The impact of the current economy on educational funding Research Paper

The impact of the current economy on educational funding - Research Paper Example , if such problems are not addressed as soon as possible, the labor force of the country would be affected as well, which simply contributes towards poor economic growth for the country once more (Hanushek & Kimko, 2000). According to Murnane et al. (2000), what is also disturbing is that there is a trend of poor performance levels churned out by students who are African-American or of Latino descent- both of whom make up a relatively large portion of the population in the United States. Smollin (2010) reveals that across the United States, several school districts are already preparing themselves for the drastic budget cuts implemented by the government. Recent periods have shown that the budget cuts have increased drastically, mimicking the case 50 years ago. The recession has indeed had direct effects on the local property taxes, as well as the levels of state funds. This has lead several school districts to resort to desperate means to save money. Examples include reducing programs that are garnered towards enriching the students’ extracurricular affairs as well as any other programs that cultivate their skills and knowledge outside the realm of the academy. Other measures include reducing class hours and also reducing the academic year. There are also some schools that have decided to close down. For several faculty members, eliminating certain school programs and even closing down schools have proved to be a difficult decision, but the most difficult de cision being brought about by insufficient funding would be the option of schools to lay off teachers. In an article released by the New York Times, Lewin & Dillon (2010) have written that school districts that resort to such a measure are those that have no choice. Most schools receive their source of income via local property taxes and the money from the state, both of which have been severely affected by the global recession. In California alone, school districts have actually issued pink slips to at

Classical management theory and scientific management

Classical management theory and scientific management The Classical Management Theory is thought to have originated around the year 1900 and dominated management thinking into the 1920s, focusing on the efficiency of the work process. It has three schools of thinking: Scientific management, which looks at the best way to do a job; Bureaucratic management, which focuses on rules and procedures, hierarchy and clear division of labour; and Administrative management, which emphasises the flow of information within the organisation. Scientific Management Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915) is known as the father of scientific management. His approach emphasised empirical research to increase organisational productivity by increasing the efficiency of the production process. In the United States especially, skilled labour was in short supply at the beginning of the twentieth century. The only way to expand productivity was to raise the efficiency of workers. Scientific management theory states that jobs should be designed so that each worker has a well-specified, well-controlled task and specific procedures and methods for each job must be strictly followed. Taylors management theory rests on a fundamental belief that managers are not only superior intellectually to the average employee, but that they have a positive duty to supervise staff and organise their work activities. Thus, it was only applied to low-level routine and repetitive tasks that could be managed at supervisory level. Taylor developed four principles of scientific management: 1. A best methodology should be developed scientifically for each task. 2. Managers should select the best person to perform the task and ensure that the best training is given. 3. Managers are responsible for ensuring that the best person for the job does the job using the best methodology. 4. Remove all responsibility for the work method from the worker and give it to management. The worker is responsible only for the actual job performance. Taylor based his management system on production-line time studies. Using time study as his base, he broke down each job into its components and designed the quickest and best methods of performing each component. He also encouraged employers to pay more productive workers at a higher rate. Scientific management became very popular in the early part of this century as its application was shown to lead to improvements in efficiency and productivity. Advantages of Scientific Management à ¢Ã‚ - Introduced a scientific approach to management. à ¢Ã‚ - Improved factory efficiency and productivity. à ¢Ã‚ - Used as a model upon which the creation of modern assembly lines was based on. à ¢Ã‚ - Allowed managers to reward workers for higher performance and productivity through the differential rate system. à ¢Ã‚ - Built a sense of co-operation between management and workers. Disadvantages of Scientific Management à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Limited by its underlying assumption that workers were primarily motivated by economic and physical needs. It therefore overlooked the desire of workers for job satisfaction. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Led, in some cases, to the exploitation of workers and it has been often suggested that scientific management was at the centre of many strikes prevalent in those days. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Excluded the tasks of management in its application. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Instilled an authoritarian leadership approach. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Focused only on the internal operations of the organisation. Bureaucratic management Max Weber (1864-1920), known as the father of Modern Sociology, was the first person to use the term bureaucracy to describe a particular, and in his view superior, organisational form. He considered the ideal organisation to be a bureaucracy whose activities and objectives were rationally thought, whose divisions of labour were explicitly spelled out. He believed that technical competence should be emphasized and that performance evaluations should be made entirely on the basis of merit. Weber defined the key elements of a bureaucracy as: I. 1. A well defined hierarchy with a clear chain of command where higher positions have the authority to control the lower positions. II. 2. Division of labour and specialisation of skills, where each employee will have the necessary expertise and authority to complete a particular task. III. 3. Complete and accurate rules and regulations, in writing, to govern all activities, decisions and situations. IV. 4. Impersonal relationships between managers and employees, with clear statements of the rights and duties of personnel. V. 5. Technical competence is the basis for all decisions regarding recruitment, selection and promotion. Webers model of bureaucratic management advanced the formation of huge corporations such as ford. Bureaucratic Management Contributions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ensured that the organisation would be operated and managed by qualified/high calibre personnel only. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Allowed many organisations to efficiently perform routine organisational tasks through job specialisation. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Allowed management and employees to be more objective in their judgement and approach due to rules and procedures for doing specific tasks being clearly set. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Placed emphasis on job position, specialised employees and job continuity thus providing the organisation with long-term perspectives and quality employees. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Surpassed the loss of any employee or even of any manager due to the nature of job specialisation. Hence in such a bureaucracy, anyone can be replaced. Bureaucratic Management Limitations o Overwhelming concentration on authority discourages innovation and creativity; o Imposed a formal and structured chain of command which is not compatible with organisations that require flexibility and rapid decision-making. This is truer today where organisations are constantly faced with a turbulent external environment of increased competition. o the emphasis on impersonality and division of labour leads to boredom, dissatisfaction and discontent within the workforce o rules and procedures may become so important in their own right that there is a tendency to forget the underlying processes that they are meant to make more efficient. Administrative Management Henri Fayol (1841-1925) was a French industrialist and one of the most influential early management thinkers. Scientific Management was concerned with increasing the productivity of the shop floor. Classical Organisation Theory grew out of the need to find guidelines for managing such complex organisations as factories. An early attempt was pioneered by Fayol to identify the principles and skills that underlie effective management. He believed that sound management practice falls into certain patterns that can be identified and analysed. He focused on management, which he felt had been the most neglected of business operations. Based on his experience in management, he developed fourteen general principles of management: 1. Division of Work and specialisation to produce more work for less effort. 2. Authority to give orders and the power to exact obedience. 3. Discipline and respect between a firm and its employees. 4. Unity of command where an employee receives orders from only one superior. 5. Unity of direction where there is only one central authority and one plan of action. 6. The general interest is superior to individual interests. 7. Remuneration is fair and provides satisfaction both to the employee and employer. 8. There is centralisation, where there is always one central authority. 9. There is a scalar chain, where a chain of authority exists from the highest level to the lowest ranks. 10. Order, where the right materials and people are in the right place for each activity. 11. Equity, kindliness and justice are seen throughout the organisation. 12. Stability and tenure of personnel to maintain a stable work force. 13. Initiative is encouraged to motivate employees. 14. Esprit de Corps is recognised as important, and teamwork is encouraged. Before Fayol, it was generally believed that managers are born, not made. Fayol insisted, however, that management was a skill like any other one that could be taught once its underlying principles were understood. Chester Barnard (1886-1961) developed the concepts of strategic planning and the Acceptance theory of Authority, which states that managers only have as much authority as their employees allow them to have. It suggests that authority flows downward, but depends upon acceptance by the subordinate. Barnard considered that the acceptance of authority depends on four conditions: 1) That the employee understands what the manager wants them to do. 2) That the employee is able to comply with the directive. 3) That the employee thinks that the directive is in line with organisational objectives. 4) That the employee does not think that the directive is contrary to their personal goals. Barnard believed that each person has a zone of indifference within which the individual will willingly accept orders without consciously questioning authority and that it is up to the organisation to broaden each employees zone of indifference. Advantages of Administrative Management o Viewed management as a profession which can be trained and developed. o Offered universal managerial guidelines. o Promoted communication between managers and employees. o Highlighted the needs of employees through the unity of command, unity of direction, equity, etc. o Encouraged employees to act on their own initiatives. Disadvantages of Administrative Management à ¢- ª Lacked consideration for organisations environmental, technological and personnel factors, due to the blind application of Fayols concepts. à ¢- ª Fayols recommendations are too experience-based and therefore not driven by formal research. Hence its concepts have not been tested. Although these schools, or theories, developed historical sequence, later ideas have not replaced earlier ones. Instead, each new school has tended to complement or coexist with previous ones. The ideas of classical theorists have many applications in the management of todays organizations although with some modifications. Many of the internal challenges faced by managers during earlier periods were similar to those faced by managers today. For example, Taylors concern for the productivity of employees is still shared by managers. Even today, the Scientific Management Theory is still relevant. While not as popular as in the past, this method of job design is still used. This sort of task-oriented optimization of work tasks is nearly ubiquitous today in industry, and has made most industrial work menial, repetitive, tedious and depressing; this can be noted, for instance, in assembly lines of car manufacturers and fast-food restaurants like McDonalds and KFC. McDonalds divides its com plete operation into a number of tasks such as supervising, cooking operations or operating a deep fryer and assigns people to carry out these tasks. The modern mass car assembly lines pour out finished products faster that Taylor could have ever imagined. In addition, its efficiency techniques have also been applied in the training of surgeons. Todays armies employ Scientific Management. Of the key points listed a standard method for performing each job, select workers with appropriate abilities for each job, training for standard task, planning work and eliminating interruptions and wage incentive for increase output all but wage incentives for increased output are used by modern military organizations. Wage incentives rather appear in the form of skill bonuses for enlistments. Furthermore, industrial engineers today are still taught the methods of Scientific Management including time and motion studies, job-tasks analysis, wage-incentive determination and detailed production planning with respect to the field of operation research and management. The Bureaucratic Management is still used in the USA by service-based organizations such as libraries. One concrete example where Fayols Bureaucratic Management ideas are still in use is at the Wichita State University Libraries. Bureaucracy is also still being used in the US Postal Service. In Mauritius, mass production lines and piece rate systems are used in the garment and manufacturing industries. Another industry where the Classical Management Theories are still in use is in the sea-food hub, more specifically at the Mauritius Tuna Processing Plant. Mauritius and its economy are at a pivotal point. The pace of change is exhilarating. That is why in his budget speech 2008-2009, Hon. Rama Sithanen, Minister of Finance pointed out the urgency for our economy to shift from the traditional pillars to a service-oriented economy and to a knowledge-based society. For instance, he advocated that the ICT sector must add to the pillars of the Mauritian economy. Business leaders expect ICT to have a greater impact on their business. The industries experiencing the greatest change are the technology, telecommunications and financial services. The Minister also stressed on the development of the SMEs as he formulated that in terms of job creation, new jobs will come mostly from small businesses and medium-sized companies. But since the formulation of the Classical Management Theories in the 18th century, the economic landscape has changed. Businesses do not exist in a vacuum. They are in fact open systems with constant and dynamic interaction with the environment. Todays business environment is global and highly competitive. Managers are becoming increasingly aware of the effects of the business environment There are two aspects of the business environment, namely the internal and the external environment. The internal environment relates to those factors that the organisation can relatively control. These are the owners, employees, customers, suppliers, authorities and pressure groups. But the external environment that constitutes the PEST (Political, Economical, Social and Technological) factors is relatively remote from what the organisation can control. Without the ability to analyse the strength and weaknesses of the internal and the opportunities and threats of the external environments, managers risk making decisions that are not in the best interest of the organisation. At the same time, worldwide concern about the natural environment has emerged. Current natural environmental concerns are pollution, climate changes, ozone depletion and other global issues like biodiversity, adequate water supplies, population and food security. As McDonalds concluded, todays managers have to be concerned not only with the scientific facts but with public perception. Todays business environment is characterized with changes, innovations and uncertainty. It is becoming more challenging amid global economic slowdown and turmoil in the financial sector. Businesses must at all cost adapt or die. Out of five businesses experiencing a disaster or extended outage, a) Two never re-open their doors. b) One of the remaining three will close within two years. The business environment is exceedingly tough and competitive. Competition is intensifying in many sectors. Technology is constantly creating new opportunities and threats. There are changes to the regulatory environment: the advent of the Equal Opportunities Act being a clear example. Customer tastes are also changing providing a moving target. Smart companies operating in highly competitive business environments are working very hard to improve efficiency and productivity, test high-yielding new initiatives, and differentiate themselves from competitors. Command and Control Management style (as stated in the Classical Management Theories) is effective in an environment where both change and competition are limited and there is plenty room for error (high profit margins). Such is not the case in the age of computing and communications. In todays business environment, things change very quickly and profit margins are reducing. In addition, more things are happening on a continuing basis. Because of the speed at which things are changing, it is important to push decision-making down in the organization to the level that has all of the information at the time when a decision must be made. This calls for very different management attitudes, it demands a democratic and flexible point of view and of course accountability must be delegated. All these are not present in the Classical Management Theories. Rapid change that is sweeping through every aspect of the business environment today prompts managers to rethink the ways they do things. Although the Classical Management model has evolved quite a bit, it is still geared to a rigid structure and command-and-control mentality. This model was well tailored to an environment where change was slow and evolutionary rather than rapid and revolutionary. It helped organise processes and foster a sense of accountability, order and discipline. What it lacks is flexibility, making the organisation irresponsive to continuous internal and external environment changes. We have reached a limit to what can be accomplished using the Classical Management approaches. But by changing the way managers do things, that constraint can be removed. This is not to say that the basics of Classical Management should be ignored, but they are just not enough to get the job done in todays business environment. Although Classical Management Theories are quite useful in the early stages of economic development, they are not an adequate explanation of how to administer organisations in a complex, developed society. When it comes to seeking cost, efficiency, productivity and profitability improvements, the Classical Management Theories have a limited field of action. Managers need to get used to the idea that what worked yesterday wont tomorrow. They need to work on tomorrow today. When the business environment becomes more challenging, it is actually an opportune time for managers to think about ways to reinvent their business. We find that new managers are willing to investigate innovative solutions to business problems because they are unhampered by the limitations of tools and methods of the past. It is not so much that established managers are not willing to change; it has more to do with that fact that they are using methods that were designed for different circumstances. And they worked . So, established managers have to be prepared to discard something that has been effective for them. Managers need to use todays tools to solve todays problems. They must be willing to learn about new ways of doing things. To compete successfully in the global arena, managers must now act as entrepreneurs and create new business models rethink, re-plan, strategize, innovate and learn continuously. Innovation is the most important source for organisations to gain competitive advantage, and advanced innovation management is critical to a businesss sustainable development. Classical Management theories cant catch up with the dramatic changes of the business environment. Once-reliable guides for managerial actions no longer exist. In an environment virtually bereft of the old rules of conducting business, there is no safety net. Every process, procedure, rule of thumb and standard ratio is being challenged, re-engineered and morphed into a new form. This fundamental change has brought a daunting new reality to the challenge of growing and managing business. Conclusion Today, organizations are mostly influenced by the external environment (fierce market share competition, continuous technology change, globalisation, hiring and retaining qualified executives and front line workers) that often fluctuate over time. Yet Classical Management Theories present an image of an organisation that is not shaped by external influences. Classical Management Theories are now gradually fading for the principal reason that people and their needs are considered by Classical theorists as secondary to the needs of the organisation. Nowadays, The Scientific approach is very seriously challenged by Human Resource Management. Furthermore, The Bureaucratic Management is fast giving way to the Matrix Structure in organisations. However, Classical Management theories are important because they introduced the concept of management as a subject for intellectual analysis and provided a basis of ideas that have been developed by subsequent schools of management thought.

From the journal of Edna Krouner :: Edna Krouner Journal short story

From the journal of Edna Krouner On September 17th, 1908, at the brisk hour of 6:30 a.m., Miss Edna Krouner of Wakefield Rhode Island boarded a train for Poughkeepsie, New York.. About to begin her sophomore year at Vassar college, Edna flirted with two central questions: How quickly could she fall back asleep, and would anyone notice the snag she had just made in her new grey skirt? The confident thunk of heavy luggage settles Edna into the train compartment. A small, exasperated groan issues from her round mouth. Edna was the type of girl who thought women should groan in public if they wished, only maybe in a more polite and refined fashion than those Yale boys she had to dance with on football weekends. Coat and baggage successfully arranged in the seat, Edna waits for the sharp, familiar shock of the whistle, the loud lurching of the wheel’s first revolutions, and then, the steady calm of motion through the hazy New England morning. Stretching into her train compartment, Edna wonders if maybe Muriel would arrive this morning, and then the two of them could walk downtown to "purchase furnishings and sundries" for their rooms, returning to a party of picture hanging and new gossip. "If only we didn't have to go to that wretched chapel all the time!" , Edna writes in her journal. A journal, mind you, not a diary. Diaries might do for flighty girls, but as a young lady off to college, Edna was determined to write in a journal. Thinking of chapel, Edna groans again. She knew that as soon as a cozy crowd had assembled in her room, they would all be called to procession. Besides, chapel only served to "keep us quiet and bored for a set period each day". As Edna writes many times, the simple fact persists that "chapel is stupid" annoyance suprs her eyes to wander, and Edna glances out the window to realize that the Hudson forms a smaller ribbon now, a fainter, delicate version of itself as the train clacks and clings aw ay, soothing her into the curl of almost sleeping. Edna had stayed last night with her cousin Anna in Palisades Park before heading on to Poughkeepisie. They talked in Anna's room until 1 in the morning, pondering "deep and exciting issues of the day", to quote Edna’s journal once again.

Death of a Salesman Essay

An essay on the use of dashes in Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman The dash is a handy device, informal and essentially playful, telling you that you’re about to take off on a different tack but still in some way connected with the present course – only you have to remember that the dash is there, and either put a second dash at the end of the notion to let the reader know that he’s back on course, or else end the sentence, as here, with a period. __ Lewis Thomas How does a writer – a good writer – convey epiphanies exactly so that it’s grammatically appropriate for – eureka! – a dash is used – placed just so – to convey, establish – a mood, feeling, tone – a character feels – whilst saying a line, monologue – even an exclamation – wherein characters experience a lot of feeling and – dominance is implied when a line is ended by a dash – interruption in short – by another character – allowing the reader to see – feel – the personality – traits, characteristics – of a character subtlety. This simple line – the dash – is a many faceted gem – a treasure – that can be used to highlight many ideas – key terms – certain events jump off the page because of the use of a dash – rather than an ellipsis – causes a noticeable break – a sharp break – unlike that of an ellipsis – which immediately gives off the impression of abruptness – just as it appears visually – a sharp-edged line in the center of a line that breaks the fluidity of words – just as the dash in a sentence breaks the flow of thought or conversation. Dashes – menial as they are – give substance to a pause, break – charging it with emotion and meaning – no number of words could do the same. Although dashes may seem like a punctuation mark so rarely used, it is an integral tool in writing conversations. The dash represents a discontinuation of an intended statement – a visual representation of the abruptly derailed trail of a train of thought – allows the writer to interrupt characters – as is normal in an average conversation – like most of Linda and Willy’s conversations. Linda’s lines are often ended by a dash – interrupted by another speaker – subtlety informing the reader of Linda’s subservient personality. The dashes imply the abruptness of Willy’s interruptions – thereby insinuating that he doesn’t listen to her – including times when she expresses her adoration for him – clarifying that Willy’s view – behavior – towards Linda is rather poor- which in turn personifies Willy’s personality. â€Å"Linda: You are, Willy. The handsomest man. You’ve got no reason to feel that- Willy: I’ll make it all up to you, Linda, I’ll- Linda: There’s nothing to make up, dear. You’re doing fine, better than- Willy: What’s that? Linda: Just mending my stockings. They’re so expensive- Willy: I won’t have you mending socks in this house! Now throw them out! † (Page 39) This whole conversation establishes the relationship between Willy and Linda – Willy being the dominant – though insensible – one, while Linda is the subservient – although quite practical one – as well as giving insight to Willy’s guilt over the woman – all done with four appropriately placed dashes at the end of a character’s lines. However, dashes are not only useful at the end of lines but in the midst of a sentence as well. Just as the dash on the page is a break from the stream of words – a break in the voice is represented by a dash on the page. Thus, when a character is overcome by emotions, a dash is placed in the proper place in the sentence’s structure and a feeling of overwhelming portions is conveyed to the reader. In a tragic play such as Death of a Salesman, the proper use of the dash is essential to establish certain key conversations – and the significance of the feelings of the character – and their significance in the overall meaning of the story line. Such a conversation is seen when Willy is affirmed of Biff’s love (Page 133) – where there was placed four dashes upon the page – in the span of the conversation – each of which insinuates a great deal of emotion. It is these emotions that help build the tragedy in the story line – characterizing Willy and Biff in the process. When Biff tells his mom – or whoever it is he is speaking to – to put Willy to bed – â€Å"Put him-put him to bed. † – the dash stresses the exhaustion that Biff feels – his inability to finish his sentence implies a deep caring for his father – an overwhelming emotion. It is the strength of this emotion that astonishes Willy and awakens Willy to the fact that Biff still loves him, and the following lines he says are also broken with dashes – so choked with love and boundless joy is he – â€Å"That boy-that boy is going to be magnificent! † (Page 133). These statements foreshadow Willy’s decision to kill himself for the sake of his sons – making an impact – greater or equal to that of – Willy’s statement on page 98 – where he states â€Å"After all highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive. † Both statements imply that Willy is going to commit suicide, playing against each other. The quote on page 98 establishes that Willy was considering the option – the possibility – while the conversation with Ben – prior to Biff’s outburst – acknowledges the cause of Willy’s hesitance and indecisiveness – the effect the suicide would leave on Biff – the opinion that Biff would have of him afterward. Thus, when Willy is offered that which is all he really wants – his life as it was before, with a loving relationship with his Adonis son and the admiration that this son once had for him – through Biff’s compassionate voice and tears – Willy makes a definite choice as to what he intends to do – first seen in his line â€Å"That boy-that boy is going to be magnificent! † (Page 133). It is this line that resolves the inner conflict that Willy feels over Biff and over his lack of success – it is in this line that Willy decides to kill himself. Without the use of the dashes, the emotions would not have been conveyed to the reader appropriately – losing its power and significance in the overall storyline. Another significant line – dash – in the play – though not necessarily filled with emotion – begins Biff’s voyage into realization and truth. A dash can represent a hesitance – changing of mind – as to what must be said to convey the thoughts – and sometimes feelings – of the character. â€Å"I tell ya, Hap, I don’t know what the future is. I don’t know-what I’m supposed to want. † The dash before â€Å"what I’m supposed to want,† allows the reader to realize that Biff’s restlessness and lack of success is not failure – not in the true sense of the word, for Biff would have to truly attempt – thus want – success in order to fail. Biff’s definition of success is different to that of his family’s and this makes him uneasy – insecure as to what his life really means. This dash allows the reader to acknowledge that Biff is at a loss of exact words to define what he means and the thoughts running through his head. It is this pause that changes the overall meaning of the sentence – without the pause, the sentence would pass over – unnoticed. The pause – dash – underlines Biff’s uncertainty which continues throughout the play – until Biff realizes the absurdity of his situation and awakens. The dash informs the reader that here lies Biff’s conflict – this dash is the resolution wherein the conflict is introduced. The dash – is the conflict. As a modern tragedy, Death of a Salesman is – when broken down – an informal play, thus the dash is the perfect punctuation for the certain situations -and sentences – that needed to be highlighted in the subconscious. The dash evokes an awareness that is subtle – sliding beneath our mind’s eye – to implant ideas – emotions and feelings – thereby creating importance to an event – or phrase. When a dash is used, it’s used to emphasize – and encourage analysis of – a phrase. The involuntary response to a dash should be curiosity – as to the purpose of this dash. A dash is not so easily used and is thus, so rarely seen. Therefore when a dash is used in writing – be it at the end of a line or in the midst of a sentence – â€Å"so attention must be paid†1! Bibliography: Arthur Miller (1949) Death of a Salesman Penguin Books USA Inc. 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA 1 Page 56 said by Linda. Jolene Kui September 6, 2002

Sociological Approach to the Study of Religion

Outline and assess one of the main approaches to the study of religions. Religion and ‘The Study of Religions’ has many approaches which try to investigate the core of what religion is and what it means to the people who practice it. Sociology is one such approach that this essay will be looking at through its founding fathers Emile Durkheim, Max Weber and Karl Marx. Sociology in general looks at people’s dynamics and explains a group’s influence. It demonstrates how religious belief and practices have become so important over time and emphasises their role and significance throughout. Each of these three sociologists has a link to these ideas which will be the main thesis in this essay. Emile Durkheim looks at religion from a functionalist perspective in the sense that he assumes that religion has a positive role in society, as it acts as an important socialisation process for all members. The theory is largely based on the Arunta tribe in Australia, where he discovered objects worshipped which he calls ‘totems. ’ These totems according to him were an important factor in the society; seeing that the objects became a symbol of the group’s identity and unity. These objects he claims are â€Å"collective representation† (Fish, Jonathan S. 2005: 30) as they have reinforced the importance of integration into the community via the worshipped objects. The worshipped object have an emotional significance to them as the â€Å"totems serve as evocative device for reminding individuals of their initial feelings long after the assemblies† (Fish, Jonathan S. 2005:51) therefore evidently it becomes more about the idea and symbolism of the object rather than the object itself that unites all. Thus making the idea of rituals of greater significance as it generally binds people together which for Durkheim is always a positive thing. On the other hand, Durkheim does not offer a real explanation on why some deviate from such society’s e. g. Islamic fundamentalists such as the Taliban. Perhaps his theory generally works on a tribal base rather than bigger societies, where conflicts and divides are more common; in a smaller community less people are likely to go against the status quo. Moreover, to say that religion only plays a positive role is absurd. How can one explain the atrocities that occur on the name of religion for instance? For this reason I find Durkheim’s theory limiting as it does not look at all aspects of religion or religious life but merely draws a quick conclusion to it. Also according to this perspective religion instils the same norms and values for everyone, making it a regulatory function in society. Religion for Marx then becomes a form of social control which provides guidelines through religious texts e. g. 10 commandments. These norms which are shared gives people the opportunity to unite to what may be seen as morally incorrect or sinful. This can be vital in a society as it can allow social stability. Durkheim argument is plausible as there has been a significant rise in New Religious Movements. This evidently shows that people still require religion in their life. Moreover, the recent increase on religious fundamentalists can be a point that strengthens Durkheim argument as it can be evidence for people being threatened by a weakening society. Karl Marx similar to Durkheim starts with the assumption that religion is in fact a product of society. Importantly, however, he disagrees with Durkheim as he does not see religion as beneficial for the whole of society but argues it benefits only the ruling class or what he calls the ‘bourgeoisie’. Religion, according to Marx only transmits bourgeoisie ideologies to convince the working class or ‘proletariats’ that inequality is natural and fair phenomena in the world. Making religion as a whole a â€Å"collective smoke-screen† (Connolly, P. 1999:100) as it distorts reality which gives explanation for inequality as being of religious significance i. e. sin. For Marx this is the core idea behind religion making it a tool for oppression and a form of social control. Religion is claimed to be the â€Å"opium of the people† (Hamilton, Malcolm B 2001:81), making it a drug which is used by people as an illusion to hide or cover up the real causes of suffering, which for Marx is primarily capitalism. Capitalism covers up religion and manages to help the bourgeoisie greatly, as it becomes a â€Å"comforting illusion† (Hamilton, Malcolm B 2001:80) as the proletariats do not question the status quo due to their belief in getting a greater reward in the afterlife. Religion itself is used to justify hierarchy in the world, a verse in a hymn such as the following are used, â€Å"the rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate, god made them. Highly or lowly, and ordered their state†. This stresses Marx’s point that as it’s believed to be sanctioned by God it is unlikely to be challenged by anyone. The Marxists perspective generally makes many valid arguments which society can relate to even today. The idea of caste system is still relevant in many Hindu traditions (although generally frowned upon). Buddhism has the idea of karma meaning if you are a poor person in this life then it’s to do with your own bad karma in the previous life. Therefore Marxism is correct in this aspect, that religion is used in order to justify inequality. Another key piece of evidence for the Marxists perspective is the fact that the Catholic Church is arguably allowing the spread of aids due to its stance against contraception. As a result of this, there is a continuation of social deprivation especially in Africa which further illustrates that religion is generally used to keep social inequality. Marxism disagrees that religion can bring about social change, this, however can be disputed. This is mainly due to the fact religious leaders have challenged the status quo in order to bring about change in their societies. Two main examples being Father Camillo Torres Restrepo and Martin Luther King whose works brought about a vast amount of change to Colombia and America respectively. Evidently this contrasts to the Marxists view as it shows that religion can in fact bring about social change and consequently allow for equality. Personally, I feel that the Marxists view limits human nature as it assumes they will simply follow rather than stand up to injustice. More importantly sociology in general claims to work in an objective and scientific way but I cannot see how it is possible with Marxists ideas such as on the religion being a drug and comforting as these ideas are impossible to measure. Max Weber is regarded as a social action theorist due to his claim that religion can shape and define society. He argues that religion can indeed bring about social change; he bases his argument on a Christian group named the Calvinists whom according to him brought about a form of western capitalism. This form of â€Å"ascetic Protestantism† (Johnstone, Ronald L. 2004:196) allows for the growth of capitalism because of their belief on disciplined hard work which to them emphasised the Glory of God. This â€Å"spirit of capitalism† (Furseth, Inger and Pal Repstad 2006:36) did not allow for the accumulation of wealth but actually encouraged reinvestment back into the society according to Weber. The so called Protestant ethics approach leads him to believe that this led to social change as society turned to mass producing mechanised industries. Another way the Calvinist were able to bring about social change, was thorough the apprehension people had. Calvinists believed in predestination which led to the belief that having a good business or being successful could have indicated that you were one of God’s chosen people. This gives the perception that people were competing over heaven and failure was not an option for people. However, Weber does not limit the growth of capitalism to the Calvinist alone as he is aware of other factors. Weber’s argument must be treated with a degree of caution. Evidence suggests that Protestant nations were not always capitalistic and vice versa. Also many believe that Catholic countries were already flourishing before the breakaway from Catholicism occurred. The study of Religions deal with many wide and opposing issues some of which have been covered in this essay through the works of Durkheim, Marx and Weber. Although, each sociologist does give a good account of explaining the dynamics within a religious group but with each case a very simplistic and generalised view was given by the sociologist about religion. It is plausible to argue that religion brings people together through rituals but is it not a natural thing for people to unite whilst doing something together? In this view then perhaps anything can be said to have religious significance as long as it brings people together. Additionally, the idea of a greater reward in the afterlife is not the only justification given about inequality. In the greater sense inequality within religion can be about anything from the roles of men and women to dress code. Therefore once again this idea has been limited to it being about capitalism. Religion is said to be able to bring about social change which arguably is a factor but for it to be the only thing is for me far fetched. It is an inherent thing for people to fight when they are being wronged. It is about something within rather than it being about religion.