The Concepts Of Alienation And Anomie Sociology Essay

The Concepts Of Alienation And Anomie Sociology Essay This essay will compare and contrast the concepts of alienation and anomie. Karl Marx first outlined his theory of alienation in The Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts (1844) and refers to a define set of social relationships that were first formed in feudal societies which then became disrupted by modern industrial society. Marx himself said when discussing the topic of alienation The worker becomes poorer the more wealth he produces and the more his production increases in power and extent. The worker becomes an ever cheaper commodity the more goods he creates. The devaluation of the human world increases in direct relation to the increase in value of the world of things. Labour does not only create goods; it also produces itself and the worker as a commodity, and indeed in the same proportion as it produces goods. Anomie however, is defined by Emile Durkheim as a change in normalness and a breakdown of social regulations. Durkheim became interested in the social condition charac terised by a breakdown of norms governing social interactions. The state of anomie is impossible wherever organs solidly linked to one another are in sufficient contact, and in sufficiently lengthy contact. Indeed, being adjacent to one another, they are easily alerted in every situation to the need for one another and consequently they experience a keen, continuous feeling of their mutual dependence. (Durkheim, E: 1893). Durkheim went on to develop his interest of anomie further when he began his research into Suicide, where he suggested that when a persons norms and rules that regulate their lifestyle become week, this can lead to a form of suicide which he called Anomic Suicide. Marx believed that there were four degrees of alienation that break down the fundamental link that human beings have to their self defining qualities. Firstly there is product alienation which Marx believed was alienating to the worker because the products that they produce do not reflect their creative energies and are merely objects produced by the command of the employer (Ransome, P: 2010). Which he argues was present in industrialised society but not in feudal societies as a result of capitalism and its economic gain fuelled society. (Morrison, K: 2006). Secondly, Marx said that alienation could come from act of production. This, according to Marx is linked to product alienation as the product of labour is alienating then so is the act of production. So in capitalist societies people have no choice but to work and feel alienated to meet their basic needs. Marxs work stated that The worker feels himself only when he is not working; when he is working he does not feel himselfà ¢Ã¢ ‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦ his labour is therefore not voluntary but forced (Marx, K: 1844). Thirdly, Marx suggested that there was alienation due to common purpose. He outlined that this happened when a workers social relationships become debased and they are taken from a cooperative social dimension, for example on factory lines and in open offices. Finally the fourth alienation type that Marx wrote about was alienation from humanity. Marx believed that this happened when a person worked long hour days -as Marx wrote in the Victorian society this was extremely common- and together with the three other forms of alienation; a person lost their sense of humanity and became alienated from their own inner self (Ransome, P: 2010). Durkheim however argued that anomie in the division of labour alike that of alienation, deprived individuals of a sense of connection with society (Ransome, P: 2010). Durkheim believed that this sense of deprivation caused people to become disorientated and anxious and saw anomie as one of the social factors that influenced suicide (Giddens, A: 2009). He argued that there were four types of suicide: Altruistic, Anomic, Egoistic and Fatalistic (Pope, W: 1976). Altruistic suicide being too much social integration, for example suicide bombers give up their life for the needs of their social group (Giddens, A: 2009). Egoistic suicide, in Durkheims terms was due to insufficient regulation. This can be seen in societies such as religious groups; Durkheim found that suicide was higher in the Protestant religion than it was in Catholic religious groups. He believed that this was due to the Catholic religion having a more strict regulations, so therefore people believed that it was against go d to commit suicide and also with the Catholic society being greater regulated, he believed that this closer connected society made the people have a greater sense of community and moral values so did not feel the need to commit suicide (Ransome, P: 2010). Durkheim related the low suicide rates during World War 1 to this as he believed the face of an external enemy brought about social integration (Giddens, A: 2009). Fatalistic suicide for Durkheim was due to excess regulation. This can be seen in contemporary society in prisons as people feel that they have no sense of future or self worth. However Durkheim felt that this type of suicide was of little importance in modern society but it was of specific historical interest. Historically, this is evident in the slave communities in America during the civil war (Morrison, K: 2006). Durkheim argued that Anomic suicide occurs when rules and norms that govern a persons lifestyle become unstable and break down. He looked at this subject o f suicide by researching the suicide rates of industrial society during periods of economic crisis created by financial recession and periods of economic change. Between 1845 and 1869 in Europe, Durkheim identified that there was a rapid rise in suicide rates, which he linked to the economic state at the time as there was repeated economic crisis, which resulted in a dramatic decline in the business cycle and severe bankruptcies. He also acknowledged that there was a specific pattern of the suicide rates during this time across Europe; he found that there was a rise in the rates of suicide as the state of the economy decreased, and when the crisis deteriorated the rates fell. However as the economy worsened again, the suicides increased (Morrison, K: 2006). When taking into account Durkheims theory of Anomic Suicide and Marxs four types of alienation, it could be argued that there are several similarities between the two social theories. Alienation in basic terms defines the relationship that a worker -mainly- has with their productive role and their self being within society. Anomie can be suggested to relate to this similarly as it seems that it defines a persons self being within society and themselves. However, critiques have suggested that the theory of anomie for Durkheim was not in fact in relation to a person but it refers to society, although there are definite implications of a persons state of mind in his works (Robinson, J; Shaver P and Wrightsman, L: 1991). When referring to the subject of anomie, social thoughts of other sociologists must be taken into account. Robert Mereton extended Durkheims thoughts on anomie and emphasised that an individual intensifies their anomie when they chose to discard their norms to acquire to their intricate desires and thus anomie and deviant behaviour draw from a disjunction between a culturally prescribed aspiration of a society and socially constructed avenues for creating those aspirations (Giddens, A: 2009). Durkheims theory of anomie can be seen as similar to both Meretons interpretation of anomie and Marxs theory of alienation in terms of isolation and disorientation. However clearly it can be seen that there is a significant difference in retrospect to money being the source of the proletarians lifestyle and the theory that it keeps the ruling class on top and the rest of the population down in terms of Marxs thought of alienation, where as Durkheim dealt with the themes of attitudes and expectations of the society within his theory of anomie and people resisting and having the choice of their lifestyle rather than being forced into lifestyles alike in alienation (Perry, R: 2007). Although Marx and Durkheims definitions are clearly the classical concepts of these theories, it has been suggested that contemporary society has obscured these definitions. It can be said that Alienation for Marx and Anomie for Durkheim were metaphors for a radical attack on the dominant institutions and values of industrial society. From this they take on similar issues, but in different perspectives; Marx took on the conception of the relationship between man and society and the value of freedom from constraint through the interest of power and change. Durkheim however, was interested in the transcendental value and moral constraint through problems with maintenance of order. When taking into account Marx and Durkheims research however there are critiques that need to be considered. Many people argued that Durkheims research on anomie and suicide could not be one hundred percent accurate; this was because it was apparent that Durkheim used other peoples research and did not conduc t his own. Durkheim used suicide statistics in Germany, however these statistics were taken by Durkheim at face value and not critiqued. Also it could be argued that Durkheims interdependence theory may not have been completely free from his own background assumptions and laden judgement. The main article that needs to be considered when studying suicide is How do some deaths get categorised as suicides? according to Atkinson, J (1978). When taking into account this question it makes one consider whether the initial research and also Durkheims assumptions were one hundred percent because the research was conducted across Germany, with statistics from many different coroners, who each would arguably have had their own laden judgement as to what constitutes as suicide. So it is argued that Durkheim was taking what the coroner constituted as suicide so therefore the suicide categories are not objective facts but interpretations and meanings given to a particular event. Therefore to hav e done his research more accurately and to allow no criticisms Durkheim should have conducted his own research. He could have arguably done this by talking to people that have themselves attempted to commit and families of those who have, to find the different reasons behind the attempted or actual suicide (Atkinson, J: 1978). One could initially argue that Capitalism is the main cause of both alienation and anomie. In anomie, Durkheim saw a number of indications relating to anomie in the late nineteenth century such as industrial conflict and marital breakup; which he believed was related to the industrial society and the growth of capitalism (Durkheim, E: 1893). However, Marx believed that alienation was aided by capitalism. He believed this as there was a fiercely competitive nature of capitalism that forced industries such as factories to step up their means of production and productivity, to gain economic status and power (Marx, K: 1844). In conclusion, Alienation in retrospect means people becoming isolated from society as a result from industry and Anomie in retrospect is a change in normalness of their social status. It is clear from this that one could argue that alienation and anomie could both mean isolation to a person but however in different forms. So therefore it could be argued that alienation is isolation of a person from their economic status quo, and anomie is isolation of a human being from their social status quo and personal norms. However from the information throughout the essay it can also be suggested that the differences between alienation an anomie comes from the status of the concepts, as alienation is said to be relate and revolve to a person singularly, where as anomie is said to describe a social group rather than one person alone. To conclude, it can be argued that there alienation and anomie have both similar and unique concepts. This is evident from the sources used throughout the essay, however it cannot be regarded completely as research or information that is gathered is never one hundred percent reliable.

Cherns staffing Essay

The strategic staffing process is guided by a set of staffing goals (process and outcome goals) that are logically linked with the company’s business strategy, culture and values. CHERN has managed to create a competitive advantage by providing quality products and the best customer service in the industry. Superior quality customer service is the company’s business strategy and this is linked to a very aggressive growth strategy for the next 5 years. The table below helps to understand the implications that the business growth strategy has on the staffing process at the company. The positions highlighted on the table are the positions that CHERN has to focus on because they are the core drivers of the company’s performance and they make up more than 80% of the total workforce of the organization. Table 1. Staffing Forecast for 5 year growth. PositionsEmployees per store Employees needed to hire per year Employees needed to hire per month Employees hired at end of 5 years Store Manager1151.2575 Dept. Manager812010600 Assistant Dept. Manager812010600 Full time sales associates10015001257500 Part time sale associates2537531.251875 Because the strategic staffing process is a future-oriented process, it is valuable to identify both short term and long term goals that involve attracting, developing and retaining the right number of the best appropriate talent. Table 2 contains both short-term and long-term process goals and outcome goals for CHERN’s strategic staffing and provides a rationale of why this are important to help achieve the business strategy. Table 2. Staffing Goals Short-term Process GoalsImportance 1 .Hiring qualified applicants within the timeline goals of our growth  projection. The staffing process has to be able to meet the time goals for the hiring process as needed for the year growth strategy. 2. Attract a pool of applicants large enough to be able to select the amount of talent needed for the new stores. The staffing process has to be able to supply the necessary amount of talent needed for the year growth strategy. Short-term Outcome Goals 1.Staffing talent that fits with corporate culture. CHERN needs talent that fits with its culture and feel comfortable, reducing turnover and developing longer relationships with customers. 2. Hiring talent who will succeed at work. Hiring process will supply talent that will be able to do the job and achieve the goals. Long-term Process Goals 1.Better efficiency in attracting qualified applicants. Achieve more efficiency on hiring top talent to keep our competitive advantage and continue with the same level of superior customer service. To achieve this, some processes have to be measured, revised, and modified. 2.Keep competitive benefits to attract top talent. Long-term Outcome Goals 1.Enhancing the business strategy execution All efforts should be made towards enhancing the business strategy. 2.Hiring talent who will benefit from the other HR functions ( compensation, training, succession) It is important for the company to achieve its  corporate strategy, to hire talent that will benefit from training, is motivated by the company’s compensation plan and is interested on building a career. Business and Staffing Strategies An organizations Human Resource strategy and Talent Philosophy shapes its staffing strategy and has direct impact on the business Strategy. We will now analyse CHERN’s Talent Philosophy, Human Resource Strategy and Staffing Strategy to align them with the corporate business Strategy. Table 3 helps us identify how the Organizations Talen Philosophy help shape its HR Strategy and staffing strategy. Table 3. Talent Philosophy-HR strategy-Staffing Strategy. Talent PhilosophyHR StrategyStaffing Strategy What to retain talent, creating long term careers that will contribute to the firms objectives Recruit, select, develop and retain valuable talentRecruitment & Selection: Hires talent that has the right set of traits and attributes to perform in the organization. Develop: Offer training, career development and support to take advantage of talent and help them achieve results. Retaining: Retains valuable talent. View employees as investors and not costs or assets. Respect applicants and employees, as we believe the company benefits from them as the same way they benefit from the company, and they are vital for our success.Recruiting and selection: Hires employees that relate to the corporate culture and makes the process transparent and gives as much information as possible to avoid mismatching. Develop: Gives employees empowerment and training to make them feel more comfortable at work. Retaining: We understand the investment employees are doing in the company and therefore we offer competitive benefits and wages. Have high ethical standards and a strong corporate culture of respect Treat employees and applicants with respect and fairness.Recruiting and  Selection: Transparent and well informed process. Develop: Provides well timed and appropriate feedback and offers personalized training to help employees achieve goals. Retaining: Clear reward system and promotes based on merit. Talent Philosophy At CHERN’s our greatest strength lies on the talent, set of skills and empowerment of our people. We are committed on attracting, growing and retaining the most talented people in the retail industry by creating a fair and positive environment where they can feel cared and comfortable, and have the opportunity to develop personally and professionally. Human Resource Strategy The goal of CHERN’s human resource strategy is to align all its HR functions in order to ensure the availability of the right amount of superior customer service oriented talent who is supported by the an organization in order to achieve the company’s objectives. The goals of the HR strategy involve providing training, support and the tools needed for our talent to fully develop within the company in a fair environment. Staffing Strategy To describe CHERN’s staffing strategy, we will divide this analysis into the 9 elements of the Staffing Strategy, and briefly describe its implications. 1.Core Vs Flexible Workforce. CHER benefits from a core workforce as opposed to a flexible workforce, because as we highlighted before, employees are central to their success and vital to achieve competitive advantage. CHERN’s effort on retaining valuable staff will contribute to achieving long term goals. Even though the company still has some part-time staff, they still consider them part of their core workforce and offer them similar benefits and same fair conditions. 2.Hire Internally Vs Hire Externally. CHERN has to source its talent both externally and internally. The company should continue to develop current talent and work on succession planning,  as done until now. This sends the message that good performance is rewarded enhancing staff motivation. Also, it allows staff in new positions to get up to speed easily because they already know the company’s culture and the way things are done. This is a huge benefit for the company as by the time a new position of middle management opens up, they already have a large pool of internal candidates who they have already assessed and know their performance. However, the company will still have to source its sales associate positions externally to meet the growing strategy that it has projected for the next 5 years. Hiring externally also brings some advantages to the organization like enhancing diversity and injecting different and fresh perspectives that can be beneficial. 3.Hire for Vs Train and Develop for. During the Recruiting and selection process, CHERN should focus on traits, attributes and abilities and not so much on skills and knowledge. Skills can be trained and CHERN is providing training to this set of skills already. However, qualities and attributes are harder or nearly impossible to teach and are vital for the job requirements such as being tech savvy, loving fashion, being customer oriented and being adaptable. Hiring the right skills with the wrong attitude is a mistake. Personality traits are very important on sales positions, that is why CHERN should hire talent with the right attitude and abilities, who lack some skills and knowledge and can grow together. Although hiring experienced, knowledgeable sales staff might reduce training costs and can start generating sales quickly, it is very unlikely that CHERN will find the enough pool of applicants that contain both the knowledge and the attributes. Without the attributes it is very likely that recruit will not be succe ssful in a long term .Hence the importance of training. 4.Replace Vs Retain talent. CHERN strives to retain talent. It is becoming more difficult to recruit staff that meets CHERN’s standards, and competition on le market is increasing. That is why it is important for CHERN to recruit, develop and retain valuable talent. If not, the competitors will benefit from the resources invested on training. CHERN should continue offering a competitive  set of benefits and remuneration as a strategy. This in hand with an inclusive and supporting environment creates a desirable working environment. 5.What levels of what skills? As CHERN’s strengths relies on its sales workforce it is critical to find and recruit individuals with a specific set of attributes that can enhance our business strategy. Attributes such as Confidence, ability to multitask, English skills, numerical skills flexibility, and service orientation are essential. Other important skills and knowledge requirements such as Sales techniques, persuasion, time management and information ordering can be held at a basic level and it can be strengthened through training. 6.Proactive Vs Reactive staffing. CHERN must follow a proactive staffing strategy to prepare for the coming growth of the company. Pursuing a talent oriented strategy will allow the company to fill the future positions at the right moment without having to hire quickly someone that might not fit the criteria. Labour market is getting tighter and it is becoming more difficult to find good recruits, so targeting gaps in advance of the actual need will bring benefits to the staffing process. 7.What jobs to focus on? The Sales associate both part-time and full-time are positions on which the company invests most of its resources and attention. This are the key positions that create value to the company and are helping to develop that competitive advantage that is crucial for the firm. 8.Staffing as an investment Vs Staffing as a Cost. CHERN sees staffing as an investment. CHERN believes that the effort in resources (time and money) invested in recruiting, selecting, training and retaining talent will show positive results in the short and long-term, because staff will perform better reducing costs, increasing productivity, and reducing turnover. Although it does involve costs, it is an investment into the company’s future. 9.Centralized Staffing Vs Decentralized Staffing. CHERN benefits from a combined approach to the staffing process between centralized and decentralized, where some of the functions are allowed to be adjusted to meet single unit needs, but still monitored by a centralized organization that ensures unity and cohesion. The company has already identified that customers from different units change and Managers have already some level of autonomy in decision-making. This allows each unit t cater to their customers providing a better designed service. So decentralization of the staffing process brings benefits to the brand. However, all units should follow specific procedures to ensure consistency throughout their branches.

A Solitary Soul By Kate Chopin - 1995 Words

On April 22nd, 1899, Herbert S. Stone Company published a novel written by female Author, Kate Chopin. According to Chopin’s official website published by the Kate Chopin International Society in which biographers and editors detail information of the authors life, works, and commonly asked questions, Chopin was 49 years old at the time that The Awakening was published. This novel was originally titled A Solitary Soul, but was changed just prior to publication. Though today this novel is heavily studied and appreciated by scholars and critics alike, this positive outlook on Chopin’s deeply symbolic work of fiction did not develop until over 40 years after Chopin’s death in 1904 (Koloski). Upon being published, an overwhelming amount of people were outraged by the implications of main character Edna Pontellier making decisions that directly negate her societal role as a â€Å"mother-woman† In fact, Chopin was not only releasing a work of fiction to be enj oyed for entertainment, but voicing a great deal of controversial opinions about women’s role in society as a negative thing. At each unsure step that Edna took in the novel, it revealed more to Chopin’s true feelings about the pressures put on women to fit a certain mold, and also implied that regardless of how a woman chose to break that mold, she would be rewarded with nothing but loneliness, homelessness, or in the case of Edna Pontellier, even death. 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