The Meaning of Social Order in Sociology

Social order is a fundamental concept in sociology that refers to the way the various components of society work together to maintain the status quo. They include: social structures and institutionssocial relationssocial interactions and behaviorcultural features such as norms, beliefs, and values Definition Outside the field of sociology, people often use the term social order to refer to a state of stability and consensus that exists in the absence of chaos and upheaval. Sociologists, however, have a more complex understanding of the term. Within the field, it refers to the organization of many interrelated parts of a society. Social order is present when individuals agree to a shared social contract that states that certain rules and laws must be abided and certain standards, values, and norms maintained. Social order can be observed within national societies, geographical regions, institutions and organizations, communities, formal and informal  groups, and even at the scale of global society. Within all of these, social order is most often hierarchical; some people hold more power than others so they can enforce the laws, rules, and norms necessary for the preservation of social order. Practices, behaviors, values, and beliefs that are counter to those of the social order are typically framed as deviant and/or dangerous  and are curtailed through the enforcement of laws, rules, norms, and taboos. Social Contract The question of how social order is achieved and maintained is the question that gave birth to the field of sociology. In his book  Leviathan, English philosopher Thomas Hobbes laid the groundwork for the exploration of this question within the social sciences. Hobbes recognized that without some form of social contract, there could be no society, and chaos and disorder would reign. According to Hobbes, modern states were created to provide social order. People agree to empower the state to enforce the rule of law, and in exchange, they give up some individual power. This is the essence of the social contract that lies at the foundation of Hobbes theory of social order. As sociology became an established field of study, early thinkers became keenly interested in the question of social order. Founding figures such as Karl Marx and Émile Durkheim focused their attention on the significant transitions that occurred before and during their lifetimes, including industrialization, urbanization, and the waning of religion as a significant force in social life. These two theorists, though, had polar opposite views on how social order is achieved and maintained, and to what ends. Durkheims Theory Through his study of the role of religion in primitive and traditional societies, French sociologist Émile Durkheim came to believe that social order arose out of the shared beliefs, values, norms, and practices of a given group of people. His view locates the origins of social order in the practices and interactions of daily life as well as those associated with rituals and important events. In other words, it is a theory of social order that puts culture at the forefront. Durkheim theorized that it was through the culture shared by a group, community, or society that a sense of social connection—what he called solidarity—emerged between and among people and that worked to bind them together into a collective. Durkheim referred to a groups shared collection of beliefs, values, attitudes, and knowledge as the collective conscience. In primitive and traditional societies Durkheim observed that sharing these things was enough to create a mechanical solidarity that bound the group together. In the larger, more diverse, and urbanized societies of modern times, Durkheim observed that it was the recognition of the need to rely on each other to fulfill different roles and functions that bound society together. He called this organic solidarity. Durkheim also observed that social institutions—such as the state, media, education, and law enforcement—play formative roles in fostering a collective conscience in both traditional and modern societies. According to Durkheim, it is through our interactions with these institutions and with the people around us that we participate in the maintenance of rules and norms and behavior that enable the smooth functioning of society. In other words, we work together to maintain social order. Durkheims view became the foundation for the functionalist perspective,  which views society as the sum of interlocking and interdependent parts that evolve together to maintain social order. Marxs Critical Theory German philosopher Karl Marx took a different view of social order. Focusing on the transition from pre-capitalist to capitalist economies and their effects on society, he developed a theory of social order centered on the economic structure of society and the social relations involved in the production of goods. Marx believed that these aspects of society were responsible for producing the social order, while others—including social institutions and the state—were responsible for maintaining it. He referred to these two components of society as the base and the superstructure. In his writings on capitalism, Marx argued that the superstructure grows out of the base and reflects the interests of the ruling class that controls it. The superstructure justifies how the base operates, and in doing so, justifies the power of the ruling class. Together, the base and the superstructure create and maintain social order. From his observations of history and politics, Marx concluded that the shift to a capitalist industrial economy throughout Europe created a class of workers who were exploited by company owners and their financiers. The result was a hierarchical class-based society in which a small minority held power over the majority, whose labor they used for their own financial gain. Marx believed social institutions did the work of spreading the values and beliefs of the ruling class to maintain a social order that would serve their interests and protect their power. Marxs critical view of social order is the basis of the conflict theory perspective in sociology, which views social order as a precarious state shaped by ongoing conflicts between groups that are competing for access to resources and power. Merit in Each Theory While some sociologists align themselves with either Durkheims or Marxs view of social order, most recognize that both theories have merit. A nuanced understanding of social order must acknowledge that it is the product of multiple and sometimes contradictory processes. Social order is a necessary feature of any society and it is deeply important for building a sense of belonging and connection with others. At the same time, social order is also responsible for producing and maintaining oppression. A true understanding of how social order is constructed must take all of these contradictory aspects into account.

Difference and Similarities Between Christianity and Four...

Title: Difference and Similarities between Christianity and Four (4) World Religion, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Muslims and Hinduism. Introduction: In the world today there are many religions of different beliefs with vast numbers of followers. However, some of these religions turn to have similarities and differences which defer them from each another. The following report briefly talks about the differences and similarities between Christianity and other four (4) major world religions and they are Buddhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism and Muslims. Zoroastrianism and Christianity Zoroastrianism was founded by a man named Zoroaster who was born around 1200 BC (www.Answers.com). During that time the Jewish people were held captive by†¦show more content†¦When they commit sins or feel they people have sinned from what they have done towards other then they pray to the God for forgiveness, (www.religion.com/Philosophy). So you can see that there are slight differences between these two religions. May scholars believe that the ideas of Zoroastrians were borrowed from Christianity and Judaism because it (Zoroastrian) started when Jewish people were held captive by the Babylonians. Buddhism and Christianity Buddhism is the first off spring of Hinduism and it was founded by a man named Siddhartha Gautama around 500 BC. It is mainly found around the Central and North East Asian countries therefore much of its (Buddhism) believes and teaching are like Hinduism. So we’ll discuss what the differences are and similarities between Christianity and Buddhism. Differences Buddhism believes that there is no Creator or God that creates the world and every things that we see and those that are unseen they belief that there are numerous non-creator gods. They (Buddhism) believe that mankind own desire or what men do leads them to suffering. If they have done good deeds then they will live a good life after reincarnation or their suffering today is the result of what they did in their past life which is referred to as Karma, (wiki.answers.com). Whereas Christians believe that Adam the first person that God created committed the original sin and therefore every manShow MoreRelatedCulture of India9032 Words   |  37 Pagesrefers to the religions, beliefs, customs, traditions, languages, ceremonies, arts, values and the way of life in India and its people. Indias languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food, and customs differ from place to place within the country. Its culture often labeled as an amalgamation of these diverse sub-cultures is spread all over the Indian subcontinent and traditions that are several millennia old.[1] Several elements of Indias diverse culture, such as Indian religions, yoga, and

Ethical Leadership and Decision Making Leadership Essentials

Question: Discuss about theEthical Leadership and Decision Makingfor Leadership Essentials. Answer: Introduction Leading a team or a community is a very tough task and by establishing a clear vision in such a manner that the other individuals will follow willingly and also co-ordinating and balancing the interest of the team members and also of all other employees within a business corporation (Arnold and Boggs, 2015). There are four main factors for running a business land, labour, capital and entrepreneurship and the final character belies the vital importance of leadership in business. And hence leadership is considered as channel which makes all the elements work together for an organization. It also tunes all the necessary factors and solves the issues. A leadership is a skill or an ability in which an individual also works as a guide for his team and also for the other employees within the business corporation. A leaderless team is like an army without general. The leaders also provides guidance and directions and as well as providing motivation on a correct time is also necessary (Myatt, 2013). The below carried analysis has been focused on the essentials of leadership. Moreover the concepts of ethical leadership and decision making will be explained. Further how ethical leadership supports the decision making has been described. An activity which is concerned with the concept of leading the individuals or a group of people in an organization and guiding and providing them in a right direction so as to make them attain their personal and organizational goals (Zimmerman and Yahya-Zadeh, 2011). Leadership keeps an individual in position of authority with a number of responsibilities. Leader provides solutions to the issues and the conflicts if any in the team or group mates. Also providing relevant information, knowledge and updated methodologies for carrying out all the procedures and operations within an organization. There are various types of leadership styles which can be adopted by the business corporations. It is the duty of the leader to convey or communicate the plan, policies and the strategies which will be implemented for the working in the organization (Robbins and Judge, 2012). A leader is the person who motivates the employees or the team mates so as they will perform their tasks with more intere st and dedication. Confidence is another significant factor which is very much essential for performing any task and building the same is the duty of the leader. The concept or term ethical leadership is concerned with the form of leadership in which all the activities are carried out on the basis of ethical beliefs and values and also caring for rights and dignity of the team mates (Butts and Rich, 2012). Hence ethical leadership is all about honesty, trust and fairness. Ethics is basically the morals and the values which an individual should posses and are required while working in an organization. Ethical leadership if adapted by the leader will allow him to work as per the norms and the regulations which has been imposed by the internal authorities and also the external that are the governing bodies of the economy and this will bring enhancements in the quality of the products and the services provided by the organization (Chisholm-Burns, Vaillancourt and Shepherd, 2012). Setting of ethical standards for the organization will benefit the working culture of Business Corporation for example there should be a sense of fair and equal treatmen t for each and every individual. Decision making is one of the important aspect and main feature of the leader. Ethical decision making provides basic ideas about the ethics applied within an organizational structure such as equality to rights, justice, virtue and common good (Romiszowski, 2016). The process of decision making is totally dependent on the leader of the team and he must be bias in all his decisions as he is the authoritative personality (Solomon, 2014). Ethics is concerned with the kind of people we are and also the things we do or we fail to do. Ethics is about doing right things and hence ethical decision making is taking right decisions for the benefit of the employees and the organization (Shapiro and Stefkovich, 2016). For instance treating all the employees at an equal level as per their posts, giving fair salary and work can be considered as ethical decisions which are required to be taken by the management or the team leaders (Iphofen, 2016). Moreover the company can take decisions which are i n favour of the society or the environment, for instance the business entity can make use of the manufacturing processes which are environmental friendly. Leadership is a very much crucial task as it involves a heavy set of duties and responsibilities such as coordinating all the employees, solving the issues and conflicts amongst the team members if any, assigning tasks according the posts and also paying for the same on the basis of performance (Northouse, 2012). As there are a number of roles to be played by the leader and in all his functionalities he needs to be ethical it creates many impacts on the working of the team and also on the business corporation (. The managers are required to follow sense of equality as they will have a great impacts on other related decisions, for instance if the managers are not bias or partial towards any of the individual in his team, an equal level of importance has been provided to each and every employee then they will be motivated to work with a greater dedication (Zhu. 2011). This in-turn increases the efficiency of the working of the workforce and also the firm will be benefited from this (Jo hnson, 2013). Apart from this if the leaders are following ethical procedures and mechanisms in the organizational culture and structure then this will have a positive impact on the image of the corporation. Following ethics will be proven beneficial for the business entity as it will id in developing the sense of trust among the clients and the consumers (Ford and Richardson, 2013). This will build the goodwill of the organization and which is a plus point as a high level of goodwill attracts more consumers and also retaining of the existing one becomes very easy. Moreover if the company is working as per the guidelines and has adapted an ethical cultural and also has working in the norms which has been prescribed by the governing bodies then there will be a less interference and restriction of the government. This will develop a flawless and comfortable working environment and will also enhance the quality and quantity of the production of the company. The management team of the b usiness organization should keep a proper monitoring regarding the implementation of the leadership within the organizational structure; they should have keen observation that all the functionalities or the operating activities carried out within a specified leadership style should be ethical and the same it should be with the decision making (Cole and Seaman. 2014). The decisions taken should be fair and in favour of employees. Ethics and the principles provides various modern concepts for work, business and organizations, which broaden the individual and corporate priorities far beyond traditional business aims of profit an shareholder enrichment. Ethical factors are also significant factors which are easily capable of influencing the public or private business corporations for whom the traditional priorities of service quality, and cost management (Daft, 2014). There are various issues related to the modern concepts of ethical decision making and below mentioned are some of them:- (CSR) Corporate social responsibility. Globalization and modernization Corporate governance. Modern organizations have priority and also focus mainly on consumers satisfaction by providing them the best quality of products and services and also after sales services as consumer satisfaction at the highest level is their prime motive. Moreover there are many types of decisions which are related to the welfare of the society, for instance the company should follow an eco-friendly manufacturing process and also provide a environmental friendly packaging material so as it does not affect the society (Shin, 2012). A positive and healthy culture will motivate the morale of the employees and which in-turn will enhance the productivity of the business corporation and employee retention will also become easy. This will also benefit the company in financial terms. An increase in the level of productivity will increase the efficiency of the corporation and whereas the labour cost will also be decreased due to the increase in the employee retention. The concept is considered as to be one of the most important aspect within the working culture of the business organization. Ethical leadership is known to be connected with the personal features such as honesty, loyalty and trustworthiness (Robbins and Judge, 2012). And the leaders who follow these principles or ethics are considered as ethical decision makers. This type of decision makers are very much involved into taking care of their team mates or the team members, they treat with a sense of equality and also motivate them at a regular basis so as to enhance their performance level which in-turn will be beneficial for the organization. The ethical leaders also give importance to the society or the consumers, the decisions are taken on the basis of the needs and the requirements of the society and they also take care of the interest of the consumers. Moral identity is also associated with these leaders for example they are charitable (Renz, 2016). They organize for charity events and other social welfare campaigns or activities for the public. Behaving in an ethical manner for a leader is of very much important as this element directly or indirectly affects the behaviour of their juniors or subordinates. A lenient behaviour of the leader will increase the rate of leniency in the team and also the impressions of the decisions taken by the team leader will not be so effective. Ethical leadership style brings discipline to the working culture and which will tend the team to work in an appropriate manner and hence any decisions will be creating more impressions. Further, code of ethics are the outlines of the mission and vision statements which are created for carrying out the business activities in the corporation. They also provide a traced path for the professionals and using the same path they are expected to reach or approach the issues. So in this way the ethical leadership is associated with code of ethics (Chisholm-Burns, Vaillancourt and Shepherd, 2012 ). Another factor which can be considered significant one is that rewards which are one of the greatest motivational aspect for an employees. Ethical leadership will tend to be fair and provide necessary performance based incentives or rewards if any achieved by the individual in the team. Codes of ethics are the documents which act as evidence to mission statement and rewards are the motivational factor and both of these are co-related. As the mission statements are the objectives and which are required to be attained by the employees. The employees will be motivated to work when they will be rewarded for their performance (Shapiro and Stefkovich, 2016). So if the workforce is rewarded then they will be working with more dedication and will be achieving the mission of the organization in an ethical manner with an ease. The concept of leadership has to be considered as one of the most significant aspect in the working and operating activities of the business corporations. Ethical leadership provides a company with the outline of the mission and vision statement and also many more morality and value based functions which are to be carried out essentially and efficiently. So leadership plays a significant role in any business corporation and there will be many negative effects if there is no leadership in an organization (Zhu. 2011). The below mentioned are some of the effects of the same:- Leadership provides a traced path to the organization for attaining their goals and objectives and if how to attain the goals have not been decided then it will be problematic for the business organization. The leadership provides the workforce the knowledge and the information which is relevant for them and for their working and keeps them updated so as to compete the changing environment and marketing conditions (Myatt. 2013). If not done so then it will be difficult for the firm to survive in the competitive environment and also tackling the competitors will be tough. A leadership without act as a captain of team for an organization and a team without captain is aimless team. There will be a number of diverse changes in the business corporation if there is no leadership (Ford and Richardson, 2013). Leadership provides aim to the team so without a leadership they will be working aimless. Moreover there will be no sense of discipline as leadership maintains the rules and regulations which are required to be followed by the employees. The working will not be in a structural format if there is no leadership. Moreover maintaining ethics is the primary of the approach and no leadership in an organization will effects the ethical working. Conclusion The above carried out analysis concludes hat leadership is a very significant for any of the business organization. It enables an organization in surviving and keeping themselves forward in this competitive world. And being ethical is also of same importance as ethics are the morals and the values which make a business organization to perform the operational activities in a correct and appropriate manner. Moreover the significance of ethical leadership in an ethical decision making process has been explained. Further the development and the effects of the concept of the ethical decision making in a contemporary business corporation has been also explained. And ethical leadership as the most essential factor for the ethical decision making process by making use of code of ethics and rewards to the employees has been described. References Myatt, M 2013, Why Your Organization Suffers From Leadership Dysfunction, Viewed on 20th Feb 2017, https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2013/03/21/why-your-organization-suffers-from-leadership-dysfunction/#16f506eb17a6. Zhu, P 2011, The cause and effect of poor leadership, Viewed on 20th Feb 2017, https://futureofcio.blogspot.in/2015/03/the-cause-and-effect-of-poor-leadership.html. Cole, B and Seaman, R 2014, When Leaders Don't Lead: The Consequences, Causes, and Cures for Leadership Failure, Viewed on 20th Feb 2017, https://www.mentalgamecoach.com/articles/WhenLeadersDontLead.html. Daft, R.L., 2014. The leadership experience. Cengage Learning. Robbins, S.P. and Judge, T., 2012. Essentials of organizational behavior. Essex: Pearson. Chisholm-Burns, M.A., Vaillancourt, A.M. and Shepherd, M., 2012. Pharmacy management, leadership, marketing, and finance. Jones Bartlett Publishers. Shapiro, J.P. and Stefkovich, J.A., 2016. Ethical leadership and decision making in education: Applying theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas. Routledge. Ford, R.C. and Richardson, W.D., 2013. Ethical decision making: A review of the empirical literature. 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