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Topic Review
Mass Media
Mass media refers to a diverse range of communication channels that transmit information and entertainment content to a large audience. This encompasses traditional mediums such as newspapers, television, and radio, as well as modern digital platforms like the internet and social media. Mass media plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion, disseminating news, and influencing societal norms on a global scale.
  • 8.5K
  • 25 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Phenomenology
Phenomenology (from Greek φαινόμενον, phainómenon "that which appears" and λόγος, lógos "study") is the philosophical study of the structures of experience and consciousness. As a philosophical movement it was founded in the early years of the 20th century by Edmund Husserl and was later expanded upon by a circle of his followers at the universities of Göttingen and Munich in Germany . It then spread to France , the United States , and elsewhere, often in contexts far removed from Husserl's early work. Phenomenology is not a unified movement; rather, the works of different authors share a 'family resemblance' but with many significant differences. Gabriella Farina states:Phenomenology, in Husserl's conception, is primarily concerned with the systematic reflection on and study of the structures of consciousness and the phenomena that appear in acts of consciousness. Phenomenology can be clearly differentiated from the Cartesian method of analysis which sees the world as objects, sets of objects, and objects acting and reacting upon one another. Husserl's conception of phenomenology has been criticized and developed not only by him but also by students and colleagues such as Edith Stein, Max Scheler, Roman Ingarden, and Dietrich von Hildebrand, by existentialists such as Nicolai Hartmann, Gabriel Marcel, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Jean-Paul Sartre, by hermeneutic philosophers such as Martin Heidegger, Hans-Georg Gadamer, and Paul Ricoeur, by later French philosophers such as Jean-Luc Marion, Michel Henry, Emmanuel Levinas, and Jacques Derrida, by sociologists such as Alfred Schütz and Eric Voegelin, and by Christian philosophers, such as Dallas Willard.
  • 8.4K
  • 28 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Cultural Memory
Historic urban landscapes (HULs) are composed of layers of imbedded tangible and intangible features such as cultural memories. As the collective memories of city inhabitants, cultural memories can affect elements of social sustainability such as health, well-being, community identity, place perception and social engagement. This topic review points to the value of recalling cultural memory features in HULs, which can be used to achieve social sustainability.  In addition, it contributes to sustainable development through the contribution of cultural memory and its influence on the formation of place identity, sense of place, civic pride and quality of life in HULs. 
  • 8.3K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Social Control
Social control refers to the mechanisms, norms, and practices through which societies regulate individual behavior and maintain order. It encompasses both formal institutions such as laws and regulations, as well as informal social norms and expectations. Social control mechanisms serve to reinforce conformity to societal norms, values, and expectations, while also deterring deviant behavior through sanctions and rewards.
  • 8.1K
  • 26 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Social Complexity
Social complexity refers to the intricate and interconnected nature of social systems, where various elements such as institutions, individuals, and cultural dynamics interact in non-linear and unpredictable ways. It involves the recognition that social phenomena often exhibit emergent properties that cannot be fully understood by analyzing individual components in isolation, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary approaches to grasp the complexity of social structures and behaviors.
  • 8.0K
  • 26 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Collective Consciousness
Collective consciousness, a concept introduced by sociologist Emile Durkheim, refers to the shared beliefs, values, norms, and symbols that unite members of a society and shape their collective identity. It represents the collective understanding of social reality, guiding individuals' behaviors, interactions, and perceptions within a community. Collective consciousness fosters social cohesion, solidarity, and integration by providing a common framework for interpreting the world and coordinating social action.
  • 8.0K
  • 08 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Socialist State
A socialist state, socialist republic, or socialist country, sometimes referred to as a workers' state or workers' republic, is a sovereign state constitutionally dedicated to the establishment of socialism. The term communist state is often used synonymously in the West specifically when referring to one-party socialist states governed by Marxist–Leninist communist parties, despite these countries being officially socialist states in the process of building socialism. These countries never describe themselves as communist nor as having implemented a communist society. Additionally, a number of countries that are multi-party capitalist states make references to socialism in their constitutions, in most cases alluding to the building of a socialist society, naming socialism, claiming to be a socialist state, or including the term people's republic or socialist republic in their country's full name, although this does not necessarily reflect the structure and development paths of these countries' political and economic systems. Currently, these countries include Algeria, Bangladesh, Guyana, India, Nepal, Nicaragua, Portugal, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. The idea of a socialist state stems from the broader notion of state socialism, the political perspective that the working class needs to use state power and government policy to establish a socialised economic system. This may either mean a system where the means of production, distribution and exchange are nationalised or under state ownership, or simply a system in which social values or workers' interests have economic priority. However, the concept of a socialist state is mainly advocated by Marxist–Leninists and most socialist states have been established by political parties adhering to Marxism–Leninism or some national variation thereof such as Maoism, Stalinism or Titoism. A state, whether socialist or not, is opposed the most by anarchists, who reject the idea that the state can be used to establish a socialist society due to its hierarchical and arguably coercive nature, considering a socialist state or state socialism as an oxymoron. The concept of a socialist state is also considered unnecessary or counterproductive and rejected by some classical, libertarian and orthodox Marxists, libertarian socialists and other socialist political thinkers who view the modern state as a byproduct of capitalism which would have no function in a socialist system. A socialist state is to be distinguished from a multi-party liberal democracy governed by a self-described socialist party, where the state is not constitutionally bound to the construction of socialism. In such cases, the political system and machinery of government is not specifically structured to pursue the development of socialism. Socialist states in the Marxist–Leninist sense are sovereign states under the control of a vanguard party which is organizing the country's economic, political and social development toward the realization of socialism. Economically, this involves the development of a state capitalist economy with state-directed capital accumulation with the long-term goal of building up the country's productive forces while simultaneously promoting world communism. Academics, political commentators and other scholars tend to distinguish between authoritarian socialist and democratic socialist states, with the first representing the Soviet Bloc and the latter representing Western Bloc countries which have been democratically governed by socialist parties such as Britain, France, Sweden and Western social-democracies in general, among others.
  • 7.9K
  • 24 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Iron Cage
The concept of the "iron cage," introduced by sociologist Max Weber, metaphorically describes the rationalization and bureaucratization of modern society, wherein individuals become trapped by rigid systems of rules, regulations, and rationalized institutions. It signifies the loss of individual autonomy and creativity as bureaucratic structures increasingly dominate social life, constraining human agency within the confines of rationalized systems.
  • 7.8K
  • 08 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Social Cohesion
Social cohesion refers to the degree of unity, solidarity, and social bonds within a society or community. It encompasses the sense of belonging, trust, and cooperation among individuals and groups, contributing to social stability, resilience, and well-being. Social cohesion is essential for fostering a harmonious and inclusive society where individuals can collaborate, support one another, and collectively address societal challenges.
  • 7.6K
  • 26 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Commune (Model of Government)
The commune, as a model of government, is generally advocated by some communists, revolutionary socialists, and anarchists. Communes are an organizational community with social cohesion derived from a shared culture. As a governing community, a commune often entails some degree of local governance, communal ownership, and cultural cohesion. However, models that do not include all three aspects may still be described as communes. At its core, a commune is just an organization which creates social conditions that prioritize the primacy of the collective over the individual. Many different forms of commune-based governments are possible, such as a local and sovereign community which is both a microstate and a nation-state, a federated commune which lacks a degree of sovereignty under the rule of a larger state, or a larger national community which focuses more on aspects of communal ownership rather than communal governance.
  • 7.5K
  • 09 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Urban Sociology
Urban sociology is the sociological study of life and human interaction in metropolitan areas. It is a normative discipline of sociology seeking to study the structures, environmental processes, changes and problems of an urban area and by doing so provide inputs for urban planning and policy making. In other words, it is the sociological study of cities and their role in the development of society. Like most areas of sociology, urban sociologists use statistical analysis, observation, social theory, interviews, and other methods to study a range of topics, including migration and demographic trends, economics, poverty, race relations and economic trends. Urban sociology is one of the oldest sub-disciplines of sociology dating back to the mid-nineteenth century. The philosophical foundations of modern urban sociology originate from the work of sociologists such as Karl Marx, Ferdinand Tönnies, Émile Durkheim, Max Weber and Georg Simmel who studied and theorized the economic, social and cultural processes of urbanization and its effects on social alienation, class formation, and the production or destruction of collective and individual identities. These theoretical foundations were further expanded upon and analyzed by a group of sociologists and researchers who worked at the University of Chicago in the early twentieth century. In what became known as the Chicago School of sociology the work of Robert Park, Louis Wirth and Ernest Burgess on the inner city of Chicago revolutionized not only the purpose of urban research in sociology, but also the development of human geography through its use of quantitative and ethnographic research methods. The importance of the theories developed by the Chicago School within urban sociology have been critically sustained and critiqued but still remain one of the most significant historical advancements in understanding urbanization and the city within the social sciences. The discipline may draw from several fields, including cultural sociology, economic sociology, and political sociology.
  • 7.3K
  • 01 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Courtship
Courtship is the period of development towards an intimate relationship wherein a couple get to know each other and decide if there will be an engagement, followed by a marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private matter between two people or may be a public affair, or a formal arrangement with family approval. Traditionally, in the case of a formal engagement, it is the role of a male to actively "court" or "woo" a female, thus encouraging her to understand him and her receptiveness to a marriage proposal.
  • 7.1K
  • 25 Nov 2022
Topic Review
University Social Responsibility
University Social Responsibility (USR) enhances educational development and the impact of universities on society. As a stakeholder in USR, it is imperative to develop a comprehensive literacy scale that reflects the development of students’ citizenship in social engagement.
  • 7.0K
  • 26 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Anomie
The concept of anomie is a sociological term that was introduced by French sociologist Emile Durkheim in his seminal work, "Suicide: A Study in Sociology," published in 1897. Anomie refers to a state of normlessness or a breakdown of social norms within a society. Durkheim used this concept to explain the social conditions that contribute to higher rates of suicide.
  • 6.6K
  • 25 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Technology and Society
Technology society and life or technology and culture refers to the inter-dependency, co-dependence, co-influence, and co-production of technology and society upon one another. Evidence for this synergy has been found since humanity first started using simple tools. The inter-relationship has continued as modern technologies such as the printing press and computers have helped shape society. The first scientific approach to this relationship occurred with the development of tektology, the "science of organization", in early twentieth century Imperial Russia. In modern academia, the interdisciplinary study of the mutual impacts of science, technology, and society, is called science and technology studies. The simplest form of technology is the development and use of basic tools. The prehistoric discovery of how to control fire and the later Neolithic Revolution increased the available sources of food, and the invention of the wheel helped humans to travel in and control their environment. Developments in historic times have lessened physical barriers to communication and allowed humans to interact freely on a global scale, such as the printing press, telephone, and Internet. Technology has developed advanced economies, such as the modern global economy, and has led to the rise of a leisure class. Many technological processes produce by-products known as pollution, and deplete natural resources to the detriment of Earth's environment. Innovations influence the values of society and raise new questions in the ethics of technology. Examples include the rise of the notion of efficiency in terms of human productivity, and the challenges of bioethics. Philosophical debates have arisen over the use of technology, with disagreements over whether technology improves the human condition or worsens it. Neo-Luddism, anarcho-primitivism, and similar reactionary movements criticize the pervasiveness of technology, arguing that it harms the environment and alienates people. However, proponents of ideologies such as transhumanism and techno-progressivism view continued technological progress as beneficial to society and the human condition.
  • 6.5K
  • 24 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Society
Society is a complex and organized group of individuals who share a common culture, norms, and interactions within a defined geographical or social space. It encompasses a network of relationships and institutions that shape the collective behavior, values, and structures through which individuals coexist and interact.
  • 6.4K
  • 25 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Varna Necropolis
The so-called Varna Necropolis (Bulgarian: Варненски некропол) (also Varna Cemetery) is a burial site from 4569–4340 BC in the western industrial zone of Varna (approximately half a kilometre from Lake Varna and 4 km from the city centre), internationally considered one of the key archaeological sites in world prehistory. There were other necropoles dating from later Greek and Roman periods around the ancient city. The oldest gold treasure in the world, dating from this period, was discovered at the site.
  • 6.4K
  • 28 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Social Inertia
Social inertia refers to the tendency of social systems to resist change and maintain their existing state of equilibrium. It encompasses the collective reluctance or resistance within a society to adopt new ideas, practices, or norms, even in the face of external pressures or opportunities for change. Social inertia can arise from various factors, including cultural traditions, institutional structures, and psychological biases, and it often presents challenges for efforts to enact social reform or innovation.
  • 6.4K
  • 08 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy is a concept that refers to a formal organizational structure characterized by a hierarchical arrangement of tasks, authority, and responsibilities. Rooted in the principles of efficiency, rationality, and specialization, bureaucracy represents a system of administration designed to streamline decision-making processes, facilitate coordination, and ensure the efficient functioning of complex organizations. The term is often associated with administrative entities, government agencies, and large corporations, where intricate tasks require systematic management.
  • 6.4K
  • 25 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Philosophy of History
Philosophy of history is the philosophical study of history and the past. The term was coined by Voltaire.
  • 6.3K
  • 19 Oct 2022
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