Similarities Between Gladwell And Flammang

The connection between hierarchy and our democratic government is simple, they can not exist without one another. A civil society offers range of organized groups and institutions in a democracy. In a democracy civil society have respect for the law, for the rights of individuals and other groups. Social media has the potential to create a civil society, however, it could cause conflict because people view and want things differently. Both Malcolm Gladwell, and Janet A. Flammang are activists in their own way because they are trying to start a social change in society. They can also be compared by the ability their ideas have to strengthen democracy. Similarly, their two ideas would be extremely efficient if they were executed in the present.
Gladwell starts off by bringing forth his knowledge on past social activist history. For instance, throughout the article Gladwell consistently brings up the civil rights movement and what it was that led to it’s success. He talks about hierarchies and their ability to keep things in order which ultimately would help change and strength in democracy. Gladwell points out that in order to increase participants of movements it is crucial that the organization has a clear leader like hierarchies tend to have. Gladwell uses the Palestinian Liberation Organization as an example, he employs how a loosely constructed assembly can fall victim to manipulation and problems with one another. The center of this issue with social networking as a means of organizing is that it creates the types of undefined, leaderless association that fails to bring forth true change. Flammang offers insight on how america should be run and how a civil society would only benefit democracy not just people’s civic behavior. Flammang also defines the term civil behavior. On page 121, Flammang states, "Civil behavior is polite: a ritual performed to please and reassure other people, especially where a rough or conflictual time is possible." (Flammang, 121) Flammang utilizes this statement to express how civil behavior is perceived as polite, however, tradition can reassure a person going through a conflict or problem. To further state her argument she explains that we are losing the opportunity to learn and teach conversation skills which is very important for a civil society and democracy. Flammang uses these terms to promote her main argument further which entails a needed social change where food work, conversation, and food rituals are seen as everyone's responsibility, and from an economic change. Both using hierarchies and a civil society would benefit democracy and increase