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Modernization is supposed to make life easier and more enjoyable for everyone.  Everyone meaning the whole world. Even the most successful and wealthiest countries in the world struggle with poverty till this day. Our textbook describes the "Modernization Theory" as the world being poor, then after technological advancements ( ex. Industrial Revolution), raised living standards in many nations across the world. This example of Walmart delivering and putting your groceries away is an example of modernization and how "simple" life can be with these advancements. Unfortunately, this cannot happen worldwide, making modernization a luxury instead of a advancement worldwide.
Although the idea of technology advancing living standards are great there are still countries that exist who have not been able or refuse to participate in these advancements. Those in refusal are known as "traditional-directed", resisting industrial changes as touched on earlier. It is suggested that more modernized countries should "help struggling" countries. Although that sounds fantastic, some results of that in History is colonization, and the cold war. I think these two historical instances lead into what many poor countries resort to, the dependency theory.
The Dependency Theory is where poor societies have little ability to modernize so they depend of rich countries, who then abuse the land for natural resources and labour workers (Macionis, pg 547). You would think that big organizations like Walmart can contribute to advancing poor countries who could use the delivery into their homes, or to a whole village.

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Postmodernity is the "transformations caused by the information revolution and the postindustrial economy" (Macionis, pg 546). As generations keep coming, so much change is always being made and new discoveries are always creating drastic eye opening information to what we think is the norm. I think Postmodernity is always being created each time something new is incorporated into a society and once it fades another post modernity attitude is created. I also think that is why there is such a struggle to define it. This quote does a fantastic job of explaining this concept in a nutshell. Postmodernity has been a struggle to define, each time though the same topics are repeated.
1) Modernity has failed
* unemployment
* the power of want
* unemployment, poverty, and financial insecurity
2)Progress is fading
*less confidence in the future
*pessimism increased for themselves and their children
3) Science no longer holds answers
* too much faith in science
*science has failed to solve many old issues
* science and technology created new problems
4) Cultural debates are intensifying
*Social justice issues
*declining state of natural environment
*ANIMAL RIGHTS!
5) Social Institutions are changing
* so much change is leading to the recreation of society as a whole
* consisting of new ways of life ex. new ways of a functioning family
(Macionis, pg 546).

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Symbolic Interaction Perspective; Modernity and the Individual: Mass Society VS Class Society 

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Symbolic Interaction Perspective; Modernity and the Individual: Mass Society VS Class Society 

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In this video we see how Peter, the capitalist VS the Amish, an isolated group of people who refuse to engage with the rest of the worlds adaptations to modern society. Mass society ( way back when), in this case referring to the Amish demonstrates the lack of development in personal identities through their rigid and "correct ways" to think and behave through life, but still function successfully as a society . This is a great example of a "traditional- directedness" way of living, " Rigid conformity to time- honored ways of living"(Macionis, pg 542 & 543).  Class society demonstrates Peters free will to create an identity but could possibly still struggle to live a "free life" due to financial insecurity. Peter is a perfect example ( throughout the whole entire series) of a "other- directedness" character defined as, " openness to the latest trends and fashions, often expressed by intimidating others" (Macionis, pg 543 & 544).

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Social Conflict Theory: Modernity as a Class Society  

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Social Conflict Theory: Modernity as a Class Society  

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Class Society described by Karl Marx " a capitalist society with pronounced social stratification" (Macionis, pg 541). Capitalism brings great personal gains, but to the people that make these personal gains happen struggle with great inequalities. Class society stresses the expansion of capitalism and the persistence of inequality. While the elites like millionaires are still amongst us, many of them control private owned companies and property which has some kind of control or power attached to them. Although less powerful to the millionaires, many people enjoy the greater rights and freedoms associated with capitalism (Macionis, pg 541 & 542). I chose this example because although I think that it is hard to "climb up the ladder" of any corporation and to start one's own business but the opportunity to do so is appreciated in capitalist societies.

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Structural Functional Theory: Mass Society 

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Structural Functional Theory: Mass Society 

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Structural Functional Theory described through Durkheim and Weber is "modernity as the emergence of mass society" (Macionis, pg 539). As population increases, repeats of the same organization such as Walmart, Kmart, and Mcdonalds are found all over the nation, wherever you go. In these organizations the need for workers of any background or social status is needed to provide for the public. As technology, professions, and population expands less face to face contact and interactions come between those of lower and higher social classes resulting in more room for acceptance of our differences (Macionis, pg 540). To reach out to our societies diversity, these large organizations must also hire, advertise, and provide for the many communities. Walmart for example has low prices with just about anything you need which serves as a great resource for low income families. Also, the idea of the "melting pot" boils everyone down into one category that functions for the "majority".  Ways we conform to these melting pot ideas can be through policing, work, social economic status, and much more. Our textbook describes the mass society as " A society in which prosperity and expanding bureaucracy have weakened traditional ties" (Macionios, pg 539).

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The looming battle over abortion in the US - BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57208053

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Collective Behavior- Social Movements: Abortion 2022

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Collective Behavior- Social Movements: Abortion 2022

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Collective Behavior in our textbook is defined as " Activity involving a large number of people that is unplanned, often controversial, and can bring about change" ( Macionis, pg 528). Earlier this year the question whether abortion should be legal or not brought about major social movements across our nation. Social movements is defined as " an organized activity in which people set out to encourage or discourage social change" ( Macionis, pg 530). In this extremely sensitive topic it is understood many are pro abortion and many are also anti- abortion. Both sides to this topic I think defines social movement very well. Another topic that I believe would fit this idea is climate change.

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Contemporary Example of Social Change- Equality in Sports 

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Contemporary Example of Social Change- Equality in Sports 

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Although Title IX was intended to make sports an equal playing field for both men and women, many universities failed to make such adjustments. These amazing group of young ladies recognized, experienced, and fought to rid of such inequalities. Through a lawsuit that made the Hall of Fame in 2022, forced the equality in sports no matter the gender to universities across the nation. In our textbook, social change is described as " The transformation of culture and social institutions over time" ( Macionis, pg 526). We can see here that these brave women changed the social institution of sports in Universities through their lawsuit, which finally forced these institutions to properly enforce Title IV.

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Today, Amy Cohen, Megan Hull, Lisa Stern Kaplowitz, Eileen Rocchio, and Jennifer Todd are inducted into the Impact Fund Class Action Hall of Fame, and for good reason...

In the fall of 1988 I entered Brown University as a wide-eyed, optimistic freshman. I'd trained year round 5 nights a week for 10 years leading up to college. In 1990, as a sophomore, that work paid off - I was part of the first Brown Gymnastics Team ever to win an Ivy League Team Championship. Gymnastics was a huge part of my life at Brown. At no point was I the best gymnast at Brown but I was good enough to compete on every event in every meet.

Then, in the spring of my junior year, shortly after our season ended and I was chosen to be a co-captain for my senior year, I was told that Brown would eliminate the gymnastics team along with 3 other teams. The athletic director explained that he was asked to cut the athletic budget by 5%. We begged for another solution; we suggested he ask all coaches to trim 5% from their budgets to spare these 4 teams. He told us in no uncertain terms that he had made the decision and that his decision was final. He did let us know that if we could raise our own funds we could compete as a club varsity sport.

Immediately we set out to fundraise. We received support from gymnasts and coaches at other universities and from our families but little support, financially and otherwise, from the students, faculty or administration at Brown. A coach from another university sent us information about Title IX, the federal statute passed in 1972, which prohibits gender based discrimination at all institutions that receive federal funding. We read the information and learned that Brown, like most universities around the country, was not in compliance.

Using the information, the seniors on the team drafted a complaint for the Office of Civil Rights. Before they graduated they passed the complaint on to me as the incoming captain. I spent my summer looking for ways to raise money and figuring out what to do with the complaint. I contacted Arthur Bryant (now a partner with Bailey & Glasser, then with Public Justice) an expert on Title IX and women's sports. He explained that although schools across the country were in blatant violation of the law, the Office of Civil Rights had never taken away a school's federal funding for failure to comply with Title IX. He suggested we threaten a lawsuit.

By the fall of 1991, our team had raised the minimum amount needed to compete as a club varsity team for the new season. It was clear, however, that fundraising was not a viable option for the future. I arrived on campus excited for the athletic director to congratulate us for our hard work and for saving the team for one more year. Instead, he locked us out of our locker room and informed us that we could not see the athletic trainers, use the varsity weight room or hold home meets on weekends. At one point he even muttered, "I thought I got rid of you."

Feeling totally deflated and not seeing any other option, we told Arthur Bryant that we would like his help to bring a lawsuit against the university. He felt confident that if we announced our intentions, the university, knowing it was in clear violation of Title IX, would reverse its decision and return our team to full varsity status.

Arthur put together a team of local lawyers led by Lynette Labinger. They helped us hold a press conference to which Brown responded by holding its own press conference, saying it was a leader in women's sports and they'd see us in court. I became the named plaintiff in the case, and so began a 7 year process in which judges at every level agreed with us that Brown was in violation of Title IX. Along the way there were many victories: a preliminary injunction, an appeal, a trial, another appeal and a final appeal to the US Supreme Court. With each decision in our favor we hoped Brown had learned its lesson and would embrace the idea that women and men not only deserve - but also by federal mandate are required to be provided - equal opportunities in all areas of the university. We were, and still are, surprised at the continued resistance, backlash and walls that have been put up around this idea of equality.

I graduated before the case actually made it to court. As the case worked its way through the legal system, my teammates and I learned more and more about the history of women and sports, Title IX, the promises that had been made yet not fulfilled and the injustices that exist(ed) everywhere. We realized that this case was about much more than just getting our gymnastics team back. We became Title IX warriors. I have spoken at middle schools, high schools, camps, colleges and NCAA conferences. I have received many honors, which I have accepted not because I felt I was worthy, but because they have helped continue to bring attention to the inequalities and injustices in sports across our country.

In June of this year, Title IX turns 50. Over the past 50 years, progress has been made towards equality and equity in sports but, I am sad to say, we still have a long way to go. I hope that in my lifetime I will see true equity and equality.

Tagged: Amy Cohen, Cohen v Brown University, Brown Gymnastics, Gender Discrimination, Office of Civil Rights, Civil Rights, Arthur Bryant, Public Justice, Lynette Labinger, NCAA, Women's Sports, Women's Sports Equality, Megan Hull, Lisa Stern Kaplowitz, Eileen Rocchio, Jennifer Todd, Bailey & Glasser

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Class Action Hall of Fame, Class of 2022: Title IX Champions for Equality in Women's Sports - Impact Fund

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As the case worked its way through the legal system, my teammates and I learned more and more about the history of women and sports, Title IX, the promises that had been made yet not fulfilled and the injustices that exist(ed) everywhere.