Category: Social Change

Introduction

This critical review addresses a report titled, The Case for Funding Black-Led Social Change, written by Susan Taylor Batten and Nat Chioke Williams. Batten and Williams (2020) analyze the role of philanthropy in the push for racial equality. The authors particularly focus on eliminating racism and white supremacy. The authors provide invaluable insights on why sufficient funding for black-led social change is essential. The emphasis on the importance of strengthened black institution cannot be ignored as it is the basis of the whole report. The authors acknowledge the inadequacy of financial support towards black-led social change and rally for an increase to the contributions. This review will focus on the work done by the two authors while including additional sources that offer similar and different perspectives on the topic.

Historical Context and the Politics of Racial Inequality

A major strength of Batten and Williams (2020) report is the brief and concise representation of the black case on racism. This description offers sufficient knowledge and a solid background for the rest of the report. This information also provokes a reader to sympathize with the black community. The authors intertwine the destiny of black people and poor white people by describing how white supremacy oppresses the two groups. This section is an eye-opener and rallies for support from both races, ensuring that no race is pitted against another. The use of statistical facts by the authors when describing the specific areas of health, wealth and poverty, education, and criminal justice of black oppression is also another boost. Such data makes the report more credible to those willing to contribute to black-led social change.

Black-Led Social Change

The emphasis on black-led social change is brilliantly explained by the authors to ensure the expulsion of notions that paint black people as selfish and self-seeking. The authors emphasize that multi-racial teams are important in fighting racism and go ahead to detail that they are liable to watering down intended initiatives (Batten & Williams, 2020). Individual races within a multi-racial approach have varying needs and are subjected to racism differently. Eliminating the vice in its entirety cannot be effective if initiatives focus on a zero-sum approach or end up excluding some races. Batten and Williams (2020) suggest that a more holistic approach would involve differentially analyzing the needs of each race and coming up with customized strategies.

Philanthropy

The report is very specific on the point of philanthropy and the particulars of focus on funding different initiatives. Batten and Williams (2020) suggest civic engagement, community organization, policy advocacy, research, communication, and leadership as important areas. The necessity of each of the areas suggested is explained in sufficient detail to aid understanding, persuade the reader, and act as a guide. Throughout the report, the authors make links to the main aim of the report, philanthropy, and this is not lost on the reader. The report is written in understandable grammar that perfectly fits the objectives. It is not too basic as to water down its message or too complicated as to seem inconsiderate or verbose.

Several other reports and articles provide additional insight and input into the topic of racial disparities in America and black-led social change. Romano & Ragland (2018) analyze the use of humiliation as a tool of manipulation by white supremacists. Intimidation is addressed as a systemic problem that inspires fear and hatred towards the system. The authors provide an alternative view from the one held by Batten and Williams (2020) on the role of police in racism.

Black philanthropy towards social change that is likely to lead to the elimination of racism and conferment of equality to all is insufficient. Salome (2018) is of the view that black people are responsible for their liberation and cannot wait for other people to save them. The article follows the progressive increase in black philanthropy that is insufficient. Salome (2018) agrees with Batten and Williams (2020) on the need to increase contributions towards black-led social change for institutions. Salome (2018) does not provide a detailed breakdown of the areas that should spend the most in ensuring social change is achieved.

The role of black people in ensuring that social change is achieved has this far only focused on philanthropy and financial contributions. United Way of Greater Cincinnati (2018) explores additional areas where black people can contribute to ensuring social change and an end to racism. The report provides additional recommendations such as making connections with each other and non-black people, ensuring presence during planning. United Way of Greater Cincinnati (2021) advocates for the recognition of traditional philanthropy as irrelevant and changes that ensure black people are empowered. The report suggests community leadership as a way of challenging traditional philanthropy. The shortcoming of traditional philanthropy in being unable to generate sufficient resources for the black fight is highlighted.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the report under review is as persuasive as it is educative. It spurs interest in the affairs of black people amongst black people and amongst other races as it highlights that the fight against racism is not against a certain tribe. Racism is a structural problem that affects all races differently and the elites use it to manipulate and misuse people. The report is well written and provides adequate details in its explanation of concepts related to funding and black-led social change. Additional articles analyzed in the critical review add meat to the content of the article reviewed by providing alternative views and supplementing existing opinions with additional details. The urgency of racism against black people is brought out and the report acts as a clarion call to all, especially black people, to contribute to ending racism.

References

Batten, S. T., & Williams, N. C. (2020). The case for funding black-led social change. The Black Social Change Funders Network.

Romano, A., & Ragland, D. (2018). Truth-telling from the margins: exploring black-led responses to police violence and systemic humiliation. In: Rothbart D. (eds) Systemic Humiliation in America (pp. 145172). Palgrave Macmillan.

Salome, K. (2018). State of black philanthropy. Network Journal, 25(2), 40. Web.

United Way of Greater Cincinnati (2018). Black-led social change Cincinnati. UWGC.

United Way of Greater Cincinnati. (2021). Building black empowerment works: a case study on challenging traditional philanthropy through community leadership. UWGC.

Durkheim argues that religion is the foundation of thought and being a permanent aspect of humanity its the basis of all other social dealings. The cognitive self is a product of religious thought. Religion according to him is a planned system of beliefs, attitudes and practices uniting into a single institution that makes the religious authority responsible for social change. The religious principles bind the group and its through this institution that the societal thinking results and starts from. (Ed. Allen 1992) These religious principles perpetuate all other social relations and explain the social existence of the members of the society through the idealization conception of the binding force that also forms the source for development. (Bell1974) It assumes that collective life is the source of ideology and that the totemic character of religion results to the making of a new society by furnishing the necessary concepts and objectification and the expression of the desired end result through religion. (Dahrendorf 1959) He argues that religion does this through giving social order and harmony, further perpetuates division of labor and forms the struggle between social classes. Religion further serves as the intermediary between social structure and reference frames for development. He also attributes social growth to population growth and society as an empirical observable phenomenon. (Ed. Hamilton 2002)

The concept of a post-industrial society tries to account for the transformation from a pre-industrial through an industrialization to a fully industrialized through employing shifts in employment. At the unindustrialized society agriculture forms the employment, manufacture in the industrialized stage and the service industry in the post-industrial society majoring on the information sector. (Kumar 1978)

The emphasis of this model on religion to bring about the post industrial society is arguably workable. These religious principles perpetuate all other social relations and explain the social existence of the members of the society through the idealization conception of the binding force that also forms the source for development. It assumes that collective life is the source of ideology and that the totemic character of religion results to the making of a new society by furnishing the necessary concepts and objectification and the expression of the desired end result through religion (2^nd Ed. Marsh, I et al 2000) He argues that religion does this through giving social order and harmony, further perpetuates division of labor and forms the struggle between social classes. Religion further serves as the intermediary between social structure and reference frames for development. (Touraine 1974) He also attributes social growth to population growth and society as an empirical observable phenomenon. Durkheim argues that the religious institution is responsible for changing the ideological thinking and behaviors to put the motor of change into motion. (Miles 2001) With ideological transformation increased production is realized that allows for creation of industries to draw workers from the agriculture sector then growth of the service industry to draw workers from the competing two sectors then post-industrialization is achieved. (Ed. Morgan 1999)

The resultant increased production also in return brings about surplus production resulting to little or no need of production in all the sectors that further fuel the development process of the service industry like education, health, and entertainment. (ODonnell 2000) Durkheim argues change to be the determinant factor that leads to further development and improvements. (Karen & Fields 1995)

From the Model we can also draw the intimate ties within the agriculture, manufacture and service and the integrative dependence of the three. (Jenkins 2002) As the banking services and education of work force support the development of the other two sectors makes the economy not divisible into distinctive halves. (4^th Ed.Bilton, et al 2002) According to the Model, changing religious setup leads to rationalization, growth of services and change of older means to newer ones that is also core in the attainment of post-industrialization. (Marx & Frederick 2001)

It can be argued that ideological change is core to the changing means of production and thus increased production. This further fuels development of the production sector to the service provision class. So it can be argued that Durkheims model is more realistic in arguing post-industrialization than Marxs and Webers than focus on the conflict within society to result to post-modernism. (Miles 2001)

Reference

Allen, J (Eds) 1992, Post-Industrialism and Post-Fordism in Hall, S. & McGrew, T Modernity & its Futures, Open University. Press.

Bell, D 1974, The Coming of Post-Industrial Society, Basic Books

Dahrendorf R 1959, Class & Class Conflict in Industrial Society, Rutledge & Kegan Paul

Hamilton, P (eds.) 2002, From Industrial to Information Society, in Jordan.

Kumar, K 1978, Prophecy & Progress, Allen Lane, Ch.6.

Marsh, I et al (2^nd Ed) 2000, Sociology: Making Sense of Society, Ch.4, Prentice Hall

Miles, S 2001, Social Theory in the Real World, Sage, Ch.3.

Morgan, G (ed) 1999, Work & Organizations in Taylor, S. Sociology: issues & debates, Macmillan.

ODonnell, M 2000, Classical & Contemporary Sociology, Hodder & Stoughton, Ch.3.

Touraine, A 1974, The Postindustrial Society, Wildwood House

Jenkins R 2002, The foundation of sociology, Palgrave.

Bilton, T et al (4^th Ed) 2002, Introductory Sociology, Palgrave

Karen E. Fields 1995, Durkheim, Emile. The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, New York: The Free Press

Marx, K & Frederick E 2001, The German Ideology, International Publishers, New York

Introduction

Social change refers to the transformations which occur in society, institutions, cultures, and social functions. In most cases, social change is not instant as it occurs gradually over time. Several factors trigger a social change in society; some elements include conflict, culture, demographic change, war, and technological advancement. An effort by the above factors to disrupt societys status quo marks the first step to a transformation. On the other hand, social norms refer to the unwritten rules which guide the members of a community. The informal rules which the society ascribes form the basis of community. For years, sociologists and anthropologists have thoroughly studied social norms intending to understand social norm dynamics.

Ways to Influence Social Change

There are several ways through which an organization can influence social change in a community. For it to occur, the community members need to be the main drivers. To influence social transformation, one is not required to participate in big programs, even the little gestures of kindness go a long way to make lives better. For an organization to affect the communitys social change, it is advisable to start with small acts of kindness.

Everyone can influence the social transformation movement in society in their small way. Doyne believes that everyone can bring change in society by making small gestures of kindness (Forbes Live, 2018). She was concerned about the well-being of the Himalayan child that she encountered carrying rocks to make a living. Dyne learned that the girl had no home, and she relied on carrying rocks to make ends meet. This prompted her to start a childrens home, which offered her a home and education. Today her organization is wholly owned by the community members in Nepal.

The US Navy can influence social change in society by volunteering in community-based programs such as education for children. They help alleviate the social status of the community members. Further, they influence social transformations in society and can be achieved by establishing procedures that organizations can follow to identify gaps that exist in the community. This approach will assist them in providing successful programs that will alleviate the livelihood of their neighbors.

Conclusively, social change and social norms have a strong relation. The quest to transform society brings about disruptions that prompt a change movement. For a better and empowered community, individuals in the city and organizations need to participate in practices that improve peoples lives. Volunteering and small acts of kindness show a significant gesture towards driving society forward.

References

Forbes Live. (2018). Social Disruptors: Maggie Doyne [Video]. YouTube. Web.

Social change is a phenomenon that occurs in various ways in the modern society. In terms of communities and populations social change continues to manifest itself in the way populations are undergoing changes in structure and patterns. Urban and rural populations are developing distinguishing characteristics with things like technology and innovation that shape human life. The societys institutions are also part of social change. This has been evidenced in their management, operations and enrollments. Institutions such as religion and education are in the social change movement because they create an environment where people interact.

Technology has made a greater impact on social change through the developments in the societys institutions. Politics and governance are also aspects of social change in the way they influence policy and other important things that concern human interactions. It is important to note that politics have been instrumental in controlling social change. This is because politics have influence over social interactions between people from different cultural backgrounds.

Politics of a country have great influence over technology and other important social factors. The movement of people for instance from rural to urban centers in the process of social change can be controlled by the political environment. Institutions in the society are also responsible for controlling social change by putting measures in place with which the members must adhere to. Social change is a phenomenon that is in progress as it has been observed by sociologists in their studies.

This is because things are never the same as they used to be in the past. Organization and behavior of people keep changing and this indicates a process that is in progress. Social change is predictable after a careful analysis of the past and the present situation in the modern society. The behavior of people can be predicted to foresee how social change would be indicated in the future.

The society is rapidly changing nowadays, and the changes that take place within it affect different groups of individuals in distinct ways and to different degrees. The fact that some (vulnerable) groups may be left behind means that advocacy is paramount to promote their interests as well. This paper considers the differences between social change and advocacy; discusses the implications of these distinctions; proposes some actions that may be taken to assist the Indian Creek Foundation to better help disabled individuals, and debates the potential implications of such actions.

The term social change refers to the process of alteration of various structures existing within a particular society; this process may take place in social behaviors, relationships, or institutions (Homan, 2016). On the other hand, the term advocacy is utilized to denote the directed, purposeful actions aimed at promoting certain decisions inside social, political, or economic structures within a particular society (Homan, 2016). Therefore, the distinctions between social change and advocacy include the fact that the first term refers to the alterations within a society, whereas the second term denotes the efforts which are aimed at purposefully shaping such alterations (Snow, 2013).

These definitions imply that while social change can happen as part of the functioning of society, without particular directed effort, advocacy is always an intended activity. Also, it seems clear that social change of some type always takes place within a particular society, because any society consists of agents who act within it and promote their interests. Therefore, it is clear that in many cases, advocacy is important, for it may permit for promoting the interests of groups that require this, for instance, of vulnerable populations within society.

For instance, Schutz (2011) argues that many modern pedagogies of the 20^th century were based on the views of the privileged middle class, which left the needs of the working class without attention. In these circumstances, it is pivotal to practice advocacy to stimulate social change that would permit for dealing with the needs of individuals who represent the working class.

The strategic plan that will be developed for the social change/advocacy project pertains to a non-profit organization known as the Indian Creek Foundation, which is aimed at assisting children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, supplying these people with the comfortable social environment, and helping them to find their place in the society (Indian Creek Foundation, n.d.). This organization is currently operating using outdated operational plans, which does not correspond to the programs and services they offer.

From the social change perspective, it is possible to aid the Indian Creek Foundation with developing a new operational plan which would be relevant to their current programs and services, for these programs and services have been adjusted to the changes that have taken place within the society since the currently used plan had been created. From the advocacy perspectives, it is possible to participate in assisting the Indian Creek Foundation with further developing programs aimed at attracting public attention to the problems of persons with disabilities.

The potential results of the development of a new operational plan include an increased efficacy and effectiveness of the activities carried out by the Indian Creek Foundation, whereas assisting with the advocacy activities may permit for enabling the foundation to better help individuals with disabilities to address their needs and realize themselves within the society.

On the whole, it should be stressed that the term social change refers to the structural changes in the society, whereas advocacy denotes purposeful efforts to cause such changes. Thus, advocacy is important to aid vulnerable populations that may otherwise be left behind. To help the Indian Creek Foundation, it is possible to assist them with creating new operational plans that would be up to date with their current activities, and with developing new programs to address the needs of individuals with disabilities.

References

Homan, M. S. (2016). Promoting community change: Making it happen in the real world (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Web.

Indian Creek Foundation. (n.d.). About. Web.

Schutz, A. (2011). Power and trust in the public realm: John Dewey, Saul Alinsky, and the limits of progressive democratic education. Educational Theory, 61(4), 491-512. Web.

Snow, K. C. (2013). The importance of advocacy and advocacy competencies in human service professions. Journal of Human Services, 33(1), 5-16. Web.

Summary

Social exchange theory is based on the premise that the interactions and communications between human beings occur from the motivation of rewards and reduction of losses (Thibaut & Kelley, 1959). The theory is also built on the premise that the outcome of profitable relationships is generally durable trust and attraction (Blau, 1964). Additionally, it is believed that such social exchanges which are profitable tend to yield material and psychological benefits including status in life, loyalty from partners, and general approval in professional and personal life. This paper aims to analyze the importance of social exchange theory in organizations and workplaces and the impact it has on interpersonal relationships between individuals, the exchanges which occur between leaders and other members, and the overall behavior within an organization.

Introduction

In my previous paper, I had noted that efficient leaders motivate their teams to deliver results which is why is extremely essential to understand different styles of leadership and the situations in which they can be effectively applied. The social exchange theory will facilitate the understanding of the distinct styles of leadership and how they benefit member communication to yield optimal results. My experience of teamwork and communicating with my teammates has benefited the overall functioning of the team. This paper aims to explore the impact of interpersonal and group communication and its positive effects on the outcomes of the team. The research is based primarily on the training session which occurred and included important levels of communication between all the team members during the preparation stage, the training session itself, and after the session concluded.

Significance

The Coming together of the team was an important experience of teamwork and communication between the team members and enables the building and development of relationship competence between the teammates. The forming of a suitable climate was an important goal in the process of communication so that the team could function effectively and yield positive outcomes. The primary question which will be answered in this research is the impact of social exchange theory in the intercommunication process of the team members and the overall smooth functioning of the team process.

The research will highlight the communication styles which occur within members of a team so that teamwork can be enhanced and people work in a team rather than individually. The paper will specifically benefit any teamwork activities which may occur in organizations and in colleges or academic institutions where individuals will be able to vibe well with each other and work in such a manner that the entire process is conducive and the outcome is positive. Once the project is complete, I would like this paper to be shared by all members of my working team so that they can review the matter and provide any vital inputs I may have missed, since they were a crucial part of the team project and have had a crucial impact on the final outcome of the team project.

Literature review

Social exchange theory postulates that people working in organizations enter into professional relationships to function effectively and acquire valuable resources including material benefits of salaries and reimbursement in addition to social appreciation, trust, esteem and prestige (Fuller, Hester, Barnett, Frey and Relyea, 2006; Blau, 1964). Individuals could receive support from their organizations in the form of social rewards from their colleagues and co-workers in the form of co-operation and collaboration for the accomplishment of several tasks and activities, popularly termed as coworker exchange (Sherony & Green, 2002). Additional support can also be gained from the communication between leaders and members which is commonly known as LMX (Dansereau, Graen, & Haga, 1975) in addition to supporting from members of the team, termed as team-member exchange (Seers, 1989).

Exchanges between team members of an organization can occur at two levels of communicative exchange; simple direct exchange and exchange of activity. Simple direct exchange occurs by virtue of communication between two members of an organization or team in which one of the members provides some form of advantage or assistance to the other member and must be rewarded directly by the exchange partner from whom they have directly benefited and not by any other member or even the institution which they serve (Fuller et al., 2006).

The direct social exchange has been defined as behavioral interaction which takes place between individuals functioning in a small group or community or team (Homans, 1961). Homans (1961) also asserted that in exchange relationships between two individuals of an organization, there are a number of indirect, interpersonal transactions which have an important impact in the interaction between the two individuals, which are of vital importance because they could supplement or even replace the direct exchange which occurs between the members (Fuller et al., 2006).

However, researchers have noted that the occurrence of social communication between individuals of an organization does not necessitate direct social contact between two members of a team or institution; rather it requires merely the actions of either member to influence one another in their communicative interaction (Thibaut and Kelley, 1959). When individual members are engaged in direct exchange and communication with one another there is a great likelihood for them to earn status, not only from the direct communication but also in the larger social context of the organization (Homans, 1961). For instance, the team activity for the preparation of interviews conducted by members of my team is likely to be beneficial to all the individual members through their active exchange for the successful planning, execution, and accomplishment of the activity.

In addition, it is also likely to benefit each of the individual members of the team for their contribution to the organization as a unit, when the process of interviews occurs optimally and the organization gains praise and financial gains from the collective members of the team. In this way, the individual members of the team not only gain rewards from building successful relationships and executing tasks through effective communication but also benefit from the status they gain from the employer or the organization as a whole (Homans, 1961).

Researchers have noted that individuals working in organizations and institutions generally strive to seek some association or bonding with high-status individuals or leaders because of their potential to yield optimal results in addition to the ability to gaining rewards through direct exchanges which they engage in (Thibaut and Kelley, 1959). Through associations with individuals reflecting leadership skills and traits, team members and colleagues gain status and approval indirectly through their communication and exchanges with other members who display leadership qualities (Fuller et al., 2006). Thus, members may attain status due to their relationship with another member of the team who illustrates leadership skills, which can be termed as relational rewards (Levinger & Huesmann, 1980).

Conclusion

Thus, members of the team who are skilled in leadership roles will impact the functioning of the team in positive ways so that the successful outcome will benefit all the members of the team through the exchanges and guidance of their leader. Through this exchange and interaction of positive communication, leaders have the ability to benefit not only themselves but also those with whom they collaborate and work. Social exchange theory is therefore crucial to management and communication since it explains the theories of communicative and interactive exchanges between members of organizations and how these exchanges prove beneficial to them to achieve personal as well as organizational rewards.

References

Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. New York: Wiley.

Dansereau, F., Graen, G., & Haga, W. J. (1975). A vertical dyad linkage approach to leadership within formal organizations. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 13, 46-78.

Fuller, J. Bryan, Kim Hester, Tim Barnett, Len Frey, and Clint Relyea (June 2006) Perceived organizational support and perceived external prestige: predicting organizational attachment for university faculty, staff, and administrators. The Journal of Social Psychology 146.3: 327(21).

Homans, G. C. (1961). Social behavior: Its elementary forms. New York: Harcourt, Brace, & World.

Levinger, G., & Huesmann, L. R. (1980). An incremental exchange perspective on the pair relationship: Interpersonal reward and level of involvement. In K. Gergen, M. S. Greenberg, & R. Willis (Eds.), Social exchange: Advances in theory and research (pp. 165-188). New York: Plenum.

Seers, A. (1989). Team-member exchange quality: A new construct for role-making research. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 43, 118-135.

Sherony, K. M., & Green. S. G. (2002). Coworker exchange: Relationships between coworkers, leader-member exchange, and work attitudes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 542-548.

Thibaut, J. W., & Kelley, H. H. (1959). Social psychology of groups. New York: Wiley.

Introduction

The development of a personality is greatly influenced by different events. The most significant experiences have the most impact on socialization because they cause the change in social statuses and roles. These experiences include education, employment, parenthood, etc. A person can experience role conflicts that finally shape his or her identity. One of the most significant events in the life of a person that condition changes in social statuses and roles are becoming a parent. Although men and women accept this change differently, there are some factors, such as culture or agents of socialization, that shape this process.

Cultural Dimensions and Expectations Influencing the Change of Status and Social Role

Culture is obviously one of the major factors that influence society. Newman (2016) states that it consists of the shared, taken-for-granted values, beliefs, objects, and rules that guide peoples lives (p. 85). As a Caucasian man, I believe that norms of behavior, beliefs, and values had the most influence on me. First of all, I should mention that family relations are of vital importance for Caucasians. Family values are accepted in culture in general, and every family, in particular, shapes the traditions and values of future generations.

The impact of culture is frequently realized through diverse social institutions. The notion of the institutional norm is often applied to refer to some pattern of behavior that becomes broadly accepted (Newman, 2016, p. 86). I consider my family to be the most influential social institution that provides a basis for my behavior. Family on the whole and parents, in particular, were the source of values that I absorbed and transferred to my family.

I was taught that the husband is the head of the family and takes responsibility for his wife and children. What I value most in my culture is that people follow the traditions of parents not because of the fear of sanctions such as social blame, but accept them as granted, as a part of the nonmaterial culture, and make them a part of their daily life. Becoming a parent myself made me realize the essence of family values and responsibilities.

As a single man and immediately after the marriage, I was aware of my role as a provider of the family. However, my first child added more sense to my work. My wife became responsible for the family care, and I had to provide their living. Nevertheless, after I became a father of three, I gave up my business to spend more time with my family. I did not violate any norms, and I still provide my family, but my current occupation leaves more spare time.

Speaking of cultural impact, I should mention ethnocentrism as a factor that molded my attitudes to social status and roles. Ethnocentrism is very strong among Caucasians. We believe that our ethnic group is the best, and it also has an impact on the social roles we take. Thus, as a young father, I believed I had to be the most caring and needed to provide my child with the best possible things. It influenced my social role as a father and a worker because I worked extra hours to achieve my goals.

Building Identity and Socialization

The building of identity and socialization are life-long processes. People adapt to the demands of society and learn to behave appropriately. The agents of socialization guide this process. For me, my neighbors became one of such agents. I also consider them to be a source of values and social norms. They are a traditional Christian family, and we often spend holidays together. Their family was a source of anticipatory socialization for me because I could see their relations with children and their reactions to different situations. Another agent of socialization was the church. It is among the strongest social institutions in our culture because religion determines lifestyles and influences behaviors.

Before becoming a parent, I was a husband, a son, and a brother. Another role I played successfully was that of a family provider. However, our first child made me adjust to the social role of a father. I was lucky to have good examples of my parents family and other families in our community that brought up children in the best cultural traditions. After my third child was born, the roles of a provider and a parent came into conflict.

I knew I had to earn money and wanted to be with children at the same time. Thus, I found a solution in leaving my business and finding a job that gave me both money and some spare time to spent with my family. I did not have any problems with my identity and self-perception, probably due to the feelings of exceptionalism and responsibility cultivated by my parents.

The Presentation of Self

I believe that every person behaves similarly to an actor while presenting himself or herself. After my first baby was born, there was a discrepancy between the front stage and the backstage in my life. At the front stage, I was a successful businessman with a happy family. I needed this presentation for my work. However, backstage, I was a stressed man who did not know how to share time between work and family. I solved the problem by taking my family to the front stage and making them a priority in life.

Conclusion

Every person undergoes the influences of society. Cultural norms, traditions, and values together with social institutions and socialization agents shape a personality. However, I believe that despite many influences, every person is responsible for the choices in life and decides on his or her social statuses and roles.

References

Newman, D. (2017). Sociology: Exploring the architecture of everyday life (10th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

As social change occurs, the education system too undergoes some transformation. This is marked with the need for an education system that advocates for equality and social justice. It has been mentioned that the political ideology influences what is taught by the education system. Changes are noted in the curriculum to reflect what people view or expect the education system to attain for the society. This means that the content in the subject areas have to be tailored towards meeting the demands from the society.

Social change also affects the approach towards teaching. Changes take place in the mode of instruction given by the teachers. The instructional methods have to be in congruence with the changing patterns of life in the society. More practical approaches are being adopted to ensure that the products of education meet the demands of the industries and other employment areas. Cultural diversity in countries affects the education system.

Education is now charged with the responsibility of uniting people from the diverse cultural groups. Changes in the curriculum have affected the time frame within which people are educated in the system. With the increasing demands from the society longer schooling years have resulted. The burden of content has been put on the learners and the teachers. For the curriculum to meet the social demands coverage has to be increased and this has affected the learners who have to struggle with the increased content. The teachers have to struggle to complete content coverage within the same time frame as in the past. Changes in the society have led to increased demand for education. This has called for expansion of existing educational facilities to accommodate the populations.

A serious approach to the use of social media must involve knowledge of the sociological models in which these media fit. Social networks are extremely closely integrated into the everyday existence of a person and everyday consciousness. On this basis, it would make sense to interpret ones behavior in the network through a modern sociological approach. Contemporary social change theory seems to be an appropriate framework for talking about the day-to-day use of social media. But it should be emphasized that now the situation is such that it is social media that dictate their rules to social theories. The massive use of social media demonstrates a dramatic change in the communication of people and entire groups. It is this transformation of society that modern social theory can describe.

The concept of social change is a new approach to history and sociology that shifts focus from mass processes to microhistorical events. According to this concept, society and, accordingly, the world around it changes due to numerous acts of communication. Countless interactions between people are collected in some kind of cumulative experience that gradually transforms society. It is important to realize that it is not a one-time or repetitive process. Such micro-events and interactions exist in the form of an open-loop, decentralized system. Therefore, the process of changes in society is the only thing that is permanent in it.

It is easy to imagine how social media has influenced the acceleration of the process of mutual integration of society. Being in the constant opportunity to communicate and exchange information with anyone, humanity potentially enters into a constant process of social change. Culture and politics, verified news, and modern scientific theories are one click away. Thus, one can talk about certain networking in which hitherto practically impossible social circles can be formed. The link between technological improvement and social change is undeniable. I live in an era in which information is far ahead of me, and access to Web 2.0 and social media shortens this distance. With modern web platforms, I can acquire new practical skills from anywhere with a connection. A modern person has got the opportunity to acquire any desired profession or skill with a sufficient amount of effort. Therefore, one can say that the impact of social media on the worlds professional environment requires a modern sociological apparatus for its description.

Moreover, work in social media has long been a niche in itself and quite in demand for young demographics. Social media, in addition to means of communication, are nowadays a tool for serious business. Consequently, a new generation of marketers and targeting experts who are looking to guess the needs of todays online users is emerging. This commercial niche should be of particular interest to sociology. It is the new social media market that captures the moods and waves of trends that are shaping society at the moment. Even fleeting novelties I see on social media platforms every day affect culture and society, irrevocably changing it. The concept of social change implies liberation from the notion of the status quo, and it is this absence of static that social media represents.

Finally, the previous sociological theory should have been touched upon, which seems to be no less relevant and related to social change. In the context of the New Social Movement, social media can play a dramatically important role. New Social Theorists focus on the cultural, ideological, and political changes taking place in society. For many young people, such as myself, social networks are now a way to assert their identity and find like-minded spirits. Ideas about beauty, gender, and ethics are often articulated within inclusive social circles on the Internet. Changing their appearance and personality, and becoming part of the subculture, adolescents provide an impressive base for cultural and sociological research.

The New Social theoretical framework draws from the ideological movements for human rights in the 1970s when most of the protest was street (Kendall, 2017). But now, political and ideological sentiments are not only expressed but also modeled through social networks in the first place. Social change theory could find a lot of evidence of its effectiveness by drawing attention to discussions on social networks. Anonymous comments turn out to be able to find a mass response. Political slogans can turn out to be a normal thing on the modern social network, which I find a bit distressing. It seems to me that the modern ideological agenda, albeit in all its conflict, is dictated by social networks. And it is social networks that are an indirect catalyst for many external social processes.

Thus, the regular use of social media by a person provides a wide range of sociological research. Placed in the context of constant change, social media not only reflects the constant change in our society but also catalyzes it. A person in the modern era is guided in reality using social media, filling an ever-expanding database and drawing information from it. Only when realizing the breadth of the spectrum of influence of this phenomenon, a scientist will be able to successfully interpret our present and future as a society.

Reference

Kendall, D. (2017). Sociology in our times: The essentials. Cengage Learning.

The assigned case study provides a model for the application of the CBPR approach in improving food security in Bayview Hunters Point Community, San Francisco, by describing a local security policy effort among a local community-based organization, a local health department and an external evaluator (Minkler & Wallerstein, 2008). The partnership explains the application of the CBPR model in the environmental justice movement because it frames food insecurity as an environmental justice problem. Using the CBPR model, the above-mentioned stakeholders helped to bring policy changes in the San Francisco community, which were poised to reduce the food insecurity in the area. Such policy changes included youth-led research on the understudied problem, improved education programs to improve awareness about the food insecurity problem, and the introduction of a city and foundation-funded program to support a Good Neighbor Program that was supposed to address the food insecurity problem by improving access to healthy foods and sensitizing people about the issue (Minkler & Wallerstein, 2008). Overall, the case study provided an example of how stakeholders in the health sector could use the CBPR model to include young people in the promotion of healthy environments.

The CBPR approach could be useful in pushing forward the agenda of food security in the context of the above-mentioned case study by increasing the knowledge and understanding of the environmental issues that lead to food insecurity in the first place. In other words, the CBPR approach could help educate people about the link between environmental actions and food insecurity (Leung, Yen, & Minkler, 2004). Indeed, the model could help to enhance peoples understanding of the relationship between the social and physical environmental determinants of health, as the basis for understanding the premise of eliminating food insecurity. In this regard, it could help people to understand the relationship between the social and physical environmental determinants of health, which cause the problem in the first place (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). This is a positive social change in the community because more people would be aware of their actions on the environment and their potential contribution towards improving environmental justice. The second way CBPR could promote social change is by bringing different stakeholders together and starting a dialogue regarding what they need to do to solve the food crisis (Schwab, 1997).

This approach would provide a comprehensive analysis of the issue and lead to the formulation of holistic strategies for addressing the health problem. Indeed, as seen in the case study, the CBPR framework brought together local community-based organizations, local health agencies, and external evaluators to discuss food security issues in the Bayview Hunters Point Community (Minkler & Wallerstein, 2008). Furthermore, the case study shows the CBPR approach helped to coordinate funding efforts, as it did in securing funding from the local health department to advance a policy agenda for the improvement of food security in the Bayview area. It helped to attract the interest of local legislators and several city agencies by seeking their involvement and contribution in funding the Good Neighbor Program (Minkler & Wallerstein, 2008). By doing so, the CBPR approach promoted social change by providing a framework for different stakeholders to interact. Integrating the knowledge gained with interventions and policy, or social, changes needed to address the food insecurity issue is also another area that CBPR could help to address some of the challenges highlighted in the case study.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Investments in communities: CDCs role in activating social change. Web.

Leung, M. W., Yen, I. H., & Minkler, M. (2004). Community-based participatory research: A promising approach for increasing epidemiologys relevance in the 21st century. International Journal of Epidemiology, 33(3), 499506.

Minkler, M., & Wallerstein, N. (Eds.). (2008). Community-based participatory research for health: From process to outcomes (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Schwab, M. (1997). Sharing power: Participatory public health research with California teens. Social Justice, 24(3), 1122.