Lucas Debate Follows Bills to Remove Clotheslines Bans IAN URBINA New York Times October 10, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/us/11clothesline.html?partner=rss&emc=rss Weber: In the article there is a debate amongst our capitalist government system whether Clotheslines in neighborhoods should be allowed. Some believe this maybe not a cost benefit to our economic system for example while trying to sell a home. Hanging laundry outdoors not only maybe seen as an “eyesore” but as an economic class and/or social status. We may distinguish this through what our bureaucratic system has taught us to believe. This is something that perhaps “poor people” or “low income neighborhoods” do. Which has been given a negative connotation instead, “Too poor to afford a dryer.”
The “iron cage of rationality” takes part in which industrial technology is placed before substantive rationality. We should care about the basic value of caring for our environment and individualism. The government system has written laws against “Clotheslines.” It is pretty much predicted and expected to be done in doors even by law in some states.
1. Speedy 2. Commentary: Boy pushes Congress for food allergy guidelines 3. Kyle Graddy 4. CNN.com 5. October 12, 2009 6. http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/12/kid.lobbyist/index.html Mead Kyle is taking action by trying to get a bill passed that would make voluntary national guidelines for schools to use to make things safer for kids with food allergies. This is all part of the act, the basic concept in my theory. Kyle sees a problem and he feels the need to do something about it which is why he is in Washington talking to different politicians to try and get his bill sponsored. Kyle who is nine years old is in the game stage. The game stage is the second stage in my genesis of the self. At this point in his life Kyle is focusing on protecting him and others with food allergies in the school system. He wants congress to pass a bill that would protect him and other students like himself from being harmed due to their food allergies. Kyle displayed significant gestures when talking to the different congressman and senators. It was a significant gesture because both Kyle and the politicians were talking about passing this law. The conversation included thoughts where both parties had an understanding. Rep. Rogers asked about Kyle’s food allergies and his EpiPen. Kyle showed and explained how to use the EpiPen to Rep. Rogers. This is another example of a significant gesture.
Xaipe First woman wins economics Nobel No author credited BBC News October 12, 2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8302662.stm
The act of reporting that the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in economics belittles Elinor Ostrom’s contribution to her field of study. Women should not consider themselves as good as the contributions they can make for the good of others but they must also seek their own fulfillment and success through projects that are meaningful to them as well. Women can and should seek individual agency. For the author of this article to consider her winning the prize a “shock” implies that the place of this woman in the field of academia is somehow astonishing due to her natural affinity to the more domestic work typical of those of her sex. Biology is not destiny and Elinor Ostrom should not consider her desire to contribute to the world in any other way than helping the success of the men around her as something foul or shameful. If she does, she should consider where she first got that impression, for surely it came from the men in her life that wished to see her do no more than what they required. Women should not be financially dependent on men and should women seek to do just domestic work then the value of their labor should be considered equal to men’s. The work of Ms. Elinor Ostrom has proven that women can be just as successful as men and deserve equal pay for their work when the spoils of their labor are divided.
1. mother 2. Obama: Nobel Peac Prize is "Call to Action" 3. Can Lothia 4. CNN 5. October 9, 2009 6. http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/09/nobel.peace.prize/index.html#cnnSTCVideo Cooley
President Obama stands addresses issues specifically relating to my concept of the looking-glass self. As he stands on the podium to address the crowd of people who are surprised, angered, and/or excited about the transmission of this prestigious award, he takes into consideration how people view him given these varied reactions. Aware that the public may have profound thoughts he states that he is not only surprised but also humbled, perhaps as a way to demonstrate his modesty to the people who are critical of him being granted such a prestigious award without tangible merit. He knows that to some he may not appear worthy of such an award and he recognizes this by saying he is not worth of being in the company of the past winners of the award but he shapes how he makes his appearance by accepting the award and emphasizing how it will be utilized as a “call to action” that will provide momentum to further endeavors.
1. Greece 2. It's a Fork, It's a Spoon, It's a... Weapon? 3. Ian Urbina 4. The New York Times 5. October 11, 2009 6. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/education/12discipline.html
Cooley:
This article tells the story of a young boy in the first grade who was suspended from school for bringing a camping tool which functions as a spoon, a fork, a knife, and a bottle opener. Young Zachary had just joined Boy Scouts and was very excited. The school's zero-tolerance policy for bringing weapons to school has caused Zachary to reevaluate himself. Zachary has been suspended and sentenced to 45 hours in the reform school. The reform school is obviously known as the place for troublemakers. How does Zachary perceive himself now? The school officials have deemed it necessary that he go to this reform school away from the general population. It is likely that a young mind will interpret how these school officials view him in a negative way. Zachary is not happy with the decision that has been made. He brought his karate instructor and his mother's fiance to vouch for him at the school disciplinary committee hearing. It is likely that Zachary sees himself in a positive light through the eyes of his karate instructor and his mother's fiance. He would not ask for their support otherwise. Zachary's mother is supportive of him and is home schooling him instead of sending him to the reform school. Home schooling provides a safe environment for Zachary in which he finds support. The alternative may provide Zachary with a negative sense of self as he sees himself through what he perceives the school officials and instructors at the reform school think of him. After all, only the bad kids get sent there right so Zachary must be a bad kid too.
1. Footlocker 2. “The Stereotype of the Jangled New Mother” 3. Susan Burton 4. Slate 5. 10/12/09 6. http://www.slate.com/id/2231321/entry/2232271/?from=rss Cooley: In my book, The Looking Glass Self, I lay out 3 principal elements of the looking glass self, which depicts the statement: I am what I think you think I am. The first principal element is the imagination of our appearance to the other person. Next is the imagination of their judgment of that appearance. Last is a feeling (perhaps pride or shame) as a result of the imaginative judgment. Susan Burton writes in her article about being stereotyped as a “jangled new mother”, or so she thinks. Burton, having had previous experience in an office setting fell deeply into the Looking Glass Self. First, Burton imagined her appearance to the other women in the office. She remembered being a twenty-something in an office setting and what that felt like, so she was very able to picture how the other women saw her- old. Next, Burton imagined the others judgment of her appearance; she even goes so far as to quote another author to describe herself as “jangled” and “high-strung”. She believes that if she had acted differently or drank more on Beer Friday that the other women in the office wouldn’t have seen her as the typical high-strung working mom. Lastly, Burton feels confident and capable of balancing her life, yet still seems to feel somehow unsatisfied at work because she is not doing the most difficult or time-consuming pieces. Susan Burton’s previous experiences and judgments of women in the office in her past made her uniquely susceptible to the Looking Glass Self and fulfilling that she was what she thought the other women thought she was.
1. Mohawke 2. Surprise Nobel for Obama Stirs Praise and Doubts 3. Steven Erlanger and Sheryl Gay Stolberg 4. The New York Times 5. October 9th, 2009 6. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/world/10nobel.html
As Mead:
The Nobel Peace Prize has been traditionally presented to those individuals who have accomplished or achieved some actions that have already shown particular merit. Debate has ensued this year due to many believing that President Barack Obama has yet to have performed any action deemed worthy of this award, and under careful analysis, these protesters are justified in their beliefs.
During Obama's speech, he stated that he felt he did not deserve the Nobel Prize, considering the previous winners' achievements in comparison to his. Clearly that comment represented Obama taking part in the 'self as object', or 'Me' phase, wherein he looked back on his past actions and reflected on himself--in this case, negatively--as an object. Here, part of his self arose from taking the perspective of the generalized other. Voiced by the objectors of Obama's Nobel Prize, they had a set of social expectations or norms which they felt were not met by the President before receiving the award.
As a behaviorist, Barack Obama may have made many speeches promising healthcare to all American citizens, the return of troops to their homes, and peace between Israel and Palestine, but the fact of the matter is that none of these have been completed. None of the three mentioned initiatives have been backed by his actions, which is the only method by which a person's self can be measured accurately at the time. To honor Barack Obama with an Prize for his "efforts" is not enough. The self is what determines one's character and that is best identified through their behaviors and actions. The Prize committee should reconsider presenting their award to Obama after his self shows the necessary actions worthy of the honor.
Codeword McTriage: Hospitals use drive-thrus for swine flu Marilynn Marchione Associated Press – Yahoo News September 29, 2009 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090929/ap_on_he_me/us_med_swine_flu_drive_thru
The iron cage is one in which we are trapped by the rationality that we have created. As our society grows increasingly bureaucratic, we rationalize the ways in which work is handled. However, because work for some is life for others, the effect of this rationalization permeates every institution: health care included. This article examples this encasing, forcing us to question “how far do we go?” We know that efficiency is necessary in any hospital, but when does trying to accommodate a patient turn into tending to ‘number 286?’ Each day, hundreds of children with flu-like symptoms are showing up in emergency rooms. The response to this influx mirrors much of which the restaurants have done. What is common throughout McDonalds, TGI Fridays, and Le Bonheur’s Children Hospital? Drive-Thru. Controlling for uncertainties and maximizing efficiency, the hospitals came up with their ingenious idea for offsetting the overwhelming new disease. This article highlights what happens when the ‘necessary response’ to an overcrowded fast food joint is extrapolated to a hospital or health care facility. We deadbolt another bar of our cage.
Cat Health Insurers Emerge as Obama's Top Foe in Reform Effort Ceci Connolly The Washington Post October 14, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/13/AR2009101303472.html?hpid=topnews
Weber: The opposition to universal healthcare in the United States that President Obama and legislation face is a direct result of the protestant ethic and the pursuit of capitalism. Health insurers are eager to protect their more than healthy profits-a product of insures taking advantage of exorbitant healthcare costs and an inelastic demand for good quality of life. Legislation will take far longer to formulate a plan for healthcare reform because of health insurer’s efforts to deter public options and continue promoting expensive private providers. The public is also largely divided over healthcare reform because of the rational-legal authority private insurers and the Republican Party represent. They are in positions of legitimate power and so even though their arguments may be baseless, the general public follows their opinions as truth. Furthermore, rationalization is intrinsically tied to the bureaucracy of the government and institutions surrounding the government. The stalemate in legislation between insurance companies and healthcare reform advocates is a downfall of the iron cage that succeeds in preventing needed reform. The stalemate may lead to a compromise, but the compromise will dilute the true purpose of universal health care. The bureaucracy ultimately wins by impeding positive change.
1. 7138 2. Disney's retail plan is a theme park in its store. 3. Brooks Barnes 4. The New York Time 5. Oct. 13, 2009 6. nytimes.com
Mead
My theory about the "iron cage of rationality" states that we live in a society dominated by the rational and hierarchical authority of large bureaucracies and capitalism. They are also prone to alienate those within certain classes. Recently Disney decided to expand their Disney Stores. By wanting to revamp 340 stores they are using control over uncertainties because they make sure that things happen they way they are supposed too. It seems as though Disney is looking to gain for customers through revamping their facilities. However, they are spending one million, which is a lack of efficiency. If Disney was efficiently using their funds they would find other means to optimally revamp the older stores. Also, Disney has a high level of predictability because they create toys for your children at remarkable levels and constantly stock their shelves with these toys. Calcubility is another form of rationality that they live by because there are about 300 shirts which get the note. Through utilizing my iron cage of rationality, I discovered that Disney lives up to all 4 characteristics of formal rationality. Also, They are a multi-billion dollar capitalist business which constantly alienate the individual of emotions and basic values.
1. Charlie 2. Sex and the Social Media 3. Jere Hester 4. NBC Washington 5. October 13, 2009 6. http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/tech/Sex-and-The-Social-Media-64146832.html
Mead: I believe the topic of this article is a perfect example of how my theory of the “I” and the “Me” is common in everyday life. I am not saying that the morals of the article are good, but indeed it does show my theory. The article discusses Americans getting on to popular social networking sites after having sex, and in particular commenting about the acts there to all of their friends, and followers. This shows the “I” part of my theory in the act of sex. It is the active self, in the act it is what is happening to the individual at the moment, and they are in “I” mode as they perform the act. During the act they may switch to the “Me” thinking of what they will do next, or if they are doing a good job, but must return to the act of the “I”. The article discusses men in particular going onto their Facebook for instance and commenting on the sex they had previously had. This is showing the “Me” stage, thinking about themselves in a social context in the past, and also letting others know about it in this case. The generalized other is the set of norms that are represented by a culture. In the culture we live in men are viewed as ok to have sex as much as possible, and with as many girls as possible. So men feel the need to let it be known they are keeping within these norms, by posting to others that they have kept to the role they are raised to value in our culture. This is why they post these personal rendezvous on such a public website.
1. Banana 2. Humans Beat Robots On Prostate Surgery Side Effects 3. Scott Hensley 4. NPR 5. October 13, 2009 6. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2009/10/humans_better_than_robots_for.html
Weber
Technological advances have continued to push us more and more into the iron cage of rationality. We have become stuck with the need to make things more rational by making them more predictable, calculable, and efficient and by trying to take control over all uncertainty. Even with the incredible advances we have made in recent years medicine cannot be completely rationalized. When it comes to surgical procedures and medicine the rationalization of it becomes rather difficult. For example, the iron cage would argue that surgery is safer and more dependable because of robotics, but recent research has proven that this is not necessarily true when it comes to prostate surgery. Research has found that patients experience less complications post surgery when it is performed in the ‘traditional’ way. This further proves how caught we are in this cage. There is real proof that the traditional surgery is safer but the number of robot surgeries has increased to 43% because we are so dependent and trusting of our new and more ‘efficient’ technology.
Mnk86 "In First Lady's Roots, a Complex Path From Slavery." Rachel L. Swarns and Jodi Kantor The New York Times October 8, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/us/politics/08genealogy.html?scp=1&sq=first%20lady%20roots&st=cse
Cooper: Michelle Obama as the first lady of the United States, holds a very important position in regards to women and blacks today. She has been given a very unique opportunity to stand at the threshold of a new movement in society and influence a great number of people. As the colored woman's office, it is her responsibility to manage and guide all of her people. Michelle Obama not only represents an oppressed race, but she also represents an oppressed gender. She has come a long way in terms of women's work, to actually be at the White House, working alongside her husband, the president. Since the black woman is the foundation for forward progress, Michelle Obama is at the pinnacle. She also represents a long line of slaves and even of mixed race ancestors. She is the symbol of progress and cooperation for blacks, women, and even mixed race people.
Shorty Disney’s Retail Plan Is a Theme Park in Its Stores Brooks Barnes The New York Times October 12, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/business/media/13disney.html?_r=1
Weber… This article compares to the formulation of rationalization, in that people are doing things based on a cost benefit analysis. The project for Disney enhancing all of its stores to a more modern approach and an extensive layout was designed to put consumers into the motion of spending rather than cutting back. As Weber would argue understanding was the proper way of studying social phenomena, as similar in the case of the Disney retail plan. The objective of study was to understand the present market that consumers are not spending as much, but if the approach was taken to become more aggressive by imputing more money into the store to attract more appealing entertainment, then therefore, when consumers are ready and available to spend, the new modeled stores would be in place for business, and as a result sales would explode. The decision to upgrade the Disney retail stores shows intellectual weighing of means and ends. The fact that the stores will include a very high-tech technology makeover and a range of activities (personal movie theater, birthday shows, etc), shows that the actions for the makeover are based on the strategic calculation into a bigger more profitably retail chain. Disney the retail chain can be viewed as the bureaucracy setting the stage and scene for children of all ages and ethnic backgrounds to enter into a world of play. The board would be the people who consisted of the written rules and procedures, the workers would be the clear division of labor, and the Disney executive would be the hierarchy aimed to reach its organizations defined goals. Also, in this model the formal characteristic of efficiency is displayed by shaping the old retail store into a newly renovated production that will ultimately lead to bigger dreams for the company. Lastly, stratification is exemplified. One can say the political party is a representation of the Apple Company because the interests and ideas sparked from them. Also, the social status can be displayed by parents of children, as these will be the groups or communities that will enter the store and emphasize on community and interactivity.
Rainpda 'Unsafe Abortions Kill 70,000 a Year' Sarah Boseley Commondreams.org Oct,14,2009 http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/14
Cooper: In 2009 there are still thousands of women who are dying because of restrictive laws that result in unsafe abortions. What makes these abortions deadly is that these countries do not allow women to abort their babies if they chose to so they have to do it illegally which often times is in unsafe conditions. Women know what they want for themselevs and if not having a child is what they want then they should be entitled to abort the baby if that is what they want. These women are being controlled by the men in more ways than one. According to the article the man has the choice as to whether he wears a condom. That is not true because there are female condoms that women can wear, but these women are not being told about this because of the cutbacks in funding for family counsel dealing with pregnancy. If the women know that they do have opinions then there may not be as many women who need abortions. Also the majority of the law makers are men, they make the laws that say that abortion is illegal.It seems as if these women are being controlled by the men and beleive that they have no control over what happens to them, when they do, they just need the information to guide them.
1. Skittles 2. When the Icing on the Cake Spells Disaster 3. David Hochman 4. The New York Times 5. October 13, 2009 6. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/dining/14cake.html
Weber
Generally the parties that I see today can clearly be compared to the ceremonial religious events that I once critiqued. Included in the rituals of these ceremonies is the traditional action of having a cake which is used to honor a particular individual. Whether it is a birthday boy or girl, Mother’s Day, or for the “#1 Dad” it is apparent that these figures, at least for that day, are being idolized in a way comparable to that of a god. Evidently this traditional action has become so prominent in Western society that it called for businesses to efficiently mass produce these cakes. As I foretold, rationalization to this extent would lead to irrational consequences. With the application of formal rationality the craft of baking cakes has been transformed into a pseudo-bureaucracy. Even the title of this article, “When the Icing on the Cake Spells Disaster” is a direct indication of the disenchantment that results from this type of rationalization. This article gives me the ideal opportunity to address the critics who refer to me as a pessimistic for my ideas about the irrationality that results from the application of formal rationality. Baking cakes in these bakeries have become so rationalized and routine that when obvious mistakes on the cakes are made they are not corrected. Mistakes such as writing the word ‘Nothing’ on a cake when a customer asks that there be nothing written on the cake is a clear indication that workers are trapped in the iron cage of rationality. Instead of implementing practical rationality and treating each new cake as a unique situation they are only doing what is routine and are just going through the motions; seeing the word ‘nothing’ on the order slip, and writing the word ‘nothing’ on the cake as opposed to realizing that the customer does not want any words on the cake. The irrationality resulting from this formal rationality is so common that Jen Yates is able to have a popular blog about these mishaps, and I can only wonder what my critics have to say about that.
Howard “Two Wrongs Make Another Fiasco” Frank Rich N.Y. Times October 12, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/opinion/11rich.html
Cooley
Depending on how you look at the situation in Afghanistan some may disagree on who to blame for the issues we have experienced. However, as writers discuss their opinions it is important to take a second to imagine how the words and cruelty affect the person being discussed. I imagine that as John McCain was reading Frank Rich’s article he took a good look within himself. McCain would imagine how his decisions looked to others, how others judged his decisions, and then began to feel mortified. I, Charles Horton Cooley, have seen this a lot amongst people but it takes on a new dimension when we view the concept of “the looking glass self” from someone in the public’s eye. I am sure that it takes a toll on how he feels about himself, especially due to the large amounts of criticism he hears every day. Frank Rich does not put it lightly when he states that not one right decision was made by John McCain after 9/11. Rich mentions many examples to support his stance on McCain and even takes it to a level of comparing John McCain to President Obama. The reality is that all human beings are affected by how other people feel about us, but when someone is constantly bashed in the media it can have an everlasting affect on him/her. However, we also have to consider those people that receive praise in the media. These people would be the ones who do not agree with Frank Rich, the ones that support John McCain’s perspective. This support can also have an effect on how John McCain feels about himself. The positive feedback that he would get from people would encourage him to take pride in his role in society.
I hope anyone that is reading this knows what intellectual pragmatism is, more importantly what the social pragmatism talked about by Mead is, once you get that in your minds Obama’s pragmatism will be clearly recognizable. Obama's pragmatism is fueled by historicism, meliorism, and value-shaped effectiveness or strategic idealism. In short, Obama practices the social intelligence recommended by Mead. He thinks that our practices are revisable and can be re-shaped through deliberation and experimentation to enable us to live well. Not necessarily saying that Obama knows anything about this intellectual movement and or even considers himself to be a part of it. But it is sufficient enough that he practices what they recommended. Obama exemplifies the pragmatism they articulated and defended. By putting Obama in this context we are able to make use of the resources of this tradition to explain and justify his practice. Some of these charges are that his pragmatism is a matter of mere expediency or that he is anti-ideological and thus lacking in principals.
But this approach having something in mind then finding it is a cognitive suspect. Perhaps we students of pragmatism are projecting this on to Obama.
It could be common sense to believe that most politicians, as well as others, when it comes down to it, are pragmatic and to say that Obama is a pragmatist would be in line with saying that politicians want to get elected; and because they want or need to get elected a politician will tailor their positions, or if you will, behave pragmatically. What I am trying to say is that “pragmatism” is distinction without a difference.
M_Luther Solar Living, Without Compromising On Lifestyle Henry Fountain The New York Times October 12, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/science/earth/13solar.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
The first sentence reveals it all: “John Hamilton paused from tinkering with the heat pumps, pipes, and tanks arrayed before him”. The man is at work, as is every other man discussed in the article. The title appeals to their economic sense: “…Without Compromising on Lifestyle”; the same lifestyle that they maintain at the expense of the women in their lives. After all, it is only reasonable to expect these men to seek to maintain the highest lifestyle they can manage. Part of doing so is managing one’s expenses. Getting cheaper electricity helps. So does having a personal servant. These men need time to work on their projects. Time that they don’t want to spend with the upkeeping of their house. This is incredibly frustrating (and predictable). Another article talking about the technological marvels men make that will make life a little better, and no mention of the free labor their wives perform that enable them to have to time to work on such products. These women provide valuable service for the men that continually goes unrecognized. When will this end? When will these women be given the credit they so richly deserve? Unless the women stop their unfair labor, and allow the men to see the reduction of their “lifestyles” they so prize, I doubt they will be given their due.
K94 "Facial Profiling" Dave Johns Slate October 14th, 2009 http://www.slate.com/id/2232409/?from=rss
James,
The idea of usng facial profiling on a particular individual can give rise to that individual feeling that they have a numerous number of social selves. Their social self is different in each situation based on the way a specific physiognomists (those who study faces) views them when looking at their facial features. If one physiognomist sees them as being aggressive because of their facial features while another phsiognomist views them as gentle the individual will have two different social selves they are protraying to their peers. The amount of these social selves can be endless, as many selves as people who view the individuals facial features a specific way. Although the indivdual may not be portraying his social self through his actions the use of facial profiling allows people to interpret who he is the same way they would with actions. The physiognomist is viewing what is being portrayed on the outside for them by this person. The physiognomist then shapes who they feel the persons is by interpreting who they believe them to be based on their face giving rise to the persons social self.
ImSaari24 Bleak US Job Market Boosts Military Recruitment Adam Entous Reuters October 14, 2009 http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/14-0
Weber:
I chose to analyze and reflect on this particular article from the perspective of Max Weber because it accurately illustrates several of his formal rationalization characteristics, as well as the effects of a modernized bureaucratic organizational structure. The main focus of this article is the subsequent increase of military recruits in 2009, which was primarily fueled by “the deepest Unites States recession since the Great Depression,” in addition to the national unemployment rate hastily approaching ten percent. Weber would most likely assert many of these new recruits have transitioned their decision-making from predictive action decisions based on straightforward values and emotions, or substantive rationality, to unpredictable actions based on specific calculations and the conscious intellectual weighing of means and ends, or formal rationality, when making substantial decisions in relation their life course. With the presence of the current recession constantly looming, many individuals have been forced to reassess their individual economic obligations to their family, as well as the society in which they live. The article states “rising private sector unemployment was a force behind the increase in military recruitment.” Weber would likely use this statement to argue that these fresh recruits were attempting to gain some sort of control over the uncertainties they face in such a depressing economic state, which happens to be one of the four characteristics of formal rationality. Young men and women who are struggling to make ends meet typically seek to stabilize their lives with some form of predictability and structural meaning, in an effort to eliminate stress over financial obligations. Weber would probably conclude by stating that bureaucracy and large entities continue to manipulate people into efficient machines in an attempt to increase economic efficiency and productivity.
Miyagi "Facial Profiling" Dave Johns Slate October 14, 2009 http://www.slate.com/id/2232409/?from=rss
Mead There have been many attempts to link personality traits of a person with their facial and bodily features. Older studies in the field physiognomy did not follow strict methods and had inapplicable findings, but with the recent happenings in India this field might have reason to be studied much further. The bombings in Mumbai left many people in India devastated and angry, when investigators were able to find one person who was connected in the crime the whole country was surprised. The man, Ajmal Kasab was a short person who had the face of a young child. After his appearance was revealed the country could not believe that a person with such young and pure looks could commit such a heinous crime. Looking back before Kasab was caught and while he was committing his crime he would be practicing what Mead would call the I. This is when he is not concerned with the past or future and just acting. I believe that during the whole commission of the crime Kasab did not practice the Me by looking back and comparing what he looks like to what the generalized other feels how a person who did these crimes could look. Once he was captured and received this shock from his appearance “the baby-faced killer” used the Me to look back and understand that his unorthodox looks for a terrorist might have aided him in committing the crime because people would not expect such actions from a person with a similar look to Kasab. Kasab now knows that he does look young and innocent by looking at himself with respect to the ideas of the generalized other. All of these revelations that could come to Kasab after capture and during his practicing of the Me probably will not help him in his new situation which is prison.
Eastside Clinton: Russia sees Iran threat No Specific Author Credited BBC News October 14, 2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8307208.stm
Weber Hillary Clinton has verbalized that Russia is now indeed aware of the threat that Iran poses to nations around the world. A council has been assembled and now wants Iran to end uranium enrichment. They have approved three rounds of sanctions that now ban Iran’s arm exports and any sort of trade in nuclear material. It seems that Iran’s potential nuclear threat to the nations has everyone trying to somehow subjugate and control the present situation. Weber’s conjecture of formal rationalization could be palpably recognized here. By trying to manage the number amount of weaponry that crosses Iran’s border is a measure of calculability. The collective gathering and formation of the council demonstrates predictability because the same steps are habitually taken every time a specific nation poses a threat. Clinton says that: “we are in agreement that if our diplomatic engagement is not successful then we have to look at other measures to take, including sanctions to try to pressure the Iranians." The dramatic steps taken to handle this situation by any means necessary validates that we are trying to have control over uncertainties. The overall process by both the United States, Russia, and all of the nations involved exhibits great efficiency to complete the task.
1. Seymour 2. Humans Beat Robots On Prostate Surgery Side Effects 3. Scott Hensley 4. NPR 5. 10/13/2009 6. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2009/10/humans_better_than_robots_for.html
Weber: Modernity is characterized by increasing rationalization. Actions are increasingly decided upon by four means of measurement: calculability, efficiency, predictability, and control over uncertainties. This emphasis on weighing the means and ends when deciding actions is called formal rationality. The advancement of technology and the increasing reliance on mechanical, nonhuman means demonstrates an attempt at control over uncertainties. This is especially seen in regards to medical procedures. In modern times the newer technology is, the more effective people take it to be. This is true in America where rates of robot assisted prostate removal surgeries are ever increasing.
However, a recent study has shown that robot assisted prostate removal surgeries are actually more likely to end in complication. While robot assisted surgery is associated with greater precision, the results contradict such claims. The fact that people who have robot assisted surgeries are more likely to experience long-term complications, such as incontinence, than those who do not indicates that this increasing rationalization tends to have irrational consequences. The means-end rationality that holds technology above humans as being more efficient and effective is a characteristic of modern life and is seen in the increasing use of robot assisted prostate removal surgeries. While robot assisted surgeries may lack efficiency in the long run for the patient it is efficient in cost to the hospital, where these types of surgeries are characterized by shorter hospital stays and fewer transfusions. Society is rapidly heading towards the “iron cage of rationality,” where effectiveness is understood only in capitalist terms, profit.
RAWR! Can You Tell If a MAn Is Dangerous Dave Johns Slate Magazine October 14, 2009 http://www.slate.com/id/2232409/
Cooley:
The capture of the baby-face-killer in India has sparked much debate on whether or not a person's facial features can predict that person's propensity for violent acts. Do a persons facial features show us whether ot not that person is likely to be violent? Theere is some small evidence showing that people with certain facial features, such as the size of the brow and jaw (linked to testosterone levels), may be related to agression. However, there is far more evidence that people judge people with certain facial and physical features differently than they judge others. This has vast ramifications for the people being judged. If a person beleives others perceive them as agressive or violent, they will begin to act agressive or violent in response to this perception. The way others treat you, or the way you perceive that others treat you, has a huge effect of future behavior. It is not hard to imagine a man with a wide face and heavy brow being treated as someone violent or dangerous, especially by cops or authority figures. This expectation of violence will not only make the man beleive that he has violent tendencies, but also limit his ability to perceive non-agressive solutions for his problems because of how he perceives that others perceive him. In fact, he may be encouraged to seek more agressive pasttimes or empalyment by peers or authority figures because of his looks, further ingraining his self perception of being agressive. This might explain why one study found that hockey players had even wider faces than violent criminals: people who had few aggressive tendencies were pushed into an aggressive sport because of how they perceived others viewed them.
1.Bahamas 2.Obama: Nobel Peace Prize is ‘call to action’ 3.Can Lothia 4.CNN 5.October 9, 2009 6.http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/09/nobel.peace.prize/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
Cooley: “I am what I think you think I am"- My 3 principle elements of the looking glass self are quite apparent in Obama: Nobel Peace Prize is ‘call to action’. As Obama stands on the podium to address the crowd of people, he declares that “he is not only surprised but humbled as well, to win such a prestigious award.” –The imagination of our appearance to the other person comes in to play. He is wondering what the crowd thinks of him and their reactions towards him winning the award. Obama knows people may not think he is worthy of this award so he states “he is not worth of being in the company of the past winners.”–The imagination of their judgments of that appearance comes into play. Now that he has said all that he wanted to say, he is wondering if they were the right things and what thoughts are running through the crowds minds. Lastly my third principle element –Some sort of self-feeling, such as pride or mortification, comes into play. Obama feels honored and prideful for receiving such an honorary award. He knows that the Nobel Peace Prize will be utilized as a “call to action” that will provide momentum to further endeavors. Therefore his self- feeling is full of satisfaction.
32828 Can you tell if a man is dangerous just by looking at his face? Dave Johns Slate.com 10/14/09 http://www.slate.com/id/2232409/?from=rss
Weber
In the wake of the 2007 Mumbai terror attacks many Indians were wondering when justice was going to be served. During the attacks, 10 young men from Pakistan divided up into teams to carry out the large scale attacks. Their areas were central and popular in Mumbai, targeted to hit many residents. When one of the gunmen was captured one year later, no one was expecting him to be what he was. Ajmal Kasab was barely 5 feet tall; he had a fresh face, and boyish looks. Many speculated; was this the new face of terrorism? Whether, they are willing to admit it or not, many people hold biases concerning the “look” of criminals. Many criminologists have, over time, tried to research the commonalities criminals share. Having a predictable look for criminals would decrease the rate of crime. Testosterone has many of the common effects on males and females alike. What we have found in the past is that testosterone is the driving force behind many aggravated attacks. I predict if we have an efficient way to see criminals, by identifying their commonalities (i.e. hair type, hair color, eye color, facial structure etc.) we will decrease the crime rate. However, a man like the one involved in the Mumbai attacks is an uncertainty. He was not the “common criminal” type. How would we have control over uncertainties? Maybe the commonalities are more biological rather than physical. Or, should we just trust our instincts? Efficiency plays a large role; what is the optimal method for accomplishing the goal of preventing crime and terror attacks. Are the generalizations and instincts correct when identifying a criminal? Predictability, Efficiency, and Calculability often point to yes.
OxMan Debate Follows Bills to Remove Clotheslines Ban Ian Urbina NYTIMES.COM 10-10-2009 nytimes.com/2009/10/11/us/11clothesline.html?
Weber
All over the United States, 60 million people are subjected to the outlandish rules and regulations created by homeowners associations in private communities. Of these, bans on the use of clothelines, or wind energy drying devices as the Senate has chosen to call them, have been the focus of debate. Over 6% of the electricity used in all homes comes from the use of dryers and many people, whether for financial reasons or simply going green, have converted to the "wind energy drying device". It is for capitalistic reasons that these bans have been rampant in the communities. Those in positions of authority, (rational-legal authority in this case)feel that clotheslines are comparable to having junk cars on blocks in the driveway and ultimately lower property values; Protestantism at work. Lawmakers around the country have rallied to end this practice which is environmentally counterproductive, and clearly not falling into my definition of efficiency.
Beaner “Are Stay-at-Home Dad’s Less Manly?" by Michael Agger Slate Michael Agger October 14th, 2009 http://www.slate.com/id/2231321/entry/2232436/?from=rss
Mead
“Are Stay-at-Home Dad’s Less Manly?” by Michael Agger
This article discusses the social pressures felt by Michael Agger, a man who switched roles with his wife and became a stay-at-home dad. The piece is filled with self-reflection as he explores both the pros and cons to this family arrangement.
When Agger considers himself as subject, or what Mead would refer to as the “I,” he seems to admit that he enjoys staying home with his children and he considers the work that he does there to be valuable. Agger feels that the quality of time spent with his children has improved and dotes over their small milestones, like attempting to walk and drawing pictures. It is obvious that he is very proud and happy to be a driving force in his children’s lives.
The problem starts when Agger’s train of thought shifts from the “self as subject” to the “self as object” or the “Me” state. He cites books like The American Idea of Success which claim that in our society, accomplishment for a man is measured by the amount of money that he has raised and the status that he has achieved. He feels that he would be considered more successful by societal standards if he had written a best-selling book than if he raised two independent and thoughtful sons. It is this mentality that makes him feel emasculated and underappreciated by his role as a stay-at-home father.
In a way, this entire article could be considered an internal conversation that Agger is having with himself about the generalized other. It seems as though he is fighting his socialization by taking on a role that he feels goes against his supposed manliness.
Seazer "Modular Building Designs Take Top Prize in Lifecycle Building Challenge Awards" By Greener Buildings Staff GreenBiz.com Oct. 13th 2009 http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2009/10/13/modular-building-designs-take-top-prize-lifecycle-building-challenge-awards
WEBER,
Building green is just another contemporary excuse to seeking the most rational way of designing something such as a house or building. Although green wise construction is in fact more beneficial to the environment, and less harmful, it could also have an alternative motive; one that goes along the lines of Weber's Iron Cage of Rationalization. It's not that greener building and construction techniques are in any way a bad thing, because they do benefit the environment. Its just that some companies might go towards the green pathway because they can ultimately make more efficient and cheaper products that use less materials and pass them off as “going green”.
First of all, something such as a greener building will be more efficient to produce if it uses cheaper materials such as those that might be recycled and more readily available. Recycled products such as recycled wood, plastics, and metals for the foundation and structures of the buildings are not only green wise, they are also efficient in terms of Weber's rationalization. These greener buildings will probably be very calculable and there will be control over uncertainties. Due to there efficient nature of construction, they will probably all be identical. This will help control uncertainties such as cost and time of completion thus making them calculable. The use of similar materials and designs will also make them very predictable in nature as well. Construction workers and architects will know exactly how to construct these buildings without having to deal with uncertainties because their construction will be so repetitious. In regards to Weber's theory of bureaucracy, we will see examples in the written rules and procedures of constructing these buildings. There will also be a hierarchy in the delegation of authority. The boss will be at the top, the architects will be under the boss, and the laborers will be at the bottom. This also demonstrates a clear division of labor which was a key concept.
So overall, going green when concerning building construction is a very good thing when regarding the future health of the environment. It can, however, implement some of Weber's theories such as the Iron Cage of Rationalization and Bureaucracy.
Peaches Still on the Job, but at Half the Pay Louis Uchitelle New York Times October 13, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/business/economy/14income.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=us Weber: A bureaucracy is a “formal organization with a hierarchy of authority and a clear division of labor; with an emphasis on written rules, communications, and records, and impersonality of positions.” the definition of what a bureaucracy is alone already establishes the problems that a bureaucracy would have in today’s society and influence conflict. “The dark blue captain’s hat, with its golden oak-leaf clusters, sits atop a bookcase in Bryan Lawlor’s home, out of reach of the children. The uniform their father wears still displays the four stripes of a commercial airline captain, but the hat stays home. The rules forbid that extra display of authority, now that Mr. Lawlor has been downgraded to first officer.” The way responsibilities are placed in a bureaucracy causes conflict in the workplace because everyone has their duties and everyone has superiors, and each level assigns responsibilities to the level beneath it, while each of the lower level workers are accountable to the level above it for fulfilling those assignments. The conflict in this situation is the lower level workers are not receiving the credit that they deserve. Along with not being able to wear and display the Captains hat he earned, Mr. Lawlor is constantly receiving pay cuts which has now reduced his pay lower to that of his wife, a fourth grade teacher. Normally there is so much impersonality within a bureaucracy but in this case instead of firing the workers, they are reducing pay and position level while making these pilots work and put in the same amount of effort as they did before their reduction in officer level. In a bureaucracy, it is the position that has importance, not the individual that holds the position because the position carries the funds. Mr. Lawlor says “pilots’ pay these days fails to recognize the training and skill involved in transporting passengers even more safely than in the past.” Unfortunately this no longer matters once in a bureaucracy. You are easily replaceable in these jobs so you are not guaranteed anything. So you have to follow all orders and have to deal with the fact you are doing your superiors work if you want to keep your job. Low pay is better than no pay.
tundra Do Green Products Make for Unethical Shoppers? Matthew Wheeland GreenBiz.com 10/13/09 http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2009/10/13/green-products-unethical-shoppers
Mead: This article condemns those who purchase green products, claiming that they are more likely to lie, cheat, and steal. It sounds ridiculous. Some 'scientists' conducted 'studies' to establish this 'fact.' The type of person who purchases green products was less likely to share their money with others. Why is that a bad thing? Perhaps they are more cognizant of how they spend that money and would fear giving it to someone else who might not purchase a green-good. The same do-gooders were more likely to lie in order to earn a few extra pennies for completing the survey. Again, I wonder how this is a bad thing. They are participating in a study, what's wrong with a few extra cents? I would argue this makes more sense. Unfortunately, because I am who you think I think I am, the realities of what is happening are skewed. Viewed objectively the scientists seem spot on, but from a subjective perspective, everything is logical. When I go to buy green products I don't try to convince others to do the same, because no one is paying me to do that. I just do what makes sense for me to do and what I perceive is good for the environment. I only live within my own mind, I can't control what other people do. And I doubt that what I'm doing is unethical. So I'm not seeping into your mind with advertisements and I'm not dressed scantly-clad so you notice all my ostentatious purchases. If store managers get wind that environmentalists are all thieves, they would probably stop stocking those Earth saving products. That would be crazy. Whoever designed the studies aimed at criminalizing the green-buyers has a more devious goal than the environmentalists.
Bob Marley When the Icing on the Cake Spells Disaster DAVID HOCHMAN The New York Times, Dining and Wine October 13, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/dining/14cake.html?_r=1 Mead
Even within small industries, there is a structure where everything has a function. Another man’s trash is another man’s treasure and that is what Jen Yates did. She found use for professional cakes that had been messed up in some way. Despite the cakes not being up to par, Yates is able to find a function for them. Yates has created a blog website where cakes that have mistakes on them are posted. This serves as a site to make people laugh but also to show how mishaps can throw a cake off. What started of as a time killer, looking at cakes with mishaps became a function of entertainment for people to view.
Its unbelievable that industries that rely on being powered by coal have gone to the extent to seem like they are something they are not. They say there will no longer be pollution but then begin to pollute and dump what was originally meant as air pollution into waterways. As i have stated before the iron cage of rationality is still in existence and the current is reflective of how there is a strong focus on profit through this industrial technology. Furthermore as long as the iron cage mentality stands other communities like the one in Masontown, PA will have to continue their onward struggle to set laws in place to stop such pollution giving light to health issues in the community. Yet as long as the industry exist it will be lead by profits and be able to buy themselves out of anything.
RMUSTANG Clinton: Russia sees Iran threat N/A Unaccredited author BBC News October 14, 2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8307208.stm
Mead:
United States Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, when it comes to the current issues regarding the United States’ foreign policy relations with the United Nations and the status of Iran, engages in the Act. In this case, Iran and surrounding speculation that the country’s civilian nuclear energy program is actually a cover for a nuclear weapons program serves as a stimulus which engages Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. Upon obtaining intelligence that suggests foul play on the behalf of Iran, Mrs. Clinton had some reaction, an impulse, which led to her wanting to take some form of action. Clinton then moved onward to the next stage. Here Clinton sought clues regarding the Iranian position, the validity of intelligence and the like to help her determine what was and was not important when addressing the rumors surrounding nuclear weapons. Now Mrs. Clinton is at the Manipulation stage. Here she cannot physically manipulate a nation; however, she can further examine the intentions of Iran through other methods. One such method, which has been recently addressed, is the inspection of a nuclear site in Qom by United Nations inspectors and the transfer of low-enriched uranium to other countries for enrichment. Depending on this examination, Clinton’s next move in the consummation stage will either be a position of calling for increased sanctions in Iran and the support of Russia to back these sanctions.
In order to fulfill this, Clinton has to engage in significant and symbolic gestures. Language is the most probable manifestation of these two, for it enables Secretary Clinton to communicate her ideas and thoughts in an articulate fashion with representatives and foreign policy members of the UN. But before she articulates these ideas with diplomats, she first converses with herself using language. This is the mind. Through this mental process, she objectifies herself, the position as United States Secretary of the State, and determines which actions are deemed necessary. In accordance with this, she assumes the viewpoint of other diplomats and predicts the reception they will have for the statements of the U.S. Secretary of State and plans accordingly. First Clinton assumes the role of the Secretary of State. Then she assumes the role of all other diplomats and parties involved. Those moments when she is not active, she is within the realm of the Me. Here she behaves in accordance of the perception of the community; the generalized other. But within the moments that she does act, the interview within this article for instance, her sense of self, the I is in play. The I is a gamble and is free to either ‘hit or miss’ so to speak. When answering questions of the press, the I is at great risk of presenting a statement that may be interpreted incorrectly, resulting in negative attention.
1) Bernie 2) Humans Beat Robots on Prostate Surgery Side Effects. 3) Scott Hensley 4) NPR 5) 10/13/2009 6) http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2009/10/humans_better_than_robots_for.html.
Weber: This article is interesting because it shows American's dependence on technology. This dependence is not a good thing. We are always trying to find faster, more efficient, and cheaper ways to replace humans in their jobs. This is a good demonstration of how it doesn't work in the long run. In my "Iron Cage Rationality" model, I point out 4 components of rationale that end up making society worse. Creating robots to remove prostates from humans is a good demonstration of this model. They were created to be more efficient and to control the uncertainties of humans. This way hospitals an spend less money and predict the surgical process n removing prostates. But as shown inthe article, it turns out to cause more problems in the patient. The patient takes longer to recover, therefore possibly costing the hospital more money than when doctors remove the prostates.
At the top of each post you must list the following information: 1. Your Codeword 2. Title of the news article you choose (see suggestions below) 3. Author of the news article 4. Source of the news article 5. Date of the news article 6. Link (url) to the news article
Those six lines should be followed by your reflection from the perspective of the social theorist you choose from the list of options for each due date. A reflection is not a summary. Instead, what you are expected to do is to thoroughly read the news article of your choice and reflect on it from the perspective of one of the assigned Social Theorists. Note that your reflection may include a bit of summary, but it must not consist entirely of summarizing the article. Good reflections will analyze the issue discussed in the article from the perspective of one of the assigned Social Theorists; outstanding posts will even take the voice (write in the tone and style of) the Social Theorist. Reflections should be a minimum of one paragraph. They must be posted no later than 4pm on the due date below and the article you choose must have been published within two weeks of the due date. There are 10 points possible for each post.
#1 - W. 9/30 - Marx, Engels, Durkheim #2 - W. 10/14 - Weber, Gilman, Dubois, Cooper, James, Cooley, Mead #3 - W. 10/21 - Popper, Parsons #4 - W. 11/13 - Mills, Habermas #5 - W. 11/18 - Berger & Luckman, Garfinkel, Goffman
Lucas
ReplyDeleteDebate Follows Bills to Remove Clotheslines Bans
IAN URBINA
New York Times
October 10, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/us/11clothesline.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Weber:
In the article there is a debate amongst our capitalist government system whether Clotheslines in neighborhoods should be allowed. Some believe this maybe not a cost benefit to our economic system for example while trying to sell a home.
Hanging laundry outdoors not only maybe seen as an “eyesore” but as an economic class and/or social status. We may distinguish this through what our bureaucratic system has taught us to believe. This is something that perhaps “poor people” or “low income neighborhoods” do. Which has been given a negative connotation instead, “Too poor to afford a dryer.”
The “iron cage of rationality” takes part in which industrial technology is placed before substantive rationality. We should care about the basic value of caring for our environment and individualism.
The government system has written laws against “Clotheslines.” It is pretty much predicted and expected to be done in doors even by law in some states.
1. Speedy
ReplyDelete2. Commentary: Boy pushes Congress for food allergy guidelines
3. Kyle Graddy
4. CNN.com
5. October 12, 2009
6. http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/12/kid.lobbyist/index.html
Mead
Kyle is taking action by trying to get a bill passed that would make voluntary national guidelines for schools to use to make things safer for kids with food allergies. This is all part of the act, the basic concept in my theory. Kyle sees a problem and he feels the need to do something about it which is why he is in Washington talking to different politicians to try and get his bill sponsored.
Kyle who is nine years old is in the game stage. The game stage is the second stage in my genesis of the self. At this point in his life Kyle is focusing on protecting him and others with food allergies in the school system. He wants congress to pass a bill that would protect him and other students like himself from being harmed due to their food allergies.
Kyle displayed significant gestures when talking to the different congressman and senators. It was a significant gesture because both Kyle and the politicians were talking about passing this law. The conversation included thoughts where both parties had an understanding. Rep. Rogers asked about Kyle’s food allergies and his EpiPen. Kyle showed and explained how to use the EpiPen to Rep. Rogers. This is another example of a significant gesture.
Xaipe
ReplyDeleteFirst woman wins economics Nobel
No author credited
BBC News
October 12, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8302662.stm
The act of reporting that the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in economics belittles Elinor Ostrom’s contribution to her field of study. Women should not consider themselves as good as the contributions they can make for the good of others but they must also seek their own fulfillment and success through projects that are meaningful to them as well. Women can and should seek individual agency. For the author of this article to consider her winning the prize a “shock” implies that the place of this woman in the field of academia is somehow astonishing due to her natural affinity to the more domestic work typical of those of her sex. Biology is not destiny and Elinor Ostrom should not consider her desire to contribute to the world in any other way than helping the success of the men around her as something foul or shameful. If she does, she should consider where she first got that impression, for surely it came from the men in her life that wished to see her do no more than what they required. Women should not be financially dependent on men and should women seek to do just domestic work then the value of their labor should be considered equal to men’s. The work of Ms. Elinor Ostrom has proven that women can be just as successful as men and deserve equal pay for their work when the spoils of their labor are divided.
--Charlotte Perkins Gilman
1. mother
ReplyDelete2. Obama: Nobel Peac Prize is "Call to Action"
3. Can Lothia
4. CNN
5. October 9, 2009
6. http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/09/nobel.peace.prize/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
Cooley
President Obama stands addresses issues specifically relating to my concept of the looking-glass self. As he stands on the podium to address the crowd of people who are surprised, angered, and/or excited about the transmission of this prestigious award, he takes into consideration how people view him given these varied reactions. Aware that the public may have profound thoughts he states that he is not only surprised but also humbled, perhaps as a way to demonstrate his modesty to the people who are critical of him being granted such a prestigious award without tangible merit. He knows that to some he may not appear worthy of such an award and he recognizes this by saying he is not worth of being in the company of the past winners of the award but he shapes how he makes his appearance by accepting the award and emphasizing how it will be utilized as a “call to action” that will provide momentum to further endeavors.
1. Greece
ReplyDelete2. It's a Fork, It's a Spoon, It's a... Weapon?
3. Ian Urbina
4. The New York Times
5. October 11, 2009
6. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/education/12discipline.html
Cooley:
This article tells the story of a young boy in the first grade who was suspended from school for bringing a camping tool which functions as a spoon, a fork, a knife, and a bottle opener. Young Zachary had just joined Boy Scouts and was very excited. The school's zero-tolerance policy for bringing weapons to school has caused Zachary to reevaluate himself. Zachary has been suspended and sentenced to 45 hours in the reform school. The reform school is obviously known as the place for troublemakers. How does Zachary perceive himself now? The school officials have deemed it necessary that he go to this reform school away from the general population. It is likely that a young mind will interpret how these school officials view him in a negative way. Zachary is not happy with the decision that has been made. He brought his karate instructor and his mother's fiance to vouch for him at the school disciplinary committee hearing. It is likely that Zachary sees himself in a positive light through the eyes of his karate instructor and his mother's fiance. He would not ask for their support otherwise. Zachary's mother is supportive of him and is home schooling him instead of sending him to the reform school. Home schooling provides a safe environment for Zachary in which he finds support. The alternative may provide Zachary with a negative sense of self as he sees himself through what he perceives the school officials and instructors at the reform school think of him. After all, only the bad kids get sent there right so Zachary must be a bad kid too.
1. Footlocker
ReplyDelete2. “The Stereotype of the Jangled New Mother”
3. Susan Burton
4. Slate
5. 10/12/09
6. http://www.slate.com/id/2231321/entry/2232271/?from=rss
Cooley:
In my book, The Looking Glass Self, I lay out 3 principal elements of the looking glass self, which depicts the statement: I am what I think you think I am. The first principal element is the imagination of our appearance to the other person. Next is the imagination of their judgment of that appearance. Last is a feeling (perhaps pride or shame) as a result of the imaginative judgment. Susan Burton writes in her article about being stereotyped as a “jangled new mother”, or so she thinks. Burton, having had previous experience in an office setting fell deeply into the Looking Glass Self. First, Burton imagined her appearance to the other women in the office. She remembered being a twenty-something in an office setting and what that felt like, so she was very able to picture how the other women saw her- old. Next, Burton imagined the others judgment of her appearance; she even goes so far as to quote another author to describe herself as “jangled” and “high-strung”. She believes that if she had acted differently or drank more on Beer Friday that the other women in the office wouldn’t have seen her as the typical high-strung working mom. Lastly, Burton feels confident and capable of balancing her life, yet still seems to feel somehow unsatisfied at work because she is not doing the most difficult or time-consuming pieces. Susan Burton’s previous experiences and judgments of women in the office in her past made her uniquely susceptible to the Looking Glass Self and fulfilling that she was what she thought the other women thought she was.
1. Mohawke
ReplyDelete2. Surprise Nobel for Obama Stirs Praise and Doubts
3. Steven Erlanger and Sheryl Gay Stolberg
4. The New York Times
5. October 9th, 2009
6. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/world/10nobel.html
As Mead:
The Nobel Peace Prize has been traditionally presented to those individuals who have accomplished or achieved some actions that have already shown particular merit. Debate has ensued this year due to many believing that President Barack Obama has yet to have performed any action deemed worthy of this award, and under careful analysis, these protesters are justified in their beliefs.
During Obama's speech, he stated that he felt he did not deserve the Nobel Prize, considering the previous winners' achievements in comparison to his. Clearly that comment represented Obama taking part in the 'self as object', or 'Me' phase, wherein he looked back on his past actions and reflected on himself--in this case, negatively--as an object. Here, part of his self arose from taking the perspective of the generalized other. Voiced by the objectors of Obama's Nobel Prize, they had a set of social expectations or norms which they felt were not met by the President before receiving the award.
As a behaviorist, Barack Obama may have made many speeches promising healthcare to all American citizens, the return of troops to their homes, and peace between Israel and Palestine, but the fact of the matter is that none of these have been completed. None of the three mentioned initiatives have been backed by his actions, which is the only method by which a person's self can be measured accurately at the time. To honor Barack Obama with an Prize for his "efforts" is not enough. The self is what determines one's character and that is best identified through their behaviors and actions. The Prize committee should reconsider presenting their award to Obama after his self shows the necessary actions worthy of the honor.
Codeword
ReplyDeleteMcTriage: Hospitals use drive-thrus for swine flu
Marilynn Marchione
Associated Press – Yahoo News
September 29, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090929/ap_on_he_me/us_med_swine_flu_drive_thru
The iron cage is one in which we are trapped by the rationality that we have created. As our society grows increasingly bureaucratic, we rationalize the ways in which work is handled. However, because work for some is life for others, the effect of this rationalization permeates every institution: health care included. This article examples this encasing, forcing us to question “how far do we go?” We know that efficiency is necessary in any hospital, but when does trying to accommodate a patient turn into tending to ‘number 286?’
Each day, hundreds of children with flu-like symptoms are showing up in emergency rooms. The response to this influx mirrors much of which the restaurants have done. What is common throughout McDonalds, TGI Fridays, and Le Bonheur’s Children Hospital? Drive-Thru. Controlling for uncertainties and maximizing efficiency, the hospitals came up with their ingenious idea for offsetting the overwhelming new disease. This article highlights what happens when the ‘necessary response’ to an overcrowded fast food joint is extrapolated to a hospital or health care facility. We deadbolt another bar of our cage.
Cat
ReplyDeleteHealth Insurers Emerge as Obama's Top Foe in Reform Effort
Ceci Connolly
The Washington Post
October 14, 2009
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/13/AR2009101303472.html?hpid=topnews
Weber:
The opposition to universal healthcare in the United States that President Obama and legislation face is a direct result of the protestant ethic and the pursuit of capitalism. Health insurers are eager to protect their more than healthy profits-a product of insures taking advantage of exorbitant healthcare costs and an inelastic demand for good quality of life. Legislation will take far longer to formulate a plan for healthcare reform because of health insurer’s efforts to deter public options and continue promoting expensive private providers. The public is also largely divided over healthcare reform because of the rational-legal authority private insurers and the Republican Party represent. They are in positions of legitimate power and so even though their arguments may be baseless, the general public follows their opinions as truth. Furthermore, rationalization is intrinsically tied to the bureaucracy of the government and institutions surrounding the government. The stalemate in legislation between insurance companies and healthcare reform advocates is a downfall of the iron cage that succeeds in preventing needed reform. The stalemate may lead to a compromise, but the compromise will dilute the true purpose of universal health care. The bureaucracy ultimately wins by impeding positive change.
1. 7138
ReplyDelete2. Disney's retail plan is a theme park in its store.
3. Brooks Barnes
4. The New York Time
5. Oct. 13, 2009
6. nytimes.com
Mead
My theory about the "iron cage of rationality" states that we live in a society dominated by the rational and hierarchical authority of large bureaucracies and capitalism. They are also prone to alienate those within certain classes.
Recently Disney decided to expand their Disney Stores. By wanting to revamp 340 stores they are using control over uncertainties because they make sure that things happen they way they are supposed too. It seems as though Disney is looking to gain for customers through revamping their facilities. However, they are spending one million, which is a lack of efficiency. If Disney was efficiently using their funds they would find other means to optimally revamp the older stores. Also, Disney has a high level of predictability because they create toys for your children at remarkable levels and constantly stock their shelves with these toys. Calcubility is another form of rationality that they live by because there are about 300 shirts which get the note. Through utilizing my iron cage of rationality, I discovered that Disney lives up to all 4 characteristics of formal rationality. Also, They are a multi-billion dollar capitalist business which constantly alienate the individual of emotions and basic values.
1. Charlie
ReplyDelete2. Sex and the Social Media
3. Jere Hester
4. NBC Washington
5. October 13, 2009
6. http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/tech/Sex-and-The-Social-Media-64146832.html
Mead:
I believe the topic of this article is a perfect example of how my theory of the “I” and the “Me” is common in everyday life. I am not saying that the morals of the article are good, but indeed it does show my theory. The article discusses Americans getting on to popular social networking sites after having sex, and in particular commenting about the acts there to all of their friends, and followers. This shows the “I” part of my theory in the act of sex. It is the active self, in the act it is what is happening to the individual at the moment, and they are in “I” mode as they perform the act. During the act they may switch to the “Me” thinking of what they will do next, or if they are doing a good job, but must return to the act of the “I”. The article discusses men in particular going onto their Facebook for instance and commenting on the sex they had previously had. This is showing the “Me” stage, thinking about themselves in a social context in the past, and also letting others know about it in this case. The generalized other is the set of norms that are represented by a culture. In the culture we live in men are viewed as ok to have sex as much as possible, and with as many girls as possible. So men feel the need to let it be known they are keeping within these norms, by posting to others that they have kept to the role they are raised to value in our culture. This is why they post these personal rendezvous on such a public website.
1. Banana
ReplyDelete2. Humans Beat Robots On Prostate Surgery Side Effects
3. Scott Hensley
4. NPR
5. October 13, 2009
6. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2009/10/humans_better_than_robots_for.html
Weber
Technological advances have continued to push us more and more into the iron cage of rationality. We have become stuck with the need to make things more rational by making them more predictable, calculable, and efficient and by trying to take control over all uncertainty. Even with the incredible advances we have made in recent years medicine cannot be completely rationalized. When it comes to surgical procedures and medicine the rationalization of it becomes rather difficult. For example, the iron cage would argue that surgery is safer and more dependable because of robotics, but recent research has proven that this is not necessarily true when it comes to prostate surgery. Research has found that patients experience less complications post surgery when it is performed in the ‘traditional’ way. This further proves how caught we are in this cage. There is real proof that the traditional surgery is safer but the number of robot surgeries has increased to 43% because we are so dependent and trusting of our new and more ‘efficient’ technology.
Mnk86
ReplyDelete"In First Lady's Roots, a Complex Path From Slavery."
Rachel L. Swarns and Jodi Kantor
The New York Times
October 8, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/us/politics/08genealogy.html?scp=1&sq=first%20lady%20roots&st=cse
Cooper:
Michelle Obama as the first lady of the United States, holds a very important position in regards to women and blacks today. She has been given a very unique opportunity to stand at the threshold of a new movement in society and influence a great number of people. As the colored woman's office, it is her responsibility to manage and guide all of her people. Michelle Obama not only represents an oppressed race, but she also represents an oppressed gender. She has come a long way in terms of women's work, to actually be at the White House, working alongside her husband, the president. Since the black woman is the foundation for forward progress, Michelle Obama is at the pinnacle. She also represents a long line of slaves and even of mixed race ancestors. She is the symbol of progress and cooperation for blacks, women, and even mixed race people.
Shorty
ReplyDeleteDisney’s Retail Plan Is a Theme Park in Its Stores
Brooks Barnes
The New York Times
October 12, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/business/media/13disney.html?_r=1
Weber…
This article compares to the formulation of rationalization, in that people are doing things based on a cost benefit analysis. The project for Disney enhancing all of its stores to a more modern approach and an extensive layout was designed to put consumers into the motion of spending rather than cutting back. As Weber would argue understanding was the proper way of studying social phenomena, as similar in the case of the Disney retail plan. The objective of study was to understand the present market that consumers are not spending as much, but if the approach was taken to become more aggressive by imputing more money into the store to attract more appealing entertainment, then therefore, when consumers are ready and available to spend, the new modeled stores would be in place for business, and as a result sales would explode.
The decision to upgrade the Disney retail stores shows intellectual weighing of means and ends. The fact that the stores will include a very high-tech technology makeover and a range of activities (personal movie theater, birthday shows, etc), shows that the actions for the makeover are based on the strategic calculation into a bigger more profitably retail chain. Disney the retail chain can be viewed as the bureaucracy setting the stage and scene for children of all ages and ethnic backgrounds to enter into a world of play. The board would be the people who consisted of the written rules and procedures, the workers would be the clear division of labor, and the Disney executive would be the hierarchy aimed to reach its organizations defined goals. Also, in this model the formal characteristic of efficiency is displayed by shaping the old retail store into a newly renovated production that will ultimately lead to bigger dreams for the company. Lastly, stratification is exemplified. One can say the political party is a representation of the Apple Company because the interests and ideas sparked from them. Also, the social status can be displayed by parents of children, as these will be the groups or communities that will enter the store and emphasize on community and interactivity.
Rainpda
ReplyDelete'Unsafe Abortions Kill 70,000 a Year'
Sarah Boseley
Commondreams.org
Oct,14,2009
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/14
Cooper: In 2009 there are still thousands of women who are dying because of restrictive laws that result in unsafe abortions. What makes these abortions deadly is that these countries do not allow women to abort their babies if they chose to so they have to do it illegally which often times is in unsafe conditions. Women know what they want for themselevs and if not having a child is what they want then they should be entitled to abort the baby if that is what they want. These women are being controlled by the men in more ways than one. According to the article the man has the choice as to whether he wears a condom. That is not true because there are female condoms that women can wear, but these women are not being told about this because of the cutbacks in funding for family counsel dealing with pregnancy. If the women know that they do have opinions then there may not be as many women who need abortions. Also the majority of the law makers are men, they make the laws that say that abortion is illegal.It seems as if these women are being controlled by the men and beleive that they have no control over what happens to them, when they do, they just need the information to guide them.
1. Skittles
ReplyDelete2. When the Icing on the Cake Spells Disaster
3. David Hochman
4. The New York Times
5. October 13, 2009
6. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/dining/14cake.html
Weber
Generally the parties that I see today can clearly be compared to the ceremonial religious events that I once critiqued. Included in the rituals of these ceremonies is the traditional action of having a cake which is used to honor a particular individual. Whether it is a birthday boy or girl, Mother’s Day, or for the “#1 Dad” it is apparent that these figures, at least for that day, are being idolized in a way comparable to that of a god. Evidently this traditional action has become so prominent in Western society that it called for businesses to efficiently mass produce these cakes. As I foretold, rationalization to this extent would lead to irrational consequences.
With the application of formal rationality the craft of baking cakes has been transformed into a pseudo-bureaucracy. Even the title of this article, “When the Icing on the Cake Spells Disaster” is a direct indication of the disenchantment that results from this type of rationalization. This article gives me the ideal opportunity to address the critics who refer to me as a pessimistic for my ideas about the irrationality that results from the application of formal rationality. Baking cakes in these bakeries have become so rationalized and routine that when obvious mistakes on the cakes are made they are not corrected. Mistakes such as writing the word ‘Nothing’ on a cake when a customer asks that there be nothing written on the cake is a clear indication that workers are trapped in the iron cage of rationality. Instead of implementing practical rationality and treating each new cake as a unique situation they are only doing what is routine and are just going through the motions; seeing the word ‘nothing’ on the order slip, and writing the word ‘nothing’ on the cake as opposed to realizing that the customer does not want any words on the cake. The irrationality resulting from this formal rationality is so common that Jen Yates is able to have a popular blog about these mishaps, and I can only wonder what my critics have to say about that.
Howard
ReplyDelete“Two Wrongs Make Another Fiasco”
Frank Rich
N.Y. Times
October 12, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/opinion/11rich.html
Cooley
Depending on how you look at the situation in Afghanistan some may disagree on who to blame for the issues we have experienced. However, as writers discuss their opinions it is important to take a second to imagine how the words and cruelty affect the person being discussed. I imagine that as John McCain was reading Frank Rich’s article he took a good look within himself. McCain would imagine how his decisions looked to others, how others judged his decisions, and then began to feel mortified. I, Charles Horton Cooley, have seen this a lot amongst people but it takes on a new dimension when we view the concept of “the looking glass self” from someone in the public’s eye. I am sure that it takes a toll on how he feels about himself, especially due to the large amounts of criticism he hears every day. Frank Rich does not put it lightly when he states that not one right decision was made by John McCain after 9/11. Rich mentions many examples to support his stance on McCain and even takes it to a level of comparing John McCain to President Obama. The reality is that all human beings are affected by how other people feel about us, but when someone is constantly bashed in the media it can have an everlasting affect on him/her. However, we also have to consider those people that receive praise in the media.
These people would be the ones who do not agree with Frank Rich, the ones that support John McCain’s perspective. This support can also have an effect on how John McCain feels about himself. The positive feedback that he would get from people would encourage him to take pride in his role in society.
1.Gorgoron
ReplyDelete2.Obama's pragmatism dissected
3.Jonah Goldberg
4.GoErie.com
5.October 06. 2009 12:01AM
6.http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091006/OPINION09/310069991/-1/OPINION
Mead
I hope anyone that is reading this knows what intellectual pragmatism is, more importantly what the social pragmatism talked about by Mead is, once you get that in your minds Obama’s pragmatism will be clearly recognizable. Obama's pragmatism is fueled by historicism, meliorism, and value-shaped effectiveness or strategic idealism. In short, Obama practices the social intelligence recommended by Mead. He thinks that our practices are revisable and can be re-shaped through deliberation and experimentation to enable us to live well. Not necessarily saying that Obama knows anything about this intellectual movement and or even considers himself to be a part of it. But it is sufficient enough that he practices what they recommended. Obama exemplifies the pragmatism they articulated and defended. By putting Obama in this context we are able to make use of the resources of this tradition to explain and justify his practice. Some of these charges are that his pragmatism is a matter of mere expediency or that he is anti-ideological and thus lacking in principals.
But this approach having something in mind then finding it is a cognitive suspect. Perhaps we students of pragmatism are projecting this on to Obama.
It could be common sense to believe that most politicians, as well as others, when it comes down to it, are pragmatic and to say that Obama is a pragmatist would be in line with saying that politicians want to get elected; and because they want or need to get elected a politician will tailor their positions, or if you will, behave pragmatically. What I am trying to say is that “pragmatism” is distinction without a difference.
M_Luther
ReplyDeleteSolar Living, Without Compromising On Lifestyle
Henry Fountain
The New York Times
October 12, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/science/earth/13solar.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
The first sentence reveals it all: “John Hamilton paused from tinkering with the heat pumps, pipes, and tanks arrayed before him”. The man is at work, as is every other man discussed in the article. The title appeals to their economic sense: “…Without Compromising on Lifestyle”; the same lifestyle that they maintain at the expense of the women in their lives. After all, it is only reasonable to expect these men to seek to maintain the highest lifestyle they can manage. Part of doing so is managing one’s expenses. Getting cheaper electricity helps. So does having a personal servant. These men need time to work on their projects. Time that they don’t want to spend with the upkeeping of their house. This is incredibly frustrating (and predictable). Another article talking about the technological marvels men make that will make life a little better, and no mention of the free labor their wives perform that enable them to have to time to work on such products. These women provide valuable service for the men that continually goes unrecognized. When will this end? When will these women be given the credit they so richly deserve? Unless the women stop their unfair labor, and allow the men to see the reduction of their “lifestyles” they so prize, I doubt they will be given their due.
K94
ReplyDelete"Facial Profiling"
Dave Johns
Slate
October 14th, 2009
http://www.slate.com/id/2232409/?from=rss
James,
The idea of usng facial profiling on a particular individual can give rise to that individual feeling that they have a numerous number of social selves. Their social self is different in each situation based on the way a specific physiognomists (those who study faces) views them when looking at their facial features. If one physiognomist sees them as being aggressive because of their facial features while another phsiognomist views them as gentle the individual will have two different social selves they are protraying to their peers. The amount of these social selves can be endless, as many selves as people who view the individuals facial features a specific way. Although the indivdual may not be portraying his social self through his actions the use of facial profiling allows people to interpret who he is the same way they would with actions. The physiognomist is viewing what is being portrayed on the outside for them by this person. The physiognomist then shapes who they feel the persons is by interpreting who they believe them to be based on their face giving rise to the persons social self.
ImSaari24
ReplyDeleteBleak US Job Market Boosts Military Recruitment
Adam Entous
Reuters
October 14, 2009
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/10/14-0
Weber:
I chose to analyze and reflect on this particular article from the perspective of Max Weber because it accurately illustrates several of his formal rationalization characteristics, as well as the effects of a modernized bureaucratic organizational structure. The main focus of this article is the subsequent increase of military recruits in 2009, which was primarily fueled by “the deepest Unites States recession since the Great Depression,” in addition to the national unemployment rate hastily approaching ten percent. Weber would most likely assert many of these new recruits have transitioned their decision-making from predictive action decisions based on straightforward values and emotions, or substantive rationality, to unpredictable actions based on specific calculations and the conscious intellectual weighing of means and ends, or formal rationality, when making substantial decisions in relation their life course. With the presence of the current recession constantly looming, many individuals have been forced to reassess their individual economic obligations to their family, as well as the society in which they live. The article states “rising private sector unemployment was a force behind the increase in military recruitment.” Weber would likely use this statement to argue that these fresh recruits were attempting to gain some sort of control over the uncertainties they face in such a depressing economic state, which happens to be one of the four characteristics of formal rationality. Young men and women who are struggling to make ends meet typically seek to stabilize their lives with some form of predictability and structural meaning, in an effort to eliminate stress over financial obligations. Weber would probably conclude by stating that bureaucracy and large entities continue to manipulate people into efficient machines in an attempt to increase economic efficiency and productivity.
Miyagi
ReplyDelete"Facial Profiling"
Dave Johns
Slate
October 14, 2009
http://www.slate.com/id/2232409/?from=rss
Mead
There have been many attempts to link personality traits of a person with their facial and bodily features. Older studies in the field physiognomy did not follow strict methods and had inapplicable findings, but with the recent happenings in India this field might have reason to be studied much further. The bombings in Mumbai left many people in India devastated and angry, when investigators were able to find one person who was connected in the crime the whole country was surprised. The man, Ajmal Kasab was a short person who had the face of a young child. After his appearance was revealed the country could not believe that a person with such young and pure looks could commit such a heinous crime. Looking back before Kasab was caught and while he was committing his crime he would be practicing what Mead would call the I. This is when he is not concerned with the past or future and just acting. I believe that during the whole commission of the crime Kasab did not practice the Me by looking back and comparing what he looks like to what the generalized other feels how a person who did these crimes could look. Once he was captured and received this shock from his appearance “the baby-faced killer” used the Me to look back and understand that his unorthodox looks for a terrorist might have aided him in committing the crime because people would not expect such actions from a person with a similar look to Kasab. Kasab now knows that he does look young and innocent by looking at himself with respect to the ideas of the generalized other. All of these revelations that could come to Kasab after capture and during his practicing of the Me probably will not help him in his new situation which is prison.
Eastside
ReplyDeleteClinton: Russia sees Iran threat
No Specific Author Credited
BBC News
October 14, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8307208.stm
Weber
Hillary Clinton has verbalized that Russia is now indeed aware of the threat that Iran poses to nations around the world. A council has been assembled and now wants Iran to end uranium enrichment. They have approved three rounds of sanctions that now ban Iran’s arm exports and any sort of trade in nuclear material. It seems that Iran’s potential nuclear threat to the nations has everyone trying to somehow subjugate and control the present situation. Weber’s conjecture of formal rationalization could be palpably recognized here. By trying to manage the number amount of weaponry that crosses Iran’s border is a measure of calculability. The collective gathering and formation of the council demonstrates predictability because the same steps are habitually taken every time a specific nation poses a threat. Clinton says that: “we are in agreement that if our diplomatic engagement is not successful then we have to look at other measures to take, including sanctions to try to pressure the Iranians." The dramatic steps taken to handle this situation by any means necessary validates that we are trying to have control over uncertainties. The overall process by both the United States, Russia, and all of the nations involved exhibits great efficiency to complete the task.
1. Seymour
ReplyDelete2. Humans Beat Robots On Prostate Surgery Side Effects
3. Scott Hensley
4. NPR
5. 10/13/2009
6. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2009/10/humans_better_than_robots_for.html
Weber:
Modernity is characterized by increasing rationalization. Actions are increasingly decided upon by four means of measurement: calculability, efficiency, predictability, and control over uncertainties. This emphasis on weighing the means and ends when deciding actions is called formal rationality. The advancement of technology and the increasing reliance on mechanical, nonhuman means demonstrates an attempt at control over uncertainties. This is especially seen in regards to medical procedures. In modern times the newer technology is, the more effective people take it to be. This is true in America where rates of robot assisted prostate removal surgeries are ever increasing.
However, a recent study has shown that robot assisted prostate removal surgeries are actually more likely to end in complication. While robot assisted surgery is associated with greater precision, the results contradict such claims. The fact that people who have robot assisted surgeries are more likely to experience long-term complications, such as incontinence, than those who do not indicates that this increasing rationalization tends to have irrational consequences. The means-end rationality that holds technology above humans as being more efficient and effective is a characteristic of modern life and is seen in the increasing use of robot assisted prostate removal surgeries. While robot assisted surgeries may lack efficiency in the long run for the patient it is efficient in cost to the hospital, where these types of surgeries are characterized by shorter hospital stays and fewer transfusions. Society is rapidly heading towards the “iron cage of rationality,” where effectiveness is understood only in capitalist terms, profit.
RAWR!
ReplyDeleteCan You Tell If a MAn Is Dangerous
Dave Johns
Slate Magazine
October 14, 2009
http://www.slate.com/id/2232409/
Cooley:
The capture of the baby-face-killer in India has sparked much debate on whether or not a person's facial features can predict that person's propensity for violent acts. Do a persons facial features show us whether ot not that person is likely to be violent? Theere is some small evidence showing that people with certain facial features, such as the size of the brow and jaw (linked to testosterone levels), may be related to agression. However, there is far more evidence that people judge people with certain facial and physical features differently than they judge others. This has vast ramifications for the people being judged. If a person beleives others perceive them as agressive or violent, they will begin to act agressive or violent in response to this perception. The way others treat you, or the way you perceive that others treat you, has a huge effect of future behavior. It is not hard to imagine a man with a wide face and heavy brow being treated as someone violent or dangerous, especially by cops or authority figures. This expectation of violence will not only make the man beleive that he has violent tendencies, but also limit his ability to perceive non-agressive solutions for his problems because of how he perceives that others perceive him. In fact, he may be encouraged to seek more agressive pasttimes or empalyment by peers or authority figures because of his looks, further ingraining his self perception of being agressive. This might explain why one study found that hockey players had even wider faces than violent criminals: people who had few aggressive tendencies were pushed into an aggressive sport because of how they perceived others viewed them.
1.Bahamas
ReplyDelete2.Obama: Nobel Peace Prize is ‘call to action’
3.Can Lothia
4.CNN
5.October 9, 2009
6.http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/09/nobel.peace.prize/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
Cooley:
“I am what I think you think I am"- My 3 principle elements of the looking glass self are quite apparent in Obama: Nobel Peace Prize is ‘call to action’. As Obama stands on the podium to address the crowd of people, he declares that “he is not only surprised but humbled as well, to win such a prestigious award.” –The imagination of our appearance to the other person comes in to play. He is wondering what the crowd thinks of him and their reactions towards him winning the award. Obama knows people may not think he is worthy of this award so he states “he is not worth of being in the company of the past winners.”–The imagination of their judgments of that appearance comes into play. Now that he has said all that he wanted to say, he is wondering if they were the right things and what thoughts are running through the crowds minds. Lastly my third principle element –Some sort of self-feeling, such as pride or mortification, comes into play. Obama feels honored and prideful for receiving such an honorary award. He knows that the Nobel Peace Prize will be utilized as a “call to action” that will provide momentum to further endeavors. Therefore his self- feeling is full of satisfaction.
32828
ReplyDeleteCan you tell if a man is dangerous just by looking at his face?
Dave Johns
Slate.com
10/14/09
http://www.slate.com/id/2232409/?from=rss
Weber
In the wake of the 2007 Mumbai terror attacks many Indians were wondering when justice was going to be served. During the attacks, 10 young men from Pakistan divided up into teams to carry out the large scale attacks. Their areas were central and popular in Mumbai, targeted to hit many residents. When one of the gunmen was captured one year later, no one was expecting him to be what he was. Ajmal Kasab was barely 5 feet tall; he had a fresh face, and boyish looks. Many speculated; was this the new face of terrorism?
Whether, they are willing to admit it or not, many people hold biases concerning the “look” of criminals. Many criminologists have, over time, tried to research the commonalities criminals share. Having a predictable look for criminals would decrease the rate of crime. Testosterone has many of the common effects on males and females alike. What we have found in the past is that testosterone is the driving force behind many aggravated attacks. I predict if we have an efficient way to see criminals, by identifying their commonalities (i.e. hair type, hair color, eye color, facial structure etc.) we will decrease the crime rate. However, a man like the one involved in the Mumbai attacks is an uncertainty. He was not the “common criminal” type. How would we have control over uncertainties? Maybe the commonalities are more biological rather than physical. Or, should we just trust our instincts?
Efficiency plays a large role; what is the optimal method for accomplishing the goal of preventing crime and terror attacks. Are the generalizations and instincts correct when identifying a criminal? Predictability, Efficiency, and Calculability often point to yes.
OxMan
ReplyDeleteDebate Follows Bills to Remove Clotheslines Ban
Ian Urbina
NYTIMES.COM
10-10-2009
nytimes.com/2009/10/11/us/11clothesline.html?
Weber
All over the United States, 60 million people are subjected to the outlandish rules and regulations created by homeowners associations in private communities. Of these, bans on the use of clothelines, or wind energy drying devices as the Senate has chosen to call them, have been the focus of debate. Over 6% of the electricity used in all homes comes from the use of dryers and many people, whether for financial reasons or simply going green, have converted to the "wind energy drying device". It is for capitalistic reasons that these bans have been rampant in the communities. Those in positions of authority, (rational-legal authority in this case)feel that clotheslines are comparable to having junk cars on blocks in the driveway and ultimately lower property values; Protestantism at work. Lawmakers around the country have rallied to end this practice which is environmentally counterproductive, and clearly not falling into my definition of efficiency.
Beaner
ReplyDelete“Are Stay-at-Home Dad’s Less Manly?"
by Michael Agger
Slate
Michael Agger
October 14th, 2009
http://www.slate.com/id/2231321/entry/2232436/?from=rss
Mead
“Are Stay-at-Home Dad’s Less Manly?” by Michael Agger
This article discusses the social pressures felt by Michael Agger, a man who switched roles with his wife and became a stay-at-home dad. The piece is filled with self-reflection as he explores both the pros and cons to this family arrangement.
When Agger considers himself as subject, or what Mead would refer to as the “I,” he seems to admit that he enjoys staying home with his children and he considers the work that he does there to be valuable. Agger feels that the quality of time spent with his children has improved and dotes over their small milestones, like attempting to walk and drawing pictures. It is obvious that he is very proud and happy to be a driving force in his children’s lives.
The problem starts when Agger’s train of thought shifts from the “self as subject” to the “self as object” or the “Me” state. He cites books like The American Idea of Success which claim that in our society, accomplishment for a man is measured by the amount of money that he has raised and the status that he has achieved. He feels that he would be considered more successful by societal standards if he had written a best-selling book than if he raised two independent and thoughtful sons. It is this mentality that makes him feel emasculated and underappreciated by his role as a stay-at-home father.
In a way, this entire article could be considered an internal conversation that Agger is having with himself about the generalized other. It seems as though he is fighting his socialization by taking on a role that he feels goes against his supposed manliness.
Seazer
ReplyDelete"Modular Building Designs Take Top Prize in Lifecycle Building Challenge Awards"
By Greener Buildings Staff
GreenBiz.com
Oct. 13th 2009
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2009/10/13/modular-building-designs-take-top-prize-lifecycle-building-challenge-awards
WEBER,
Building green is just another contemporary excuse to seeking the most rational way of designing something such as a house or building. Although green wise construction is in fact more beneficial to the environment, and less harmful, it could also have an alternative motive; one that goes along the lines of Weber's Iron Cage of Rationalization. It's not that greener building and construction techniques are in any way a bad thing, because they do benefit the environment. Its just that some companies might go towards the green pathway because they can ultimately make more efficient and cheaper products that use less materials and pass them off as “going green”.
First of all, something such as a greener building will be more efficient to produce if it uses cheaper materials such as those that might be recycled and more readily available. Recycled products such as recycled wood, plastics, and metals for the foundation and structures of the buildings are not only green wise, they are also efficient in terms of Weber's rationalization. These greener buildings will probably be very calculable and there will be control over uncertainties. Due to there efficient nature of construction, they will probably all be identical. This will help control uncertainties such as cost and time of completion thus making them calculable. The use of similar materials and designs will also make them very predictable in nature as well. Construction workers and architects will know exactly how to construct these buildings without having to deal with uncertainties because their construction will be so repetitious. In regards to Weber's theory of bureaucracy, we will see examples in the written rules and procedures of constructing these buildings. There will also be a hierarchy in the delegation of authority. The boss will be at the top, the architects will be under the boss, and the laborers will be at the bottom. This also demonstrates a clear division of labor which was a key concept.
So overall, going green when concerning building construction is a very good thing when regarding the future health of the environment. It can, however, implement some of Weber's theories such as the Iron Cage of Rationalization and Bureaucracy.
Peaches
ReplyDeleteStill on the Job, but at Half the Pay
Louis Uchitelle
New York Times
October 13, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/business/economy/14income.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=us
Weber:
A bureaucracy is a “formal organization with a hierarchy of authority and a clear division of labor; with an emphasis on written rules, communications, and records, and impersonality of positions.” the definition of what a bureaucracy is alone already establishes the problems that a bureaucracy would have in today’s society and influence conflict. “The dark blue captain’s hat, with its golden oak-leaf clusters, sits atop a bookcase in Bryan Lawlor’s home, out of reach of the children. The uniform their father wears still displays the four stripes of a commercial airline captain, but the hat stays home. The rules forbid that extra display of authority, now that Mr. Lawlor has been downgraded to first officer.”
The way responsibilities are placed in a bureaucracy causes conflict in the workplace because everyone has their duties and everyone has superiors, and each level assigns responsibilities to the level beneath it, while each of the lower level workers are accountable to the level above it for fulfilling those assignments. The conflict in this situation is the lower level workers are not receiving the credit that they deserve. Along with not being able to wear and display the Captains hat he earned, Mr. Lawlor is constantly receiving pay cuts which has now reduced his pay lower to that of his wife, a fourth grade teacher.
Normally there is so much impersonality within a bureaucracy but in this case instead of firing the workers, they are reducing pay and position level while making these pilots work and put in the same amount of effort as they did before their reduction in officer level. In a bureaucracy, it is the position that has importance, not the individual that holds the position because the position carries the funds. Mr. Lawlor says “pilots’ pay these days fails to recognize the training and skill involved in transporting passengers even more safely than in the past.” Unfortunately this no longer matters once in a bureaucracy. You are easily replaceable in these jobs so you are not guaranteed anything. So you have to follow all orders and have to deal with the fact you are doing your superiors work if you want to keep your job. Low pay is better than no pay.
tundra
ReplyDeleteDo Green Products Make for Unethical Shoppers?
Matthew Wheeland
GreenBiz.com
10/13/09
http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2009/10/13/green-products-unethical-shoppers
Mead:
This article condemns those who purchase green products, claiming that they are more likely to lie, cheat, and steal. It sounds ridiculous. Some 'scientists' conducted 'studies' to establish this 'fact.' The type of person who purchases green products was less likely to share their money with others. Why is that a bad thing? Perhaps they are more cognizant of how they spend that money and would fear giving it to someone else who might not purchase a green-good. The same do-gooders were more likely to lie in order to earn a few extra pennies for completing the survey. Again, I wonder how this is a bad thing. They are participating in a study, what's wrong with a few extra cents? I would argue this makes more sense. Unfortunately, because I am who you think I think I am, the realities of what is happening are skewed. Viewed objectively the scientists seem spot on, but from a subjective perspective, everything is logical. When I go to buy green products I don't try to convince others to do the same, because no one is paying me to do that. I just do what makes sense for me to do and what I perceive is good for the environment. I only live within my own mind, I can't control what other people do. And I doubt that what I'm doing is unethical. So I'm not seeping into your mind with advertisements and I'm not dressed scantly-clad so you notice all my ostentatious purchases. If store managers get wind that environmentalists are all thieves, they would probably stop stocking those Earth saving products. That would be crazy. Whoever designed the studies aimed at criminalizing the green-buyers has a more devious goal than the environmentalists.
Bob Marley
ReplyDeleteWhen the Icing on the Cake Spells Disaster
DAVID HOCHMAN
The New York Times, Dining and Wine
October 13, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/dining/14cake.html?_r=1
Mead
Even within small industries, there is a structure where everything has a function. Another man’s trash is another man’s treasure and that is what Jen Yates did. She found use for professional cakes that had been messed up in some way. Despite the cakes not being up to par, Yates is able to find a function for them. Yates has created a blog website where cakes that have mistakes on them are posted. This serves as a site to make people laugh but also to show how mishaps can throw a cake off. What started of as a time killer, looking at cakes with mishaps became a function of entertainment for people to view.
GraffitiDrk
ReplyDeleteCleansing the Air at the Expense of Waterways
CHARLES DUHIGG
New York Times
October 14, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/us/13water.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
Weber:
Its unbelievable that industries that rely on being powered by coal have gone to the extent to seem like they are something they are not. They say there will no longer be pollution but then begin to pollute and dump what was originally meant as air pollution into waterways. As i have stated before the iron cage of rationality is still in existence and the current is reflective of how there is a strong focus on profit through this industrial technology. Furthermore as long as the iron cage mentality stands other communities like the one in Masontown, PA will have to continue their onward struggle to set laws in place to stop such pollution giving light to health issues in the community. Yet as long as the industry exist it will be lead by profits and be able to buy themselves out of anything.
RMUSTANG
ReplyDeleteClinton: Russia sees Iran threat
N/A Unaccredited author
BBC News
October 14, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8307208.stm
Mead:
United States Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, when it comes to the current issues regarding the United States’ foreign policy relations with the United Nations and the status of Iran, engages in the Act. In this case, Iran and surrounding speculation that the country’s civilian nuclear energy program is actually a cover for a nuclear weapons program serves as a stimulus which engages Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. Upon obtaining intelligence that suggests foul play on the behalf of Iran, Mrs. Clinton had some reaction, an impulse, which led to her wanting to take some form of action. Clinton then moved onward to the next stage. Here Clinton sought clues regarding the Iranian position, the validity of intelligence and the like to help her determine what was and was not important when addressing the rumors surrounding nuclear weapons. Now Mrs. Clinton is at the Manipulation stage. Here she cannot physically manipulate a nation; however, she can further examine the intentions of Iran through other methods. One such method, which has been recently addressed, is the inspection of a nuclear site in Qom by United Nations inspectors and the transfer of low-enriched uranium to other countries for enrichment. Depending on this examination, Clinton’s next move in the consummation stage will either be a position of calling for increased sanctions in Iran and the support of Russia to back these sanctions.
In order to fulfill this, Clinton has to engage in significant and symbolic gestures. Language is the most probable manifestation of these two, for it enables Secretary Clinton to communicate her ideas and thoughts in an articulate fashion with representatives and foreign policy members of the UN. But before she articulates these ideas with diplomats, she first converses with herself using language. This is the mind. Through this mental process, she objectifies herself, the position as United States Secretary of the State, and determines which actions are deemed necessary. In accordance with this, she assumes the viewpoint of other diplomats and predicts the reception they will have for the statements of the U.S. Secretary of State and plans accordingly. First Clinton assumes the role of the Secretary of State. Then she assumes the role of all other diplomats and parties involved. Those moments when she is not active, she is within the realm of the Me. Here she behaves in accordance of the perception of the community; the generalized other. But within the moments that she does act, the interview within this article for instance, her sense of self, the I is in play. The I is a gamble and is free to either ‘hit or miss’ so to speak. When answering questions of the press, the I is at great risk of presenting a statement that may be interpreted incorrectly, resulting in negative attention.
1) Bernie
ReplyDelete2) Humans Beat Robots on Prostate Surgery Side Effects.
3) Scott Hensley
4) NPR
5) 10/13/2009
6) http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2009/10/humans_better_than_robots_for.html.
Weber:
This article is interesting because it shows American's dependence on technology. This dependence is not a good thing. We are always trying to find faster, more efficient, and cheaper ways to replace humans in their jobs. This is a good demonstration of how it doesn't work in the long run. In my "Iron Cage Rationality" model, I point out 4 components of rationale that end up making society worse. Creating robots to remove prostates from humans is a good demonstration of this model. They were created to be more efficient and to control the uncertainties of humans. This way hospitals an spend less money and predict the surgical process n removing prostates. But as shown inthe article, it turns out to cause more problems in the patient. The patient takes longer to recover, therefore possibly costing the hospital more money than when doctors remove the prostates.