Ulrich Beck is a German sociologist who has elaborated a formulation of the theory of reflexive

While adolescents struggle to find their identity in the world, some struggle between two different worlds: firstly) conforming to the behaviors in western society; and secondly) having pride in one’s culture. In accordance:

In today’s culture people are not individuals they are consumers and they have lost their ability to have their own experiences. In “The Loss of the Creature” by Walker Percy, he talks about why people have lost their sovereignty and how they can get it back. There are a lot of things that people can do differently and regain their individuality back from the consumer culture that they live in.

Historically, young people’s lives were governed by class structure and gender normative roles. However, the decline of traditional institutions and ascribed life courses in late modernity has given rise to the reconceptualization of youth and new sociological perspectives on youth experiences. Rather than defined by social structures, late modern perspectives emphasize the role of agency, that is autonomous decisions, in shaping the lives of contemporary youth. Ulrich Beck’s (1992) individualization thesis highlights the notion of agency in late modern society. According to Beck (1992) individuals are no longer bound by social and cultural constraints and thus must “construct their own biographies” on the basis of individual choice, failure and aspiration (1992, p.3). However, by focusing on autonomous decisions, the individualization thesis has been criticized for overemphasizing the role of agency and thus rejecting social disparities, such as class, gender, and race, which continue to shape youth experiences (Cartmel & Furlong 2006). In contrast, proponents of the thesis maintain that individualization highlights the evolution of social structures in late modernity, thereby conceptualizing the changing nature of youth experiences (Woodman & Wyn 2014). In line with these arguments, this essay will examine young people’s lives in terms of the individualization thesis. Furthermore, it will attempt to address the criticisms associated with individualization.

The theme of identity is related to the dystopian society which forces the individuals to conform the radical social

In “Individual Autonomy and Social Structure”, Dorothy Lee discusses different types of cultures within a given society. Lee states that “the principle of personal autonomy is supported by the cultural framework.”(Lee, 5). Lee examines the differences between the individual autonomy of non-western societies and the autonomy of western societies in order to better the society we live in. The reading gave Lee’s point of view on how different societies deal with their conflicts. The conflict between the social structure in western society and individual autonomy is the key social problem that Lee is addressing. Individual autonomy is understood by one’s capacity to decide for them self, to be one’s own person, and the ability to determine their own actions. Individual autonomy is a large principle in western society, as individuals are free to make their own decisions, without being restricted by societies norms. In the article, Lee describes that personal autonomy can lead to lawlessness and chaos in our western culture. Dorothy Lee talks about individual autonomy and the social structure in western culture, and how it is very difficult to comply these two areas in order for them to work in accordance to one another.

In this paper I will be writing about the life cycle and the understanding of what impacts an individual. I will be explaining three major concepts such as how self-determination impacts an individual’s ability to successfully negotiate challenges in each life cycle. Also how autonomy impacts an individual’s ability to successfully negotiate challenges in each life cycle and how policies and legislation could impact the family during each life cycle.

“COMMUNITY, IDENTITY, STABILITY” is the motto the citizens of the World State adhere to. The motto stresses the need for everyone to work together, and discourages individualism. Their society believes that when an “individual feels, the community reels”, meaning when an individual begins to feel real emotion, society behaves in a disorderly manner. When one longs to achieve happiness and meaningfulness, they may abandon everything they know in the pursuit of discovering their passion. In this pursuit one may encounter a cultural conflict that is hazardous to themselves and society, thus creating disorder in the world in which they call their home.

In sociological theory there are many concepts discussed that are utilized in the analyses of society and culture. Some of the main concepts are Postmodernism, Historical Materialism, Structuralism, Interpretive Sociology and Poststructuralism to name a few. These theories are relevant to the research of understanding certain or specific cultural texts. These concepts provide problems and solutions associated with some of the research approaches fore-mentioned. Analysing the main dimensions will be covered by discussing the appropriate concepts separately and by individually contrasting the classical and modern theories with Quentin

Cordova discuss in meaning of individualism and its relation to community in depth within this section of reading. Within Native American society the individual, brought forth by the soul and mind, is allowed to choose their own path and process with growth. This concept is instilled through birth and children are expect to put forth there individualistic selves, with the understanding that one day they must give back to the society of which they are apart of. This is in contrast of western beliefs, in which a child becomes dependent upon the society of which they come and their place is chosen for them within that society. One of the reasons for such contrasting ideologies is because of how these two groups, Westerns and Native Americans, understand the meaning of space

When we are born, we carry a huge cloud over our head. It stays with us our entire life until death, we all know it as socialization. Socialization is a term used by sociologist to refer to the lifelong process whereby people are made aware of the behavior that others expect of them as regards the norms, values, and culture of their society. In this paper I will talk about how my life has been affected due to socialization by my gender, race, religion and social class. I will also relate my personal experience to sociological research.

and they no longer wish to fulfil their current social roles; and society allows for disengagement in order to provide jobs for those coming of age, to satisfy the social needs of a nuclear family, and because people die. • Once disengaged, remaining relationships shift, rewards of them may change, and hierarchies may also shift. • Disengagement occurs across all cultures, but is shaped by the culture in which it

all of us have the potential to control our own lives but that many of us are too afraid to do so [and] as a result we give up our freedom and allow our lives to be governed by circumstance, other people, political ideology or irrational feelings (McLeod, 2013, para. 21)

Human beings are social by nature. Necessity induces them to live in society. As, they have a variety of needs. If they lead a cooperative life with his fellow beings in society they can easily get their needs fulfilled. Many of their needs will remain unsatisfied if they does not lead a cooperative life with his fellow beings. They characteristically have a fundamental need and desire to maintain positive social relationships. As stated in the previous chapter, the new assemblages of relative deterritorialization has brought in several changes in the social and private lives of the characters. They are affected by the decay and disorder of their culture because of the social changes. They have been uprooted from the set beliefs and scattered

Moreover, as an individual grows up from being a child, they receive cultural values from the family or the society around. There are questions raised on matters dealing with identity: Can an individual choose his or her own

In most case, identity is shaped by culture. Since culture is a set of ideals life practices, routines and attitudes set up by a certain community hence culture plays a major role in shaping the identity of an individual. An individual’s character and attributes can be because of their background. This is due to the set up that one has grown up (Dumas 19). People tend to learn more about their culture, and as they grow up it becomes part of them. They embrace the culture’s beliefs and tend to do things following the set routines. The aspect of following the set routine and beliefs play a significant part in shaping the identity of an individual.