Rrole-adaptations to the U.S.s cultural and social structures

by | Oct 8, 2024 | Culture

4. List, define, and briefly discuss the five role-adaptations to the U.S.s cultural and social structures
according to R.K. Merton. (50 points)
5. Define and briefly discuss the concepts of status, role, role-set and status-set, according to R.K.
Merton (50 points)
6. Present a summary of Malinowskis contributions/legacy to modern sociological functionalism, according
to Turner and Maryanski (50 points)

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

R.K. Merton identified five role adaptations to the U.S. cultural and social structures:

  1. Conformity: This adaptation occurs when individuals accept both the cultural goals and the institutionalized means to achieve them. For example, a person who works hard, goes to school, and follows the rules to achieve financial success is conforming to societal expectations.
  2. Innovation: This adaptation occurs when individuals accept the cultural goals but reject the institutionalized means to achieve them. For example, a criminal who commits crimes to achieve wealth and status is innovating.

R.K. Merton identified five role adaptations to the U.S. cultural and social structures:

  1. Conformity: This adaptation occurs when individuals accept both the cultural goals and the institutionalized means to achieve them. For example, a person who works hard, goes to school, and follows the rules to achieve financial success is conforming to societal expectations.
  2. Innovation: This adaptation occurs when individuals accept the cultural goals but reject the institutionalized means to achieve them. For example, a criminal who commits crimes to achieve wealth and status is innovating.
  1. Ritualism: This adaptation occurs when individuals reject the cultural goals but accept the institutionalized means. For example, a person who goes through the motions of working hard and following the rules but has given up on achieving societal goals is ritualistic.
  2. Retreatism: This adaptation occurs when individuals reject both the cultural goals and the institutionalized means. For example, a person who becomes a hermit or a drug addict is retreating from society.
  3. Rebellion: This adaptation occurs when individuals reject both the cultural goals and the institutionalized means and actively seek to change them. For example, a social activist who protests against societal norms and institutions is rebelling.

5. Status, Role, Role-Set, and Status-Set

According to R.K. Merton:

  • Status: A social position that an individual occupies in society. It can be achieved (e.g., doctor, lawyer) or ascribed (e.g., race, gender).
  • Role: The expected behaviors associated with a particular status. For example, a doctor’s role includes diagnosing and treating patients.
  • Role-Set: The multiple roles that an individual occupies simultaneously. For example, a person may be a parent, a spouse, and an employee, all of which involve different roles and expectations.
  • Status-Set: The combination of all the statuses that an individual occupies at a given time. For example, a person may have the status of a student, athlete, and friend.

6. Malinowski’s Contributions to Sociological Functionalism

Bronislaw Malinowski, a prominent anthropologist, made significant contributions to sociological functionalism. According to Turner and Maryanski, Malinowski’s legacy includes:

  • Emphasizing the importance of fieldwork: Malinowski advocated for firsthand observation and participation in the cultures being studied.
  • Focusing on the functions of institutions: He argued that social institutions exist to fulfill specific functions within a society.
  • Using functional analysis: Malinowski used functional analysis to understand how different elements of a society work together to maintain stability and equilibrium.
  • Critiquing structural-functionalism: Malinowski’s work challenged the structural-functionalist approach, emphasizing the importance of agency and individual action in shaping social structures.

Malinowski’s contributions have had a lasting impact on sociological theory and research, and his emphasis on fieldwork and functional analysis continues to be influential today.

 

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