I have to write a research paper for my Sociology class.
I just need some crit before I can get to it.
I wanted the sociology paper to be more on the origins of human productivity with emphasis on human development and cultivation into advertising and capitalism.
I will begin it with the idea that language is a tool used to solve a problem that problem is how to build with others.
Human productivity is a result of problem solving and the idea that we consume comes about because we don’t have time to build.
Advertising being a forced catalyst for the consumption and capitalism being the motive as well as the result. Capitalism as a cypher fueled by advertising and consumption.
I’m a Design Major not Anthropology. Help me out. Can we get a little discussion going please?
How long is your research paper to be? This might be too broad a topic for the typical paper. If you’re looking at only 10 - 15 pages, you might want to consider narrowing it. There is nothing worse than doing a bunch of research only to learn that you’d need 40 - 50 pages to adequatly address your topic.
[quote]meangenes wrote:
I have to write a research paper for my Sociology class.
I just need some crit before I can get to it.
I wanted the sociology paper to be more on the origins of human productivity with emphasis on human development and cultivation into advertising and capitalism.
I will begin it with the idea that language is a tool used to solve a problem that problem is how to build with others.
Human productivity is a result of problem solving and the idea that we consume comes about because we don’t have time to build.
Advertising being a forced catalyst for the consumption and capitalism being the motive as well as the result. Capitalism as a cypher fueled by advertising and consumption.
I’m a Design Major not Anthropology. Help me out. Can we get a little discussion going please?
[/quote]
Interesting. More specifically I would talk about productivity being the result of social cooperation and technology. You can talk about cooperation in terms of the division of labor and knowledge which leads to technological advancement.
I would be careful how you describe consumption. Consumption is a natural requirement of all life. We consume because we require energy, food, etc. Increased productivity is only brought about by social cooperation which allows us to consume more.
We produce because we require consumption – not the other way around. Look at it in terms of means and ends. Consumption is the ultimate end and productivity is the means to consumption.
I like the fact that you work language into it. I think this is an oft overlooked aspect of civilization by sociology. Cooperation is not possible without a means of communication. Even if it weren’t a spoken language we would have required an alternate means to signal, express, describe, and argue (such as sign language). It just so happens that vocalized language is the most efficient means to act upon the above mentioned functions.
Good luck and maybe post a finalized version. This topic interests me very much.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to suggest topics without knowing the prof., course, etc. And I’m no sociology major, either. But, I’ve always taken something (an event, person, concept, etc) mentioned, more or less, in passing by the prof., and just expanded on it.
Failing that, the points you mention in your original post can be expanded on individually; I suggest you just do some reading – not formal research – and see what you find out. Just know that if you have a 400 page book (or a couple) focusing specifically on your topic, you are going to have a problem doing it justice in a 12 page essay.
Another thing to keep in mind: be careful with your choice of sources. For instance, Jared Diamond, I think, is a geographer, and Noam Chomsky is a linguist. They both may be incredibly knowledgeable in other fields (Especially one such as sociology, which tends to cast a wide net, if you know what I mean.) but I wouldn’t use them as sources unless your topic falls within their field of specialty.
Use them to get ideas for your paper, but be sure you aren’t making the logical fallacy “appeal to authority.”
[quote]meangenes wrote:
I have to write a research paper for my Sociology class.
I just need some crit before I can get to it.
I wanted the sociology paper to be more on the origins of human productivity with emphasis on human development and cultivation into advertising and capitalism.
I will begin it with the idea that language is a tool used to solve a problem that problem is how to build with others.
Human productivity is a result of problem solving and the idea that we consume comes about because we don’t have time to build.
Advertising being a forced catalyst for the consumption and capitalism being the motive as well as the result. Capitalism as a cypher fueled by advertising and consumption.
I’m a Design Major not Anthropology. Help me out. Can we get a little discussion going please?
[/quote]
This is waaaaaay to broad. You have several topics here. It seems you central theme is problem solving. Pick one of the things you mentioned and postulate on how it is used to solve problems.
That’s my $.02.
Exactly. That’s where the transition has to be addressed. In the evolution from industry to consumer. With slightly more emphasis on the consumer, and not to beat the dead horse named consumerism, nevermind the industrial production.
Diamond is a Evolutionary Biologist, Physiologist and Biogeographer.
I read his book about a year ago and remembered that it pertained to my subject matter. It’s a lot broader than Chomsky’s work but I expect that.
I’d like to try and bridge the gap between these subjects since they are all the most profound in the height of scientific research today. I think most everyone is versed in a basic understanding of linguistics and that’s all that needs to be expressed, I refuse to dumb down. And on that note it needs to be addressed as I am ultimately conveying an idea of consumer based mass communication.
It’s a start, and a running one at that.
I mean ultimately I’d rather have a 12 page paper with 0-minimal amount of bullshit. I’m not a bullshit type of person and I like the facts of this subject matter anyway. They’re hard hitting. I think to make the connections I’m going to need to be straight forward with it.
C’mon someone with an education involving any of these subjects has to frequent T-Nation. Speak up.
[quote]pat36 wrote:
meangenes wrote:
I have to write a research paper for my Sociology class.
I just need some crit before I can get to it.
I wanted the sociology paper to be more on the origins of human productivity with emphasis on human development and cultivation into advertising and capitalism.
I will begin it with the idea that language is a tool used to solve a problem that problem is how to build with others.
Human productivity is a result of problem solving and the idea that we consume comes about because we don’t have time to build.
Advertising being a forced catalyst for the consumption and capitalism being the motive as well as the result. Capitalism as a cypher fueled by advertising and consumption.
I’m a Design Major not Anthropology. Help me out. Can we get a little discussion going please?
This is waaaaaay to broad. You have several topics here. It seems you central theme is problem solving. Pick one of the things you mentioned and postulate on how it is used to solve problems.
That’s my $.02.[/quote]
Central theme is advertising. What is it good for?
In the olden times a craftsman had to be really good to earn a reputation, nowadays it’s more profitable to invest in advertising than in being really good.
[quote]meangenes wrote:
Central theme is advertising. What is it good for?[/quote]
It uses all four functions of communication to persuade consumption.
It signals to the consumer that there is a product that can used to remove some felt uneasiness.
It helps relate to the consumer through the use of emotion thus forming a link in the brain that will draw an association to the product and the alleviation of said uneasiness.
It defines a specific problem and a specific solution.
It uses argumentation to persuade the consumer to value the end provided by the product.
[quote]kaaleppi wrote:
In the olden times a craftsman had to be really good to earn a reputation, nowadays it’s more profitable to invest in advertising than in being really good.
[/quote]
I find it interesting that advertising only started to take hold once mass production became the norm.
“Hey, we have all these slinkies we need to unload, anyone got some ideas for a theme song?”