Throughout human history violent forms of entertainment have existed alongside refined ones. In Ancient Rome, for example, when modern mediums of entertainment such as Television, video games, etc did not exist, gladiator fights were a popular pass-time. This prompted Saint Augustine to note that not only did people liked violence as passive spectators, but it…
Category: Society
The changing roles of men and women in families in Britain over the past half century
For much of the long history of human civilization women and men evolved to assume different roles within the family and larger society. But in most societies, women were made to take a subordinate social and domestic role to men. This situation has gradually changed in the last fifty years and there is more equality…
Prison-Industrial Complex in the United States
Response to Glenn Loury’s “A Nation of Jailers” and Michelle Alexander’s “How the War on Drugs Gave Birth to a Permanent American Underclass” The mainstream media’s presentation of social realities within the United States had always been contested by a minority of writers, who have endeavored to offer an alternative point of view. Glenn Loury…
Response to the narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass is one of the most prominent African American heroes in the history of the United States. He was among the small group of pioneers who, through the example of their lives and brave political actions, advocated the abolition of slavery. During his lifetime, he gained popularity as a charismatic and eloquent speaker. He…
Should Art be devoid of Politics?
There has long been the contention that art, in all its various manifestations, should ideally by apolitical in its content. And this debate on the separation of art from politics has been as old as art itself. And those instances in which an overlapping of the two occur, controversy if not outright censorship ensues. A…
In what ways does ‘sociological sense’ differ from ‘common sense’?
Sociology as a discipline of study took off only in the twentieth century. The growth in communications technology, coupled with unprecedented levels of human migration, both facilitated and made necessary the study of human interaction from the perspective of ethnicity, race, class, gender, etc. Intellectuals such as Karl Marx, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons…
Crimes against public order
Crimes against public order often register the highest number of cases each year in the United States. Such crimes can vary widely in the extent of their criminality, but its perpetrators are all liable to legal prosecution. Public order crimes are also referred to by other terms, such as “consensual crime, victimless vice, crimes without…
President Obama should discontinue President Bush’s electronic suveillance policies
When Barack Obama took over the reigns from George W. Bush, he was expected to make significant changes to the policy framework. But already into the second year of his Presidency, it is fair to say that Obama’s performance has fallen short of expectations. On the negative side, the ‘surge’ in military operations in Afghanistan…
The USA PATRIOT Act and issues of privacy
The twentieth century has been a transformational period for human societies. As the process of industrialization advanced during this period, more people moved away from rural to urban settings. As a result major cities became overpopulated and towns expanded into cities. The meaning of ‘public space’ got expanded and redefined during this process. And when…
Business and Society: A Strategic Approach to Social Responsibility
1. Define technology and describe three characteristics that can be used to assess it. Technology is the set of processes and techniques that are employed to improve efficiency and scale of operations of a business. At its core, technological innovation is intended to bring about higher quality standards and greater profit margins for the company….