Affirmative Action for Appalachians?

Should affirmative action programs be extended to people from Appalachia who are equally qualified for jobs and educational opportunities as other applicants regardless of race and/or sex? What are your thoughts?

Origins of Sociology

For the last few days we have been discussing the early pioneers of the field of Sociology and events that influenced their thinking. For today's blog, I would like to discuss some of the issues that lead to an interest in the study of Sociology. Of the early pioneers mentioned, I would like us to think about their influence on society. As we do this, we want to consider the theories they established. For example, we learned about Herbert Spencer's perspective of Social Darwinism that promotes societies that are free of any forms of assistance and safety nets that help people who are in less fortunate places advance. This theory was very influential to many societies in the early 1900s as illustrated in the economic climate of many nations prior to the Great Depression. In America, the business climate was extremely fierce with a small number of wealthy executives and a large number of low paid workers, many of which were children. This was seen as enabling the "fittest" members of society to advance to their "proper position" in society as "the best and brightest" of leaders. The middle and working classes, as well as the poor were seen as less fit and also in their proper lot in life. This mindset influenced a cultural mindset that was short of compassionate. One example that comes to mind comes from the award winning movie Titanic. Towards the end of the movie as the ship is sinking one can't help but note which class of people had access to the limited amount of life boats. This is a great example of Social Darwinism at the time. If you have any insight about this particular point or any other points about the other pioneers and social conditions please feel free to discuss them on this blog.

Mr. Armentrout's Sociology Blog

Greetings and welcome to the Blog Spot for Sociology. The purpose of this board is to discuss multiple issues related to the field of Sociology.