Get sociology or die trying

25/12/2018

Are nothing

18/10/2018

01/01/2018

شركة YouGov هي واحدة من أبرز الشركات الرائدة عالمياً في مجال تقديم الخدمات الشاملة عن أبحاث السوق.

06/02/2017

ماهو اخطر شيء يهدد الجزائر?
قد يتبادر الى الاذهان انه التهديد الخارجي او انهيار اسعار النفط او الاحتباس الحراري او...
لكن هذه الاشياء السابقة ليست كذلك وانما هو 'انهيار الطبقة الوسطى' في المجتمع الجزائري هذا الاخير الذي ليس مبنيا على الطبقية 'المفرطة الفاضحة' ولكنها اي الطبقات تجد طريقها من خلال التقسيم العشوائي غير البريئ للثروة
من خصائص الطبقة الوسطى انها تعرف بصمام الامان للمجتمع بمعنى ذلك ان لطبقة البورجوازية في الغالب مشغولة بجمع ثرواتها وزيادة أرباحها.اما الطبقة الدنيا فتكاد تنحصر همومها اليومية في تأمين لقمة عيشها لاستمرار حياتها. مما يبعدهما (اي الطبقتين المذكورتين انفا)عن التفكير بهموم الوطن مما يجعله منحصرا في الطبقة الوسطى لذلك ي صمام الامان في الجتمع مما يجعل تاكلها واختفائها الوطن منقسما بين عالمين «عالم مستبد» خاص بالأثرياء و «عالم تعيس» خاص بالفقراء انذاك سلام عليك ايها الوطن.......................النظام يجب عليه الالتفات اهذه الطبقة كي يتفادى انفجارا للاوضاع لايعلم مداه الا الله

14/12/2016

الاخطاء التراكمية و الحلول التراكمية
ان الوقوع في الخطأ طبيعة بشرية ولا أحد معصوم عن الخطأ .. والعبرة في من اعتبر و كان أكثر حذراً بعد وقوعه في خطأ ما سواء كان مؤلماً أو محزناً أو قد ترتب عليه عواقب و نتائج. ولكن في المقابل ان الوقوع في الاخطاء الجماعية امر غير مقبول البتة لا في الاديان ولا في غيرها وغير مقبول ايضا في اي من النظريات الاجتماعية وغيرها ايضا. فمابالك اذا كانت الاخطاء ممتدة على فترة زمنية طويلة هنا اصبح الخطا مقدسا او كان كذلك واصبح مؤسسا ما قال "محمد اركون " .ومما سبق تكونت لدينا فكرة عن الاخطاء وماهيتها ومدى تراكميتها في السياق التاريخي ومدى التعلق بها في المخيال الشعبي ومن امثلة ذلك اختيار النهج الاشتراكي بعد الاستقلال بالرغم من توفر عدة اختيارات غيره فمثلا كان يمكن اتخاذ النهج اليساري سياسيا ويبقى اختيار النهج الاجتماعي والاقتصادي بنظرة اكثر براغماتية 'مفيدة' لنا قبل غيرنا.هذا مجرد مثال وليس لاستحضار الماضي
اما عن الحلول فيجب ان تمر عبر دائرة القدسية ايضا لانها تمثل قيمة متغيرة لا تخصع لاعتبارات سياسية او جهوية او حزبية او...................وبعد ذلك تمر عبر دائرة التاسيس لها لكي يتسنى للمجتمع صاحب الخبرة في التعامل مع الحلول الكلية .وبالرغم من تشاؤم الكثيرين من دور المجتمع في ايجاد الحلول الا انه لاينكر احد قدرة ذات المجتمع في التعامل مع الحلول الى درجة التعاطي

07/12/2016

ISLAMOPHOBIA

Islamophobia is a very interesting term which has become more prevalent since the 11 September terror strikes. Home minister John Denham referred to the term as a cancer. But what is Islamophobia? It is the fear of Islam, a behaviour in some people when they hear about Islam. This leads to the intolerance of Muslims because of their religion. It can be caused by the negative image that is being portrayed of Islam.

The impacts of Islamophobia have affected the global community especially the Muslims. Ever since the events of 11 September, the intolerance of Muslims and hatred towards them has escalated - there has been a big rise in physical attacks on Muslims in Britain including attacks on places of worship. This includes men, women and children being harassed in the streets, schools and at the work place.

I have listed below some of the findings of the European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) below:

(Examples of the attacks on Muslims in UK)

Windows smashed at Glasgow 's Central Mosque.
10 Pigs' heads left outside an Essex Mosque
Afghan Taxi driver paralysed in an attack during which the attacker referred to 11 September
Women and Children chased into own home by men who called them terrorists
Asian Woman attacked with a hammer on a train by a man who shouted: “You want killing for what you did in America .”
The research findings of the University of Leicester (2002), stated that attacks included abuse hurled at children on their way to school or women shopping, to one reported incident where a baby was tipped out of a pram. These cases clearly show exactly how serious this cancer can be!

The Muslims living in the ‘Free World' feel as if they are ‘under siege.' They are becoming completely demoralized. Muslims now feel afraid to do their daily shopping. They do not feel safe anymore at places of worship, leisure or even at home.

Immediately after the 11 September attacks, there were a number of cases where Muslim passengers were asked to leave the plane even after boarding because some of the Non-Muslim passengers were afraid. Till this day for some reason, it seems as if only Muslims are singled out and double - checked before boarding airliners.

This whole scenario has caused the Muslim community to feel vulnerable and victimized. A friend of mine was forced to drop out of an undergraduate course in Aeronautics because of his Non-Muslim colleagues' attitude towards him just because he is a Muslim.

Although the level of Islamophobia might have fallen now according to various surveys that have been carried out, it must be acknowledged that there are a vast number of cases that were not and still are not being reported.

Sulaiman Nagdi of the Federation of Muslim Organisations in Leicester stated:

“Within Leicester 's ethnic minorities there is a silent majority. That means that many incidents go unreported. People are too timid to speak out by nature.”

I feel that it is extremely ironic that Muslims in Britain should feel and respond in this manner.

How can we end the affects of Islamophobia? What measures need to be taken to tackle the problem? What is the way forward? As a result of my research, I have discovered a number of issues that I feel, are the key factors in fuelling Islamophobia. I will also present steps that I believe will be effective in eliminating the cancer of Islamophobia.

1. THE MEDIA

The damage caused by the media was colossal. Inflammatory reporting needs to come to an end. One of the most serious problems caused by the media is its use of language and terms that become big bold headlines across the globe.

‘ Islamic Militants,' ‘Muslim Terrorists .' Why are the words Islam and Muslims used? A terrorist is a terrorist! They have no link with Islam and Muslims. The fact that they claim to be fighting for the cause of Islam is irrelevant.

It is interesting to note that Roman Catholics have bombed parts of our country, but they are referred to as the Irish Republican Army, they are not called Christian Militants for some reason!

Similarly, when one of the Prime Ministers of Israel was assassinated by a Jewish suicide-bomber, the whole of the Jewish community was not hated because of a certain individual's extremist views.

When a devout Christian blew up the Federal Building in Oklahoma , no connections were made with his acts of terror and Christianity. It is unfair to stain the pure teachings of Islam by making a direct link between Islam and terrorists.

However, the media has improved its stance since its inflammatory reporting during the immediate aftermath of the 11 September attacks but the damage had already been done. The way forward is to ensure that it doesn't happen again.

2. LEGISLATION The enforcement of new laws to protect Muslims is vital. There is a need for legislation against racial discrimination and the incitement of hatred towards Muslims. There is a need for Laws that provide protection from direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimization in the workplace.

3. EDUCATION

A large majority of Non-Muslims in the U.K. do not really know what Islam really is. They only get to see Muslims in war-torn Iraq , Palestine and Afghanistan and an image of violence is created in their minds.

I think it would be a good idea to broadcast programmes frequently on the basic tenets of Islam. This will educate Non-Muslims and help them understand the followers of Islam and their culture.

Immediately after the U.S. terror attacks, the Japanese government consulted Muslim leaders in Tokyo and broadcasted Islamic programmes on Japanese television. These programmes would be shown four to five times a week. This has helped Japanese people understand Muslims and their culture.

The government should consider investing in this field - it will promote a better understanding of the pure message of peace loving Muslims.

4. PUBLIC PRONOUNCEMENTS

Muslim groups have stressed on the fact that a number of politicians have been causing problems with insensitive remarks such as those made by former Home Secretary David Blunkett when he stressed that he felt that there was a sense of ‘ isolationism ' amongst the Muslim community.

Politicians on the whole need to be more cautious and delicate when making public announcements. They need to be more sensitive and equally responsible to avoid the detonation of anti-islamic feeling.

5. BRIDGE BUILDING EXERCISE

The ‘ Bridge building exercise ' or ‘ Islam Awareness Week ' is an event that hopes to address the threat posed by Islamophobia in the U.K. The event features food festivals, exhibitions and invitations to Non–Muslims to sit down and share traditional meals with Muslims.

Islam Awareness Week was first launched in 1994. It has proven to be a very affective resort. To broaden the positive impacts of the event, it would be a good idea to advertise it at a larger scale to ensure maximum publicity. Events of this nature should take place more often.

“Never has it been so important to hold an awareness raising week that can refute the myths and misunderstandings that surround the Islamic faith and demonstrate to the British public that we are a peace-loving community. Muslims form an integral part of U.K. society.”

6. POLICE PROTECTION

U.K. Islamophobia heightened after the events of September 11 and during the war in Afghanistan . The attacks declined until the war in Iraq came into being. The attacks increased again. It is believed that the Police Force are doing all they can but there have been numerous instances where the police did not respond to cases involving vulnerable locations such as religious institutes.

“Islamophobia was wrong before 11 September and is wrong today. The real Islam is a religion of peace, tolerance and understanding.”

We learn from this case study that the fear of Islam is caused by the result of being misinformed and ignorant of Islamic beliefs. I would like to conclude with a quotation of a Polish Nobel Prize Winning Chemist, Marie Curie (1867-1934), with hope that it may help cure those who suffer from Islamophobia:

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.”

04/12/2016

IBN KHALDOUN

04/12/2016

Ibn khaldoun the founding father of sociology
Ibn Khaldoon was born in Tunisia in 1333,d o a fairly well-to-do family who had earlier migrated from Seville in Muslim Spain. His lineage goes to Yemen which land our hero's family had left in the company of the army that conquered Spain.

During his childhood in Tunis, Ibn Khaldoon must have had his share in his family's active participation in the intellectual life of the city, and to a lesser degree, its political life, the household in which Ibn Khaldoon was raised was frequented by the political and intellectual leaders of Western Islam (i.e. North Africa and Spain), many of whom took refuge there and were protected against angry rulers.

Ibn Khaldoon led a very active political life before he decided to write his well-known masterpiece on history. He worked for rulers in Tunis and Fez (in Morocco), Granada (in Muslim Spain) and Baja (in Tunisia) successively. At the age of forty-three, Ibn Khaldoon finally succeeded in crossing over once more to Muslim Spain, not with ambitious designs of his youth, but as a tired and embittered man with no purpose save escaping the turmoil of North Africa." Unfortunately, the ruler of Granada caused Ibn Khaldoon's friend, Ibn Al-Khateeb, to flee to North Africa. When he learnt of Ibn Khaldoon's attempts to help his friend, he was expelled from Granada. So he went back to North Africa to spend four years in seclusion to do some thinking in peace.

Intellectually, Ibn Khaldoon was well-educated, having studied (in Tunis first and Fez later) the Quran, Hadeeth and other branches of Islamic studies such as dialectical theology, Sharee'ah (Islamic Jurisprudence). He also studied Arabic literature, philosophy, mathematics and astronomy. But we can safely say that Ibn Khaldoon learnt very much from the school of life in which he actively participated, moving from place to place and from one royal court to another, sometimes at his own will, but often forced to do so by plotting rivals or despotic rulers.

Ibn Khaldoon learnt much from his meetings with all sorts of rulers, ambassadors, politicians and scholars, he came in contact with in North Africa, Muslim Spain, Egypt and other parts of the Muslim World. All of these circumstances and experiences seem to have contributed to the formation of his views on history, culture and society, neatly expressed in his book on history and concisely summed up in his well-known master-piece “Al-Muqaddimah (‘Prologue’).”

The revolutionary views of Ibn Khaldoon have always attracted not only Arab scholars’ attention but the attention of many a Western thinker as well. In his study of history Ibn Khaldoon was a pioneer in subjecting historical reports to the two basic criteria of (1) reason and (2) social and physical laws. He considered the following four points worthy of consideration in studying and analyzing historical reports:

1. Relating events to each other through cause and effect.

2. Drawing analogy between the past and the present.

3. Taking into consideration the effect of the environment.

4. Taking into consideration the effect of inherited and economic conditions.

But Ibn Khaldoon's work was more than a critical study of history. It was, in fact, a study of human civilization in general, its beginning, factors contributing to its development, and the causes of its decline. Thus, unwittingly, Ibn Khaldoon founded a new science: The science of social development or sociology, as we call it today.

“I have written on history a book in which I discussed the causes and effects of the development of states and civilizations, and I followed in arranging the material of the book an unfamiliar method, and I followed in writing it a strange and innovative way.” These are the words of Ibn Khaldoon indicating the new interesting method he followed in the study of history, whereby he created, in effect two new sciences: Historiology and Sociology at the same time.

Due to his emphasis on reason and its necessity in judging history and social events, it has been claimed that Ibn Khaldoon tried to refute conventional religious knowledge and substitute it with reason and rational philosophy. The claim is founded on a false premise or assumption, i.e. that religion and reason are necessarily in conflict with each other. Naturally, it is true that some religions do teach things which are irrational in nature. But this is certainly not true of Islam which has always encouraged observation and thinking and condemned the non-believers for not using their reason and thinking. There are many verses in the Qur'an to this effect.

The close relationship between Ibn Khaldoon's views and Islam are clearly seen in his remarks on the role of religion in unifying the Arabs and bringing progress and development to their society. We also see that connection in his opinion on the close affinity between religion and the state, pointing out that injustice and despotism are clear signs of the downfall of the state. On philosophy, Ibn Khaldoon points out that metaphysical philosophy has one advantage only, which is to sharpen one's wits. For knowledge of the metaphysical world, especially in matters of belief, can only be derived from the divine revelation, i.e. the Quran and the Sunnah.

In education, Ibn Khaldoon was a pioneer when he remarked that suppression and use of force are enemies to learning, and that they lead to laziness, lying and hypocrisy. He also pointed out to the necessity of good models and practice for the command of good linguistic habits.

Because the era of Ibn Khaldoon was an age of decline for Muslim civilization, and most of the efforts of scholarship were directed to collecting, summarizing and memorization of the body of knowledge left by the ancestors, he severely attacked those unhealthy practices that led to stagnation and to the stifling of creativity on the part of Muslim scholars.

But if Ibn Khaldoon made some interesting contribution to education, he certainly made a major and pioneering contribution in the fields of sociological and historical studies. For it was he who pointed to the necessity of subjecting both social and historical phenomena to scientific objective analysis. He noted that those phenomena were not the outcome of chance, but were rather controlled by laws that had to be discovered and applied in our study of society, civilization and history. Historians, he remarked, committed errors in their study of historical events, due to three major factors:

1) Their ignorance of the natures of civilization and peoples, (2) their bias and prejudice and (3) their blind acceptance of reports given by others.

Ibn Khaldoon pointed out that true progress and development comes through correct understanding of history, and the latter can only be achieved by observing the following:

2) Absolute objectivity, which means that the historian should not be in any way show prejudice for or against anyone or any idea.

3) Confirmation and scrutiny of reported information. One should learn all one can about the historians whose reports one hears or reads. One should check their morals and trustworthiness before accepting their reports.

4) Not limiting history to the study of political and military news or to news about rulers and states. For history should include the study of all social, religious and economic conditions.

These were but a few of the many interesting views left by Ibn Khaldoon in his famous Al-Muqaddimah (‘Prologue’) and his book on history, two masterpieces that have left clear marks on human thought and its development.

03/12/2016

Social Movements and the Left
EVER SINCE LEFTIST governments were installed in Latin America in the late 20th century, much of the political commentary and political science literature has focused on them, while largely ignoring the social movements. In fact, these movements not only played a big role in the 1990s as advocates of social justice and democracy, but their protests were instrumental in getting the progressive leaders elected.

In this collection of essays, Social Movements and Leftist Governments in Latin America, the editors right the balance by turning their attention to the movements. They had asked the contributors to examine the relationship between progressive social movements and progressive governments in the 2000s.*

The movements considered here are often called “new” social movements for the following reasons: They are made up of previously marginalized groups, like the Indigenous and environmentalists; the movements usually seek autonomy from political parties and governments; and they use nonviolent direct action instead of the armed struggle of the historic left.

As the essays in this book relate, these movements faced some combination of cooptation, confrontation, and cooperation from the governments they helped to bring to power.

Cooptation has been most thorough in Chile, where the social democratic coalition government lasted until 2010. Edward Grieves does a case study of one neighborhood in Santiago and then analyzes the rest of civil society. In this neighborhood, the popular movements have been integrated with the municipal government through social programs and the inclusion of activists in positions of authority.

In Chile overall, the state and the market have penetrated virtually all of civil society. Popular movements are weak. However, the student movement, which has the neoliberal state as its target, may point the way to a broader challenge to the government in the future.

In Argentina, where Peronism has always tried to blunt challenges to government authority, the pattern continues in the 21st century. Most social movements have been coopted by the Peronist, moderate government of Nestor and then Cristina Kirchner.

The neighborhood-based piqueteros (road picketers) were the most visible of these former social insurgencies. Many were integrated with the state through subsidies and government posts. Overall, the movements lacked organization and a political party of their own to press for change.

The essays on Chile and Argentina suggest that, in the eyes of the writers, both sides benefited from cooptation, with the movements getting material benefits and the government, stability.

Strained Relations

In contrast, Brazil’s most important movement, the Landless Workers Movement (MST), has remained independent of the moderate, poverty-alleviating government of Lula and his successor Dilma Rousseff. As Lula moved rightward, the MST pursued its radical posture, continuing with land takeovers. This movement believes that it is more effective if it remains independent of the state, so as to pressure it.

But as strained as the situation is in Brazil, it is in Ecuador that the movements have the most difficult relations with the government. Rafael Correa and his government are often grouped with the radical left; he calls himself a socialist; his rhetoric is anticapitalist; and he has done much for the poor majority, as Marc Becker notes. Yet the social movements accuse him, rightly, of hewing to a capitalist model of development.

Correa has also marginalized the movements. Further, in the case of Indigenous groups, (some of which receive U. S. funding), he also represses protests against extractive enterprises that affect their land. The Indigenous often clash with the government over mining and water policies.

Venezuela and Bolivia also engage in extractive industries, but in contrast to Ecuador have opened political spaces for the popular organizations. In these two remaining radical left states, neither government can count on the unqualified support of the base.

In Bolivia the ruling party, the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), and the presidency of the indigenous Evo Morales are built squarely upon the social movements, especially the coca growers’ unions and the several indigenous organizations. Cooperation between the unions and the government is strong. This is because of “a shared solidarity — class, ethnocultural and revolutionary.”

However, significant protests by the MAS-allied movements arose during Morales’ second term. “Their complex relationships (both complementary and conflictive)” remain. The same may be said for the state-focused movements of Venezuela.

This volume is useful in so far as it lays out the relationship between movements and government. I have two reservations. First, the essay on Venezuela by Daniel Hellinger focuses too much on rent-seeking behavior (Venezuela is oil-dependent) and its consequences for the urban poor including clientalism, and not enough on the situation of the state and the largely supportive social movements.

Secondly, the authors do not engage with those aspects of the movements that do not seek state power. Several social movements, including the Brazilian MST and some groups of piqueteros in Argentina, regard autonomy from the government as basic to their anti-statist, anti-capitalist vision.

The editors state that in their opinion, the social movements have no power to effect change unless they are connected to the state apparatus. “No matter how powerful they may be, the social movements cannot hope to achieve all or part of their ambitious projects without the mechanisms of the state apparatus that a left party in power can provide.”

Both the editors and authors in this volume treat the power of the state as a necessary complement to the power of the social movements. I agree with this: Given the strength of neoliberalism at home and abroad, progressives need the state to effect change. To rely solely on the grassroots is to ignore the question of power.

At the same time, though, as Uruguayan analyst Raúl Zibechi and U. S. journalist Benjamin Dangl — who are not among the authors in this collection — have pointed out, the state generally weakens the autonomy and militancy of the social movements and dilutes their radical vision.

*Progressive governments can be moderate or radical. The editors and authors in this volume do not use Jorge Castañeda’s discredited terms — bad left (radical) and good left (moderate) — because all leftist states, they emphasize, operate in a capitalist framework. This fact enables the writers to be non-committal. In addition, perhaps they do not want to take sides. This reviewer believes that there is a difference between radical and moderate governments. The radical governments of Venezuela, Bolivia, and to a lesser extent, Ecuador, which I support, have challenged capitalism and imperialism; the moderate governments of Brazil, Chile and Uruguay are capitalist — and U.S. — friendly.

03/12/2016

why is sociology important
Importance Of Sociology

Prior to the emergence of sociology the study of society was carried on in an unscientific manner and society had never been the central concern of any science. It is through the study of sociology that the truly scientific study of the society has been possible. Sociology because of its bearing upon many of the problems of the present world has assumed such a great importance that it is considered to be the best approach to all the social sciences.
Sociology studies role of the institutions in the development of the individuals
It is through sociology that scientific study of the great social institutions and the relation of the individual to each is being made. The home and family ,the school and educaton,the church and religion, the state and government ,industry and work ,the community and association, these are institutions through which society functions. Sociology studies these institutions and their role in the development of the individual and suggests suitable measures for restrengthening them with a view to enable them to serve the individual better.
Study of sociology is indispensable for understanding and planning of society
Society is a complex phenomenon with a multitude of intricacies. It is impossible to understand and solve its numerous problems without support of sociology. It is rightly said that we cannot understand and mend society without any knowledge of its mechanism and construction. Without the investigation carried out by sociology no real effective social planning would be possible. It helps us to determine the most efficient means for reaching the goals agreed upon. A certain amount of knowledge about society is necessary before any social policies can be carried out.
Sociology is of great importance in the solution of social problems
The present world is suffering from many problems which can be solved through scientific study of the society. It is the task of sociology to study the social problems through the methods of scientific research and to find out solution to them. The scientific study of human affairs will ultimately provide the body of knowledge and principles that will enable us to control the conditions of social life and improve them.
Sociology has drawn our attention to the intrinsic worth and dignity of man
Sociology has been instrumental in changing our attitude towards human beings. In a specialized society we are all limited as to the amount of the whole organization and culture that we can experience directly. We can hardly know the people of other areas intimately. In order to have insight into and appreciation of the motives by which others live and the conditions under which they exist a knowledge of sociology is essential.
Sociology has changed our outlook with regard to the problems of crime
It is through the study of sociology that our whole outlook on various aspects of crime has change. The criminals are now treated as human beings suffering from mental deficiencies and efforts are accordingly made to rehabilitate them as useful members of the society.
Sociology has made great contribution to enrich human culture
Human culture has been made richer by the contribution of sociology. The social phenomenon is now understood in the light of scientific knowledge and enquiry. According to Lowie most of us harbor the comfortable delusion that our way of doing things is the only sensible if not only possible one. Sociology has given us training to have rational approach to questions concerning oneself, one's religion,customs,morals and institutions. It has further taught us to be objective, critical and dispassionate. It enables man to have better understanding both of himself and of others. By comparative study of societies and groups other than his existence ,his life becomes richer and fuller than it would otherwise be. Sociology also impresses upon us the necessity of overcoming narrow personal prejudices, ambitions and class hatred.
Sociology is of great importance in the solution of international problems
The progress made by physical sciences has brought the nations of the world nearer to each other. But in the social field the world has been left behind by the revolutionary progress of the science. The world is divided politically giving rise to stress and conflict. Men have failed to bring in peace. Sociology can help us in understanding the underlying causes and tensions.
The value of sociology lies in the fact that it keeps us update on modern situations
It contributes to making good citizens and finding solutions to the community problems. It adds to the knowledge of the society. It helps the individual find his relation to society. The study of social phenomena and of the ways and means of promoting what Giddens calls social adequacy is one of the most urgent needs of the modern society. Sociology has a strong appeal to all types of mind through its direct bearing upon many of the initial problems of the present world.