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Example research essay topic: People In Western Sociological Theories - 1,643 words

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... people are going to consider other members of society as their enemies. Bauman suggests that it is the individualism, on the part of Europeans, which allowed them to create a civilization, but at the same time, it is the hyper-individualism, as the final stage of post-modernity, which will bring about Western civilizations ultimate demise. It is very remarkable that, while suggesting the peoples post-modernist egoistic drives are essentially harmful, Bauman does not include a perverse sexuality among them. For him, the eroticism does not have anything in to do with reproduction or with love. In post-modern world, eroticism declares itself as reason and consequence, at the same time.

Bauman suggests that homosexuality is a legitimate expression of individuals sexual desire and quite probably only the positive aspect of post-modernity. (3) Many critics of Bauman's ideas point out to the fact that he downplays the role of biological factors, as something that also defines peoples behaviour. There is an easily traceable fallacy in the line of Bauman's arguments. He suggests that people are still striving to act in morally acceptable manner, even though that religion has ceased to play role in shaping up their worldview, although he does not explain why. In addition, he talks about moral norms as something that is being universally accepted around the world, which of course, is nothing but illogical assumption on his part. The recent discoveries in the field of genetics prove that individuals behaviour is at least 60 % genetically predetermined. Therefore, we cannot seriously suggest that only social circumstances define peoples behaviour, as Bauman does.

The social consequences of post-modernity can only be viewed among White people, because it is they who become increasingly alienated from their traditional values. As practice shows, post-modernism is being closely followed by multiculturalism. Therefore, it would only be logical to suggest that upon arrival to a host post-modern country, ethnic minorities would start acting in post-modernist manner. In other words, racial minorities should be losing ethnic solidarity among its members. Still, the practice shows something absolutely opposite. The members of ethnic minorities simply refuse to adjust their act, in order for it to correspond to Western sociological theories.

We can also refer to Japan, as society where citizens do not feel any social alienation, despite the fact that this country has long ago became post-modern. Allen, Ann Taylor in her book The Holocaust and the Modernization of Gender criticizes Bauman for his apparent lack of insight, regarding normative rationality: Bauman neglects to state where normative rationality can be found in cultural or social space. Bauman identifies it only through cryptic and largely unexplained references to a primordial, primeval, or pre social experience of being with others (Taylor, p. 61). The essence of rationality lies in peoples ability to operate with abstract categories.

Therefore, we cannot talk about it in strictly positivist sense of this word. Bauman's view of post-modernity is negative in its essence, because it consists of selected observations, which are meant to support his main idea that post-modernism is nothing but a final victory of rationale over psyche. He does not provide us with any concrete advices as to how combat social alienation. All of Bauman's works are marked with pessimistic attitudes, on his part: We have come a long way in our search for the sources of moral hope, but remain, so far, empty-handed. Our only gain is that we have learnt where such sources are unlikely to be found (Bauman, p. 34). We do not want to suggest in this paper that Bauman's theories are conceptually wrong, because this is not the case.

In fact, they provide us with a practical tool, which enables us to understand the psychological depths of post-modernity. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to suggest that Bauman's theories can be regarded as such that are universally applicable. We can only use them to describe what motivates the socio-political dynamics within a selected group of people. In his article NS Profile - Zygmunt Bauman Nicholas Fearn quotes philosopher Simon Critchley, who is one of Bauman's most ardent critics: Don't talk to me about the post-modern age. We are not even in the modern age yet, for Christ's sake - 150 million Americans still believe in Genesis (Fearn). It would explain a lot about post-modernism, if we simply regarded it as the form of spiritual decadence, which is actually what it really is.

However, it is only White Liberals, including Bauman himself, that are affected by such decadence. It is a common knowledge that the most effective psychiatrists are the ones who are also being affected by mental illness, because it allows them to understand their patients anxieties. Bauman is nothing but a doctor who understands the essence of social illness, because of being affected by it as well. Thus, it appears that Bauman's view of post-modernity is not altogether flawless.

Still, his theory does appeal to many people, because it is distinguished by the steady flow of arguments and because it is not overly complicated. The most importantly people are able to accept his arguments on subconscious level. (4) The influence of Bauman's view of post-modernity on sociology cannot be underestimated. What it is truly remarkable is that Bauman's theory has implications in both: macro-sociology and micro-sociology. The beginning of post-modern era came as a result of objective historical development.

This is why we cannot suggest that it was peoples changing perception of the world that caused their social alienation. Only a macro-sociological approach can explain peoples disillusionment with post-modernist reality. At this point, Bauman begin to sound like a Marxist or Functionalist. However, the practical implications of peoples metaphysical disillusionment suggest that in post-modern world, it is simply impossible to affect individuals behaviour by changing social circumstances, because these circumstances cease to derive out of economics or politics. It is the essence phenomenological approach towards sociology, which is being promoted by Bauman.

Bauman talks about alienation as a global trend, but the validity of his theses can only be empirically proven, when applied locally. This creates a difficulty, because Bauman's theory can be referred to as being compelling and too abstract at the same time. It is doubtful whether proponents of anti-Globalism, who consider Bauman as one of their main ideologists, had ever read all of his works in their entirety. In the same way, the Marxist terrorists of sixties used to consider Jean Sartre as their spiritual father, although he never encouraged them to resort to violence. Thus, it appears that the practical implications of Bauman's theory are also going to be found in politics, rather than in the field of abstract sociology.

Bauman tells people about the dangers of democracy turning into totalitarianism, but he is having a hard time, while trying to make his ideas to appeal to the public. Nicholas Fearn says: The impact of Bauman's argument was stronger on the Continent than in the English-speaking world. Bauman was a creature of his experience, and his experience did not apply in his adopted country. Britain never suffered the tyrannies of fascist rule and state socialism, so their critique did not call for the same degree of soul-searching. Perhaps a little more would be appropriate, for, as Beilharz points out, we ought to think of Bauman's warning before we trade more of our freedom for security and embark on the detention and deportation of minority groups as part of the war on terror (Fearn). (5) Sociology only recently has acquired a status of scientific discipline, which explains why many sociological theories are contradictory in their essence. Zygmunt Bauman was able to foresee that the social interactions, among people in Western societies in the future, are going to be defined by alienation and disillusionment.

This already started to happen, as the realities of post-modern living cause many people to adopt nihilism as social philosophy. Bauman refers to it as privatization of life: The privatisation of life in general has long tentacles and reaches far and wide. Privatised life, like any other life, is never an unremitting bliss. It has its measure of suffering, discontent and grievance.

In a privatised life, however, misfortune is as private as everything else (Bauman, p. 40). The privatised life life will cause people to act in increasingly irrational manner, when they will begin to think of security as something that has an absolute value. From this, there is only one step to establishing the dictatorship of mediocrity, as Bauman refers to it. Let us summarize the main points of this paper. Bauman was able to define what causes social alienation among people in Western societies. However, Bauman downplays the role of biological factors, while trying to explain disillusionment and alienation from purely circumstantial perspective.

According to Bauman, post-modernity is the logical consequence of technological and cultural progress. He states that this progress entitled people with household freedom, while depriving them of real freedom. Bauman does not come up with any practical suggestions about how to deal with disillusionment and alienation, but he believes that moral virtues are engraved in peoples unconsciousness and that it is only the matter of time, before these virtues will begin to affect the objective reality. This point of view is being described as naive, by many critics; nevertheless, Zygmunt Bauman will go down the history as first sociologist, who tried to formulate a comprehensive sociological theory, which was to explain the essence of post-modernity and its effects on peoples behaviour. Bibliography: Allen, A. T. 2001.

The Holocaust and the Modernization of Gender: A Historigraphical Essay. New York: Beilharz. Bauman, Z. 2002. Alone Again: Ethics After Certainty. Demos. Creative Commons. [Accessed 15 May 2007 ].

Available from World Wide Web: web Bauman, Z. 1993. Postmodern Ethics. New York: Blackwell. Fearn, N. 2006. NS Profile - Zygmunt Bauman. New Statesmen. [Accessed 15 May 2007 ].

Available from World Wide Web: web.


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Research essay sample on People In Western Sociological Theories

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