Conclusion
Addams would be strongly in favor of universal healthcare because it promotes a greater social ethic. Cultures, in this case the United States, tend to resist substantial changes that occur all at once. In the same way presidential hopefuls gain momentum and support, a social movement to transition America into a universal healthcare system would need to come about. With the help of politicians and other persons with power, a gradual shift toward a more equal healthcare system could begin. Firstly, I agree with Addams’ perspective on this issue because universal healthcare promotes a better social ethic. Secondly, Moore’s documentary revealed that in countries already using a universal healthcare system, healthcare is delivered just as timely and with as great or greater quality as it is here in the United States. There would unlikely be a degradation of healthcare service in this country if everyone was entitled to an equal amount of it. For these two reasons it is quite obvious that Addams would follow what is, in my opinion, the proper course of action.
References
Addams, Jane. 1902. Democracy and Social Ethics. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press.
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams as a Critical Social Thinker, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Showing posts with label jane addams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jane addams. Show all posts
Friday, April 15, 2011
Michael Moore's Film Sicko and Jane Addams, Analysis of Social Issues
Analysis of social issues and potential change.
The vertical, social structure of stratification limits the ability of working-class and unemployed people to get adequate health care. Those who can afford adequate coverage and treatment oftentimes feel that they are doing the right thing by providing only for themselves or their family. Their belated ethics tells them to look out for number one, and in consequence, they “may...ignore duties to community, to sacrifice the rights of other people for the interests of one’s family, [and] to fail to see that one’s family can be kept safe only if one’s community, state and nation are safe” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Addams,” Page 5). While this form of apathy or selfishness, the individual ethic, is common, it was better suited to “[an earlier] mode of societal organization of material production” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Addams,” Page 5).
To assess the issue of healthcare, a better social ethic must be advocated. This new standard “must take account of [the] way material production is organized-which is in combination; that is, that production has been ‘socialized.’ Goods and services now produced by people working together. The complexity of relationships requires an ethic that takes account of that complexity” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Addams,” Page 3). What simpler way is there to assess the complexity of these relationships than with a system as straightforward as universal healthcare. Equal treatment for everyone is guaranteed, regardless of any preexisting conditions, whether they be financial, social, health, or other. But, as Addams says, in order for each person to adopt a social ethic like this one “requires an expansion of [one’s] circle of caring, [the] circle for whom one feels responsible” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Addams,” Page 4). This is necessary because the only means of achieving universal healthcare is through hiking taxes.
A strategy that Addams might suggest is the formation of a social movement. In order to attain equity, Addams keeps that “a valuable side of life pertaining to” one group of people should not be sacrificed for the benefit of another group (Jane Addams 1902: 57). Healthcare falls under Addams’ emphasis on the equality of ‘will and desire’, just one of several ‘valuable sides of life’ she identifies. Patricia Lengermann and Gillian Niebrugge call will and desire “people’s capacity for agency, for knowing their own minds” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Addams,” Page 3). Healthcare, therefore, is an attribute of what Lengermann and Niebrugge call the “right to participate in decision making” (“Class Notes Addams,” Page 3). Many people would prefer universal healthcare over the healthcare system presently in place, and their right to participate in decision making could be emphasized through a social movement.
References
Addams, Jane. 1902. Democracy and Social Ethics. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press.
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams as a Critical Social Thinker, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
The vertical, social structure of stratification limits the ability of working-class and unemployed people to get adequate health care. Those who can afford adequate coverage and treatment oftentimes feel that they are doing the right thing by providing only for themselves or their family. Their belated ethics tells them to look out for number one, and in consequence, they “may...ignore duties to community, to sacrifice the rights of other people for the interests of one’s family, [and] to fail to see that one’s family can be kept safe only if one’s community, state and nation are safe” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Addams,” Page 5). While this form of apathy or selfishness, the individual ethic, is common, it was better suited to “[an earlier] mode of societal organization of material production” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Addams,” Page 5).
To assess the issue of healthcare, a better social ethic must be advocated. This new standard “must take account of [the] way material production is organized-which is in combination; that is, that production has been ‘socialized.’ Goods and services now produced by people working together. The complexity of relationships requires an ethic that takes account of that complexity” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Addams,” Page 3). What simpler way is there to assess the complexity of these relationships than with a system as straightforward as universal healthcare. Equal treatment for everyone is guaranteed, regardless of any preexisting conditions, whether they be financial, social, health, or other. But, as Addams says, in order for each person to adopt a social ethic like this one “requires an expansion of [one’s] circle of caring, [the] circle for whom one feels responsible” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Addams,” Page 4). This is necessary because the only means of achieving universal healthcare is through hiking taxes.
A strategy that Addams might suggest is the formation of a social movement. In order to attain equity, Addams keeps that “a valuable side of life pertaining to” one group of people should not be sacrificed for the benefit of another group (Jane Addams 1902: 57). Healthcare falls under Addams’ emphasis on the equality of ‘will and desire’, just one of several ‘valuable sides of life’ she identifies. Patricia Lengermann and Gillian Niebrugge call will and desire “people’s capacity for agency, for knowing their own minds” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Addams,” Page 3). Healthcare, therefore, is an attribute of what Lengermann and Niebrugge call the “right to participate in decision making” (“Class Notes Addams,” Page 3). Many people would prefer universal healthcare over the healthcare system presently in place, and their right to participate in decision making could be emphasized through a social movement.
References
Addams, Jane. 1902. Democracy and Social Ethics. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press.
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams as a Critical Social Thinker, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Michael Moore's Film Sicko and Jane Addams, Description of Addams' Social Theory
General description of Addams’ social theory.
Addams’ social theory is comprised of many points of view, a few of which are particularly applicable to the notion of universal healthcare. First is Addams’ concept of the neighborly relation. This idea is best defined as, “the condition in which the sociologist attempts to understand a social world not as an outside observer but as a participant living side by side with the people whose lives are her or his concern” (Patricia Lengermann and Gillian Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams as a Critical Social Thinker, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.,” Page 1). The application of this perception is best tied into the varying concepts of belated ethics that the issue of healthcare brings out in people. Belated ethics is best defined as, “rules of right relation among people suited to an early mode of societal organization of material production and now out of harmony with the present organization” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Addams,” Page 5). The two types of belated ethics most clung to when it comes to healthcare are the Family Claim and the Individual Ethic.
If a person works hard and earns enough money to provide for her/his own healthcare, then why, some ask, should these people need to provide any assistance to anyone else in obtaining their healthcare? The individual ethic provides a mental qualification for successful individuals who can provide for themselves, not to provide for others. Like being ethical if one care’s for one’s own self, the family claim provides that one is ethical if s/he cares for her/his own family. People who believe and act on these forms of inappropriate ethics, Addams follows, are not following the social ethic. The social ethic is achieved when “orientation to right relationship with others” is gained, assuming that “each individual actor identifies with the large, heterogeneous, even anonymous community of which he or she is a part” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Addams,” Page 4). This ethic is already followed by many countries, in terms of access to healthcare. What the United States lacks, and what Michael Moore emphasizes, is that the social ethic in this country is different, or deficient, to an extreme which limits our citizens’ abilities to see through issues to the greater good inherent in change.
References
Addams, Jane. 1902. Democracy and Social Ethics. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press.
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams as a Critical Social Thinker, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Addams’ social theory is comprised of many points of view, a few of which are particularly applicable to the notion of universal healthcare. First is Addams’ concept of the neighborly relation. This idea is best defined as, “the condition in which the sociologist attempts to understand a social world not as an outside observer but as a participant living side by side with the people whose lives are her or his concern” (Patricia Lengermann and Gillian Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams as a Critical Social Thinker, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.,” Page 1). The application of this perception is best tied into the varying concepts of belated ethics that the issue of healthcare brings out in people. Belated ethics is best defined as, “rules of right relation among people suited to an early mode of societal organization of material production and now out of harmony with the present organization” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Addams,” Page 5). The two types of belated ethics most clung to when it comes to healthcare are the Family Claim and the Individual Ethic.
If a person works hard and earns enough money to provide for her/his own healthcare, then why, some ask, should these people need to provide any assistance to anyone else in obtaining their healthcare? The individual ethic provides a mental qualification for successful individuals who can provide for themselves, not to provide for others. Like being ethical if one care’s for one’s own self, the family claim provides that one is ethical if s/he cares for her/his own family. People who believe and act on these forms of inappropriate ethics, Addams follows, are not following the social ethic. The social ethic is achieved when “orientation to right relationship with others” is gained, assuming that “each individual actor identifies with the large, heterogeneous, even anonymous community of which he or she is a part” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Addams,” Page 4). This ethic is already followed by many countries, in terms of access to healthcare. What the United States lacks, and what Michael Moore emphasizes, is that the social ethic in this country is different, or deficient, to an extreme which limits our citizens’ abilities to see through issues to the greater good inherent in change.
References
Addams, Jane. 1902. Democracy and Social Ethics. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press.
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams as a Critical Social Thinker, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Michael Moore's Film Sicko and Jane Addams, The Situation
Addams and Sicko
II. The situation and what is taken for granted.
Moore’s documentary begins by capturing the plight faced by many American families whose occupations or finances do not afford them adequate or comprehensive health insurance. There is no universal healthcare system yet in the United States that affords each citizen the same, equal access to healthcare services. In several European countries, as well as Cuba, universal healthcare has been an integral part of the culture for over half a dozen decades. The people in these countries take for granted unlimited access to medical care and needed medications, with the added comfort of never having to worry about a bill or how they’ll pay for their care. The people in these countries grow up with the understanding that they are paying a large amount of tax money which goes to providing care for themselves and others. And, while they may take very good care of themselves, hardly ever needing to visit the doctor, they realize that there will be a time when they will need an extraordinary amount of care.
Presently in the United States, when a person with limited or no health insurance visits the doctor, they take for granted the huge bill that will soon arrive. Even people with excellent coverage can still pay high deductibles and face enormous bills if their treatment requires multiple visits (and, therefore, multiple deductible charges). In essence, the largest issue that comes about as a result of this type of healthcare/insurance system is that people cannot always afford to become healthy again. If an hourly-wage worker becomes ill, s/he is more likely to still go to work than to go to the doctor. This is because going to the doctor not only racks up a large tab, but even costs them wage money that they’re not earning because they’re at the doctor. Ultimately, a vicious cycle ensues. On the contrary, in countries with universal healthcare systems the government will work with your employer to still pay you your regular wage, in addition to providing free and unlimited healthcare. In this way, a person is not excessively burdened financially, and can afford to take time off from work to get better.
References
Addams, Jane. 1902. Democracy and Social Ethics. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press.
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams as a Critical Social Thinker, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
II. The situation and what is taken for granted.
Moore’s documentary begins by capturing the plight faced by many American families whose occupations or finances do not afford them adequate or comprehensive health insurance. There is no universal healthcare system yet in the United States that affords each citizen the same, equal access to healthcare services. In several European countries, as well as Cuba, universal healthcare has been an integral part of the culture for over half a dozen decades. The people in these countries take for granted unlimited access to medical care and needed medications, with the added comfort of never having to worry about a bill or how they’ll pay for their care. The people in these countries grow up with the understanding that they are paying a large amount of tax money which goes to providing care for themselves and others. And, while they may take very good care of themselves, hardly ever needing to visit the doctor, they realize that there will be a time when they will need an extraordinary amount of care.
Presently in the United States, when a person with limited or no health insurance visits the doctor, they take for granted the huge bill that will soon arrive. Even people with excellent coverage can still pay high deductibles and face enormous bills if their treatment requires multiple visits (and, therefore, multiple deductible charges). In essence, the largest issue that comes about as a result of this type of healthcare/insurance system is that people cannot always afford to become healthy again. If an hourly-wage worker becomes ill, s/he is more likely to still go to work than to go to the doctor. This is because going to the doctor not only racks up a large tab, but even costs them wage money that they’re not earning because they’re at the doctor. Ultimately, a vicious cycle ensues. On the contrary, in countries with universal healthcare systems the government will work with your employer to still pay you your regular wage, in addition to providing free and unlimited healthcare. In this way, a person is not excessively burdened financially, and can afford to take time off from work to get better.
References
Addams, Jane. 1902. Democracy and Social Ethics. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press.
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams as a Critical Social Thinker, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Michael Moore's Film Sicko and Jane Addams, Introduction
Addams and Sicko
I. Brief introduction of argument.
Jane Addams believed that the defining discovery of her time was that of “the power to combine.” The most obvious illustration of “the power to combine” is seen in an assembly-line style factory in which workers combine efforts in the form of departments to more efficiently complete work. An example more applicable to the application of Addams’ theory in the context of healthcare is the power to combine and form a social movement. While social movements can be entertained by sole individuals, the changes that Michael Moore, in his documentary Sicko, advocates for the institution of US healthcare will require the concerted action of a large group of persons. Addams would support and likely lead such an organization in working toward this cause because the notion of universal healthcare in itself promotes a greater social ethic. Equally as much, it is a tirade against the practice of belated ethics, specifically the family-claim and individual ethic.
References
Addams, Jane. 1902. Democracy and Social Ethics. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press.
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams as a Critical Social Thinker, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
I. Brief introduction of argument.
Jane Addams believed that the defining discovery of her time was that of “the power to combine.” The most obvious illustration of “the power to combine” is seen in an assembly-line style factory in which workers combine efforts in the form of departments to more efficiently complete work. An example more applicable to the application of Addams’ theory in the context of healthcare is the power to combine and form a social movement. While social movements can be entertained by sole individuals, the changes that Michael Moore, in his documentary Sicko, advocates for the institution of US healthcare will require the concerted action of a large group of persons. Addams would support and likely lead such an organization in working toward this cause because the notion of universal healthcare in itself promotes a greater social ethic. Equally as much, it is a tirade against the practice of belated ethics, specifically the family-claim and individual ethic.
References
Addams, Jane. 1902. Democracy and Social Ethics. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press.
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams as a Critical Social Thinker, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Jane Addams (1860 – 1935), Response to Maxed Out
Similar to Marx, Jane Addams also sees the importance of collective work. In fact, she labels it “the distinguishing discovery of our time” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 1). People come together in numerous ways, however, including socially. Addams outlined a number of ways people interact with each other, and how they justify their actions in doing so. These societal standards or modes of individual behavior are referred to as ethics. When combining collective work and ethics, Addams’ true focus is best summarized as “the ongoing adjustment between the organization of production and the organization of ethical codes governing social interaction” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 1).
One exemplar of ethics is the social ethic. The social ethic refers to a person’s ability to feel “orientation to right relationship with others,” but based on the assumption that “each individual actor identifies with the large, heterogeneous, even anonymous community of which he or she is a part” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 4). The social ethic requires people to possess a desire for heterogeneous culture and a willingness to act in order to make it a reality. As such, this is a particularly important concept in the realm of lending and borrowing, predominantly with regard to the notion of responsibility. Just as important, though, is the neighborly relation, or the means by which Addams insists a point of view must be obtained in order for a person to fully comprehend the situation and act accordingly. The idea of the neighborly relation is summarized by Pat and Jill as “the condition in which the sociologist attempts to understand a social world not as an outside observer but as a participant living side by side with the people whose lives are her or his concern” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 1).
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Beginning with Addams’ notion of the neighborly relation, one need not look too hard at Maxed Out to see a perfect example. Through the film, several young men and a young lady, all employees of a debt-purchasing, pioneer company, talk about their jobs as debt collectors. They describe the thrill or rush that comes as a result of successfully collecting. Addams might be proud that these people are able to find joy in their collective endeavor to collect debt, however she wouldn’t be particularly fond of the means by which they go about getting it. These debt collectors call not only the debtor, but that person’s family, friends, and co-workers, and harass each one in an attempt to embarrass the debtor to enough of an extent that they will finally be guilted into beginning to pay their bill.
There is an inconsistency with this method of collecting, though. The debt collectors are for the most part not people who are in debt themselves. And in fact, most of them probably don’t understand how it feels to have massive debt riding on their shoulders. Yet, they call up the poor Proletarians and make their life hell. An older person’s chemotherapy could be the cause of their indebtedness, and yet despite their clear inability to pay, they may receive obscene, threatening phone calls at all hours of the day. From Addams’ perspective, the debt collectors shouldn’t harass or point fingers until they themselves are in the same position. In order to fulfill the neighborly relation, both the debtor and the collector must be on the same level. Most debt collectors might be inclined to go a bit easier with future clients if they truly understand what circumstances each person faces.
On the other hand, though, it could be suggested that debtors who face this terrible harassment deserve it. Addams’ social ethic cites that one’s circle of caring must expand to take into account others in the community (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 4). Excepting those people who, for reasons of crisis, are forced to enter into debt, people that voluntarily enter debt or practice irresponsible spending habits are in a sense negatively affecting the community around them. Once someone enters debt, they place a heavy burden not only on themselves, but on their family, friends, and co-workers. Stress, depression, and any number of other psychological phenomena can also plague an indebted person, creating even greater grief on the society as a whole. Thus a seemingly moot point is reached with Addams, for a person should not have to endure relentless taunting, but simultaneously should not consciously plunge into debt.
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Works Cited
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes The Africana Theorists, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Karl Marx, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_ 2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Maxed Out. Dir. James Scurlock. Perf. Mark Mumma, Ronald Reagan. DVD. Magnolia, 2005.
Similar to Marx, Jane Addams also sees the importance of collective work. In fact, she labels it “the distinguishing discovery of our time” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 1). People come together in numerous ways, however, including socially. Addams outlined a number of ways people interact with each other, and how they justify their actions in doing so. These societal standards or modes of individual behavior are referred to as ethics. When combining collective work and ethics, Addams’ true focus is best summarized as “the ongoing adjustment between the organization of production and the organization of ethical codes governing social interaction” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 1).
One exemplar of ethics is the social ethic. The social ethic refers to a person’s ability to feel “orientation to right relationship with others,” but based on the assumption that “each individual actor identifies with the large, heterogeneous, even anonymous community of which he or she is a part” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 4). The social ethic requires people to possess a desire for heterogeneous culture and a willingness to act in order to make it a reality. As such, this is a particularly important concept in the realm of lending and borrowing, predominantly with regard to the notion of responsibility. Just as important, though, is the neighborly relation, or the means by which Addams insists a point of view must be obtained in order for a person to fully comprehend the situation and act accordingly. The idea of the neighborly relation is summarized by Pat and Jill as “the condition in which the sociologist attempts to understand a social world not as an outside observer but as a participant living side by side with the people whose lives are her or his concern” (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 1).
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Beginning with Addams’ notion of the neighborly relation, one need not look too hard at Maxed Out to see a perfect example. Through the film, several young men and a young lady, all employees of a debt-purchasing, pioneer company, talk about their jobs as debt collectors. They describe the thrill or rush that comes as a result of successfully collecting. Addams might be proud that these people are able to find joy in their collective endeavor to collect debt, however she wouldn’t be particularly fond of the means by which they go about getting it. These debt collectors call not only the debtor, but that person’s family, friends, and co-workers, and harass each one in an attempt to embarrass the debtor to enough of an extent that they will finally be guilted into beginning to pay their bill.
There is an inconsistency with this method of collecting, though. The debt collectors are for the most part not people who are in debt themselves. And in fact, most of them probably don’t understand how it feels to have massive debt riding on their shoulders. Yet, they call up the poor Proletarians and make their life hell. An older person’s chemotherapy could be the cause of their indebtedness, and yet despite their clear inability to pay, they may receive obscene, threatening phone calls at all hours of the day. From Addams’ perspective, the debt collectors shouldn’t harass or point fingers until they themselves are in the same position. In order to fulfill the neighborly relation, both the debtor and the collector must be on the same level. Most debt collectors might be inclined to go a bit easier with future clients if they truly understand what circumstances each person faces.
On the other hand, though, it could be suggested that debtors who face this terrible harassment deserve it. Addams’ social ethic cites that one’s circle of caring must expand to take into account others in the community (Lengermann and Niebrugge, “Class Notes Jane Addams,” Page 4). Excepting those people who, for reasons of crisis, are forced to enter into debt, people that voluntarily enter debt or practice irresponsible spending habits are in a sense negatively affecting the community around them. Once someone enters debt, they place a heavy burden not only on themselves, but on their family, friends, and co-workers. Stress, depression, and any number of other psychological phenomena can also plague an indebted person, creating even greater grief on the society as a whole. Thus a seemingly moot point is reached with Addams, for a person should not have to endure relentless taunting, but simultaneously should not consciously plunge into debt.
Other posts on sociology and Maxed Out:
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Introduction
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Jane Addams Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Karl Marx Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Africana Theorists Response
Sociological Implications of Maxed Out, Conclusion
Works Cited
Lengermann, Patricia and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley. 2005. “Class Notes The Africana Theorists, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Karl Marx, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
---. 2005. “Class Notes Jane Addams, Spring 2008 American University, Washington D.C.” (https://blackboard.american.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_ 2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_43370_1%26url%3D).
Maxed Out. Dir. James Scurlock. Perf. Mark Mumma, Ronald Reagan. DVD. Magnolia, 2005.
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