Friday, April 19, 2013

The Motive For The Boston Marathon Bombing With Durkheim's Theory

I love to study sociology because it helps me to understand the social problems of our society. In the recent bombing in Boston that killed several people and injured hundreds, many people ask, what was the motive? When I reflect upon it, I think of the teachings and writings of the classical French sociologist, Emile Durkheim, of the nineteenth century. He questioned such crimes that can occur in modern societies when immigrants are involved. The norms of a different society can bring conflict into the lives of the immigrants who have a difficult time in assimilating.  

You can look at Wikipedia or pick up a book on Social Theory concerning the classical  sociologist, Emile Durkheim, and see what might be explained as being the motive  for the two immigrants in Boston, who allegedly bombed the people at the Boston Marathon.  He calls the problem, "anomie, an imbalance of societal norms."

"According to Durkheim, anomie reflects a sense of normlessness, the lack of any societal norms that spurs the tendency to act in a deviant way. In general terms, Durkheim’s theory of anomie proposes that because of industrialization and the need for cheap labor in this newly modern society, the influx of immigrants inherently brought with them their own sets of norms and values. Thus came a temporary imbalance of norms, anomie, which enhances individual’s propensity to commit crime in search for a stable environment. In turn, Durkheim puts forth not just a theory for the social origins of crime, but also he theorizes about the social origins of law and punishment." (Wikipedia)

This is not to excuse the crimes committed. But simply explains what is. Although, Durkheim looked at societies over a hundred years ago, many sociologists use his theories today. Perhaps the two brothers who immigrated from Russia or Chechnya were disturbed by the newer values and norms of their new home and had a difficult time adjusting and reacted eventually in a gross criminal way.



Thursday, April 4, 2013

I'M NO LONGER LOST AND I'M REPLENISHING MY WELL

Finally, I'm replenishing my well. I've been lost since before this new year. But because I have more desire and time, I'm looking for ways to reclaim my creativity. I've had problems picking up a pen or brush to write or paint. And because of this, I've not been as fulfilled and I want to recapture my feelings of excitement in creating my ideas.

I've pulled out many of my old magazines that have inspired me over the years.  I really enjoy the "Victoria" magazines I've saved since 1983. They are filled with large colorful pictures of beautiful art, home interiors, and luscious looking dishes of food with the recipes printed in the back of the magazine. I've perused them daily. I've surfed the net, as well,  looking at art that appeals to me.  I've discovered interesting blogs that artists publish with pictures I find most attractive. What really is fun is to look at Bohemian Art Design. That is new to me. This is an interesting blog: Blogs,<http://bohemianpages.blogspot.com/search/label/Home%20decor. After seeing pictures on this blog, I find it fun using my old furniture in new ways and accenting it. I'm thinking outside the same old boxes, which artists are told to do.

On Monday, we drove to Round Top, Texashttp://www.roundtoptexasantiques.com/ to see what was happening at the Antique shows. There were vendor tents up and down the road for twenty miles on both ends of Warrenton. There were so many old, scarred, and long forgotten objects sitting by the road and  in tents,  it was impossible to weed through it all. I love shabby chic so it was tempting to jump in the abyss. We laughed at a sign that read, "shabby shit". My husband said, "That's the truth." Although it was a beautiful sun shiny day, not too warm or not too cool, I didn't have the energy to even stop and look at much, so I chose to be very selective.

We drove on to Round Top and when we stopped at  Royers Round Top Cafe, http://www.royersroundtopcafe.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=113:hours&catid=3:schedule&Itemid=5we found it was closed.
 A lady at the front, said they are closed on Monday and since they are expecting "80,000 people" this week, we would have to make reservations on any other day. She recommended Royer's daughter's little place, "Pie Haven", down the street in the square. After eating a delicious slice of vegetable pie  I spotted a cute little house across the square with pictures of a woman outside. I told Walter Bert to hang up his handicap sign and I would be back shortly. When I got to the door, I left my yummy cool raspberry tea from my lunch on a table on the porch and walked in. What a treat, when I walked in to find paintings all over the small gallery house. The artist is a delightful lady, Beth Anderson,http://www.bethandersonart.com/image  with whom I spent forty-five minutes. I soaked in her adorable art and her pleasant arty news and exchange of information. She encouraged me to start painting again and said how important it is. I knew she was right because when I do paint I'm very content and look forward to getting back to my work every day.

I skimmed a few other shops, but knew I was satisfied with what I had found, already. So, I returned to my napping husband and said, "Okay, I think I've been stimulated enough. Let's go home so I can start painting. I looked down at his cool drink that he bought at the Pie Haven and said, "Oh no. I left my drink at Beth's." He said, "No problem, I'll drive you back and you can get it."

When he drove around the square to the side of the gallery, I said, "You better give me some money. I hate to go back and not buy anything." He pulled out a twenty dollar bill and as I sat there wondering what I could buy in the gallery for twenty bucks, Beth walked out to the porch and picked up my cool plastic glass of delicious raspberry tea, poured it on the flower bed and walked back into the gallery. I started laughing and laughing. If we had gotten there a few minutes earlier, I would have retrieved my tea and bought a piece of art or at least a post card. As it was, Walter Bert said, "Boy, that's luck, it saved me twenty bucks."

I answered, "Yes, but now you have to drive back to Pie Haven so I can buy another cool glass of raspberry tea and I'll save my money so I can return to Beth's some day and buy one of her darling pieces of art."I'm looking forward to it already.

For those who are interested in going to Round Top this week, check the Texas Monthly April 2013 issue and you will get a good idea of what to expect and advice on where to go. There is a great article, "Treasure This".