(randomm)

I now notice everytime someone uses the term "paradigm" and I thought this was funny. Not only because Madonna uses the term but also because I think she may actually use it correctly.

"The paradigm in the music business h as shifed and as an artist and business woman, I have to move with that shift." - In reaction to her new $120 million deal to work with Live Nation.

Thought it was cute. Enjoy!

After reading the Social Theory reader about Marx, there was a reference to animals and laborers and human beings as laborers that I found to be somewhat innaccurate. In the last section, "Marx: Economic and Philosphical Manuscripts", it was written that "they [animals] produce only their own immediate needs or those of their young; they produce one-sidedly, while man produces universally..." It continues, but I don't think that claim holds true. Animals produce for us, and it may sound silly, but they don't know they are doing us favors by providing for us food, clothing, and even comfort (in pets, etc.) Therefore, in the modern world, would Marx's theories have to be re-examined? To fit with modern times and the way that humans now see much more importance in animals. They are used as testing for medicines, vaccines, etc. That was never done before, but we must think of those things now-a-days.

My Drawing of a Paradigm

This is my idea of what a "paradigm" map looks like. I think if you click on it the image will open up as a bigger picture. Also, the new "paradigm" could also be considered a paradigm shift. Although Kuhn argued that it is not linear I think the way he described it is.

The necessity of sociology

What did everyone think about the notion that there will eventually be no need for sociology (as discussed in Wolfe's piece last class)? In class, I expressed my view that society will never be able to go "unstudied," and that a subject as diverse and fascinating as human society will always demand its own discipline in order to examine it. I was just wondering what everyone else thought about this, especially those of you who are senior sociology majors and will be looking for jobs soon.

Wolfe on the professionalization of sociologists

I promised to give you all a page number for where Wolfe talks about how social scientists emulated the natural science model to raise their professional status. On page 48, Wolfe writes:

The scientific model may not, finally, have taught all that much about social reality, but it did deal extremely well with the reality of who social scientists were and what they aspired to be. Its set of rules for professional behavior enables its practitioners to resolve some exceptionally awkward questions about what social scientists, as opposed to social science, ought to do. Social scientists could attempt to be objective, even if social science could not. Social scientists could follow well-known rules, even if reality did not.

Enjoy!

theories vs. paradigms

After last weeks discussion about paradigms versus theories I am still confused as to why authors of Sociology textbooks are mixing up these terms. As I stated last class, in my Methods textbook the author referred to theories as paradigms. When I was reading about the founding fathers of Sociology in an introductory textbook I found that theories were again referred to as paradigms. Are we mistaken or are the authors of these textbooks? Why do some authors call these concepts theories and others call them paradigms?

responce paper

hey,

do u guys know if were are susposed to post the responce papers or just email them?