Marx isn't bad?

This week we have been talking about global stratification. Global Stratification deals with social class. There are three systems. They are slavery, the caste system, and the class system.

The caste system is a closed system used in India. In this system, your "caste" determines your role in society. It is not possible to move up in this system. What you were in a past life determines your "caste." There are four categories. They are:

1. Brahmins

2. Kshatriyas

3. Vaishyas

4. Shudras

If you didn't fit into any of those categories you were considered an "untouchable." The untouchables dealt with disposal of the dead and were excluded altogether and treated horribly. The Brahmins were scholars, teachers, and fire priests. The Kshatriyas were kings, warriors, law enforcers, and administrators. The Vaishyas were agriculturists, cattle raisers, traders, and bankers. The Shudras were artisans, craftsmen, and service providers.

The Class System is an open system. This means that it is possible to move around and change roles. Where you are in the class system is based on where you were born and your individual achievements. The most powerful class in a society often uses markers such as costume, grooming, manners and language codes that mark insiders and outsiders; unique political rights such as honorary titles; and, concepts of social honour or face that are claimed to only be applicable to the in group. But each class has distinctive features, often becoming defining elements of personal identity and uniting factors in group behaviour.

One of the main supporters/creators of the social class system is Karl Marx. This week's article is all about him. According to this article, Marx isn't really all that bad. His ideas and principles were just blown out of proportion by China and Russia. The Marxism theory is one that states that well-heeled capitalist nations might use their resources to create justice for their people. There is no document that has received more compliments on a historical achievement than The Communist Manifesto, not even The Wall Street Journal. Marx questioned why the ideas "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" could never be used without violence, poverty, and exploitation.

Equality for some meant inequality for others. Freedom for some brought oppression and unhappiness for many.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/04/21/qanda.iran.blogger/index.html?hpt=Sbin
^^^^^^This is an interesting article about what is going on in Iran right now. Iran is going through turmoil right now. Their economy is in shambles. Without a clear leader, it is hard to maintain control. People are unhappy with how life is in Iran; not everyone though.

Sex.

This week we focused on the role of gender in commercials. Many toys are advertised to a specific gender. Boys toys are geared more towards violence and battles, while girls toys tend to be more occupational, like mini-kitchens or nurses.

The female stereotypical role is to marry and have children. She is also to put her family's welfare before her own; be loving, compassionate, caring, nurturing, and sympathetic; and find time to be sexy and feel beautiful. The male stereotypical role is to be the financial provider. He is also to be assertive, competitive, independent, courageous, and career-focused; hold his emotions in check; and always initiate sex. These sorts of stereotypes can prove harmful; they can stifle individual expression and creativity, as well as hinder personal and professional growth.

This week's article is the second half of last week's article. Since I was not able to feasibly relate this week's class topics to the article, I have been permitted to just talk about the article.

This half of the article is all about how people relate and react to others. This is still based off "the looking glass self." Charles Horton Cooley believed that "the looking glass self" has three major components. The first is that actors learn about themselves in all situations by exercising their imagination. They imagine themselves as others see them. After doing that, they imagine how people would evaluate their performance. Thirdly, the actor reacts.

Next the article talks about justifications versus excuses. Excuses are when people accept the charge of wrongdoings. Justifications are when people do not accept that charge. There are many different types of excuses. There is: appeal to accident, appeal to defeasibility, appeal to biological drives, and scapegoating. Justifications are also called techniques of neutralization. Types of justifications are: the denial of injury, the denial of a victim, condemning the condemners, and the appeal to loyalties. Many conversations have three aspects; a reproach, an account, and an evaluation. In a reproach, one person takes offence at the actions of the other. The accuser communicates this to the other and that person then provides an account for why they acted the way they did. Then finally, the accuser either accepts the account or denies it.