The Danger of the Veil- SumBlog7

"But the facing of so vast a prejudice could not but bring the inevitable self-questioning, self-disparagement, and lowering of ideals which ever accompany repression and breed in an atmosphere of contempt and hate." This idea by W.E.B. Du Bois was one that stuck out to me in this weeks reading. By "self-questioning and self-disparagement I think he was referencing the fact that we are all very different from one another, but this in not a bad thing or something that needs to judged. He had many ideas about identity and self. His theory of the "veil" is very applicable then and now. I think is impossible to live a life without some sort of "transparency" issues. We all see things differently based on our own life experiences (culture) which, sadly, may take precedence over reality. I think it is especially important to note that we all live a life of at least a double consciousness, if not a triple consciousness. I say this because we all tend to take on so many different roles which can be defining depending on the situation. We all have many identities that make up a master-identity. Those could include; mother, daughter, granddaughter, co-worker, student, friend, and so on. I think these identities are all incredibly important in the makeup of who we are and who we will become. For these reasons I think Du Bois was very advanced in his analyzing of the many roles humans must take on, and the many ways life can be interpreted.

                                      

I choose this picture because I think it does a good job showing how difficult it is to narrow down to one identity because there are so many elements that make an individual who they are. Overall, I think as Americans we are too focused on Nationalism and very insensitive to cultural relativism or anything that is unknown or new to us. I think this becomes a great danger when we are unable to see past our own "veil".

The danger of isolation- SumBlog6

"Isolation is a blunder." This seems to be the theme of Jane Addams The Settlement as a Factor in the Labor Movement writing. She expresses many time the importance of working together and looking out for one another in the workplace. "The social injury of the meanest man not only becomes its concern, but by virtue of its very locality it has put itself into a position to see, as no one but a neighbor can see, the stress and need of those who bear the brunt of social justice." I thought this was a perfect summary of what Addams is trying to tell the people. Basically, we are unable to see and feel the harsh working conditions of those below us until we are next to them. This is also important because she's sharing the importance of our self-awareness of those around us. I think this code of ethics she speaks of was born at this time and sets a necessary example in the workplace today. Without our code of ethics we would be working in the same harsh conditions today. "The labor movement may be called a concerted effort among the workers in all trades to obtain a more equitable distribution of the product, and to secure a more orderly existence for the laborers." The power of people working as a group cannot be underestimated. In order for them to see a fair work environment then and now people needed realize the potential they had when they came together. Going back to her "isolation is a blunder" quote, we are able to understand the emphasis she puts on this throughout this writing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpuZgfB_yQI

I choose this clip because even though its focus is on politics, it relates to the things Jane Addams was talking about. Sticking together as a group for fairness and equality. Groups are more powerful than the individual. Being informed is key; understanding your rights and options.

Human Happiness- SumBlog 5

Happiness, defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary, is defined as the state of being happy or an experience that makes you happy. Looking further into that definition, happy is defined as; feeling pleasure and enjoyment because of your life, situation, ect.,  showing or causing feelings of pleasure and enjoyment, or pleased or glad about a particular situation, event, ect.  I found that there was a trend amongst these definitions. That trend was the tendency to point out a “state” or particular situation which may bring happiness. Harriet Martineau explored social life and said “the great ends of human association” aim above all “to the grand one, -- the only general one,-- human happiness.” I think she intended for this profound statement to be vague. I think happiness is ever-changing because it is dependent of your current situations. Generally when people assess their happiness they look to current events that they believe illustrate happiness. People live in the moment and tend to base feelings off the present. I think Martineau said that we are all looking to happiness because on some level it is universal. Maybe we all define happiness a little differently but in the end we all mean the same thing and strive to achieve it.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ulterior-motives/201305/what-does-it-mean-be-happy

I choose this article from Psychology Today because I like the way it assess the data they found “First, there has been a shift in the US from a focus on happiness as a state that is caused from the outside through luck and prosperity to an internal emotional state that is under the control of the person.  Second, the view that happiness involves strong elements of external forces like luck is still common around the world, even if it is not common in the United States.” I think it is important to see the shift in the studies done about happiness and that there are many components, as the article says, that contribute to happiness. 

The Role of Rationalization Today- SumBlog 4

           Max Weber spent a lot of time talking about rationalization as “ideal type” and a historical force. He saw the role of rational forms as one of the most important characteristics of the development of Western society and capitalism. An ideal type is a “conceptual purity, a mental construct… and cannot be found empirically anywhere in reality. We create this construct to compare and define reality to what we believe it could, or should be. I found it interesting that you can break down each of Weber’s six basic characteristics of (Formal) Rationality and apply it to the way our society functions today. If you look at the big picture of our society and how those, for the most part, function within a society (criminals V. noncriminal, or the deterring of) I think we are able to see how the control from those with power affects our decisions. For example:

1.       Structures and institutions emphasize calculability

This to me means that people are able to calculate the consequences to their actions. You could look at this calculability as a “cloud” of knowledge that hangs over the people; if I murder I will go to jail and so on.

2.        The focus on efficiency

We live in a world that thing are done “quickly”. If you were to commit a crime, it would not take long before you were detained- we live in a pretty fast paced world where initial consequences happen quickly.

3.       Ensuring predictability

I think this goes hand-in-hand with the top two, the system is predictable.

4.       Replacing human technology with nonhuman technology

Through technology changes we have become a more efficient society when it comes to our nation/world-wide databases

5.       Systems seek control

I think control is found in knowing the repercussions. Would people act differently knowing there would be no consequences to harming one another?

6.       Systems tend to have a series of irrational consequences

This could explain how much power is held within these systems, and how it may spiral out of control.

Overall I think it is important to acknowledge that Weber was able to predict the important role that Formal Rationality plays in a society. This short video clip shows how relevant rationalization is to all aspects of the world we live in, which is why I choose to include it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ly6grTZgxU