Hyper-individualism differs from that of traditional individualism in the way that ‘. . . traditional individualism promoted self-reliance, hyper-individualism has atomized people into a state of alienation’ (Curtis 251). Through this state of alienation, the breakdown of communities began and led to moral degradation, because as communitarians argue: ‘Who we are and what goals we pursue are a function of the historically conditioned relationships we have with those we live among a communal context is a precondition of individuality’ (Curtis 251). This certainly seems true in both LETB and Trainspotting, where tradition, the past and family values, have all but been replaced by cold and calculating schemes, violence and separation. The reason why this is such an issue in poverty stricken communities is best argued through Robert Merton’s strain theory: ‘As Merton recognized, pervasive inequalities in the United States create serious barriers to success for many lower-class individuals. This particular configuration of culture (the culturally prescribed goal of monetary wealth) and social structure (inequality of opportunity) is said to generate strain. In particular, large segments of the population internalize the American Dream ethos but lack the …show more content…
The use of fragmentation allows every character to to tell their own story, as there is no ‘grand narrative’. What results is feelings of desperation and isolation. Time in the novels is scattered and undefined by year or date; and through this both authors convey how the characters existence in Sunset Park and Leith is circular and stagnant. Finally, through each author's use of dialect, we are able to see power hierarchies throughout the novel and ‘hear’ from these characters in their own words, rather than in standard English, which in these neighborhoods the locals would rarely
Inter-reliant poverty comes with its own stresses- and certainly isn’t the American ideal- but it’s much closer to our evolutionary heritage than affluence.” (Junger 21)
‘Self justification involves denigrating a person or group to justify maltreatment of them’ (506). ‘ The poor are blamed for their problems; stereotypes of the homeless as bums, alcoholics and drug addicts, caught in a hopeless downward spiral because of their individual pathological behavior are omnipresent in the media’ (318). By continuously portraying those who have less than the socially accepted norm the media creates a climate in which those who are struggling to survive are dehumanized and this depiction creates a self justifying culture of prejudice against these people. ‘The media socializes us to believe that people in the upper class are much better than we are. The media also suggests that we need have no allegiance to people in our own class or to those who are less fortunate’ (316). ‘Research has found that people who extensively watch television have exaggerated views of how wealthy most American’s are’ (317). Parrillo defines frustration as a result of relative deprivation, or lack of resources compared to others in society and since the media promotes the idea that many Americans are living the economic stratosphere of the rich it is not surprising many Americans feel frustrated with their current socioeconomic position (510). Prepared with the knowledge of
The tenement was the biggest hindrance to achieving the American myth of rags to riches. It becomes impossible for one to rise up in the social structure when it can be considered a miracle to live passed the age of five. Children under the age of five living in tenements had a death rate of 139.83 compared to the city’s overall death rate of 26.67. Even if one did live past the age of five it was highly probable he’d become a criminal, since virtually all of them originate from the tenements. They are forced to steal and murder, they’ll do anything to survive, Riis appropriately calls it the “survival of the unfittest”. (Pg.
“The Outsiders” is one of the favorite movies of teenagers made by Francis Ford Coppola in 1983. (Barsanti, 2010). “Saints and Roughnecks” is a paper written by William J. Chambliss which was first published in 1978. (Chambliss, n.d.). Both of them commonly point towards one issue i.e. future of individuals in the society is decided by the way they are treated by the materialistic society which tends to favor the richer and suppress the poorer to the extent that the latter are pushed into social exclusion. “The Outsiders” and “Saints and Roughnecks” form part of the vast literature that has preserved the different standards of justice for the rich and the poor, that have always dwelled in the society. The poor have always been looked down upon by the society in general, and the rich in particular, and this social attitude has resulted into the emergence of such concepts as social exclusion, which forms the basis of the widespread crime among the poor. In fact, the absorption of rights of the lower class people...
Government assistance was designed to help those in need, yet if an individual works the system to their benefit, it is seen as taking advantage. However, the biggest question is, do governmental programs provide all of a family’s needs or are they given the bare minimum necessities? This movie helped achieve the course objective of taking a personal exploration of African American cultural experiences for several reasons. Becoming dependent on welfare is the reality of many African American families. The government has become the father of millions of children. If the father does not step up to take care of his responsibilities, welfare will. The relationship between welfare and employment is also significant because although Claudine is employed in addition to receiving help, she can barely make ends meet. Furthermore, the moment Rupert married Claudine, her welfare would be terminated, although it was no way he could take care of the large family on a garbage man salary. What would be the ethical decision, to choose love or welfare? With all of the outside forces, there was no way for Claudine to succeed in a system that was designed for her to
Having a family of low socioeconomic status inevitably leaves me to reside in a low-income neighborhood which makes it more likely for me to witness the tragedies, adversities and hardships that people go through [not excluding myself]. Being conscious of this kind of environment, and these kinds of events, creates a pressure on me for having the aim to achieve social mobility in order to escape the aforementioned environment so that my own children could witness one less abominable aspect of life. Moreover, my family’s low socioeconomic status does not authorize me the privilege of being raised with the concerted cultivation method that kids of high socioeconomic status are more prone to being raised in. My family did not have the financial resources that granted us access to extra classes or lessons of instrumental classes, swimming practices, karate practices, or any other extracurricular activities that people of high socioeconomic status would be able to afford. This invisible fence that prevents me from these extracurricular activities enables me to having more appreciation towards the hobbies and talents that other people have. Plus, the fact that my family’s low socioeconomic status acts as a barrier from enjoying expensive luxuries in life creates a yearning [in me] to enjoy them later on in my life, in addition to acting as the fuel to my wish of achieving social mobility in anticipation of providing my own children with the luxurious vacations, gadgets, beachhouse, new cars that I could not
It discusses the “poverty, marginality, and oppression, [within a] regenerate culture of poverty shared by and reproduced intergenerationally among the poor” (Sanabria, 2007, p. 8). The theory suggests a sort of circle of life phenomenon where people living in shantytowns are isolated from the thriving communities nearby, and left to fend for themselves without outside resources. Because of this failure to integrate the poor within the greater society, these people fail to attain proper education, adequate employment opportunities, or stability for their families (pp. 8-9), ensuring great or probability of similar fates for future generations. Lewis characterizes the culture of poverty as crossing into and shaping physical, emotional, economic, and spiritual realms (9), which significantly influence the future of those living in
“Fountainhead” identifies that, though treading down the path of imminent defeat, individualism is the only noble pursuit to strive for, backed by the reasonable arguments that logic provides. Collectivism, in all of its publicized glory, serves only to enslave man and force them into subservience. Even those in power, specifically Toohey, fail to reap the benefits that collectivism is famed to offer, because they themselves are slaves to its all-consuming chasm.
The idea that people of poor communities conform to a living standard and behavior is a concept described by Oscar Lewis as the culture of poverty. It is the belief that poor people consists of their own beliefs and values and behaviors. And more than 45 years later after the term, the culture of poverty paradigm remains the same: there is a consistent and observable culture that is shared by people in poverty. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as the culture of poverty. differences in behaviors and values among those that are poor are just as significant as those between wealthy and poor. The culture of poverty is a construct of smaller stereotypes which seem to have implanted themselves into the collective conscience of mainstream thought as undeniable fact. However, as we will see, nothing could be further from the truth. Based on 6 most common myths of what defines poor from wealthy, I will provide evidence to the contrary.
Deviance is a natural part of and necessary for stability and social order in society, this according to functionalist theorist Emile Durkheim (MindEdge, Inc., 2016). Traditionally, society is generally successful in providing motivation for individuals to aspire for goals of some sort, whether through wealth, prestige or perceived power (Henslin, 2011). However, from a functional perspective, theories have been developed in identifying when lawful and equal access is not afforded to certain individuals in the process of obtaining such goals. This restriction and inequality to opportunity for access in the quest to achieve success is what is now referred to as structural strain theory, which was developed by sociologist Robert Merton (Henslin,
It engages the reader in trying to fit together all the small fragmented parts of this story in order to solve the mysteries of this novel. In The Asylum, fragmentation is effectively used to uncover Georgina’s past and her quest to escape the asylum because it enhances the plot of the story by making it more mysterious and suspenseful for the reader. On a final note, mysteries are what make humans curious to find answers to unsolved questions. Fragmentation helps the reader delve into the depths of a novel in order to unravel its deepest, darkest
The “American Dream” was originally centered around the pursuit of happiness, but during this time was contaminated by greed and corruption. Americans were blinded by materialistic wealth, prosperity and fame. America, once the land of equal opportunity, now became engrossed in becoming successful by any means necessary. In turn, moral values and family ties took a backseat and were no longer the center of society. The poor were exploited by the rich for their own personal gain. The author describes this era and characters objectively, while allowing us to interpret the characters’ motivation on our own. By doing so, we get a better sense of the difference between their social classes and their way of
Race and prejudice toward the culture of poverty was manifest during the civil rights movement and even in the American society today.. This paper will rely on examples, borrowing from past examples in trying to explain the culture of poverty, and how it can create prejudice among citizens in society due to their level of income or low-caste groups, which are considered poor within our societies. This paper will highlight a couple of examples to support its arguments.
Throughout Society, many families have seen struggle and lived through poverty. The economy is not always thriving which takes a toll on people who suffer through unemployment or low wage jobs. The Frontline documentary, “Two American Families”, is the perfect example of struggle in the United States. It shows the lives of two struggling families and their efforts to survive. Two essays, “The Sociological Imagination” by C. Wright Mills, and “The Uses of Poverty: The Poor Pay All” by Herbert J. Hans, support the analysis of the video strongly. They express many ideas that relate to the world and struggle throughout society. Also, there are many sociological terms that depict the events that occurred in the documentary.
...o be a message in literary works but can also be interpreted as a true event in society. It is a reality seen today that is not often peaceful due to the heavy burden of longstanding tradition and an unwillingness to adopt optimism as demonstrated in House of the Spirits. Owing to the unwillingness of the conservative patrons to accept change, bloody conflicts such as the military coup consisting of the killing of the Socialist president and the kidnapping, rape, and torture of Alba de Satigny often occurred. America today is believed to be drifting towards a society that is becoming dominated by a class-based system. There is no denying that there is a distinct separation between the upper, middle, lower, and downright poor classes in America. Unfortunately, it can only be hoped that individuals in reality learn from the messages that are presented in novels.