Essays on Capitalist Society

Voluntary Simplicity Meets Modern Consumerism

INTRODUCTION When people look at the modern world today the first thing they recognize is the evidence of humanity’s development of the world, how they harvested the needed environment for energy and rejoice in the modern technological advances that allow for a fantastic amount of convenience to many people’s everyday lives. However, many of these same human beings fail to consider the consequences, on many levels, that all of these developments and advances may lead to. Many argue that these advances and conveniences have led to an unhealthy kind of consumerism; ideologies that place a great deal ...

Summary of the Content

The book that is the subject of this paper is entitled Debt: The First 5,000 Years. This book was published in 2011 by book author and anthropologist David Graeber. As the name implies, much of the content was focused on debt. It, however, tackled the said topic in relation to other social institutions and practices such as marriage, friendship, barter, law, religion, slavery, economics, and government management. By putting the topic in line with the very factors that make up human life and society, he basically showed that he considers debt has played an important part in it. ...

Egypt is a North African country with a high population of the Arabs. The main religion of the country is Islam though there are also Christians and other religious groups sparsely spread all over the country. Social inequality in Egypt is one of the worst in the region. As a bigger population of the country struggle to live below a dollar, the cities keep on rising with skyscrapers. The poor-rich gap keeps on widening. Apart from the evident distinct gap between the poor and the rich, gender inequality is on the rise. Women have gained a little recognition in ...

Ridley Scott’s Gladiator released in 2000 explores a number of important issues that are not limited in time or in space. This is not just a story that could have happened in the Roman Empire with a Roman military general only. It is a universal story about family values, loyalty, justice, friendship and a lot more. One of the main themes of the film is the struggle for fairness. Gladiator advocates the idea of a regime without totalitarianism and argues against the dictatorship in any form. One of the primary forms of inequality in the Roman Empire was ...

Capitalism refers to a society where private individuals own the means of production. In a capitalist society, the government does not interfere with the price of commodities. Equilibrium price is determined by forces of demand and supply. This type of system has some merits. However, it is not the key to eradication of poverty because of its demerits. There are several advantages that the society derives from capitalistic economy. One, it encourages efficiency in production. The private firms ensure efficiency utilization of resources to achieve the goal of maximizing returns. This is unlike nationalized firms that are quite inefficient ...

Capitalism has changed the meaning of labor and formulated entirely new motivation to work. In capitalist system labor transformed into the inner human need. The essence of capitalism is the cooperation of people in order to create value, not only for themselves but also for others. It generates a variety of productive activities as the needs and desires of the people are very diverse. In an authoritarian state some group considers that she has the ultimate truth can impose all their valuables. They can dictate its will on others. In capitalist society, the space for the manifestation of personality ...

History of Labor in the United States

SSC200 Abstract One of the most important actions an American citizen can take to uphold their role in the social contract of American democracy is to exercise their right to vote. Yet, in the United States today, voter turnout is relatively and historically speaking very low. This paper takes a look at the effects this has on job satisfaction—specifically workplace morale, productivity, and job security—and argues that greater investment in the social contract of democracy on the part of the working classes is likely to yield positive results in each of these areas. American voters, and potential ...

Industrializing Canada (1850-1890)

Introduction The queries concerning the effects of early industrialization on the distribution of wealth and income are central to economic and social history. The past experiences provide stories of the changing actions and conditions of the working people in Canada. Most adults in the country today earn a living in the form of salaries and wages sharing the terms of the working class society in Industrial Canada. The development of organized job conditions cannot be evaluated without considering the unions or organizations that pursued objectives designed to benefit employees (Heron, 2014). Child labor also played a vital role in ...

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Introduction The paper will present theories, and it will discuss the difference between those theories. Some of the differences and similarities will be presented. There will be three theories in this paper Marxism theory, Rosa Luxemburg Theory, and Lenin Theory. Within this paper, Lenin Theory will be used for differentiation of other theories. In addition, the practical approach of other Linen theory will be described, and criticism in other theories about Linen Theory will also be presented.

Marxism Theory

Talking about the Marxism Theory it should be noted that Karl Marx presents it. It can be said that ...

Middle-class squeeze

In this paperwork, I am going to handle the topic on middle-class squeeze and how it affects the economy, security, and the future of the United States-income inequality. Income inequality has become a burning issue lately in the United States, whereby, experts are seeing it as a threat that holds back the economics of the United States. President Obama was heard on CNN referring to income inequality as the crucial issue of our era. The rising trend in income inequality over the past years has led to many Americans citizens losing their faith in some key aspects, such as living ...

Worker Alienation in a Modern Economy

The term “worker alienation” was coined by Karl Marx decades ago. Built on the principles of capitalism and socialism, it addresses the concept that workers feel apart from the products of their labor. The result is a loss of his sense of humanity. In a capitalist society, exploitation of the worker exists through selling his labor and not the product of his labor. His labor is sold as through it were an intangible product. The product is sold and the profit goes to the capitalist. The proletariat now owns neither his labor nor the product it produced; however, he has received ...

“For Marxism, literature does not exist in some timeless, aesthetic realm as an object to be passively contemplated. Rather, like all cultural manifestations, it is a product of the socioeconomic and hence ideological conditions of the time and the place in which it was written, whether or not the author intended it so. Because human beings are themselves products of their socioeconomic and ideological environment, it is assumed that authors cannot help but create works that embody ideology in some form.” -Tyson, Critical Theory Today. War of the Worlds, the novel about the Martian invasion on earth is ...

Despite of living in a world that has extensively benefited from the capitalist production system, it still seems necessary to make questions about its ethics. There is no doubt that since its adoption and generalization, people around the world has experimented unprecedented wealth and freedom, but there are still issues that plague the world where capitalism has had no power to solve. Many even find the cause of said problems in the capitalist system. This paper will analyze the definition, elements and criticism of capitalism as exposed by William Shaw in his book Business Ethics to find out if capitalism ...

Introduction

Sociology is useful for travel planning or migrating to other countries outside the United States because applying sociological concepts will help acquaint an individual with the social behavior and way of life of people in a particular destination or country (Korgen, 228). When traveling or migrating to another country, an individual is expected to make adjustments because of cultural and social features in these countries or destinations. Hence, applying sociological concepts to study behavior and way of life in a particular country will help an individual know what to expect and anticipate changes or adjustments that he or she would need ...

Mid Term Integration Paper Mid Term Integration Paper

Question 1

The book of Robbins (2011) explored the most successful culture – capitalism. The author presented historical, anthropological, and economic framework of capitalism origins thus explaining problems caused by globalization. Robbins (2011) succeeded to attract attention to global problems caused by expansion of capitalism and explained why capitalism generated resistance. Robbins (2011) stated that embryo of capitalism as a distinctive culture emerged five to six centuries ago in Western Europe. Core concepts of capitalism culture are rooted in the statement that commodity consumption is the source of well-being. Further, this idea was ...

Question one

The theory proposes that the relationship between workers and their employers is based on a win lose structure where the laborer in all attempts to sustain themselves working for their bosses (capitalist) somewhat are always at a loss in the arrangement. On the other hand, the capitalists are always winning earning more from the labors of their workers while the labor struggles to make ends meet with the meager pay that the capitalists give them for labor and services rendered. In essence, the alienation theory revolves around the laborer explaining how the laborer becomes alienated from society in various ways based ...

- Ricardo and Marx and Keynes embraced the finite nature of the capitalist system. Compare and contrast their technical and philosophical justification for this. There are many economists who made considerable contributions in the field of economics. For the purpose of answering this question, we will focus on the works and principles introduced by these three economists: David Ricardo, Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes. The focus of this section is the capitalism-centered economy and the technical and philosophical justification and rationales of their principles. In order to do that, a concrete operational definition of Capitalism should be established ...

Sociology as an academic discipline has developed from sociological views and concepts proposed by scholars and thinkers form different social and professional backgrounds. Sociology is the study of social organisation structure, social institutions and human behaviours. Various scholars have made a tremendous contribution in enriching the discipline. Besides assisting in understanding the discipline, some scholars and theorists have made a significant impact in facilitating the understanding of modern society. The paper explores the work of Karl Marx, a prominent social theorist whose concepts have informed the field of sociology and the modern society accordingly (Avineri, 1988). The first reason why I ...

It is no secret that within the labor there are extreme gaps between genders, socioeconomic status, and levels of education. The biggest of these factors is the wide gender gap in pay, position, and in workforce. According to valuable research, gender segregation within the labor market is due to gendered and discriminatory assumptions and practices. The appearance of class not only works within the labor market, but also works against it, as many workers apply discriminatory measures to get ahead. The structure of the working class has transform from the white male industry into a more diverse market since the ...

In the modern democratic capitalist society, money is probably the most unifying factor. It is the commonest mode of payment in the procurement of services and goods in such societies (Harris, 2008). Money is the motivation behind people’s engagement in businesses in the modern democratic-capitalist society. Labor cost is usually measured in terms of money. Labor is a cardinal input or factor of production in business and it is quantified in terms of money. According to Harris (2008) the quantification of labor in terms of monetary costs makes it competitive, valuable and relevant to businesses. Profitability is ...

RESEARCH PAPER ON CAPITALISM

RESEARCH PAPER ON CAPITALISM Thesis statement – While capitalism is important to the growth of an economy, it can have limitations and exceptions. In this paper we look at capitalism from its infancy to its present stage to learn in depth on its importance and limitations. Capitalism refers to an economic system featured by private ownership of factors of production, free markets, open competitive powers, and profit motivated enterprises. Capitalism encourages new investment ideas, innovations, new means of production, and new technology in a faster rate as compared to government owned public investments. In a capitalist system, individuals have the ...

RESEARCH PAPER ON CAPITALISM

Introduction Capitalism refers to an economic system featured by private ownership of factors of production, free markets, open competitive powers, and profit motivated enterprises. Capitalism encourages new investment ideas, innovations, new means of production, and new technology in a faster rate as compared to government owned public investments. In a capitalist system, individuals have the right of wealth ownership with limited controls from the government. This is referred as a Laissez Faire economy (Laclau, 2011). In the modern world, the concept of capitalism has been in operation and is viewed as the most effective way in getting individuals to achieve a status ...

Response: Private Property and Free Enterprise: Good or Bad?

According to the prompt, "Private property and free enterprise is a source of enmity, conflict and inequality, and it is therefore incompatible with a free, equal and healthy democracy." This is an interesting question; the implication within the sentence is that there is a fundamental incompatibility with free enterprise and an effective democracy. In order to address whether or not this statement is correct, it is necessary to consult some of the great voices in economic thought; through the perspectives of Marx, Rawls, Mill and Hobbes, the importance of capitalism to a just and equitable democracy will be explored. While people like Hobbes ...

Despite the fact that the open expression of racism is liable to prosecution in most of the countries, it is difficult to admit that there is sufficient protection from its manifestations. This paper considers the problem of racism and policing from the sociological perspective, defining its main reasons and the current state of affairs in the area. It is necessary to conduct such analysis, as today, although the racist theories were proven to be unscientific, racism and nationalism still continue to exist in the modern society. Although the focus of this paper is on sociology, to understand the ...

Research Paper on Capitalism.

Introduction. Capitalism refers to an economic system featured by private ownership of factors of production, free markets, open competitive powers, and profit motivated enterprises. Capitalism encourages new investment ideas, innovations, new means of production, and new technology in a faster rate as compared to government owned public investments. In a capitalist system, individuals have the right of wealth ownership with limited controls from the government. This is referred as a Laissez Faire economy (Laclau, 2011). In the modern world, the concept of capitalism has been in operation and is viewed as the most effective way in getting individuals to achieve a status ...

Bourgeois and Proletarians

History102 In history, societies have existed where people have been grouped into classes such as the rich and the poor. Social rank is an essential part that is used as a basis for classifying people into different groups. Industrialization has contributed to the strong separation of individuals into different classes. The bourgeois form the middle class the proletariats form the working class. The fascinating relationship that exists between these two social groups is the level of exploitation. Because of the exploitation, antagonism is bound to arise and this results to changes in the social classes of the bourgeois and the ...

Today's education system has forever changed the way young men and women go about their academic and work careers. In earlier eras, students would enter the job world immediately after school, and many colleges and universities were out of reach for lower and middle-class Americans. However, now that the job market has become much more competitive, the American academic experience has dictated that students go directly to college after graduating high school. While this is now the norm, it is not the ideal: students experience burnout, and they do not get valuable life experience that they need to survive ...

Are "squeegee kids" and "street people" a threat to society or a version

of the American Dream? Homeless people and “squeegee men” on the streets is a disturbing issue in many developing countries. However, this social phenomenon is a typical feature of life in the USA. For example, “squeegee kids” had become prevalent in the New York City since 1980 despite of measures were applied. The number of homeless people had significantly increased throughout the country when social payments were reduced in the 1980s. This paper is to explain the phenomenon of "squeegee kids" and "street people" and the reasons of its emergence. It aims to evaluate the effectiveness of government measures applied ...

The Nature and Logic of Capitalism is a term that implies the developmental sequences of impersonal processes that control the socio- economical aspects of the world. Capitalism is the root of all evil and vices that reaps the world of its pride and heritance. Scholars and economists have tried over the years to clearly understand and define capitalism in which brings more complexity in its dimensions. Many explain its roots in the 17th century with the rise of mercantile power up to now. Methodologies used by the scholars are often sourced from capitalism itself. Issue of answers on regard to ...

'Karl Marx's concept of alienation

'Karl Marx's concept of alienation The theory of separation was used by Karl Marx to explain the concept of alienation because of capitalism. Alienation refers to the process of separating things that belong together. In this context, Marx referred to social alienation where people were separated from aspects of their human nature. In capitalist mode of production, workers were coerced to lose the aspect of determination in their lives. This came because of being denied the right to see visualize themselves as directors of their activities. Workers who are supposed to be self-realized ...

According to Peter Drucker, Post-Capitalist Society (1993) [Lustig], the communist analysis on the capitalistic system consists in concentration on the thesis that wage-laborers are being subjugated by wealth holders and in return obtain only part of the profits of their labor; and with the accumulation of capital the dissimilarity of earnings between laboring poor and non-laboring rich tends to boost. The Marxist resolution in this case suggest confiscate the capitalists’ property and expose them to the same situation as wage-laborers, so that everybody can turn to an employed person and get paid according to his skills. The general work ...

Introduction

The family is one of the most important institutions with various perspectives. Various theories have been created that look at this important institution. The feminist theory looks at the family in terms of the dominance of men. In this theory, men are not only seen to dominate women in the family, but in all spheres of the family too. The theory is of the notion that the gender difference myth, which has been advocated by many, is just a gimmick, which serves to legitimize the oppression that women get from men. On the other hand, the functionalist theory looks at ...