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Social Institutions
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Introduction
Social Institutions
Economy
Government
Family
Religion
Education
Medicine
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Governmentpage 1 of 2
A government is an institution entrusted with making and enforcing the rules of a
society as well as with regulating relations with other societies. In order to be
considered a government, a ruling body must be recognized as such by the people it
purports to govern. A person or group that considers itself the leading body of a
society has no power if the members of the society do not recognize the person or
group as such.

Types of Governments

Most of the world�s governments fall into one of four categories: monarchy,
democracy, authoritarianism, or totalitarianism.

MONARCHY

Monarchy is a political system in which a representative from one family controls


the government and power is passed on through that family from generation to
generation. Most of the world�s monarchies are constitutional monarchies, in which
the reigning member of the royal family is the symbolic head of state but elected
officials actually do the governing. Many European countries have constitutional
monarchies.

Example: Saudi Arabia is a monarchy. Until recently it was an absolute monarchy,


meaning that the king had complete control of the country. The Saud royal family
introduced a constitution in 1992.
DEMOCRACY

Democracy is a political system in which citizens periodically choose officials to


run their government.

Example: El Salvador has a democratic form of government. Throughout most of the


nineteenth century, El Salvador was beset by revolution and war, and from 1931 to
1979 it was ruled by military dictators. From 1980 to 1992, the country was torn
apart by civil war. The country currently has a stable government and elected
president.

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Social Institutions
Chapter 11
Families and Intimate Relationships
By Jenny and Chelle

Our textbook defines a family as �a group of people who are related to one another
by bonds of blood, marriage, or adoption and who live together, form an economic
unit, and bear and raise children (Kendall, 318).� In addition to the functions
listed above, families serve many other important purposes such as providing love
and moral support. When studying familial relations, they can be further broken
down into two categories: family of orientation and family of procreation (Kendall,
343). Families of orientation are those in which a person is born into. It is in
these groups that an individual learns to communicate effectively with others. That
individual then goes on to later form what is called a family of procreation, which
includes all members of their newly formed family. For example, a spouse and
children.

family
Most parental units are legally bound to each other through marriage. A marriage is
the union of two consenting adults. This partnership is formed in many countries
around the world and depends on the societal norms classified by a particular
society. In the United States, the only legal form of marriage is monogamy. This
form of courtship can only take place between one man and one woman. However, in
other countries, such as in the Middle East, polygamy is an accepted form of
marriage. Polygamy allows more than two people to be wed without becoming a social
outcast in their community. The marriage patterns in an area are determined by what
is viewed as acceptable in that society. (Kendall, 321-322)

Within the field of sociology there are many different points of view regarding the
importance of family and the role of its members. From the functionalist
perspective, these groups are viewed as essential in maintaining the social
stability of society. However, according to those of the conflict and feminist
perspectives, families �are sources of social inequality and conflict over values,
goals, and access to resources and power (Kendall, 326).� They serve no other
purpose than to create hardships and distress. The third perspective is that of the
symbolic interactionist. They believe that families main purpose is to act as a
form of support in which relatives develop and share many commonalities. Lastly,
the postmodernist perspective praises the diversity of families but states that �as
people have pursued individual freedom, they have been less inclined to accept the
structural constraints imposed on them by institutions [families].� (Kendall, 326-
327)

The structures of families have changed throughout the course of history all over
the world. In the past, society insisted that a man and a woman be married before
they lived together or decided to have children. In recent times, it has been
accepted by some societies for a couple to live together and even raise a family
without being married, called cohabitation. Another change we see today is the
dual-earner marriage. A dual-earner marriage is when both spouses, in essence,
�bring home the bacon.� In earlier times, women were expected to stay home,
maintaining the house and raising the children, but now it is perfectly acceptable
for women and men to share the work load and household responsibilities. An
additional structural change includes the single-parent household where there is
only one parent to raise the child/children. In recent years, there has been an
increase in one-parent households due to divorce and births outside of marriage.
(Kendall, 330-335)

Sources
Kendall, Diana. Sociology In Our Times. 6th edition. United States: Thomson
Wadsworth, 2006. (318-344)

"family." google image.


<http://www.ora.ucr.edu/images/pictures/centers/FamilyStudies.jpg>

Chapter 12
Education and Religion
By Paige and Josh
According to the Sociology in Our Times textbook education and religion have both
been important factors in many societies around the world. Both shape how our
societies interact within our own society and with other societies around us. The
shaping of our societies begins we are young with our families and friends shaping
how our lives will take place. This is when formal education and religion are
brought about. (Kendall 348)

Diana Kendall states in her textbook, �Education is the social institution


responsible for the systematic transmission of knowledge, skills, and cultural
values within a formally organized structure�. Functionalists believe education is
one of the most important parts of our society. There are both manifest and latent
functions of education. (Kendall 348)

The manifest functions of education are socialization, transmission of culture,


social control, social placement, and change and innovation. Socialization is the
subject matter learned according to age and skill level. Transmission of culture is
how people learn of new cultures and those new to our culture are assimilated into
our society. Social control teaches students how to maintain order in their society
via discipline and the following of rules. Social placement determines who is best
suited for what job in their society. Finally change and innovation is simply what
it appears to be: students bring about change and make things new and better.
(Kendall 351-352)

The latent functions of education are restricting some activities, matchmaking and
production of social networks, and creating a generation gap. Activities are
restricted as the United States passed a law requiring schooling up to a certain
age. Matchmaking takes place and social networks are formed as student interact
with their peers and form relationships with those around them. Last, a generation
gap is created when generations learn new things from those of their parents and
embrace those ideas. (Kendall 352)

There are indeed conflicting perspectives on education. The first problem is the
lower standards and levels of education in the maths and sciences in the United
States than in other nations. Another problem is that the social class of those
being educated comes into effect along with intelligence and income when and
education is gained. There is also a gap created by something known as tracking.
Tracking, according to our textbook, is when students belong to different
curriculum groups based on scoring of a test taken or on past grades received.
There can possibly be a �hidden curriculum� in which culture, attitude, and
conformity are conveyed to different social classes and genders. (Kendall 353-357)

The conflicting group to the functionalists is the interactionists who are more
concerned with actual classroom patterns and practices as opposed to educational
functions. Interactionists recognize the issue of labeling and the self-fulfilling
prophecy. They notice that people are label based on their characteristics compared
to those around them. The labels can either be a cause or a result of tracking as
they examine IQ testing in order to possibly place students in classes. IQ scores
can separate students from their peers if the IQ scores they receive are
significantly different. (Kendall 357-359)

Of course no matter the opinion on education (functionalist or interactionist),


there are still problems in schools and particularly elementary and secondary
schools. Different schools are receiving different funding based on location,
social classes in the vicinity, and amount of students in the vicinity. Another
problem is with the violent outbreaks in schools that have led to many deaths and a
�lockdown� of schools in hopes of retaining a peaceful learning environment. The
heightened security has increased the desire of students to drop out of school as
well. Finally there still appears to be racial segregation in school even though it
no longer appears to be the case. (Kendall 359-361)

The last leg of education is college. A rapidly growing opportunity for high school
graduates that hundreds of thousands pursue is that of the community college. From
our very own Colby Community College up to the oldest two-year college in the
nation, Joliet Junior College in Illinois, many seek to begin, or possibly complete
vocationally, the long and winding road towards a career that which only academia
can provide. The next step after a community college is that of a four-year
university. Universities provide students with major degrees that they can take
with them to gain high paying jobs that are worthy of their hard work for so many
years of school. All of these years don�t come cheap however. There is indeed a
price tag on gaining an education capable of allowing to a person to follow their
dreams of landing their �dream job�. Just like the segregation in middle and high
schools there is much racial diversity in a college. Students are subject to the
sight of those that may or may not be of the same racial and ethnic background as
themselves as college continues. (Kendall 361-365)

Another topic that has about as much diversity as today�s educational system is
that of religion. Diana Kendall states in our Sociology in Our Times textbook that,
�Religion is a system of beliefs, symbols, and rituals, based on some sacred or
supernatural realm, that guides human behavior, gives meaning to life, and unites
believers into a community�. Religion can commonly be seen as man�s (or woman�s)
explanation to many unanswerable questions such as the meaning of life. It tells us
�why we exist, why people suffer and die, and what happens when we die� according
to our textbooks. The religions that are created are categorized by their beliefs
and gods. (Kendall 365)

WorldReligions.jpg
Throughout the years there have been several conflicting opinions with religion and
about religion. The major two have been the battle between religion and science and
the separation of church and state. Ever since scientific discoveries have been
made there has been a question of their explanation in the Bible or other holy
book. The most controversial issue began with Charles Darwin and his theory of
evolution. Darwin�s theory of evolution would seem to be a way of disproving
religion. Many religious backers and Darwinists have long battled on which is
stronger: fact or faith (Kendall 366-368). The other opponent of religion comes in
the way of a Bill of Rights amendment disallowing church from entering the realm of
the government and in the turn the public school system ("Separation of church and
state in the United States"). According to a Wikipedia article on the �Separation
of Church and State in the United States� the first amendment of the U.S.
Constitution declares that the United States of America will not now or ever have a
national religion declared or imposed upon its citizens. Separation from church in
public schools has especially become a hot topic. Those in favor of having church
allowed in public schools wish for all people to be able to bring their own faith
into the classroom. Those against the church and state having any amount of
reliance on the other are more than likely of a minority religion in the given area
(Kendall 373-375). Religion completes the round trip that associates education with
religion in our lives in the world every day.

Sources
Kendall, Diana. Sociology In Our Times. 6th edition. United States: Thomson
Wadsworth, 2006. (348-376)
"Separation of church and state in the United States." Wikipedia. 2009. Web.20 Jun
2009.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_Church_and_State_in_the_United_States>.

Chapter 13
Politics and the Economy in Global Perspective
By Paige and Josh
According to the Sociology in our Times, �politics is the social institution
through which power is acquired and exercised by some people and groups�. Politics
is present in every society today in the form of a government or state. Political
sociology is the process in which politics is studied in its relation to other
factors such as the economy, education, or media (Kendall 380-381).

Politics brings about power and authority to those with power. Unfortunately
politics often times brings about corruption and abuse of the power or authority
gained. Those with power will very likely try to confuse their abuse of power
forcefulness used to gain that power by falsely showing they have authority
(Kendall 381-382).

AuthorityTypes.jpg
Authority, while be a legitimate show of power, has a few ideal forms. The three
types of authority as defined by Max Weber are traditional, charismatic, and
rational-legal authority. Traditional authority is classified being a long-standing
custom that weakens as traditions weaken. Charismatic authority is defined by a
leader�s outstanding qualities and accomplishments, but it is generally unstable
leading to only a temporary solution. Finally rational-legal authority is the
common authority as written by law and the authority lies with the office not the
person (Kendall 382-384).

As with the types of authority there are also four major theories of political
systems. These political systems found in what are today known as nation-states are
monarchy, authoritarianism, totalitarianism, and democracy. A monarchy is a system
in which power is passed down to each generation in a family by inheritance.
Authoritarianism is a political system where the government is controlled by a
select few people and no one is allowed to enter the government by a popular vote.
Totalitarianism is a stepped up version of authoritarianism in which not only is no
one allowed to participate in the government, but those outside of the government
are controlled in both their personal lives and otherwise. The final form of
government is the one in which Americans know best: democracy. A democracy is a
government where the people rule either directly or indirectly through
representatives (Kendall 385-387).

Now we look to the opposing perspectives of politics in the form of functionalists


and conflict theorists. The functionalists believe in a pluralist model of
government. The pluralist model distributes power in the system to many interest
groups. The interest groups gain power by influencing those in the government. Some
interest groups, known as political action committees, even go as far as raising
money for various candidates in order to gain political power. Conflict theorists
counter the functionalist�s pluralist model with their own elite model. The elite
model implies that all power in government is granted to a small minority with the
rest of the population only desiring that power. The elite can be either a group
known as the power elite or the ruling class. For either grouping the people in
power are those at the top of their industry (Kendall 387-391).

The United States contains both perspectives of power in a democratic (more


specifically republic) government. The United States government has directly
affected the economy in our nation as well. According to Diana Kendall, �economy is
the social institution that ensures the maintenance of society through the
production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services� (394).

ExhasperatedDollar.jpg
Economies have come in many different forms throughout the years. The way of
improving an economy has even changed based on the situation a nation is currently
in�preindustrial, industrial, and postindustrial. Preindustrial economies are part
of a more hunting and gathering culture. Industrial economies depend on alternative
sorts of energy and machinery. Postindustrial economies rely on provision of
sources and contain fast-food, transportation, and technology (Kendall 394-396).

Industrial and postindustrial economies generally come in two categories:


capitalism and socialism. Capitalism is a system of economics defined by a market
owned and control by private citizens. The advantages of capitalism are the private
ownership of property that produces income and competition to keep prices in check.
The disadvantage, however, is the lack of government intervention which is what
makes capitalism work best. The alternative economic theory to capitalism is
socialism. Socialism is the act by which all goods are publically owned and
operated. The three features that make up the socialist theory are public ownership
of the means of production, pursuit of collective goals, and centralized decision
making. In the ideal socialist economic theory the term is interchangeable with
communism and the ideal communism has no separation of social classes or
differentiation between leaders and people. In fact, there would ideally be no
leader whatsoever involved in �pure� socialism or communism. The more often chosen
economic theory is a mixture of capitalism and socialism that has been seen to
benefit most involved (Kendall 396-402).

Of course every economy must require people doing work and the same is true for the
United States. The workers of the United States consist of a wide variety of
categories. There are professional jobs requiring college experience all the way to
contingent work which consists of part-time jobs. There are also many careers which
are being deprofessionalized so people with many years of work and a degree no
longer do as much of their job as they used to do. With workers there have come
labor unions in the United States as well. Workers have begun to band together to
fight for equal and better rights for all in different job positions. Labor unions
along with the United States government have also begun to give more opportunities
to the disabled as well (Kendall 402-408).

As a whole the politics and the economy are strongly tied together now and always.
The future of many nations� governments and economies now rest their fate on the
current financial status of super nations such as the United States and China. The
economy of larger more powerful nations is really what determines how a smaller
developing nation will fare (Kendall 408-411).

Sources
Kendall, Diana. Sociology In Our Times. 6th edition. United States: Thomson
Wadsworth, 2006. (380-411)
Google Images. 26 Jun 2009
<http://knowledge.allianz.com/nopi_downloads/images/dollar_shock_q.jpg>.

Smile
Chapter 14

Health, Health Care, and Disability

By: Katie and Lindsay

Health and health care will affect all humans directly at some point in their
lives. Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-
being (Kendall: 417). Health care is defined as any activity intended to improve
health (Kendall: 417). Disability unlike health and healthcare may not affect
everyone directly but will impact their life in some way. Disability is defined as
a reduced ability to perform tasks one would normally do at a given stage of life
and that may result in stigmatization or discrimination against the person with
disabilities (Kendall: 437).

Health
Health is a part of all aspects of human life. Health begins at birth and ends at
death. This is encompassed in our life expectancy. Life expectancy is defined as an
estimate of the average lifetime of people born in a specific year (Kendall: 417).
The average life expectancy in the United States is 74 years of age for men and 80
years of age for women.
Our health is comprised of physical health, mental health, and social health. These
three sub areas have many factors that make them up. Physical health is made up of:
physical fitness, diet, and any disease(s) we may have. Mental Health is made up
of: our emotional stability, psychological health, and any diseases that may alter
our mental state. Social health involves our ability to communicate with others and
be a fully functioning member of society.
Health is a sociological topic because it involves every culture, government, and
religion. Health is a part of everyone�s life. A person�s health can make them a
target for discrimination. For example, a person with AIDS might not receive the
same respect and treatment as a person without the disease. Government plays a
large role in health because it determines the health care in its country. For
example, our country is a private health care system. Americans must purchase their
own health insurance or pay for medical expenses out of pocket.

Health Care
When most people think of health care medicine comes to their mind. Medicine is
defined as an institutionalized system for the scientific diagnosis, treatment, and
prevention of illness (Kendall: 417). During the 19th Century medicine became more
of a science when research in bacteriology and anesthesiology picked up (Kendall:
424).
Abraham Flexner conducted a study in this time to look at how to make medicine more
wide spread and profitable. He met with the leading faculty at Johns Hopkins and
created a plan on how to make medical school education more effective (Kendall
424). This study was known as the Flexner report and it included five criteria that
would help make medicine better. These five criteria were: Abstract, specialized
knowledge, autonomy, self-regulation, authority, and altruism. These five criteria
aimed at giving doctors a theoretical education, teaching them to rely on their own
judgment, establishing a code of ethics, making them the final word in medicine,
and treating patients not for their own self-interest but because it is the right
thing to do (Kendall: 424-425).
Health care and medicine have made great strides in the 21st century. We now have
hospitals that treat any patient who comes into the emergency room regardless of
their ability to pay for that care. This care is only provided in certain cases
though. Medical care is provided for a pregnant woman who is in labor or someone in
need of life saving care. Patients who come in simply for a sprained ankle can be
turned away. This situation is because of our nations insurance state.
The United States is primarily a private insurance nation. Each citizen must
purchase health insurance for them and their families. This insurance will help
them to pay for medical services they may require. If someone cannot afford private
insurance they can apply for Medicaid or Medicare depending on their age and
income. Medicaid is for the disabled and underprivileged and Medicare is for the
elderly. These public insurances are paid for by the government.
Canada and Great Britain have very different health care systems. Canada has
universal healthcare with is paid for by tax revenues. Universal Healthcare is
defined as a health care system in which all citizens receive medical services paid
for by tax revenues (Kendall: 429). Great Britain has socialized medicine which is
owned by the government. Socialized medicine is defined as a health care system in
which the government owns the medical care facilities and employs the physicians
(Kendall: 429).

Disability

A disability is any condition that limits a person�s ability to function


abnormally. Disabilities affect everyone all over the world in some way. The
citizens that are most affected are often the people who cannot afford the
healthcare to treat their disability. Having a disability puts the person at higher
risk of discrimination, poverty, and lowered life expectancy.

Sources
Kendall, Diana. Sociology In Our Times. 6th edition. United States: Thomson
Wadsworth, 2006. (414-441)

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Career Guide to Industries,


2008-09 Edition, Health Care, on the Internet at
http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs035.htm

__http://bluespeed.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/health-care.jpg__

Family
Sarah Elaine

family-guy.jpg
The definition of family is "a group of persons of common ancestry." This is a
simple definition of family; however, "family" is much more complicated than simply
sharing a bloodline. "Family," can be a hollow, empty word if it is just being
said. People who barely talk to each other and may even be disgusted with one
another may call themselves family while a group of people who care about each
other and take care of one another may also call themselves family.

Family depends greatly on how one sees it. Do they see family as simply sharing a
bloodline? Or do they consider it much more than that? A person's answer to this
question greatly affects the extent that they consider the loyalty and love they
owe to their family.?
A person who is not close to their family may feel that they do not owe them
anything. If their family has not always been there for them and has barely helped
them out in their life, they may consider their family to be strangers. Family
keeps people connected biologically but it does not form bonds. It cannot make a
group of people connect on a deeper lever and to communicate with one another. If a
"family" does not talk to one another and care about another, they may just as well
be a group of strangers.

On the other hand, if people who share the same bloodline are close to one another
and communicate with one another, then they can be considered a "real" family. This
does not necessary mean that they always get along, it just means that they are
active in each other's lives and care about one another. They worry about one
another and help each other out. A family such as this should owe each other
loyalty and love. They probably would not even feel that they owe the other person
anything. They would already be loyal to them and love them in a family such as
this. ?
Another type of family is a group of very close friends, who are not biologically
related at all. This family is sometimes much closer and active in each other
lives, than blood relatives. Simply because they choose to be, they don�t feel
forced to be there. These families are ever evolving, but they never �owe� each
other anything.

Religion
Sarah Elaine

world_religion.gif
According to the dictionary "religion is the service and worship of God or the
supernatural." I challenge that definition. It is true that all religions do
involve the worship of some supernatural force; however, it?is also true that no
religion in history has ever stopped at that. For a more complete definition of the
word religion we also have to examine two other aspects. How has it affected man
over the centuries? And what is the true motivation of its leadership? Some would
have you believe that it has brought peace and harmony to the world and that its
leaders are motivated by the service of their god. ??
I suggest that a more accurate definition of word would be as follows. Religion, a
feudal system of government which uses fear, hate and sometimes lies to control and
manipulate people for the betterment of a select group of individuals. ??To better
illustrate this point let's look at just three of the countless examples that human
history has to offer.

The Inquisition, "judicial institution, established by the papacy in the Middle


Ages, charged with seeking out, trying, and sentencing people guilty of heresy."
Heretics were considered enemies of the state. The penalty for heresy was torture
and death.

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ, "Jesus was taken to Golgotha and nailed to a
cross, the Roman punishment for political offenders and criminals."

The Crusades, "The name Crusade (from Latin, "Cross") was also applied, to the wars
against pagan peoples, Christian heretics, and political foes of the papacy."

All three examples illustrate how man has used God to justify his greed and quest
for power. When the leadership was challenged, it used divine decree to justify the
murder and torture of the innocent. We are expected to believe that a non-physical
being order the religious leadership to acquire riches and land, often at the
demise of the poor and helpless. The misuse of God isn't limited to the Ancient
world. Today we have people like Louis Farrakhan and Adolph Hitler and David Koresh
who use god?to propagate racism and hate, thereby giving them the power unite and
control a given segment of the population. ??As you can plainly see, religion is
much more than the worship of a supernatural force as its leaders would have us
believe. It is in fact, a method by which a society is governed and controlled.
"God created man, man created religion, it is therefore corrupt."

DECREASED DISEASE IN POPULATION WHO ATTEND CHURCH


By Dustin Coffman

In the United States, religious practice is inversely associated with several


chronic conditions, but no reports show whether it is inversely associated with
prevalence of positive serology for infections.

Methods: Data on a multiethnic, national sample included 11,507 persons aged 17


years and over with complete data on frequency of attendance at religious services
and serologic testing for six pathogens. Because of the documented association
between religious involvement and a number of health behaviors and outcomes, it
seems plausible that there may be associations between religious involvement and a
variety of infections and that this relationship may be due, in part, to risky
behaviors that are not associated with religious involvement.

This dichotomy ensures adequate numbers with African-American race and high
religious attendance in both region strata, given the concentration of both in the
South), residence (metro/standard metropolitan statistical area versus non-metro,
marital status (married versus other), and health status (fair/poor versus
excellent/good self-reported health). models assessed whether the effect of
religious attendance is accounted for by behavior involving sex or illegal drugs.
In bivariate analyses, frequent attendees were less likely to have become sexually
active below age 18, have had 10 or more lifetime partners, have used marijuana 100
or more times, or have never used cocaine. These are interesting facts to why the
people that have had regular church attendance have less sexually transmitted
disease. The book of proverbs tells how if you go have sex with an immoral women
then disease will infect your body and this is proven time and time again in
today�s society that risky sex leads to disease.

The reasons behind this are the higher standards of Law that the Christian faith
imposes upon its followers. The Bible warns about the risky types of sexual
behavior and the consequences of those actions. Not only the just the wrath of God
but also the disease that will invade the body from those types of risky behavior.
From a sociology standpoint since the removal of the Ten Commandments from the
school the increase in drug use, teen pregnancy, and overall crime in general in
our school systems and society have increased over ten fold. Even if one does not
believe in an almighty God and even if God exists or doesn�t exist in your mind the
rules that are followed or tried to be followed by Christian followers have proven
time and time again have a positive influence on society rather than negative.

Bottom line to this study is that we based this country on the Bible not religious
freedom. The U.S. constitution is based on Isaiah the 61 chapter. If we all
followed the rules that are contained within the Bible the United States would be a
better place to live in. Our government would not be in debt. Bible says not to
borrow money because the borrower is a slave to the lender. Our citizen would treat
others how they would like to be treated. Crimes that are committed against other
people that cause bodily harm are not fed and clothed for the rest of their lives
at a tremendous cost to society. The welfare system would work totally different.
Those who do not work shall not eat.

The study of disease in the Christian community vs. the general public was amazing
to study. I would be will to bet that over all the people that truly follow the
path of the Bible will always achieve more in life, because of their principals
versus the general population whether it is disease, finances, and justice the
followers of the bible hold themselves to a higher code that is scorned and looked
down upon by some of the general population that does not want to follow the code.
It is wonderful to see scientific proof that those that follow the word have better
health than those that don�t.

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References: Medscape article, Bible

POLITICS AND THE ECONOMY


by Edward Limo
Politics is the social institution through which power is acquired and exercised by
people and groups. Most societies in government deal with a general political
system; politics is the relation of citizens with the government, while on the
other hand economy is the social institution that ensures maintenance of society
through the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services.
Different counties have different political sets of governance, in most countries
leaders have used their political powers to take control of the societies or the
people who are under them.

Post-Election-Violence-in-Kenya.jpg
Politics has become more than what politicians do when they run for an office,
nowadays politics is more concerned with the struggles that shape social relations
within the societies that we live today. This is clearly illustrated by the taxes
we pay and the job opportunities that are available for us, the cost of education,
the availability of social facilities, e.g. affordable housing, medical care,
protection against racial and sexual discrimination all directly affect our lives
and are influenced by politics. In most countries media can have a large influence
the public opinion in such a way that it favors certain individuals, political
parties or certain group of people.

Political leaders have used persons or groups to achieve their political goals
despite of opposition from others, for example Kenya, Rwanda and Somalia are good
examples of countries that once experienced civil wars due to political
instability. In Kenya for example political leaders from different communities had
their own influences on Kenyan society and wanted to bring the group in other
communities under his control. This lead to a civil war being fought between
supporters for and against his way of thinking. The results of this particular
civil war lead to extensive political instability among Kenyan ethnic groups.

Leaders had failed to convey the concerns and interests of those they represent.
The violent response to an election in late 2007 caused wide spread death and
destruction and the association to Kenya for many countries took a new meaning, a
visceral ethnic murder sparked by dangerously corrupt politics, was the way the
world now looked towards Kenya. The presence of a well-educated, professional
middle class strengthens Kenya�s democracy because they hold politicians
accountable, the danger for most African countries is that the middle classes are
the people who should be able to find solution to the current political instability
and help to plot a new way forward. If they do not get involved, however, that will
lead the politicians who are increasingly entrenched and corrupt to continue with
the status quo. �Wars, Guns & Votes: Democracy in Dangerous Places. Paul Collier�.

The social institutions of politics and economy have constitute to another powerful
social institution in our society and around the world, politics and economy is a
hot topic for concerned people because we live in an age of conflict when we are
regarding many decisions that have been made by our country�s political and
business leaders. Many people are now concerned on how Kenyan social institutions
of politics, economic operations and on how decisions are made affects peoples
lives. The special interest groups have come up with which their interest is to
protect the political system, few groups of privileged people who have power to
control political processes have demonstrated capitalist interest and controls
everyday political system. �Sociology in our times: the essentials, seventh
edition. Diana Kendall�.

The ability for the middle classed Kenyan people to speak out against political
powers and wealthy business owners has a detrimental effect on the running of the
country. The corruption of these people has lead to civil war and political unrest,
and thrown Kenya into political turmoil.

Chapter 11
Families and Intimate Relationships
Chapter 11
By Shelly Aufrecht

beaver.jpg
In the last century the look and structure of a family has changed dramatically.
Divorce, economic changes, child care changes as well as other social issues has
changed the look of a family. (Sociology in Our Times) The �Leave it to Beaver�
family with June as the stay at home mom taking care of her boys Wally and �The
Beaver� and Ward as the primary bread-winner is a thing of the past. Today we have
many different family options from the traditional two-parent family, single-parent
family, blended families, extended families, and non-traditional families.
The nuclear family can best describe our �Leave it to Beaver� family.

The nuclear family is a mother, a father and their biological or adopted children.
The nuclear family is often referred to as a traditional family or two-parent
family. Nuclear families are divided into three kinds. The first type is the man
works outside the home while the woman works in the home caring for the children.
The second type is the woman works outside the home and the man cares for the
children. This trend has becoming more popular in the last few years. We have even
coined the term �stay at home dad.� The third type is when both the wife and the
husband work outside the home and provide income for the family. Due to the
economics of today this has become a necessity for some families to make ends meet.
It has been proven beneficial when both parents take active roles in raising the
children for all involved.

Single-parent families are on the rise in recent years. In this family only one
parent is in the house raising the children. High divorce rates and people choosing
not to marry are causing single-parent households to be the fastest growing family
type in North America. Most of the single-parent households are headed by single
divorced woman, separated, widowed, or never married. Teen pregnancies also
contribute to single-parent families. Children living in single-parent homes
sometimes struggle with academic issues, early marriages and parenthood, and then
higher divorce rates, and alcohol and drug abuse. Financial difficulties often
plague single-parent families with child care being the primary cost.

Blended families consist of a husband, wife and children from previous marriages,
and children (if any) from the new marriage. (Sociology in Our Times) Another term
for blended families is a step family. Images of blended families can be anywhere
from �The Brady Bunch� to Disney�s �Cinderella�. The word �step� usually brings
negative images such as the evil step mother or step monster. When parents remarry
they have hopes for the success with their new family. There are a lot of issues
that need to be addressed when merging two families but it can be done and everyone
can live happily ever after.

Non-Traditional families can take on a very broad definition. A non-traditional


family can be anything from foster parents, multiracial parents, grandparents
raising grandchildren, and same-sex parents.

In the perfect world we all would live in a happy nuclear family with a two parent
family and children co-existing under one roof. Unfortunately society today has
undergone many changes since the �Leave it to Beaver� era. No matter what kind of
family you have we can be rest assured the families still offer companionship,
security, and a measure of protection in an often uncaring world. The family is
still a very important element in all of our lives. Although no family is perfect,
and there is the old adage, �you can�t pick your relatives� the majority of us
would still pick the family we were given.

Sources
Sociology in Our Times, Diana Kendall, 7th Edition
http://www.edu.pe.ca/southernkings/familytypes.htm
http://www.health.howstuffworks.com

Families and Intimate Relationships


Jerad Schroeder

Families are people that live together and care for young and think their identity
significantly attaches them as a group. There are many things that deal with
families. Family of orientation is the family in which someone is born and in which
early socialization usually takes place. An extended family is relatives in
addition to parents and children who live in the same household.

A nuclear family is composed of one or two parents and their dependent children
that live apart from other relatives. Patriarchal families are families the
authority is held by the eldest male, matriarchal families are families that the
authority is held by the oldest female, and egalitarian families are families that
partners share power equally.

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Families go through many transitions and experience a wide variety of problems,
ranging from high rate of divorce and teen pregnancy to domestic abuse and family
violence. Two facts about families are that for good or ill, families are central
to our existence, and the reality of family life is far more complicated than the
idealized image of families found in the media.

Intimate relationships are normally reserved for a couple that has been married.
Marriage is a legally recognized or socially approved arrangement between two or
more individuals that carries certain rights and obligations and usually involves
sexual activity. There is more than one type of marriage.

Monogamy is a marriage between two people usually a man and a woman, polygamy is
the concurrent marriage of a person of one sex with two or more members of the
opposite sex, polygyny is when one man is married to two or more women, and
polyandry is when one woman is married to two or more men.

Cohabitation is a situation where two people live together and think of themselves
as a couple without being legally married. Lots of couples decide to have children
but many cannot have children so they adopt. Adoption is the legal process through
which the rights are transferred from the child�s biological parents to new legal
parents. In recent time there have been a lot more single parent households due to
divorce and birth outside of marriage.

Razing a child alone can be an emotional burden not only for the parent but also on
the child. Children in single parent families are more likely then children in two
parent families to have poor academic achievements, higher school absentees and
droop out rates, early marriage and parenthood, higher rates of divorce and more
drug and alcohol abuse.

CHAPTER 5

SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS by Kayla Bennett**

I am writing this essay on social institutions. I will tell you what they are, give
some examples, and tell you what purpose they serve.

First off, a social institution is is a set of organized beliefs and rules that
establish how a society will attempt to meet its basic needs.

An example of social institutions today are mass media, sports, science and
medicine, and the military. In earlier days social institutions were believed to be
family, religion, education, economy, and the government.

Impact_of_Social_Institutions.gif
Social institutions are seen to provide five major tasks. The first is replacing
members, finding socially appropriate ways of replacing members who may have died
or moved away. The second is teaching new members, people must learn how the group
does things such as values and customs. The third is producing, distributing, and
consuming goods and services. The fourth is providing order since every society
needs some type of order and protection. The fifth is providing and maintaining a
sense of purpose.

Social institutions are used to meet basic needs but are not always good for
everyone. For example a family can have a negative affect on a child.

I hope after reading this you understand what a social institution is and what
purpose they serve.

Sources
SOCIOLOGY IN OUR TIMES by Diana Kendall 8th edition
GOOGLE IMAGES

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