History- access to humanities and social science Essay

History- access to humanities and social science - Essay Example Social class structures were beginning to break down as common men were able to make fortunes in industry and landowners found it more and more difficult to keep the idyllic life they’d constructed alive. Women, too, were beginning to question their allotted place in society as more and more opportunities opened for them in the urban centers of the country, providing them with a means of supporting themselves and freeing themselves from the yoke of male domination. However, at the same time, these positions were not the equal rights positions of modern times, so it was often difficult to determine whether one wanted to sacrifice freedom for comfort or comfort for freedom. Rarely was it possible to attain both. All of these social and economical concerns can be found in the novels written during this time period. â€Å"The Victorian novel, with its emphasis on the realistic portrayal of social life, represented many Victorian issues in the stories of its characters† (Gre enblatt, 2005). By looking at the literature of the age, one can begin to gain a sense of how ideas of gender affected the lives of Victorian men and women whether they were struggling to uphold them or struggling against them. Issues of gender, education and sexuality were tremendous stumbling blocks over which numerous fictional characters and real Victorians had to struggle in order to maintain a respectable standing in society. Within the patriarchal society of the Christian nations, men were expected to operate according to specific rules of behavior, namely that they were to be heterosexual, virile, yet also constrained and sensible of a woman’s good name. It was all right to have intercourse with women to whom one was not married, but that woman must be of a much inferior social status and must not be allowed to cross these boundaries. In novels such as Wuthering

Democracy and an Age of Democratization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Democracy and an Age of Democratization - Essay Example Two of the characteristics include competitive political parties and an independent judiciary. The presence of competitive political parties in the American democracy influences its ability to function effectively throughout the political system of the country. Political parties are so essential because they offer means through which citizens can be mobilized to support the vision of society. Mobilization happens during elections where the competing political parties, sell out their agendas and seek support from the public. During this process, the parties offer citizens with meaningful choices in the leadership of the country, and opportunity for participation in shaping their future nation. Within the political parties, the citizens interact freely to contest for public offices, express their vision for the society, and demonstrate their needs and interests (Gizzi et al 210). In an effective democracy, political parties develop a common vision for a significant group of the population so as to exert pressure on the political system of the country. This help to place the citi zens’ local interests on a national context. In the United State of America, citizens are usually divided on the basis of interests, policies, and leaders. This makes it easier for political parties to provide grounds for compromise as well as uniting the society. The political parties nominate leaders to assume leadership of the country and support them during the election period. They, therefore, form the main linkage between the government and the cultural, religious, ethnic, economic, and many other societal groups. Political parties also support certain legislation in an attempt to improve the welfare of the society and act on citizens’ interest (Gizzi et al 199).