Weber's Sociology. The Ideal-Type Explaining Social Phenomena Essay

Weber's Sociology. The Ideal-Type Explaining Social Phenomena - Essay Example To do so however, it is not sufficient to observe action of one individual or collect data from a group of individuals. It requires selection of method to address the peculiar question the action raises (Schtz, Walsh & Lehnert, 1967 5). Weber does not find description alone sufficient; there should be understanding from an individual action. A few causal explanations could be made e. g. I am certain the window broke because it was struck by a rock - I saw it myself; but I can not predict on the basis or rules or laws as to what blows will break which windows. At the most a generalisation like 'Windows are fragile, and fragile things tend to break when struck hard enough, other conditions being right.' (Ringer, 1997-85)... Weber's method of understanding meaning of an action is by construction of ideal types. These are not statistical averages since these depend on unusual questions being asked at that time and they are created as per the methodological demands of these questions (Sch tz et al. 1967 5). The article focuses on Weber's concept of ideal-type and rationality as a tool for understanding social phenomena through interpretive sociological research. An ideal type is a mental construct or picture which the investigator uses to address the reality. The ideal type is different from 'ideals' and it is ideal in coherent way. For an investigator the ideal type is an instrument that he or she uses to give a meaning to the diverse reality. Its usefulness lies in "its success in revealing concrete cultural phenomena in their interdependence, their causal conditions and their significance" (Weber 1949 as in Andersen & Kaspersen, 2000, p 79). The investigator designs an ideal type by " the one sided accentuation of one or more point of view and by synthesis of a great many diffuse, discrete more or less present or occasionally absent concrete individual phenomena, which are arranged to those one- sidedly emphasised viewpoints into a unified analytical construct" (Weber 1949 as in Andersen & Kaspersen, 2000, p79). Weber's definition may be understood by a simple example. Suppose A and B are playing chess. Their behaviour is oriented to an action model, M. The model is not restricted to A and B only, it is an ideal type chess player. Schutz et al (1967) explain that beyond their individuality as chess player, the other concrete individual living experiences of A and B are neither identical nor are being compared here. Andersen & Kaspersen (2000) clarifies that the ideal type are human construct and do not have any counterpart in reality. The social laws are examples of ideal type. Knowledge of law is not the knowledge of reality; these are path leading to understand the reality. The origin of ideal type is attributed to the finding that social sciences lack the causal laws and experimental regularities of natural sciences. Weber cautioned social scientists against using historical constructs as such for explaining reality in contemporary times; he rather advises them designing their own construct using these as basis. The historical constructs show beliefs and attitudes prevalent at that time. Human behaviour is not predictable or constant phenomenon (Ringer, 1997, p110). There are always individual elements associated with it. Weber had maintained that we keep ourselves to certain aspects of reality while exclude other since the chosen aspects are relevant to our values. We thus reduce the complexity of data by constructing abstract concepts containing only

Health care and the internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health care and the internet - Essay Example Health information seeking will also be helpful for people who cannot afford a regular doctor or insurance. One of the anticipated shifts is that health care will be accessible for everyone regardless of the status or income of the individual due to consumer health information seeking. Poor people will not be able to get information themselves through internet rather they will have to rely on hospitals and doctors. The exchange of information between hospitals will be more helpful for poor people as they can go to any hospitals and their health records will be available there. For middle or lower middle class people who have access to technology can make use of health information seeking by determining, on a basic level, their health problems and then treating it through a pharmacist. People who can afford health care insurance will be getting better quality of self service because of exchange of information between hospitals. Mutual databases of hospitals will increase the service time and also provide superior health care to all people whether rich or poor. This is how health information seeking will affect everyone. With the advent of internet, health information seeking has increased greatly. People can go online and get all the information they need. Doctors give suggestion on forums and everyone can read them. Simple diseases like influenza and viral flu can be treated through simple treatment. This is an emerging trend in consumer health information seeking. Physicians are however the most trusted source of health related information. People go to them asking for advice so they remain the most authoritative source of health information. An emerging trend in health information seeking is through pharmacist. They can also provide good health care information. People are also going for public health centers in order to get health related information. Health information

Progressive Era Through the Great Depression Assignment

Progressive Era Through the Great Depression - Assignment Example Most of the urban towns were transformed into rural cities, and large number of people migrated to metropolitan areas to obtain higher standards of living. Many new immigrants poured in from other countries with diverse cultures and traditions (Jaycox 2005). While the progressive era was significant for the economic growth, the late 1920s marked an era of economic depression. This economic decline was the worst in the history; it spread all over the world after its origin in the United States. The prices declined drastically with considerable increase in unemployment rate. Such was the influence of this economic downfall that October 29, 1929, the day that marked the beginning of this devastating collapse, was named as Black Tuesday. Although many events took place during the period under discussion, two events can be considered as major historic turning points with a great influence on the America’s current society, economy, politics, and culture. The changes in the American foreign policy and large flow of immigrants from other nations proved to be major turning points in the progressive era through economic depression. (Jaycox 2005) American Foreign Policy and New Immigrants Prior to 1890, America followed the ideology of isolationism, and relations with the other nations were limited. The American government mostly focused on its own development and had a negligible interest in the foreign affairs. This trend, however, changed after 1890 when government policy makers adopted a more global approach and America began to influence the world affairs. This encouragement was partly due to a fact that many circumstances had changed over the years. America had evolved into an industrial juggernaut, and opening a foreign front helped the businessmen to approach the international market. Soon, the national goods were distributed around the globe, which played a major role in the economic development, global influence, and American transition into a superpower. Similarly, the flow of immigrants during this period had a great impact on the social structure of the country. This intake from diverse cultures helped formation of a multicultural environment that attracted skilled labor from around the globe. Therefore, these immigrants initially provided the unskilled labor as most of them were from poor families, but the very their presence cultivated the ground for the future intake of the more skilled immigrants who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the country. (Jaycox 2005) Women’s Right to Vote A campaign for woman suffrage in the United States is one of the highlighted events during the period under discussion. Although most of the women received their rights to vote by 1920, the western states were more liberal than the northeastern and southern states in granting women their desired rights. Few reasons can be speculated for women’s liberty in the west. First of all, women in the frontier were given more status than household articles. Many speculate that this was a result of a distinct frontier democracy or more liberal approach of the western men. But the efforts of women associations in the west were one of the important differences that can explain why women received the right to vote much earlier in the west as compared to the other states. American-Spanish War Tensions built up between Spain and the United States over the Cuban rule by the end of 19th century. America had concerns over Spanish colonization in the surrounding regions, and the incidence

External trade in cyprus during late bronze age Essay

External trade in cyprus during late bronze age - Essay Example External trade of Cyprus included export and import to and from its neighbouring countries, such as; Egypt, Anatolia, Syria, Levant and Palestine. These trading ties caused the island to have a substantial influence in the region. Foreign trades and resulting ties with the neighbouring countries made Cypriot economy quite significant during the Late Bronze Age. Development of these external relations at different phases will be investigated in a brief manner. This investigation includes the effect of migration and subsequently the transfer of Mycenaean skills, pottery making with the variety of styles and industry of ship manufacturing. Exported potteries and the underlying low quality limited its use to only ointment and oil containers. The paper discusses foreign trade of Cyprus, resulting relations with the trading partners, and its economic, social, and cultural impacts on Cyprus. Cyprus Role in Trading during the Late Bronze Age During the Late Bronze Age, Cyprus had been one of the most significant locations in the Mediterranean trade route; however, it couldn’t compete in popularity with its adjacent wealthier countries. There are several reasons for lacking importance, such as, insufficient information about Cyprus due to the fact that it was not mentioned enough in the written records about Late Bronze Age, and that it was geographically separated from other important nations. Major way of learning about the condition of Cyprus in late Bronze Age is to investigate its foreign relations through the archaeological remains and written texts from that era. Archaeological and textual evidence provide great insight when it comes to investigate and comprehend about the foreign trade in Cyprus during late Bronze Age.1Knapp explains and demonstrates the existence of politico-economic elites in Cyprus during Middle and Late Bronze Age through evidence (qtd. in Knapp 151). Amarna letters of Alashiya suggest that Cyprus had become an influential and affluen t kingdom at least by the 14th century BC. Ruler of the time considered himself on an equal level with Egyptian Pharaoh. This perception may link to the use of salutation, ‘my brother’.2 Cypriot rulers used state agents (called tamkar) in order to carry out foreign trade on massive level. Cyprus Exports Due to disintegration in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean, Cypriot economy started to become recognized throughout the eastern Mediterranean and export of goods started. Particularly, this recognition boosted the copper production and trade. On Cyprus, ethnic elements of Aegean and Levantine were combined with Cypriot population. Moreover, the capabilities of industrial work started mounting.3 Copper According to the information from textual evidences from Late Bronze Age Cyprus, copper was the central and most exported item from the island during 13th and 14th century B.C. One of the countries that imported the Cypriot copper was Egypt. Moreover, referring to the be liefs in Egyptian texts, such as Amarna letters, Karageorghis (1975) highlights the presence of several mining areas in Cyprus, such as, Troodos foothills in Enkomi. Copper was exported as a major item to mould into weapons during battles while most weapons were made in Aegean. In addition, Cyprus (Enkomi) had huge supply of

Effects of Radiological Dispersion Device Research Paper

Effects of Radiological Dispersion Device - Research Paper Example Effects of Radiological Dispersion Device In recent times, the U.S, Great Britain and most of Europe have seen the use of radiological dispersal devices by terrorists as a key insecurity threat (Runge and Buddemeier, 2009). In addition to the threats, the impacts that come with the detonation of the radioactive devices in public places have some effects depending on a number of factors like wind and temperature among others. The possibility that terrorists can employ a radiological dispersal device in a public area has even enlarged the concerns of governments and the public regarding such weapons. A Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) is a gadget aimed at disseminating radioactive materials with the purpose of causing destruction, injuries and damage to the habitats around the detonation site (Radiological Dispersal Device, 2005). A suitable example of an RDD is a dirty bomb which is usually made of explosives that disperse radioactive materials upon detonation which is contrary to the norm that RDDs do not require explosives. RDDs are usually used with intent to cause injuries or damage, which are essentially the goals of terrorists. According to Radiological Dispersal Device (2005), an RDD is any kind of device that results in the intentional dissemination of radioactive matter with no nuclear detonation. The mode of dispersion of these radioactive materials is usually via a dirty bomb which explodes to release radioactive dust plus radioactive and nonradioactive shrapnel (Runge and Buddemeier, 2009). The effects of the explosion include radiation contamination, exposure to radiation in certain circumstances, physical injuries, burns, panic and fear. Other methods of dispersion include active or passive dispersion of sources of radioactive materials that are unsealed with contamination of the people coming from the air, food, soil or water. Harper, Musolino and Wente (2007) argue that the effect of RDD explosion is local although the psychological impact it has is worldwide as well as the attention of the media; hence an overestimation of the effects of the exposure may result. In addition, Musolino and Harper (2006) affirm that RDDs are usually located or rather placed in unexpected areas; thus when they explode, the explosion and the selected location will surprise many. The long-term effect of radioactive dispersion will be easy to realize but the short-term may be hard as it takes time to discover the contamination’s source. The initial indicators of contamination include prior threats, routine monitoring techniques and activities to identify the first responders, monitoring of activities of suspected groups by the intelligence community or plainly by chance. Urban population is usually high in many nations of the world. It is for this reason that terrorists least prefer RDDs since it is tricky to design one that will administer plentiful doses of radiation to result in immediate health defects in a densely populated area (M anagement of Terrorist, 2001). As a result, Tochner and Glatstein (2008) debated and concluded that an RDD is likely to be used to; i. Cause uneasiness in people who are of the view that they have been exposed or are exposed to the radiation. ii. Disrupt the lives of people by contaminating the facilities they use or the places they work or live. The experts went ahead to determine the factors that affect the efficiency of the RDD attacks which include weather conditions, local topography, physical and chemical composition of the

Personal Experience Essays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Personal Experience Essays - Essay Example I have always considered luck to be a luxury among few people who either have lost hope or prefer receiving free things. During the family vacation in Africa, I had a chance of visiting Maasai Mara national park in Kenya. At first I was reluctant to make the trip; however, after my parents convinced me that it will be a memorable experience, I decided to give it a try. Previously, I preferred visiting playgrounds, friends and making a good use of my bicycle; however, I gave up this opportunity for the memorable experience. Our journey to Kenya was interesting considering that we had many stopovers. It was not my first time to board a plane; however, I felt new and encouraged to work hard and reach the highest level of education. Arguably, this would allow me exploit-varied fields of development while also quenching my thirst for adventure. Consecutively, the opportunity allowed me to have an aerial view of different towns ranging from Amsterdam to Nairobi. Upon our arrival in the city, we received tour guides at the airport, which had earlier been booked by my parents. The first day involved having a taste of the variety foods prepared by the many cultures. The opportunity gave me a first-hand experience to taste what felt like food and others that that I found limited interest in having a bite. Nevertheless, my parents were receptive to the diverse cultures hence an encouragement. Day two was the day to remember that confirmed my worst fears while at the same time changing my view of the entire world. This was a day to take a view of the beautiful wildlife and nature, which has been admired by many people. It was a day to have a personal encounter the lion, Giraffes, baboons, monkeys, and other exciting sceneries only common to many in pictures and national geographic programs. Contrary to other days, I was happy; however, the excitement was laced with

Isolation in Hardys poems Nobody Comes and The Darkling Thrush Essay Example for Free

Isolation in Hardys poems Nobody Comes and The Darkling Thrush Essay In the poems â€Å"The Darkling Thrush† [‘TDT’] and â€Å"Nobody Comes† [‘NC’], Hardy presents two similar images of isolation. In both poems, the personae are isolated from human company, whilst Hardy explores this using imagery of ghosts and the supernatural in both also. However, individually there are differences in tone; although NC ends upon as dire a note as it begins, Hardy engineers an optimistic outlook in TDT and suggests that the persona’s isolation may not Hardy ensures that the persona of ‘TDT’ is isolated from any other human presence or, until the poem’s third stanza, any living organism. Whilst leaning against â€Å"a coppice gate†, he notes that â€Å"all mankind had sought their household fires†. Although this is an indication of the low temperature, it is noticeable that the rest of humanity are seeking light in an otherwise dark environment; reciprocally, the persona is deprived of both warmth and living company. To further this point, Hardy personifies non-human entities, such as frost and winter – â€Å"Winter’s dregs†, for example. In this way, Hardy makes the reader personal not with living creatures but with inanimate entities, isolating the animate persona even more. Indeed, Hardy makes such a division more striking by picturing the persona’s surroundings as very extreme. Surrounded by deathly imagery, the persona imagines the landscape as â€Å"the Century’s corpse/ His crypt the canopy,/ The wind his death lament†. Even Hardy’s animate entities seem ghostly; â€Å"Frost was spectre-gray† and â€Å"mankind haunted nigh†. Such is the state of decay that even â€Å"the ancient pulse of germ and birth was shrunken† – the regenerative power of life has itself died, leaving the persona as the sole animate existence. A similar loneliness can be seen in ‘NC’, especially towards the end of the poem. In the aftermath of the car passing, the persona observes, â€Å"mute by the gate†, that he â€Å"stand[s] again alone.† The sudden silence and soft, finite ‘t’ sound of â€Å"mute† – in contrast to the onomatopoeic â€Å"whangs† – amplifies the persona’s loneliness; as does the empty assonance in the repeated ‘a’ sound, in â€Å"alone† and â€Å"again†. Equally, the present tense verb â€Å"stands† and â€Å"again† emphasizes that this is an ongoing and repeated state of isolation. However, the persona in ‘Nobody Comes’ is not simply isolated in terms of being physically alone or the sole living creature – he is also isolated from modernity. Hardy again uses ‘supernatural’ imagery to explore this. The persona notes that â€Å"The telegraph wire intones like a spectral lyre/ Swept by a spectral hand†. Rather than see the telegraph wire as a means of communication, the persona rejects it in presenting an image of disassociation; the vagueness of the verb â€Å"intones† summons an image of faceless voices. He also creates negative supernatural connotations; there is an innate ghostliness about the archaic lyre – juxtaposed to contrast with the innate modernity of the telegraph wire – which is reinforced by the wraithlike â€Å"spectral†. Hardy repeats this for emphasis in â€Å"spectral hand†. In this phrase, he also creates an incongruity between the concrete verb â€Å"swept† and noun â€Å"hand† and the abstract concept of â€Å"ghostliness† – the ‘hand’ does not exist. Its invisible presence and visible effects are unnerving, making the modern telegraph wire an unpleasant image. The persona’s rejection of modernity can be seen also in the depiction of â€Å"a car com[ing] up†. Having shone its aggressive lamps at â€Å"full glare† – which Hardy emphasizes by placing at the end of the line –the persona states that â€Å"it has nothing to do with me†. This maxim, in being so blunt, is very powerful. It operates to present a rift between the persona and the modern world and, given the unusually colloquial verb â€Å"whangs†, it indicates that the car is viewed as a callous representation of modern life from which the persona wishes to isolate himself. It leaves â€Å"leaving a blacker air†, which may indicate either a corruption of nature (in terms of polluting the otherwise fresh air) or a darkening in the persona’s emotions. Indeed, the poem concludes with the same negativity, with the word â€Å"nobody† in both the title and the last line. The persona is left â€Å"again alone† and isolated, prompting a large amount of sympathy from the reader. By contrast, ‘TDT’ concludes with a hopeful note. At the appearance of the thrush, in the third stanza, the reader notes that the bird is similarly isolated and surrounded by death. In truth, the reader’s initial reaction to the â€Å"aged frail, gaunt and small† thrush is to question whether the creature will survive the bleak conditions. There is a sense of desperation present â€Å"fling[ing its] soul/ Upon the growing gloom.† However, the persona notices â€Å"some blessed Hope† in the bird’s â€Å"happy good-night air†. Although â€Å"unaware† of why this may be – such â€Å"joy illimited† is unintelligible to the persona – this leads the poem to end in an optimistic fashion. Although both the persona and the thrush remain isolated from any other company (the persona fails to deeply associate with the bird) and the anxiety about the future lingers, Hardy does much to suggest that such deep rooted â€Å"fervourlessness† may change in TDT’s persona, as opposed to the ongoing isolation present in NC.