two responses to other students’ work：
- Question 5: Theory Explains
窗体顶端
Explain in your own words how either the Structural Functionalist perspective or the Conflict perspective would view the cause of war (any war). Remember that Functionalism focuses on the harmonious operations of all parts of a society in order to assure stability and order. Conflict theory focuses on inequality within a society (principally economic, but also gender and race or ethnic inequality) as the driving force behind social change. Both perspectives have merit.
Conflict perspective would view the cause of a war as due to cultural inequality imposing a dominating opposition which then would require a response so that social order was ensured. These conflicts would also be viewed as inevitable and widely accepted by those with this perspective as to maintain order and balance.
“On June 25, 1950, the Korean War began when some 75,000 soldiers from the North Korean People’s Army poured across the 38th parallel, the boundary between the Soviet-backed Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the north and the pro-Western Republic of Korea to the south. This invasion was the first military action of the Cold War. By July, American troops had entered the war on South Korea’s behalf. As far as American officials were concerned, it was a war against the forces of international communism itself. After some early back-and-forth across the 38th parallel, the fighting stalled and casualties mounted with nothing to show for them. Meanwhile, American officials worked anxiously to fashion some sort of armistice with the North Koreans. The alternative, they feared, would be a wider war with Russia and China–or even, as some warned, World War III. Finally, in July 1953, the Korean War came to an end. In all, some 5 million soldiers and civilians lost their lives during the war. The Korean peninsula is still divided today.” (Korean War. (2009)
This is one example of how America had entered a war which was stated above, “As far as American officials were concerned, it was a war against the forces of international communism itself.”, and how America viewed another’s social structures and many other aspects as an imposing a dominating opposition and that social order had to be ensured on a global level.
Interesting enough American culture even created a television series “M*A*S*H”, which was set in a field hospital in South Korea. The series ran from 1972 until 1983, and its final episode was the most-watched in television history.
Reference:
Korean War. (2009). Retrieved January 13, 2016, from http://www.history.com/topics/korean-war
- Question 2: Sociological Imagination
What is the Sociological Imagination? Why is it important to understanding what happens in the world around us? How can using a sociological imagination help solve problems facing the world today? Try to think of something specific locally, nationally or globally. Here are some ideas to get started: climate change, pollution, war (pick any current conflict), religious conflicts, the budget crises that almost every state in the U.S. is struggling with. Feel free to come up with other examples. This should be a lively and wide ranging discussion. Who knows? We might even come up with something that proves useful.
Define by C. Wright Mills; the sociological imagination is the vivid awareness of the relationship between personal experiences and the wider society. With this, we are able to understand the larger historical picture and its meaning in our own lives. The social imagination correlates situations (which is often life changing) in ones life with the social environment of the individual. In today’s society, people often hold themselves to high standards and have a hard time understanding and accepting when something terrible goes wrong in their life, not taking into account that their everyday surroundings play a vital role. It is important to understand what happens in the world around us because everything is going to affect us in one way or another. For example, if you decide to quit your job and go to law school, then graduate, and months go by without getting a job, you will be hard on yourself. You might think you have an unimpressive resume, or think back wishing you went to a better law school. When sociological imagination is applied, the unemployment rate, crime rate, and a laundry list of other uncontrollable variables come into place making it more understanding why you may have not gotten your ideal job. If people used a sociological imagination all the time, it would help solve problems facing the world around us because you would understand the impact you are making on the world before something is done. Chances are if you realized the possible impact, you wouldn’t be doing it. Currently we are facing many global issues, which snowball and inevitably effect more than intended. For example, the current El Niño is taking a toll on on San Diego causing flooding and coastal erosion. With the dramatic flooding comes a laundry list of negative things such as car accidents, home damage, and not enough proper shelter for animals.
