Reflections on bell hooks’ Where We Stand 24 September 2012 In order for propaganda to be effective, it must contain an element of perceived truth. Goebbels understood this, Karl Rove understands this, and bell hooks understands this as she abundantly explains in Where We Stand: Class Matters. The intent is to help us understand how and why we live in a class society. Analyzing every… Read More
Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada Analysis 24 September 2012 Tommy Lee Jones’ The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada begins as a story of honour between close friends and quickly devolves into multiple perspectives of an archetypal quest for masculine redemption and second chances. For Pete Perkins, the rancher and Melquiades’ best friend, Belmont, the local sheriff, and Norton, the border patrolman, each quest is… Read More
Reflections on Weber On Rationalization 24 September 2012 Max Weber’s study of history, economics, and law allowed him to analyse social movements in their microcosm, especially his views of Rationalisation. Critics have argued that Weber viewed rationalization as progress, while, I would counter that Weber described it as a modern reality, much as Machievelli described power and the state in The Prince. Weber’s… Read More
Reflections on Stiglitz’ The Price Of Inequality: Part 3 24 September 2012 In chapters 8-10 of The Price of Inequality, Stigitz concentrates on the battle of the federal budget, monetary policy, and fixing what is described throughout the text as woefully desperate and dire. He addresses many varied points and somehow misses a few others that some would deem obvious such as what some would describe as… Read More
Boy A Analysis 24 September 2012 John Crowley’s Boy A tests our perceptions of social acceptance of a boy/young man (Eric/Jack) in arrested masculine development who has had few opportunities to properly mature outside of a prison/youth detention culture for fifteen years. Crowley contrasts this vis a vis Jack’s male co-workers and the masculinity of his girlfriend Michelle’s romantic advances as… Read More
Reflections on Giddens Analysis Of Durkheim 24 September 2012 Anthony Giddens, in Capitalism and Modern Social Theory, reintroduces us to the first self-described sociologist, Emile Durkheim. Giddens, analyses the three areas of importance that Durheim fixated on: 1) He worked to establish sociology as an academic discipline in order to advance his belief that sociology has value and that it should be studied, 2)… Read More
Reflections on Stiglitz’ The Price Of Inequality: Part 2 24 September 2012 In chapters 4-7 of The Price of Inequality, Stigitz concentrates on the importance of inequality, the fragility of democracy, influence and propaganda, and the rule of law. Here, he continues to utilize sweeping generalities but fails to analyze those generalities in detail. In fact, he uses some of the same tactics that have been used… Read More
Y Tu Mama Tambien Analysis 24 September 2012 From the outset, director Alfonso Cuaron tests and questions collective sexual mores and taboos in Y Tu Mama Tamabien, forcing us to question, forcing us to think, forcing us to reevaluate. Full frontal nudity confronts us almost before the opening credits have finished. And given that graphic violence in U.S. media is an accepted norm… Read More
Reflections on Anthony Giddens On Marx 24 September 2012 Anthony Giddens, in Capitalism and Modern Social Theory, discusses the development and evolution of Karl Marx from a youth to a theorist with Marx analyzing his own time and specific epochs in history to determine what he later determined to be patterns of economic development towards capitalism. Marx’s focus was on three subjects: 1. His… Read More
Reflections on Stiglitz’ The Price Of Inequality: Part 1 23 September 2012 In The Price of Inequality, Joseph Stiglitz focuses primarily on the economic and the political, on why the US economic system is failing, rather than other factors that may contribute to inequality. Although he admits to sweeping generalities, his analysis of inequality is probing. His explanation of grievances could be used to explain how a… Read More