Analysis Of Giddens On Agency And Structure Sociology Essay

Examination Of Giddens On Agency And Structure Sociology Essay Anthony Giddens, a celebrated author on society, had built up his musings in his books a seemingly endless amount of time after year. His book named, Constitution of Society, written in the year 1986, has leaded him a long ways ahead to accomplish his objectives. Every one of the section, in this book; has secured the organization and structure hypothesis and proposes great proclamations (Giddens, 1986). The creator has plainly depicted what he implies with the office term. He has additionally given due spotlight on schedule and the social activities for space. The conversation on the methods of taking care of various standards by the individuals, and the social imperatives that exists in the general public, are done too. Likewise, he utilizes exact research in his book to expound further the perspectives related with structure and office inside the general public. The content subsequently talks about the normal practice, which turns into a social go about as a rule of duality for the organization structure relationship. It intends to comprehend what the quality territories canvassed in the content is. Moreover, more vulnerable segments are additionally given thought. In this manner, the report here examines about different parts of relationship that exists among office and structure. The thought of duality by the writer is considered as well, with due spotlight on the book Constitution of Society, by Giddens. The thought of studies done to relate the two terms is additionally secured inside the extent of this report. Besides, the specialists required to investigate the term are additionally talked about hereon. This aides in understanding the degree to which both the terms are coordinated in this general public. These all have assisted with coming to specific results of the report toward the end. Conversation Office and structure have been named as crucial parts in the social setting. These terms are required to relate at either occasion. Office is named as the capacity of people to produce wide assortment of forces in causal term, while the structure is the arrangement of rules and guidelines existing inside the general public (Frohlich et al., 2001). The connection between these two occasions is yet to investigate. A portion of the specialists remain in the point, that the two terms between relate in themselves, while others consider these as various terms. There doesn't exist, any conversation of connection among structure and office in genuine terms (Macintyre, 1997; Frohlich et al., 2002) as per a portion of the specialists. While others express that, these structure and office are considered as mutually dependent and recursive in nature (Nussbaum and Sen, 1993; Sen, 1992). This plainly shows how clashing the terms are in social setting. There is no summed up thought in this field, rather complete fulfillment and disappointment is noted for the current inquiry. This should be additionally investigated to comprehend the ideas related with the terms. There are various settings, which incorporates the organization and structure. Auxiliary powers are the fundamental determinants for the connection among office and structure (Williams, 2003). In this way, the auxiliary powers will be considered in conversation to comprehend the idea related with the terms. This may likewise help in investigating the content by Giddens in a superior way. D espite the fact that, in his compositions, the conversation of basic powers is missed, he has endeavored to utilize time and geology as fundamental boundaries in his examinations. There are number of writers who learned about the relationship of organization and structure (Musolf, 2003; Callinicos, 2004), anyway the work done by Giddens is critical to note in his books, for example, Constitution of the Society (1986). A large portion of the essayists accepted that office and structure are various terms; nonetheless, Giddens think about them as comparable. Giddens think about these two as various approaches to look a certain something. Specialists add to routine exercises, for example those that occur likewise for continuation. Routine exercises are considered as social for the association, as these exercises happen in normal design. This ordinary style further turns into the arrangement of rules for the general public. These principles go about as the social requests for an association. Giddens additionally consider that existence results into arranging us in a superior way. Time and spot are being considered as significant viewpoints for the organization as well as for the structure of society. The creator thinks about the time as a viewpoint, which influences the normal practices. Appropriate time the board is useful in achieving great routine exercises. In this manner, creator lays center around right utilization of time to get greatest results. On the off chance that one wishes to produce results, there is the need to perform with double nature. The worked together methodology of utilizing structure and office is required at such cases. This would involve appropriate utilization of time the executives strategy to limit the wastage of social time. The creator in this manner lays significance on the time. Time is the viewpoint that exhibits routine exercises. Time is an irreplaceable part for ones life. He thinks about individuals to use appropriately the day by d ay plan, to utilize time. In the event that one doesn't utilize time in an appropriate way, it may bring about misfortunes of ones routine arrangement. Giddens additionally talked about the outcomes appended with inappropriate utilization of time the board. On the off chance that, one doesn't utilize the time in a legitimate way, it influences the normal exercises of a person. Be that as it may, on the off chance that one wishes to take a shot at his insight, he can act well in this field. This influences the organization structure by the jumble that produces because of absence of control on structure worried of an element. For the general public to create with its maximum capacity, it will talk about the connection among structure and office (Hay and Wincott, 1998). This will not be overlooked. Giddens had attempted to expand the point further. Notwithstanding, his compositions couldn't depict plainly the point because of absence of lucidity in his manner of thinking. His endeavor to add to office structure relationship was however important, yet for another peruser, it turns into a state of disarray. Giddens, in his book named as Constitution of Society, had not given any away from of the terms considered in his works. The substance appears to be difficult to be comprehended by a peruser who has not experienced the past works of the creator. In this way, it requires the essential idea to be explained, before experiencing the book. The connection among office and structure is consistently at enduring (6). It's anything but a one-time process. The creator along these lines endeavored to depict the relationship considering the time-geology as well. This was in accordance with the time the board of the creator. This shows the significance of time, and its connection to the geographic unit. The manners in which geological boundaries change with time are additionally talked about. Furthermore, the variety of structure and organization with various time and geographic areas is considered in the examination too. This connection among organization and structure is likewise very much concentrated by scientists, for example, Rothstein and Hall (1993), Thelen, and Steinmo (1992). This is the explanation, numerous analysts endeavored to investigate the relationship. Be that as it may, the unpredictability related with them in social setting has gone about as an obstacle to depict the two attributes. Giddens further followed the convention in his compositions. He couldn't altogether investigate the connection between the two terms. The organization and structure were not altogether examined in his works. The conversation on duality of these terms was there however; the essential ideas related with them were not depicted. In this way, on looking opposite side of the coin, we can see that the book of Giddens needs obviously depicting the duality and social practice idea. It doesn't depict the manners by which practices are comprised, the manner by which it relates social framework and so on. The boo k additionally misses practice idea, which is critical to achieve economical investigation. Along these lines, the book is hard to comprehend for somebody, who has not perused past books of the writer. It legitimately sums up the duality structure for understanding the organization structure relationship. Along these lines, he made a kind of disarray circumstance in the brains of perusers who have not perused his past works. For a person to comprehend the content by Giddens it gets compulsory to comprehend the essential ideas related with the point; else, it would get extreme for them to comprehend the conversation done in his works. The creators needs talking about the explanation, why individuals need certain things. It just talks about the needs of individuals. The subject here is established in a social way. There is likewise the conversation laid that needs emerge from the necessities, which are identified with ontological security. The hypothesis talks about the manner in whic h people can accomplish appropriate outcomes utilizing the specialists. Consequently, the idea of office structure relationship has consistently been an extreme undertaking. It is with Giddens, yet additionally the specialists, for example, Dahlgren and Whitehead (1991) had neglected to set up a connection between these two qualities of society in the day by day life of the world. There is subsequently the need to comprehend the essential ideas close by. The social setting, concerning time is to be comprehended at starting stages. This would help in making a system for the current point, and the mix of these two qualities of society will be done in a superior way. The exploration in todays life is investigating further the structure and relationship and the standard of conduct (Williams, 1995). These further investigations are relied upon to help the general public in breaking down these duality and routine practices in the correct way. There would be absence of lucidity, and the results will be with a more grounded explore foundation. In this way, the c entral matter of disarray exists to realize the connection among structure and office (Gerhardt, 1979), which whenever investigated by the analysts, can prompt accomplish certain outcom

New York City free essay sample

New York City is unquestionably a spot that is continually going. It is without a doubt a spot that is continually heading off to some place. Somewhere close to splendid lights and city avenues. City boulevards that are constantly packed and loaded with individuals and taxis that are potentially continually going. Possibly never not going, perhaps ceaseless all through forever. New York City is potentially nonstop all through time everlasting, New York City is perhaps never halting yet consistently is ceaselessly going in surges of individuals, in bulb lights that will never be going out. New York City is absolutely a spot that is continually coming. Continually coming up, up, up into high rises growing starting from the earliest stage beanstalks. Getting through the concrete soil, coming towards the sky. Meeting up in a metal skeleton, falling apart in broke walkways. New York City is unquestionably most continually going as individuals are coming, as individuals are going back and forth, as dreams are traveling every which way out like firecrackers over the Hudson River on July fourth. We will compose a custom paper test on New York City or on the other hand any comparative theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Arriving in a splendid blaze of light, exiting with an extravagant flair. New York City is remaining. New York City is remaining like a scar on the skin, remaining like a tattoo inked, recolored everlastingly and never blurring. As taxis are coming and individuals are going, the city is remaining. It’s remaining in the Plaza Hotel. It’s remaining inside when downpour splashes the solid, when the snow travels every which way through Central Park. It’s remaining lit up for explorers from remote terrains, remaining an image of expectation and dreams. A guide of home, a reference point of solid convictions, a signal of probability. New York City is remaining brilliant lights over the inlet as individuals are coming, remaining splendid lights that are rarely going out. New York City is decidedly continually dreaming. It is unquestionably a city that never dozes, a city that has figured out how to dream with it’s eyes open. Longing for the splendid lights on Broadway that are rarely going out, longing for individuals going back and forth. Individuals are coming and dreaming and going for their fantasies and staying when their fantasies work out. Individuals are coming and dreaming and going when their fantasies don't. The city is longing for over a wide span of time and future, all crashing into a mixture made of concrete and black-top. Dreams are going back and forth as individuals are overlooking and changing, as the city is overlooking and evolving. The city that is rarely not conscious, never not coming, never not going, continually staying, and continually dreaming. New York City is decidedly quite often evolving. Continually changing as individuals are coming. Continually changing as individuals are coming and dreaming, as the city is dreaming as the fantasies are evolving. The city is continually changing, continually expanding on itself, continually making. Changes are staying, changes are going, changes are coming. Changes are shaping the city, changing the steel edge to something pliant. The city is continually changing and the progressions are remaining as individuals are traveling every which way and bringing dreams and abandoning them, as the city is lit up over the inlet, as the city is coming and staying and dreaming and changing under lights that are rarely going out.

My Second Home

My Second Home Hey guys, This guy tried to guilt-trip me into writing a blog, but yeah, I havent written a blog in too long anyways, so I owe all of you one. :p Truth is, I have not been doing much this semester other than being in lab. You see, I am taking Project Lab, this 30-unit class (normal classes are 12 units at MIT), and I have been spending well over 30 hours every week in my lab, looking at worms, running gels and blots, and checking out the most beautiful girl in the lab (see below). .just kidding. My research deals with the characterization of a novel gene in the aging pathway of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (a roundworm that is only 1 mm in length as an adult so NO, these are not earthworms! i can no longer count how many people have asked me that). C. elegans is known as a model organism, because since its characterization by Brenner in the 70s, we have come to understand much of its genetics well and see how it applies cross-species to higher order organisms. You might not know this (kudos to you if you know what this is as a high schooler!), but RNAi, for example, was first fully characterized in C. elegans, and resulted in the 2006 Nobel Prize in Medicine. This is more commonly known but apoptosis was also one of the biggest discoveries made using C. elegans, and Professor Horvitz of MIT won the 2002 Nobel Prize in Medicine for that discovery (every once in awhile I will see Professor Horvitz at joint lab meetings!). Two Nobel Prizes in five years for a microscop ic worm not bad eh? Not to get into the science too much here, but the basic idea of worm research is because we know that there are so many different genes conserved between mammals and C. elegans, we can use the worm as a model to see what these genes actually do by knocking them out in the worm and observing the resulting phenotype. In very broad terms, this means qualitatively assessing for traits, but also using molecular biology methods to look at resulting protein expression, gene levels, and molecular interactions caused by eliminating the gene. As Project Lab expects a long research paper at the end of the semester, I have been in lab consistently over 30 hours per week running assays and getting results. I used to dislike research because I didnt like how all the trials take so long and they keep on failing, but the biggest lesson that I learned this semester is that once you really come to understand your project, like really understand the work that you do, then most of the research doesnt seem like a chore and you actually start becoming excited about designing new assays and keep pushing towards demonstrating/disproving your research hypothesis. In a sense, I guess I can say that I truly felt like a real scientist this semester, and the fruits of my labor have more than justified all the time that I have been spending in lab (I started keeping a blanket in the cabinet near my desk because I nap on the lab couch so much while waiting for gels to run or blots to transfer :P) But yeah. I want to show you my bench! (I finally upgraded to a full bench this year which Im really happy about :P) The worms live on petri-dishes and feed off E. coli one special thing about C. elegans is that they are so easily to maintain. You basically just need to give them food, keep them at a reasonable temperature, and they feed happily off the bacteria and reproduce like mad (most of the time essentially making copies of themselves). This also enables us to run trials with thousands of worms at a time, which is something that is not possible with mice (can you imagine 1000 mice running amok? I think even the Pied Piper will have a tough time with that). Prospective bio majors you will soon come to know the magic that is Qiagen kits, and Parafilm is honestly up there in my list of Most Amazing Inventions alongside plastic soap boxes for traveling and French fries vending machines. Im seriously considering asking the lab whether I can keep a box of Parafilm with me when I graduate because there are so many amazing uses for it, haha. I really dont understand why they arent selling Parafil m in stationary stores alongside packing tape its seriously just as useful, IF NOT MORE THAN regular packing tape! :P OK, thats enough about Parafilm. (disclaimer: I am not employed by the Pechiney Plastic Packaging Company :p) A Microcentrifuge. Make sure you keep the lid on to reduce to the noise when you spin samples. B Hot plate. This thing is amazing it goes from like 25 C to 200 C in a matter of minutes. I seriously wish I had one in my dorm to cook noodles with :P (ok MIT Facilities Im just kidding!) C Gloves. I wear them, but I quickly notice that none of the postdocs in the lab really ever wear gloves unless working with seriously, seriously toxic compounds. Do your years in the lab make you immune to normal chemicals? o_____o haha D Really awesome microscope that I use to do worm work. Seriously, this microscope is like the Lamborghini of microscopeswhereas the one I used in AP Biology was probably equivalent to a Ford Model T with the wheels falling off, at that. E Vortexer. Gives an adequate lower arm massage when protocol calls for vigorous vortexing. F Pipettes. Every time I think about it I still chuckle when I was a wee froshie, my first lesson in the lab was learning how to use a pipette, and literally practiced by pipeting water from a beaker to another beaker for a good half hour. Now, I pipet easily hundreds of times every day without even registering it. As a biology researcher, not being good at pipetting is like trying to fight without knowing how to hold the sword properly hence the pipet is also jokingly known as the biologists sword (youve got to see last years Biology Halloween party, where a pirate with a sword faced off against a lab nerd wielding a pipette :P it was a formidable match.) G Chemicals. Bottles and bottles of chemicals that I seem to be constantly making. Sometimes I really look up and wonder who figured out that you need to add MgCl2 when you make worm growth media, or that TBST can be used to wash nitrocellulose membranes (where did those membranes come from, anyway?). Theres also a bottle of CHOLESTEROL IN SOLUTION on that shelf. Does drinking from the bottle directly give one an immediate heart attack? ;) H My desk!!! Yayy after so many semesters of working in lab I finally feel legit to have my own space now in a corner of MITs campus. You can see Fuzzy, my laptop, which had always been faithfully with me through the trials and adversities of MIT. Shes getting pretty old though, and the internal keyboard and trackpad no longer work hence the new peripheral parts, sadly. Even computers get worn out by the labors of MIT :) I Eppendorf tube and conical holders. We joke that theyre always brightly colored (check out the neon red, neon orange, and neon green holders on my bench) to make labwork a bit less depressing when its 2 in the morning, and you still have more than 100 PCR reactions to run. :P My results for the lab class are due November 9 (less than two weeks from now!) so Ive been putting in a ton of extra work into lab to start wrapping up loose ends. A few days ago, I was counting worms under the microscope for an assay that I was doing, and after 3 hours I had counted the equivalent of almost three thousand worms manually by physically removing them from the plate (not estimation!) Yup thats my last six weeks in a nutshell. :) ps. All jokes aside, working in a lab is awesome at MIT. There are very few institutions that will give undergraduates such full access to wet lab work, and what I am doing is conceptually on the same footing as any work done by the graduate students and postdocs in my lab. Yes, I may run less trials and progress at a slower speed because Im still a student and I have to go to lecture, do my problem sets, and take exams, but at the end of the day, my results are still taken seriously by the other members of my lab, and Im not just a random clueless undergrad who is simply in charge of washing beakers and pouring plates. I really appreciate how MIT professors and researchers view undergraduates as an integral part of the research team, even though we are decades younger than they are in most circumstances. I have always thought that pure molecular research is not necessarily the right future career path for me, but I cant help falling in love with the excitement of obtaining a critica l result at midnight after several days of running experiments. It gives me an adrenaline rush like no other. :P (even if you dont take a lab class, most MIT students work in the lab through the UROP Program, which pays students to work in MIT laboratories (at least at the base rate of $9.25 per hour) its a win-win situation: laboratory work teaches students many vital skills not covered in normal biology lab class (I didnt know how to use a flourimeter or how to cultivate large populations of worms and perform assays until I joined a research lab), the labs get extra manpower, and the students get fed very comfortably through the pay (several of my friends make upwards of thousands of dollars per semester just by working in lab). I have yet to see a university that is so supportive of undergraduate research as MIT honestly, MIT realized long ago that instead of telling you and belaboring the peculiarities of Western Blotting to you in somnolent lecture halls, you should just go and run a Western for yourself, and you will fill in the gaps along the way. It always comes down to our motto Men s and Manus and I cant agree with this aspect more :P) pps. Since I look at thousands of worms every day, the first thing I thought of for Halloween was C. elegans -______- (Im very nerdy, I know) but I quickly dismissed that thought because how does one dress up as a featureless, semi-transparent, microscopic worm? :( haha. Why didnt I work with Drosophila?! HAHA that would be a sweet costume ;)

How Higher Education Is High Or Higher Than It s Ever Been

The demand for postsecondary education is as high or higher than it s ever been† and the effects of this leap are starting to be seen (Sanders, 2015). The problem with this is â€Å"most Americans wanting a good job†¦ not just a degree† (Sanders, 2015). This paper will explore the expectations of how the focus on what higher education is, what vocational schools are, the effects financially and mentally, and if higher education will affect upcoming generations, and what might happen if the country gave more options for students, such as vocational schools. Higher education goes beyond what is taught in elementary and secondary school. Elementary and secondary schools were thought to be the basic education, what one needed to survive in American, or even be financially stable in American. Higher education is colleges, and universities. These schools are there to make scholars out of students. â€Å"Regarding U.S. dominance [for] higher education† more and more students are going to these more in depth studies (Lloyd, Birchard, Lewington, 2010). When one talks about higher education, most assume anything past the graduation of high school, but there seems to be a key difference in how Americans look at two-year degrees (community colleges) and how they look at a four year degree. When 1,000 people were asked about the quality of education the results were startling. 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Everyone always says that college is what you’re supposed to do after graduating; College has become an â€Å"expected† part of life. Everyone always says that you’re degree or â€Å"academic qualifications† is what will lead you on the road of success and help you achieve your goals. However, is it actually putting you on the road to success? Are your academic qualifications indeed important to your chances of a successful career? I think so. I find that a higher education

Nathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown - 1941 Words

In â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts man’s struggle with his faith as outside influences reveal religious hypocritical ideals. Hawthorne starts the story with Goodman Brown talking with his wife, Faith, who is the symbol of his religious faith about his up coming journey into the forest, symbolizing his first step into straying from his faith. Hawthorne continues with more obvious implications of Brown straying from his faith when he encounters his travelling companion who represents the devil. As he constantly stops or attempts to go back Goodman Brown shows how he struggles to reconcile outside pressures with his inner beliefs. Hawthorne further shows the breaking point in Brown by the falling of Faith’s ribbon in the†¦show more content†¦Then she says she has nightmare or â€Å"troubled dreams† which has a sense of foreshadowing that there are troubles with Brown’s journey. She begs him to â€Å"pray† with he r every night which supports that she represents his religious faith. In Goodman Brown’s reply it shows that he doesn’t recognize that his trip is not going to change anything. It shows that he sees that this trip is just a simple trip he has to go on in secret for it is the best time but that fact shows that it is already questionable to morality for not many good things happen in trips of the night. The last part shows Brown thinks faith believes he is betraying her with this journey, which tells that Brown is going to betray his Faith and his religious beliefs that she represents. Brown first strays from his faith by leaving his wife to go on his journey despite her begging him not to and her fears of his journey may become true by the events that take place. Brown has already left Faith at their home to journey into a dark forest that none of his family has entered before where he meets a travel companion who continues the journey with him. Hawthorne wrote: â€Å"You are late, Goodman Brown,’ said he. â€Å"The clock of the Old South was striking as I came through Boston, and that is full fifteen minutes agone.’...As nearly as couldShow MoreRelatedNathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown1543 Words   |  7 PagesIn Nathaniel Hawthorne s short story of Young Goodman Brown, the author uses symbolism and allegories in order to showcase the Puritan faith as well as man s conflict between good and evil. This analysis will break down the techniques that the author uses to critique the puritan society and to show the difference between how people appear to be in society and the true colors that they are hidden inside of them. 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At the cause for this change in mindset, the dream of an old man symbolizing the devil appears, showing him the communityRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown Essay1274 Words   |  6 PagesIn Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† the devil says, â€Å"Evil is the nature of mankind† (â€Å"Young† 627). Since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and attempted to hide conceal their sin from God, humans have tried to hide their sin from others. Although ever yone sin is human nature, everyone has a different reaction to sin. While some acknowledge sin, others ignore it. In Hawthorne’s other short story, â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil,† Father Hooper wears a black veil to represent the sin heRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown Essay1449 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is a short story that is filled with symbols and mystery. Nathaniel Hawthorne provides plenty forms of symbolism for readers to digest. Hawthorne displays strong faith as the greatest virtue for a man or woman, and when the faith is compromised, one can be filled with skepticism and uncertainty towards the rest of the world. The story begins as a conventional allegory, creating the expectation that the characters will be able to consistently display the abstractions they symbolizeRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown1695 Words   |  7 Pagesstory, Young Goodman Brown, by Nathaniel Hawthorne is set in Puritan New England. Hawthorne uses symbolism, description, scenery, and Goodman’s journey to illustrate and symbolize the battle of good versus evil. In the first scene, we see how Young Goodman Brown leaves his wife, Faith, to start on his â€Å"evil† journey through the woods. Though Faith asks him to stay with her, he chooses to continue on even though he knows the evilness lies ahead. As the story continues, we see how Hawthorne uses FaithRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown1492 Words   |  6 PagesIn Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story of Young Goodman Brown, the author uses symbolism and allegories in order to showcase the Puritan faith as well as man’s conflict between good and evil. This analysis will breakdown the techniques that the author uses to critique the puritan society, and to show the difference between how people appear to be in society and the true colors that they are hidden inside of them. There has been a lot of great authors in our time, but none more interesting than NathanielRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown2532 Words   |  11 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† demonstrates how Goodman Brown leaves his wife, Faith, to do an errand within the woods with a man that is believed to be the devil. During the time period in which this took place, the 1620’s, many of the people from the village were practicing Puritanism. Puritanism is an intense practice of religion retrieved from Protestants, only removing its Catholic influence. When Goodman Brown entered the woods to meet the devil, he soon turned intoRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown894 Words   |  4 Pagesread. In â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, I found several romanticism characteristics to be in this story. One being, the emphasis on feelings and emotions. Nathaniel Hawthorne writes, â€Å"The cry of grief, rage, and terror was yet piercing through the night, when the unhappy husband held his breath for a response.† The cry of anguish and pain are very applicable to the protagonist idea in this story. Brown also expresses feeling when he doesn t want to leave his wife Faith, but he feels that it s his role to

Principles of Transportation Economics Free Essays

All through the phase of airline regulation, the government set airline faires and regulated an air carrier’s entry into and exit from particular markets. Assuming that the incumbent airlines made economic profits while they were regulated, what impact, if any, did the government’s regulation of routes have upon air carrier’s ability to make profits? Transportation economics is considered as the analysis of the share of carrying wherewithals so as to come across the necessities of the general public (Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online, 2007). In a broader sense, delivery pursuits create a segment of a state’s entire trade and industry items for consumption and take part in the responsibility of constructing or intensification of a countrywide or local economy and as a stimulus in the progress of assets. We will write a custom essay sample on Principles of Transportation Economics or any similar topic only for you Order Now With the hauling precautions direction, there is a constraint that the travelers must hand over a boarding documentation ahead of going through zones outside safekeeping checkpoints. Numerous airlines recently proffer passengers the means of departing through the net and producing lodging permits or licenses prior to leaving. Due to government intervention, the imposition of government faires will consequentially affect the fees of airline carriers’ consumers. They will be compelled of taxes, charges, and additional costs on matters such as fuel, airport rents, aircraft financing, which will be reflective and increase the prices that they will be paying for (Hardisty, 2003). And therefore, will have a lower demand for the airline services. This may indeed affect the income of the incumbent airlines since their transactions are regulated. Consumers of their service will eventually hold back their use of the airline service since there are a lot of barriers to entry as stated by Palmby (1995). The former ease of access was lessened. For these reason, people will not be able to bring some things that they usually carry or transport. Additionally as discussed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Optimal Solutions and Technologies (OST) in 1999, on account of the government intervention, the administration of airline carriers will have fewer opportunities to improve their systems and just depend on the established government regulation of airlines. Significant losses can be incurred by the managing airlines and they tend to stay extremely susceptible to drop in airline interchange. Their pecuniary chances have gone through noteworthy stumbling blocks. However, although the government regulation of routes has a negative impact upon the air carrier’s ability to make profits, it has also a positive impact in return. Some terrorist attacks through air carriers may be prevented, hence, the management of air carriers does not have to spend money on possible damages that terrorism may have caused (Potter, 2006). Aside from that, together with the cooperation that the management of air carriers is receiving from the government, the running institution may have a directory or catalog of legal persons who may possibly avail of their services. Therefore, the management of air carriers does not have to spend their resources on tracking some unauthorized and illegal passengers. Furthermore, because of authority supervision, there will be more convenient gate assignments (and less reassignments); as a result, more people may eventually avail of the airline services despite higher costs of transport. These sets of incidences cyclically may contribute to beneficial return of earnings to the airline managements. Even though there is a prevailing acquisition and implementation of government regulation in airline carriers, with proper and appropriate administration of their managements, they will be more likely to have a good return in the running government regulation or will be able to have better accumulation of profits. References: FAA/OST Task Force Study (1999). Airport Business Practices and their Impact on Airline Competition. Retrieved June 16, 2007, from http://ostpxweb.dot.gov/aviation/domav/airports.pdf. Hardisty, Kent (2003). The Viability of the Airline Industry in Canada. Retrieved June 16, 2007, from file:///C:/DOCUME~1/Owner/LOCALS~1/Temp/Capt-1.htm. Palmby, William G. (1995). Enhancement of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet: An Alternative for Bridging the Airlift Gap. Retrieved June 16, 2007, from http://www.fas.org/man/eprint/palmby.htm. Potter, Jeff (2006). Frontier Airlines. Retrieved June 16, 2007, from http://www.frontierairlines.com/frontier/pdf/Annual_Report_2006.pdf. transportation economics. (2007). In Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Retrieved June 16, 2007, from Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9110749. How to cite Principles of Transportation Economics, Essay examples

Vicarious Leisure Class Essay Example

Vicarious Leisure Class Essay Living the Lifestyle of a Celebrity: Conspicuous Consumption within the Leisure Class In Thorstein Veblen’s, The Theory of the Leisure Class which was first published in 1899, Veblen identifies a problem in our society for which many did not see. Veblen described society as a division of classes, one of these classes as he described as the â€Å"leisure class† or what we know today as the wealthier, upper class. In this book, Veblen describes society, and the economy, through the leisure class and analyzes their lifestyle through his time. The leisure class is a predatory culture and harmful to society, he explains, a leisure class has emerged from a â€Å"peaceable to a consistently warlike habit of life† (Veblen 7). Through this predatory class, Veblen describes various terms associated with the lifestyle of the leisure class, conspicuous consumption, vicarious leisure, and conspicuous leisure are only few terms he uses. These terms and the study of different lifestyles in different stages of development are described throughout this book, to explain the competitiveness and harm for which the upper class has brought to our society. In this paper, I will describe and discuss Veblen’s terms and lifestyles of the leisure class, how it relates to Karl Marx and his theories in society, and also similarities in which Veblen’s description of the leisure class is seen today. According to Veblen, the leisure class developed during the barbarian era, more specifically during the transition from savagery to barbarism, which also brought a more warlike community. Veblen argued that these warlike characteristics emerged through the leisure class; the members of this class were mostly men. We will write a custom essay sample on Vicarious Leisure Class specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Vicarious Leisure Class specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Vicarious Leisure Class specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer During this time, hunting and gathering was the primary labor work, which was mostly employed by men of the leisure class. Veblen explains that even though this type of work provided food, farming and other work was more productive than hunting and gathering. The leisure class took over these warfare positions and prevented individuals of the lower class from learning to fight or owning weapons, this is when the leisure class started to gain their power and other classes started to rely and depend on the leisure class. In the predatory culture, this time of employment becomes only a form welcome to the upper class, this is what Veblen describes as conspicuous leisure, these individuals are wealthy enough to avoid work and engage in a type of lifestyle for which no other class can live. Individuals of conspicuous leisure don’t necessarily have to work because they already have the money. Veblen explains the individual’s time is â€Å"consumed non-productively (1) from a sense of the unworthiness of productive work, and (2) as an evidence of pecuniary ability to afford a life of idleness† (Veblen 23). During this time the leisure class started to emerge and the divisions of class’s were becoming more known to society. Similar to Veblen, Karl Marx also believed society was made up of class divisions. He explained his theory of class division through â€Å"proletariats† (have nots) and â€Å"bourgeoisie† (haves). The proletariats were those of the poorer class, which had nothing and the bourgeoisie were the wealthier class that had everything; these individuals would be considered the leisure class. Like the bourgeoisie, Veblen explained that individuals of the leisure class were expected to have almost everything, from servants to luxuries goods, this type of conspicuous consumption defined their status within the leisure class. These individuals of the leisure class can afford servants however the â€Å"real† leisure class, or the individuals at the top of the leisure class, can afford servants and also servants who do nothing. Marx believed that â€Å"class exploitation takes place when the labor power of one man is the property of another (Romero et al. . Marx theory is shown through servants of the leisure class. â€Å"Class Exploitation† is seen in the leisure class when the labor of servants is the property of those of the leisure class, â€Å"there supervenes a division of labour among the servants or dependents whose life is spent in maintaining the honour of the gentleman of leisure† (Veblen 63). Servants are only one factor that shows the wealth of the leisure class. According to Veblen, a member of the leisure class is known to show off his/her earnings. This type of behavior goes all the way back to the barbarian era when men showed off trophies, weapons, and other ideal possessions, â€Å"the last evidence of productive labour is its material product- commonly some article of consumption† (Veblen 44). The leisure class must have certain goods or items to gain fulfillment. This is similar to Karl Marx’s â€Å"false consciousness† which is described as a â€Å"sense of common identification with members of the same class† (Romero et al. ). False consciousness† is seen in the leisure class, regarding Veblen’s conspicuous consumption, the leisure class must consume certain items to be â€Å"happy† this is not necessarily known and explained however within every member of the leisure class they must have certain things to live happily in the upper class. Veblen defined this behavior within the leisure class in Chapter 6, â€Å"Pecuniary Canons of Taste†, â€Å"as it is a desire to live up to the conventional standard of decency in the amount and grade of goods consumed† (Veblen 102). He explains that the standard of living is keeping up with the others of one’s personal class. For example, if a neighbor buys a new car, you may go buy a new car just to keep up. â€Å"Each class envies and emulates the class next above it in the social scale, while it rarely compares itself with those below or with those who are considerably in advanced† (Veblen 104). Veblen defines the divisions of labor and that one whom competes with a higher class, through material may not be able to afford some materials of the higher class, and competing with a lower class is not striving for increasing achievement, so individuals stay within their class and compete with those whom are a little bit higher than them in the social structure. Marx defines this theory of â€Å"false consciousness† as something for which the individual does not necessarily notice, however it occurs. Like Marx, Veblen describes this standard of living as a habit, it’s something an individual is immune to and becomes a lifestyle, to which the individual does not realize they are constantly competing to keep up with the same lifestyles as others. â€Å"A standard of living is of the nature of habit. It is a habitual scale and method of responding to given stimuli† (Veblen 106). The longer the habit, the harder it is to let go, so one is constantly trying to keep up with class, society, and the standard of living. To keep up with the standard of living, individuals, mostly of the leisure class, will constantly continue to consume luxuries items and even though they are constantly consuming new items, the individual never seeks satisfaction; this refers to what Veblen describes as â€Å"chronic dissatisfaction†. This term is defined as always wanting more, one is never satisfied with what they have so they are constantly needing more (Veblen 31). Chronic dissatisfaction is a continuous cycle once one earns or receives something they just strive for the next thing. Chad Ochocinco is a NFL football player, who is constantly striving for more. He pursued modeling, then acting, and now has his second television series, and a video game. Ochocinco is an example of chronic dissatisfaction, although he has money and a career he wants more, after receiving a television series, he continued to strive for another one and added on a video game (â€Å"Wiki:Ochocinco†). Like Ochocinco, many individuals of the leisure class, continue to need more, this includes luxuries and other items. This type of consumption leads to another one of Veblen’s arguments of conspicuous consumption, which is when one consumes various goods, the best of food, and luxuries to show off one’s earnings. Conspicuous consumption is seen in our society today, this type of behavior does not just exist within the leisure class, however throughout every class and individual in our society. The want to consume is nothing new, we work and live to consume, we are what we consume. As seen with celebrities today, they consume the best cars, the best clothes, the biggest houses. Veblen explains a man of wealth â€Å"consumes freely and of the best, in food, drink, narcotics, shelter, services, ornaments, apparel, weapons, and accoutrements, amusements, amulets, and idols or divinities (Veblen 73). This type of consumption is what Veblen describes as â€Å"conspicuous waste†, the manner in which people dress is always seen and noticed, especially when celebrities are displaying them. With conspicuous consumption, the consumption and wealth must be displayed and noticed. As seen on the television show â€Å" Mtv Cribs† many celebrities, who are members of the leisure class, show off their homes, cars, clothes, and other items. Veblen argues this is harmful to our society, these luxuries and types of consumption are only for the leisure class, and one is expected to live this certain lifestyle in order to keep their standing in the leisure class. A man of the leisure class must consume certain goods and give away certain types of rewards or gifts to with hold his position within the leisure class. One example of conspicuous consumption he gives, which is seen today, is the consumption of â€Å"intoxicating beverages or narcotics†, which members of the leisure class are known to consume (Veblen 70). Like Grey Goose and Jose Cuervo, many celebrities only drink the top self alcohol. Also, many celebrities are getting involved in alcohol or drug related crimes, however we still honor them. For example, Lil Wayne, Michael Vick, Lindsay Lohan, and Paris Hilton are only a few celebrities who were convicted of criminal charges, yet are still in the lime light today. Paris Hilton was convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) in 2006, and charge in 2007. In 2007, Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail for violating her probation, â€Å"according to prosecutors, she fail to enroll in an alcohol education course by mid-April 2007, and was stopped for two more traffic violations, including driving with a suspended license† (â€Å"Wiki:Paris Hilton†). After these incidents took place, Paris Hilton continued to live vicariously through the leisure class, from initially earning her fortune from her great-grandfather’s wealth, (Conrad Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels) she continues to be a social icon, with her own hit television show, â€Å"Paris’s BFF†, as well as, her role as an actor in several movies, singer, model, and author (â€Å"Wiki: Paris Hilton†). Like Paris Hilton, many members of the leisure class are still honored and have status after criminal offenses, or drug/alcohol related mistakes. These celebrities are idols and influence our society, this is another reason Veblen argues the leisure class can be harmful to our society, â€Å"drunkness and the other pathological consequences of the free use of stimulants therefore tend in their turn to become honorific† (Veblen 70). The â€Å"emergence of the leisure class coincides with the beginning of ownership† (Veblen 22). During the barbarian stages, women became a form of ownership. Women were seen as a status symbol, a trophy wife, for which men of the leisure class could own and show off. When we own people, we own material or production, so by owning something one can exploit his earnings. Like ownership, most women of the leisure class are considered â€Å"vicarious leisure†. Veblen’s â€Å"vicarious leisure† is defined as people who live the life as though they are a member of the leisure class however don’t get all the material that comes with it because they are living through the wealthy. Throughout the barbarian stages, men were considered the breadwinner and worked while the women stayed at home while women were considered to live through their spouses. The women of the household were not suppose to work and were expected to be more â€Å"showy† about their leisure than men, they were expected to be beautiful and represent the household’s wealth. Like women, Veblen claims many individuals of the leisure class receive their wealth from their ancestors and get wealth without even working for it, â€Å"wealth acquired passively by transmission from ancestors or other antecedents presently becomes even more honorific than wealth acquired by the possessor’s own effort† (Veblen 29). Like mentioned earlier, celebrity Paris Hilton received her wealth through her great grandfather, Conrad Hilton whom was the founder of Hilton hotels. Through his wealth, Paris Hilton had a very wealthy childhood. She was born in New York, and moved to several different homes, including the homes in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, and the Hamptons, which are all very upper class locations (â€Å"Wiki: Paris Hilton†). Hilton had all the references to succeed and was not obligated to work. Like Hilton, Veblen describes these types of individuals within the leisure class, he refers to the leisure class as â€Å"waste†, meaning the leisure class does not contribute to society or the world as a whole, â€Å"does not serve human life or human well-being on the whole† (Veblen 97). Hilton pursued her career in modeling, eventually getting signed with Donald Trump’s model agency and appearing in various magazines (â€Å"Wiki: Paris Hilton†). Hilton’s career as a model, is an example of Veblen’s view on waste in the leisure class, pictures of Hilton in various magazines has no specific benefit to our society however only benefits her and her status, and wealth within the leisure class. According to Wikipedia, in September 2009, Hilton’s quote in one of her books, â€Å"Dress cute wherever you go, life is too short to blend in† was added to The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. Similar to Hilton, many celebrities and women care a lot about what they wear and how they dress. In Veblen’s chapter, â€Å"Dress as an Expression of the Pecuniary Culture† he describes how dress is an example of conspicuous waste, and how most women express their leisure through clothing. Like many celebrities and individuals of the leisure class the point of having nice clothes is to show them off, â€Å"our dress, therefore, in order to serve its purpose effectually, should not only be expensive, but it should also make plain to all observers that the wearer is not engaged in any kind of productive labour† (Veblen 170). This type of clothing is not used for protection or comfort yet its primary purpose is for show. Many women of the leisure class wear heels to work, especially women who are considered celebrities are constantly wearing heels wherever they go. Veblen explains that for a women to wear heels to work is unnecessary and â€Å"even the simplest and most necessary work extremely difficult† (Veblen 171). Today, dressing and fashion of the leisure class is very evident and is expected, however this is nothing new, this expensive and uncomfortable clothing for women goes very far back. The corset is, in economic theory, substantially a mutilation, undergone for the purpose of lowering the subject’s vitality and rendering her permanently and obviously unfit for work† (Veblen 172). The corset is only one example that Veblen gives, however this piece of clothing is the most constricting, and is only worn for show, ignoring the discomfort of the clothing. Veblen also continues to argue that the fashion and clothing styles change with the seasons and also are different in various areas. It’s amazing for one to see that this was the case during Veblen’s time because this is very true today. With winter, comes scarf’s, boots, and sweaters while summer women tend to wear shorts, cut off shirts, ect. Veblen also explains that the urban areas are more involved in fashion changes than the rural areas, meaning the wealthier communities have greater amounts of conspicuous waste in their clothing. New York City is one example of Veblen’s argument, this city is known for fashion and most women in New York City are examples of dress as a conspicuous waste. Sex in the City† was a huge television series and movie, about four women who lived in New York City and engaged in the fashion world. Through these four women, one can see the effects of an urban area on the style of dress needed to fit into the city. In the first â€Å"Sex and the City† movie, Carrie after a breaking it off with her boyfriend and buying very expensive shoes she expl ains, â€Å"It’s really hard to walk in a single woman’s shoes—that’s why you sometimes need really special shoes†. As in Veblen’s time, society is still using dress as a conspicuous consumption, which is more evident in women than men. If an individual is wearing cheap clothing, this can be considered unworthy by some, and those who wear expensive clothing are seen to be of the wealthier class. Dress as a conspicuous waste is seen as a spiritual need. For example church, when a family is getting dressed for church they tend to dress up in formal clothing. Veblen describes the need for this type of dress for spiritual reasoning is â€Å"not wholly, nor even chiefly, a naive propensity for display of expenditure† (Veblen 168). Veblen’s theory of leisure class is still in existence today and has a huge influence on our society as a whole. Today, the leisure class is taking over the media and is the idols and the people for which society looks up to, they are considered the successful individuals of society, the wealthy. Before reading Veblen’s book, I never thought the upper class, or now as I call it the leisure class, as harmful to society, however now it seems as though this standard of living and conspicuous leisure and consumption is harming our communities and the way individuals of our society live their lives. Conspicuous consumption is seen in every division of class, not just the leisure class. Each class is striving among themselves to be better than the other. One example Veblen uses in the book, is the use of silver spoons, explaining that many individuals of the leisure class use articles of gold, even though there are spoons for which are made from machines which are cheaper, and in most cases are more useful and better. However, the beauty and price of these expensive items are the reasoning behind this conspicuous consumption. Like Veblen’s example, this is seen in our society today, from decorations in a person’s home, to their cars, to their style of clothing, ect. Our society has grown to constantly be involved in conspicuous consumption and compete with others of the same class. Veblen was definitely correct with his ‘Theory of the Leisure Class’ and his theory is still very present today. I was surprised to see how present the leisure class was in pre-historic times and how similar the behavior of the leisure class is to the leisure class today. However, without the leisure class, and competitive society, I’m not sure if our society would be as successful as it is today. Many individuals strive for success because of the competitive drive and competition within our society. So maybe the leisure class and the competitive factors within the division of classes is good for the society, or maybe Veblen’s theory is right and the leisure class is actually harmful to our society and world as a whole. Works Cited Veblen, Thorstein. The Theory of the Leisure Class. NewYork: Peguin, 1899. Print David Ashley, David Michael Orenstein. Sociology Theory: Classical Theory. Boston: Pearson, 2005. Print Romero, Rachel. Sociology 230: Classical Theory. Texas Aamp;M University. College Station, TX: August-November, 2010. Lecture Wikipedia: Paris Hiltion. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 21 November 2010. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Paris_Hilton. E2. 80. 9306:_As_an_author Wikipedia: Chad Ochocinco. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 20 November 2010 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Chad_Ochocinco Paris Hilton’s DUI Charges. Find Law. Web. 2010 http://news. findlaw. com/cnn/docs/ent/cahilton92606cmp. html Bushnell, Candace. Sex and the City. Part One. New York, 2008. Movie Thorstein Veblen. Academic Search Complete (ESBCO). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition. July 1, 2010. Print. Vicarious Leisure Class Essay Example Vicarious Leisure Class Paper Living the Lifestyle of a Celebrity: Conspicuous Consumption within the Leisure Class In Thorstein Veblen’s, The Theory of the Leisure Class which was first published in 1899, Veblen identifies a problem in our society for which many did not see. Veblen described society as a division of classes, one of these classes as he described as the â€Å"leisure class† or what we know today as the wealthier, upper class. In this book, Veblen describes society, and the economy, through the leisure class and analyzes their lifestyle through his time. The leisure class is a predatory culture and harmful to society, he explains, a leisure class has emerged from a â€Å"peaceable to a consistently warlike habit of life† (Veblen 7). Through this predatory class, Veblen describes various terms associated with the lifestyle of the leisure class, conspicuous consumption, vicarious leisure, and conspicuous leisure are only few terms he uses. These terms and the study of different lifestyles in different stages of development are described throughout this book, to explain the competitiveness and harm for which the upper class has brought to our society. In this paper, I will describe and discuss Veblen’s terms and lifestyles of the leisure class, how it relates to Karl Marx and his theories in society, and also similarities in which Veblen’s description of the leisure class is seen today. According to Veblen, the leisure class developed during the barbarian era, more specifically during the transition from savagery to barbarism, which also brought a more warlike community. Veblen argued that these warlike characteristics emerged through the leisure class; the members of this class were mostly men. We will write a custom essay sample on Vicarious Leisure Class specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Vicarious Leisure Class specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Vicarious Leisure Class specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer During this time, hunting and gathering was the primary labor work, which was mostly employed by men of the leisure class. Veblen explains that even though this type of work provided food, farming and other work was more productive than hunting and gathering. The leisure class took over these warfare positions and prevented individuals of the lower class from learning to fight or owning weapons, this is when the leisure class started to gain their power and other classes started to rely and depend on the leisure class. In the predatory culture, this time of employment becomes only a form welcome to the upper class, this is what Veblen describes as conspicuous leisure, these individuals are wealthy enough to avoid work and engage in a type of lifestyle for which no other class can live. Individuals of conspicuous leisure don’t necessarily have to work because they already have the money. Veblen explains the individual’s time is â€Å"consumed non-productively (1) from a sense of the unworthiness of productive work, and (2) as an evidence of pecuniary ability to afford a life of idleness† (Veblen 23). During this time the leisure class started to emerge and the divisions of class’s were becoming more known to society. Similar to Veblen, Karl Marx also believed society was made up of class divisions. He explained his theory of class division through â€Å"proletariats† (have nots) and â€Å"bourgeoisie† (haves). The proletariats were those of the poorer class, which had nothing and the bourgeoisie were the wealthier class that had everything; these individuals would be considered the leisure class. Like the bourgeoisie, Veblen explained that individuals of the leisure class were expected to have almost everything, from servants to luxuries goods, this type of conspicuous consumption defined their status within the leisure class. These individuals of the leisure class can afford servants however the â€Å"real† leisure class, or the individuals at the top of the leisure class, can afford servants and also servants who do nothing. Marx believed that â€Å"class exploitation takes place when the labor power of one man is the property of another (Romero et al. . Marx theory is shown through servants of the leisure class. â€Å"Class Exploitation† is seen in the leisure class when the labor of servants is the property of those of the leisure class, â€Å"there supervenes a division of labour among the servants or dependents whose life is spent in maintaining the honour of the gentleman of leisure† (Veblen 63). Servants are only one factor that shows the wealth of the leisure class. According to Veblen, a member of the leisure class is known to show off his/her earnings. This type of behavior goes all the way back to the barbarian era when men showed off trophies, weapons, and other ideal possessions, â€Å"the last evidence of productive labour is its material product- commonly some article of consumption† (Veblen 44). The leisure class must have certain goods or items to gain fulfillment. This is similar to Karl Marx’s â€Å"false consciousness† which is described as a â€Å"sense of common identification with members of the same class† (Romero et al. ). False consciousness† is seen in the leisure class, regarding Veblen’s conspicuous consumption, the leisure class must consume certain items to be â€Å"happy† this is not necessarily known and explained however within every member of the leisure class they must have certain things to live happily in the upper class. Veblen defined this behavior within the leisure class in Chapter 6, â€Å"Pecuniary Canons of Taste†, â€Å"as it is a desire to live up to the conventional standard of decency in the amount and grade of goods consumed† (Veblen 102). He explains that the standard of living is keeping up with the others of one’s personal class. For example, if a neighbor buys a new car, you may go buy a new car just to keep up. â€Å"Each class envies and emulates the class next above it in the social scale, while it rarely compares itself with those below or with those who are considerably in advanced† (Veblen 104). Veblen defines the divisions of labor and that one whom competes with a higher class, through material may not be able to afford some materials of the higher class, and competing with a lower class is not striving for increasing achievement, so individuals stay within their class and compete with those whom are a little bit higher than them in the social structure. Marx defines this theory of â€Å"false consciousness† as something for which the individual does not necessarily notice, however it occurs. Like Marx, Veblen describes this standard of living as a habit, it’s something an individual is immune to and becomes a lifestyle, to which the individual does not realize they are constantly competing to keep up with the same lifestyles as others. â€Å"A standard of living is of the nature of habit. It is a habitual scale and method of responding to given stimuli† (Veblen 106). The longer the habit, the harder it is to let go, so one is constantly trying to keep up with class, society, and the standard of living. To keep up with the standard of living, individuals, mostly of the leisure class, will constantly continue to consume luxuries items and even though they are constantly consuming new items, the individual never seeks satisfaction; this refers to what Veblen describes as â€Å"chronic dissatisfaction†. This term is defined as always wanting more, one is never satisfied with what they have so they are constantly needing more (Veblen 31). Chronic dissatisfaction is a continuous cycle once one earns or receives something they just strive for the next thing. Chad Ochocinco is a NFL football player, who is constantly striving for more. He pursued modeling, then acting, and now has his second television series, and a video game. Ochocinco is an example of chronic dissatisfaction, although he has money and a career he wants more, after receiving a television series, he continued to strive for another one and added on a video game (â€Å"Wiki:Ochocinco†). Like Ochocinco, many individuals of the leisure class, continue to need more, this includes luxuries and other items. This type of consumption leads to another one of Veblen’s arguments of conspicuous consumption, which is when one consumes various goods, the best of food, and luxuries to show off one’s earnings. Conspicuous consumption is seen in our society today, this type of behavior does not just exist within the leisure class, however throughout every class and individual in our society. The want to consume is nothing new, we work and live to consume, we are what we consume. As seen with celebrities today, they consume the best cars, the best clothes, the biggest houses. Veblen explains a man of wealth â€Å"consumes freely and of the best, in food, drink, narcotics, shelter, services, ornaments, apparel, weapons, and accoutrements, amusements, amulets, and idols or divinities (Veblen 73). This type of consumption is what Veblen describes as â€Å"conspicuous waste†, the manner in which people dress is always seen and noticed, especially when celebrities are displaying them. With conspicuous consumption, the consumption and wealth must be displayed and noticed. As seen on the television show â€Å" Mtv Cribs† many celebrities, who are members of the leisure class, show off their homes, cars, clothes, and other items. Veblen argues this is harmful to our society, these luxuries and types of consumption are only for the leisure class, and one is expected to live this certain lifestyle in order to keep their standing in the leisure class. A man of the leisure class must consume certain goods and give away certain types of rewards or gifts to with hold his position within the leisure class. One example of conspicuous consumption he gives, which is seen today, is the consumption of â€Å"intoxicating beverages or narcotics†, which members of the leisure class are known to consume (Veblen 70). Like Grey Goose and Jose Cuervo, many celebrities only drink the top self alcohol. Also, many celebrities are getting involved in alcohol or drug related crimes, however we still honor them. For example, Lil Wayne, Michael Vick, Lindsay Lohan, and Paris Hilton are only a few celebrities who were convicted of criminal charges, yet are still in the lime light today. Paris Hilton was convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) in 2006, and charge in 2007. In 2007, Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail for violating her probation, â€Å"according to prosecutors, she fail to enroll in an alcohol education course by mid-April 2007, and was stopped for two more traffic violations, including driving with a suspended license† (â€Å"Wiki:Paris Hilton†). After these incidents took place, Paris Hilton continued to live vicariously through the leisure class, from initially earning her fortune from her great-grandfather’s wealth, (Conrad Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels) she continues to be a social icon, with her own hit television show, â€Å"Paris’s BFF†, as well as, her role as an actor in several movies, singer, model, and author (â€Å"Wiki: Paris Hilton†). Like Paris Hilton, many members of the leisure class are still honored and have status after criminal offenses, or drug/alcohol related mistakes. These celebrities are idols and influence our society, this is another reason Veblen argues the leisure class can be harmful to our society, â€Å"drunkness and the other pathological consequences of the free use of stimulants therefore tend in their turn to become honorific† (Veblen 70). The â€Å"emergence of the leisure class coincides with the beginning of ownership† (Veblen 22). During the barbarian stages, women became a form of ownership. Women were seen as a status symbol, a trophy wife, for which men of the leisure class could own and show off. When we own people, we own material or production, so by owning something one can exploit his earnings. Like ownership, most women of the leisure class are considered â€Å"vicarious leisure†. Veblen’s â€Å"vicarious leisure† is defined as people who live the life as though they are a member of the leisure class however don’t get all the material that comes with it because they are living through the wealthy. Throughout the barbarian stages, men were considered the breadwinner and worked while the women stayed at home while women were considered to live through their spouses. The women of the household were not suppose to work and were expected to be more â€Å"showy† about their leisure than men, they were expected to be beautiful and represent the household’s wealth. Like women, Veblen claims many individuals of the leisure class receive their wealth from their ancestors and get wealth without even working for it, â€Å"wealth acquired passively by transmission from ancestors or other antecedents presently becomes even more honorific than wealth acquired by the possessor’s own effort† (Veblen 29). Like mentioned earlier, celebrity Paris Hilton received her wealth through her great grandfather, Conrad Hilton whom was the founder of Hilton hotels. Through his wealth, Paris Hilton had a very wealthy childhood. She was born in New York, and moved to several different homes, including the homes in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, and the Hamptons, which are all very upper class locations (â€Å"Wiki: Paris Hilton†). Hilton had all the references to succeed and was not obligated to work. Like Hilton, Veblen describes these types of individuals within the leisure class, he refers to the leisure class as â€Å"waste†, meaning the leisure class does not contribute to society or the world as a whole, â€Å"does not serve human life or human well-being on the whole† (Veblen 97). Hilton pursued her career in modeling, eventually getting signed with Donald Trump’s model agency and appearing in various magazines (â€Å"Wiki: Paris Hilton†). Hilton’s career as a model, is an example of Veblen’s view on waste in the leisure class, pictures of Hilton in various magazines has no specific benefit to our society however only benefits her and her status, and wealth within the leisure class. According to Wikipedia, in September 2009, Hilton’s quote in one of her books, â€Å"Dress cute wherever you go, life is too short to blend in† was added to The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. Similar to Hilton, many celebrities and women care a lot about what they wear and how they dress. In Veblen’s chapter, â€Å"Dress as an Expression of the Pecuniary Culture† he describes how dress is an example of conspicuous waste, and how most women express their leisure through clothing. Like many celebrities and individuals of the leisure class the point of having nice clothes is to show them off, â€Å"our dress, therefore, in order to serve its purpose effectually, should not only be expensive, but it should also make plain to all observers that the wearer is not engaged in any kind of productive labour† (Veblen 170). This type of clothing is not used for protection or comfort yet its primary purpose is for show. Many women of the leisure class wear heels to work, especially women who are considered celebrities are constantly wearing heels wherever they go. Veblen explains that for a women to wear heels to work is unnecessary and â€Å"even the simplest and most necessary work extremely difficult† (Veblen 171). Today, dressing and fashion of the leisure class is very evident and is expected, however this is nothing new, this expensive and uncomfortable clothing for women goes very far back. The corset is, in economic theory, substantially a mutilation, undergone for the purpose of lowering the subject’s vitality and rendering her permanently and obviously unfit for work† (Veblen 172). The corset is only one example that Veblen gives, however this piece of clothing is the most constricting, and is only worn for show, ignoring the discomfort of the clothing. Veblen also continues to argue that the fashion and clothing styles change with the seasons and also are different in various areas. It’s amazing for one to see that this was the case during Veblen’s time because this is very true today. With winter, comes scarf’s, boots, and sweaters while summer women tend to wear shorts, cut off shirts, ect. Veblen also explains that the urban areas are more involved in fashion changes than the rural areas, meaning the wealthier communities have greater amounts of conspicuous waste in their clothing. New York City is one example of Veblen’s argument, this city is known for fashion and most women in New York City are examples of dress as a conspicuous waste. Sex in the City† was a huge television series and movie, about four women who lived in New York City and engaged in the fashion world. Through these four women, one can see the effects of an urban area on the style of dress needed to fit into the city. In the first â€Å"Sex and the City† movie, Carrie after a breaking it off with her boyfriend and buying very expensive shoes she expl ains, â€Å"It’s really hard to walk in a single woman’s shoes—that’s why you sometimes need really special shoes†. As in Veblen’s time, society is still using dress as a conspicuous consumption, which is more evident in women than men. If an individual is wearing cheap clothing, this can be considered unworthy by some, and those who wear expensive clothing are seen to be of the wealthier class. Dress as a conspicuous waste is seen as a spiritual need. For example church, when a family is getting dressed for church they tend to dress up in formal clothing. Veblen describes the need for this type of dress for spiritual reasoning is â€Å"not wholly, nor even chiefly, a naive propensity for display of expenditure† (Veblen 168). Veblen’s theory of leisure class is still in existence today and has a huge influence on our society as a whole. Today, the leisure class is taking over the media and is the idols and the people for which society looks up to, they are considered the successful individuals of society, the wealthy. Before reading Veblen’s book, I never thought the upper class, or now as I call it the leisure class, as harmful to society, however now it seems as though this standard of living and conspicuous leisure and consumption is harming our communities and the way individuals of our society live their lives. Conspicuous consumption is seen in every division of class, not just the leisure class. Each class is striving among themselves to be better than the other. One example Veblen uses in the book, is the use of silver spoons, explaining that many individuals of the leisure class use articles of gold, even though there are spoons for which are made from machines which are cheaper, and in most cases are more useful and better. However, the beauty and price of these expensive items are the reasoning behind this conspicuous consumption. Like Veblen’s example, this is seen in our society today, from decorations in a person’s home, to their cars, to their style of clothing, ect. Our society has grown to constantly be involved in conspicuous consumption and compete with others of the same class. Veblen was definitely correct with his ‘Theory of the Leisure Class’ and his theory is still very present today. I was surprised to see how present the leisure class was in pre-historic times and how similar the behavior of the leisure class is to the leisure class today. However, without the leisure class, and competitive society, I’m not sure if our society would be as successful as it is today. Many individuals strive for success because of the competitive drive and competition within our society. So maybe the leisure class and the competitive factors within the division of classes is good for the society, or maybe Veblen’s theory is right and the leisure class is actually harmful to our society and world as a whole. Works Cited Veblen, Thorstein. The Theory of the Leisure Class. NewYork: Peguin, 1899. Print David Ashley, David Michael Orenstein. Sociology Theory: Classical Theory. Boston: Pearson, 2005. Print Romero, Rachel. Sociology 230: Classical Theory. Texas Aamp;M University. College Station, TX: August-November, 2010. Lecture Wikipedia: Paris Hiltion. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 21 November 2010. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Paris_Hilton. E2. 80. 9306:_As_an_author Wikipedia: Chad Ochocinco. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 20 November 2010 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Chad_Ochocinco Paris Hilton’s DUI Charges. Find Law. Web. 2010 http://news. findlaw. com/cnn/docs/ent/cahilton92606cmp. html Bushnell, Candace. Sex and the City. Part One. New York, 2008. Movie Thorstein Veblen. Academic Search Complete (ESBCO). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition. July 1, 2010. Print.