Reflections on Transgender Inequality in Schilt’s Just One of the Guys? Part 1 While Kristen Schilt offers a broad overview of the experiences of transgenders, and it is impossible to represent all experiences of equality or inequality, this is a fascinating work. I do agree that in some rare instances that she cites there is an increase in equality in certain professions (Schilt 2010: 2), but we are… Read More
Reflections on the Influence of Classical Sociology on Marcuse Herbert Marcuse of the Frankfurt school analysed contemporary society using key elements of Sigmund Freud’s theories filtered through the classical social theory of Karl Marx as a jumping off point. However, he turned that on its head into three areas: the decline of the individual, the deranged logic of capitalism, and a promise of liberation. … Read More
Reflections on Weber On Rationalization 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
Cultural Conditioning Part One At the point I wrote this passage, I was convinced that the subject of propaganda was one which I might be unable to introduce to my academic general public. While I believe that academia is better suited to accept the word on its own terms, I still observe more than subtle indications that the word… Read More
Public Opinion, Propaganda, Communication, and Media Studies Reading Research Notes The following are books read and referenced in the recent past and present. All sources are paraphrased and page referenced for further reading and referral. Lippmann, W. (1997). Public opinion. New York: Free Press Paperbacks Press Inaccuracy: q.v. biographies of John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and Sam Adams. (p.xi ) Assumptions: There are at least two… Read More
A Brief Introduction to the Subject of Propaganda At the point I wrote this passage, I was convinced that the subject of propaganda was one which I might be unable to introduce to my academic general public. While I believe that academia is better suited to accept the word on its own terms, I still observe more than subtle indications that the word… Read More