Conflict Theory Of Hazing Essay
According to Joan Ferrante, an issue is a matter that can be explained only by factors outside an individual’s control and immediate environment. A current issue facing America today is hazing in high school and college. Hazing is when a person is purposefully stressed and humiliated as part of an initiation into a club or program. In this paper hazing will be discussed in detail, and how it is best described by the conflict theory. Hazing has been a problem in schools for many years, but recently this problem has been getting more attention. As stated earlier hazing is when a person is humiliated, or even harmed to become part of a club, team, or program. Hazing is usually initiated by senior members of the club, or program. Some common hazing rituals are making the initiates eat nasty food like sardines and chocolate. Hazing often involves public embarrassment as well like having to go skinny dipping or streaking in the park. Hazing doesn’t usually involve physical harm, but sometimes things get out of hand. Hazing has led to hospitalizations and sometimes death. This is one reason why hazing has been gaining media attention, and why there are severe repercussion if you are caught initiating or participating in hazing. Some recent
…show more content…
hazing incidents that have made the news are the Western Kentucky swim team being suspended for five years due to hazing. Freshmen reported that they had been assaulted and harassed on several occasions (The Associated Press 1). The Kappa Delta Rho fraternity at Pennsylvania State University is being investigated for hazing after a website was found with incriminating photos (Garrity & Blinder 1). A former member of the Florida A&M band was sentenced to six years in prison after a hazing incident led to the death of another bandmate. There are fifteen other band members to be tried in this case (The Associated Press 1). These are just a few example of many hazing incidents that have made the news recently, but they show why hazing is a big issue. Sociologists have three different perspectives to explain how society functions and why. The perspective that I feel pertains the most to hazing is the conflict perspective. This perspective focuses on the conflict between valued and scarce resources, and how advantaged groups use strategies to create and protect the social arrangements that allow them to receive the benefits. Conflict theorist’s goal is to find the façade of legitimacy. This is an explanation that justifies the existing social order that dismisses and downplays any possibility that the arrangement allows for the disadvantage of some group and the advantage of others. This explanation has never been proved, but is still considered logical. An explanation of this is given by Joan Ferrante in her textbook, Sociology: A global perspective. The example give is how CEO’s of huge corporations have to justify why they get paid so much more than their employees working for minimum wage. The explanation most often given is that their leadership is why the company is so successful, and if employees are unhappy they can leave (Ferrante 30-31).
Conflict theory describes hazing the best for many different reasons.
One reason is that hazing is done so the members of the group or organization can keep the power they have obtained. Hazing lets the new members of the group know there place, and know who is in charge. Hazing is a way to let new members know who the leader is and who has the power. The conflicts discussed above can be physical confrontations, disagreements, exploitations, tension, hostility, and direct competition. These are all conflicts that can be a part of the hazing ritual. Sometimes, the hazing might be a direct competition between new members. There can be tension during the hazing rituals, disagreements, and most of the time new members are
exploited.
In conclusion, hazing is a ritual performed by clubs in High Schools and university where new members are humiliated, stressed, and sometimes injured by other members of group to gain access into the group. Hazing has gained media attention recently due to the extreme rituals some groups our performing. In regards to Sociology, hazing is best described through the conflict theory which states that advantaged group’s uses strategies to maintain their status and resources over disadvantaged groups, and they do this using conflict. This is why hazing occurs so advantaged members keep their status. I believe there are other ways for members of groups to keep their status, and hope that hazing is eliminated from our schools.
hazing incidents that have made the news are the Western Kentucky swim team being suspended for five years due to hazing. Freshmen reported that they had been assaulted and harassed on several occasions (The Associated Press 1). The Kappa Delta Rho fraternity at Pennsylvania State University is being investigated for hazing after a website was found with incriminating photos (Garrity & Blinder 1). A former member of the Florida A&M band was sentenced to six years in prison after a hazing incident led to the death of another bandmate. There are fifteen other band members to be tried in this case (The Associated Press 1). These are just a few example of many hazing incidents that have made the news recently, but they show why hazing is a big issue. Sociologists have three different perspectives to explain how society functions and why. The perspective that I feel pertains the most to hazing is the conflict perspective. This perspective focuses on the conflict between valued and scarce resources, and how advantaged groups use strategies to create and protect the social arrangements that allow them to receive the benefits. Conflict theorist’s goal is to find the façade of legitimacy. This is an explanation that justifies the existing social order that dismisses and downplays any possibility that the arrangement allows for the disadvantage of some group and the advantage of others. This explanation has never been proved, but is still considered logical. An explanation of this is given by Joan Ferrante in her textbook, Sociology: A global perspective. The example give is how CEO’s of huge corporations have to justify why they get paid so much more than their employees working for minimum wage. The explanation most often given is that their leadership is why the company is so successful, and if employees are unhappy they can leave (Ferrante 30-31).
Conflict theory describes hazing the best for many different reasons.
One reason is that hazing is done so the members of the group or organization can keep the power they have obtained. Hazing lets the new members of the group know there place, and know who is in charge. Hazing is a way to let new members know who the leader is and who has the power. The conflicts discussed above can be physical confrontations, disagreements, exploitations, tension, hostility, and direct competition. These are all conflicts that can be a part of the hazing ritual. Sometimes, the hazing might be a direct competition between new members. There can be tension during the hazing rituals, disagreements, and most of the time new members are
exploited.
In conclusion, hazing is a ritual performed by clubs in High Schools and university where new members are humiliated, stressed, and sometimes injured by other members of group to gain access into the group. Hazing has gained media attention recently due to the extreme rituals some groups our performing. In regards to Sociology, hazing is best described through the conflict theory which states that advantaged group’s uses strategies to maintain their status and resources over disadvantaged groups, and they do this using conflict. This is why hazing occurs so advantaged members keep their status. I believe there are other ways for members of groups to keep their status, and hope that hazing is eliminated from our schools.