In this essay i’ll be describing the sociological implications of the modern economy and the workplace environment, also explaining how change in technology has altered personal satisfaction in the workplace and the sociological ramifications of these actions.
The sociological implications on the modern economy is in a vigor state. The economy has been stuggling financially and more people or earning just enough wages to survive and the unemployment rate has risen in the last ten years. “We no longer produce what we need to sustain ourselves, we import much more than we export, and we are selling off our assets and taking on massive debts to sustain a standard of living we can no longer afford. Not only was this not the way we became a superpower but it is a sure way to lose this status” (THOMAS HEFFNER,2012, Economic Problems Facing the U.S, Americans economic report-daily, pg.1). The socological implications in the workplace environment is more complex then the modern economy. The workplace enviorment is view as a place for a person to earn and income to provide for themselves and others. Society also tells is in a workplace environment women are at a slight disadvantage to there male colleagues no matter how qualified they are in certain cirumstances.
Structural-functional analysis is a system based on society buliding and coming together to complete something. “Symbolic interaction theory analyzes society by addressing the subjective meanings that people impose on objects, events, and behaviors” (Ashley Crossman, 2011, Symbolic Interaction Theory, About.com Sociology, pg.1). Social conflict analysis are individals who argues the material and non material resources this could mean either wealthy or poor. All three analysis ...
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...In conclusion all the actions that i spoke on in this essay has social ramifactions. Technology is a great source to rely on but it shouldn’t be are first option because if this continues it will hurt humanity. One social ramifaction is that technology is becoming so advance in the workforce that jobs will start using machines to manifest there work and leave humans without jobs. Technology is so advance that people like me are able to finish school from a laptop which is a bonus if your time consuming but also a burden because im missing the tradional way on how people atttend college.
Works Cited
1. THOMAS HEFFNER,2012, Economic Problems Facing the U.S, Americans economic report-daily, pg.1
2. Ashley Crossman, 2011, Symbolic Interaction Theory, About.com Sociology, pg.1
3. Jamie Witt, How Technology Has Changed the Business Environment, eHow Contributer, pg.1
There are several issues that were both discussed in the book End This Depression Now by Paul Krugman and Changing Contours of Work: Jobs and opportunities in the New Economy by Stephen Sweet and Peter Meiksins. The textbook offered a sociological analysis of the nature of work in the new economy, such as the new opportunities in this economy as well and the challenges many workers now face and ultimately how this change the family lives of many. The book also discussed about the new face of the workplace and work in general, which includes issues on inequality and discrimination. The book discussed job security, policies and why workers work more now than they did before or work in 24/7 economy. Lastly, the book talks about the ways on how to face all the challenges in this new economy and work environment.
The main points of the Symbolic Interactionism perspective is that symbols are what shape how we communicate and how we view the world. Our changing ideas affect how we understand and view different things around us. Without symbols society would be not be very coordinated, people wouldn’t be able to specify a specific time for school or where to meet for lunch. The main points of the Functional Analysis perspective, is that society is made up of several individual parts that work together for society to function properly. Each of these smaller parts has functions that are beneficial consequences of people actions and dysfunctions that are harmful and threaten the equilibrium. In this perspective the smaller parts are look at to see how they
There are three main types of sociological perspectives in which you can perceive different sociological issues and concepts; structural-functional, symbolic-interaction, and social conflict. Structural-functional looks at society as a whole and how it works together. Symbolic-interaction is how different symbols spark particular thoughts and emotions by examining the meanings that people impose on objects, events and behaviors. Social conflict studies how power and coercion affect social order. Based off these types of perspectives, an analysis on teen depression and suicide can be evaluated from a sociological standpoint.
The main themes addressed in this article are the generational changes within the workforce, the advancements in the economy that are affecting the workplaces and the changes in the work ethic of employees.
.Define the sociological perspective (or imagination), cite its components, and explain how they were defined by Wright Mills..
The structural-functional analysis of jobs in the U.S. is governed by the workforce stratification and technology. The more educated and diverse a society is the better society’s job market is served. This social economic separation of class has been both good and bad for society. Many workers at the lower levels of employment are both pleased and displeased with many aspects of work. Though this fact also holds true with most any job at any level, pay scale often compensates for endurance of a particular job type. The security of a person’s job also is an issue that in today’s economic times forces one to be prepared for change. This is to say that even if one’s field of expertise is needed today it may not be tomorrow. This type of ever-changing job market leads many to believe that another socio-economic change may occur at any time. This change was apparent with the transition into the industrial age and again in the information age. These concerns caused stress, various health issues, a...
are the three major paradigms that function in today’s society. Functionalist, and conflict paradigms are macro-sociological paradigms. Symbolic interaction is a micro-sociological paradigm. Functionalist paradigm focuses on the integration of society, while social conflict focuses on the issue of division among society. Symbolic interaction works on communication and social change as a consequence. The three paradigms are completely different from each other in a social point of view. The macro-sociological paradigms view America as an inequality state. The social conflict paradigm fits today’s society.
For many decades, women have faced inequalities in the workforce. At one point, they were not allowed to work at all. Although women's rights have improved and are now able to work alongside men, they are still treated unfairly. According to the 2012 U.S. Census, women’s earnings were “76.5 percent of men’s” (1). In 2012, men, on average, earned $47,398 and women earned only $35,791. This is when comparing employees where both gender spend the same amount of time working. Not only do women encounter unfairness in work pay, they also face a “glass ceiling” on a promotional basis. This glass ceiling is a “promotion barrier that prevents woman’s upward ability” (2). For example, if a woman is able to enter a job traditionally for men, she will still not receive the same pay or experience the same increase in occupational ability. Gender typing plays a huge role in the workplace. It is the idea that women tend to hold jobs that are low paid with low status. Women are not highly considered in leadership positions because of social construction of gender. Society has given women the role of “caretakers” and sensitive individuals. Therefore, women are not depicted as authoritative figures, which is apparent with the absence of women in leadership roles in companies. Furthermore, sex segregation leads to occupations with either the emphasis of women in a certain job or men in a certain job. In 2009, occupations with the highest proportion of women included “secretary, child care worker, hair dresser, cashier, bookkeeper, etc.” (3). Male workers typically held job positions as construction workers, truck drivers, taxi drivers, etc. (3). Sex segregation represents inequality because the gender composition for these jobs depends on what ...
Structural-Functional Theory is a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability (Macionis 16). In laments terms the structural functional theory is the idea that systems in society work together as a body, the idea that customs, traditions, and institutions shape society. This theory is outlined by social structure, social functions, and social dysfunction. Social structure is defined as any relatively stable pattern of social behavior. Social structure shapes and impacts our lives in the workplace, families, college, and classroom. Social functions are the consequences of a social pattern for the operation of society as a whole. Social dysfunction is described as any social pattern that may disrupt the operation of society. The main idea of the structural functional theory is its vision of society as stable and orderly.
The feminization of labor started during the earliest phases of industrialization. During this time period men and women were usually paid the same wages and worked side by side in the same factories. By the twentieth century men had taken over the workforce, absolutely dominating the technological areas where people are paid the most. Only one in five women was paid for her work, and these women were paid very little. By the 1970s more women were drawn to work because of higher pay, and by 1990 three out of five women were paid for their work. This percentage is rapidly increasing, perhaps because of several changes in society. The U.S. price of living has increased, and many women have become employed to help pay this rising price (Appelbaum and Chambliss 1997). Many more women are graduating from college and other professional schools (Kilbourne 1995), and these women seek out the large amounts of job opportunities with higher pay that require higher education (Appelbaum and Chambliss 1997). But still, even though opportunities are becoming more equal for men and women, there is still a huge gender gap in the workforce. Surveys of the top Fortune 1000 industrial and 500 service companies show that 95 percent of senior level managers are men, leaving a rare five percent of women to head very few companies (Redwood 1996). What is barring women from reaching the top of corporate ladders? The glass ceiling is a term coined for the invisible barrier to movement in the very top positions in business and government, making it difficult for women to reach the top of their profession (Appelbaum and Chambliss 1997). There are many reasons for the existence of this barrier, but two of the most prominent are social barriers (Redwood 1996), which often can cause women to feel uncomfortable or discouraged about moving up, and also women’s “second shift”, which is the “the unpaid housework that women typically do after they come home from paid employment” (Appelbaum and Chambliss 1997).
While functionalist and conflict perspectives are represented through societal cohesiveness and societal engagement symbolic interactionism shows the signifigance of it all. Society is symbolic interactionism. It's emphasizes of how society mingles and intertwines within itself through conflict and resloution every moment of everyday. Without interaction we would all be hermits or living in underground bunkers fading away. It would all become nothingness and it's history would be a distant
Structural Functionalism or what I call just functionalism, is just another theory that has society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. This approach looks at society through the macro-level of orientation, which is a broad focus on the social structures that shape society as a whole, and believes that society has evolved like organisms. This approach looks at both social structure and the social functions. Functionalism has society as a whole in terms of the function of its constituent elements; namely norms and customs, traditions, and institutions. There is a common analogy, popularized by Herbert Spencer that presents these parts of society as "organs" that works towards the proper functioning of the "body" as a whole. In the most basic terms, it simply emphasizes "the effort to impute and the rigorously as possible, to each feature, custom, or even practice the effect on the functioning of a supposedly stable and cohesive system.
Symbolic interaction is the individual interactions between people and how that influences their behavior. Those individual interactions between people is what influence society. Social institutions are what influences, creates, and sustains relationships. Symbolic interaction theorist attach meaning to symbols, body language, words, gestures, images, and how we interplay with each other of those meanings. Symbolic interaction also considers the labeling theory. Symbolic is micro-sociology with individual interactions. In contrast, structural functionalism is macro-sociology dealing with the people who compose a community. A social institution is an ordered system of interrelated parts in a society. Structural functionalism all work in sync to make a society function. There are hidden and intended functions. Dysfunction is what
We see many of fields of society for example; government, educational, cultural and many more. Sociology is importantly the basis for almost all policies and idea which shape the world we are in. For example; Harriet Martineau, first female sociologists brought attention to ignored topics such as marriage, children, domestic and religious life and race relations. Without this idea being brought it up it would have always been an issue from society. Solving topics are so beneficial to making our society a better place. On a personal level it’s really changed my vision in the world. This enables us to understand paradigms. Structural functionalism was inspired partly by Durkheim, he stated that society is defined as a social system, with structures organized in an orderly way to form an organic, stable whole. This system enables us to understand and meet the circumstances in order to
The work place has changed through the course of the centuries. Technology and globalization are the causes of the change in the workplace in the twenty-first century. Who does what work, when, and how will continue to evolve as technology becomes increasingly more advanced and communication across the globe becomes more seamless.