparing Desdemona to white snow, white being symbolic of innocence and purity which paradoxes the vile dead which he is about to commit. Shakespeare use of figurative language here powerfully reflects Othello’s intense love and adoration for Desdemona. The fact that Othello elevates Desdemona to a position of â€Å"Monumental† perfection shows that he is savouring her beauty before confirming his resolve that â€Å"she must die†.Furthermore, Shakespeare’s clever use of dramatic irony and ability to control the audiences’ emotions through powerful imperative verbs is shown in this part of the soliloquy. â€Å"Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men†. Othello’s resolve is highlighted by a break in the flow of the verse, emphasised by a colon. This break represents his sorrow, regret and anguish. The fact that Othello is a â€Å"Moore† means he suffered both outwardly (isolation and alienation attacks) and inwardly (tortured conscience). Unfortunately the finality of this statement conveys to the audience the harsh reality that Othello is going carry out this injustice.Also this particular line said by Othello links with what Brabantio (desdamona’s father) says in the beginning of the play â€Å"Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived her father, and may thee†. This here is very ironic, as Othello is going to murder Desdemona for the exact thing her father warned him about, except she has not committed the act. We the audience feel pathos to ward Desdemona as even her father had a false predicament and made an extreme error in judging his own daughters character.Unsurprisingly this links with Romeo and Juliet’s struggle to be together as a result of the â€Å"family feud†. Love is portrayed to be a hardship in both plays, which may be one of the reasons the love is so obsessive and unhealthy. To conclude, I believe that the theme of love is convayed very effectively in both Romeos and Othello’s soliloquy. Both invoked a variety of emotions and allow the audience to really connect with the characters. A great amount of dramatic irony and tension is delivered at pivotal points in both plays where obsessive leads to the suicide of Juliet and contrastingly the murder of Desdemona.

Is The Question Ever Accrued Essay - 1960 Words

Societies influence Ahmed Mohamud Mme Roy EAE 3U École Secondaire Jeune Sans Frontià ¨re 2016-11-1 Ahmed Mohamud Mme. Roy EAE3U 1 Novembre 2016 Has the question ever accrued? Are humans really in control of their everyday decisions? Many people in the past have qualities much different then what we see today. The cause of such is society. Society is â€Å"human beings thought of as a group and viewed as members of a community ». (Word Reference) Society is capable of many things such as change. Society is an image made to define group evolution. It is also capable of altering ones perspective. It is the mirror image of what humans are. It represents the decisions and consequences made by humans and is consisted of are believes. Over the years society has printed an image of male and female inequality. This essay is here to shed light upon the matter. 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