Walden Two
The sociological perspective turns the world we think we know into uncharted territory. It forces us to go beyond the surface of people's beliefs and behaviors and identify the social forces that shape them. Walden Two by B.F. Skinner examines the possibilities of living in a sort of counterculture. Utilizing the conflict perspective, Skinner reconstructs elements such as technology, beliefs, norms, and values to create the "perfect" culture.The community called Walden Two is conceived through the conflict theory. The idea is that no member should have any more money, power, esteem, or status than any other member. Imbalances in any of these will eventually lead to a conflict or struggle. There is no currency in Walden Two; no one receives wages and nothing costs money. The issues of money and power associated with money are moot. Esteem and status are neutralized by means of no one person having a specific work role. Everyone is entitled to work anywhere. An example of the community's effort to avoid inequality is the unique set-up of the dairy farm. Knowing the nega
tive image conjured up by the smell of a farm, Walden Two creates a farm that will prevent this problem from influencing the opinion formed of those who choose to work in the dairy farm. The farm is equipped with a separate changing room and showering facilities. By removing the stigma of odor attached to farmers, the community removes the f! boasts their superior technology in other areas as well. Through the use of technology, the members are able to cut their workday down to only four hours a day by simplifying many everyday practices. The norms of Walden Two seem, at the very least, odd to the outsider. Most people would consider many of their norms bad manners, but at Walden Two they have become folkways. No one says thank you. We are raised to always be polite, but at Walden Two pleasantries are an unnecessary step. The members also accept that their infants will be raised by someone outside the family unit. It is unacceptable to show favoritism to your own child. The norm is to do for all children as if they were your own. B.F. Skinner originally wrote this book
Some common words found in the essay are:
BF Skinner, , behavioral engineering, elements behavioral, elements behavioral engineering, behavioral engineering community, dairy farm, engineering community, money power, esteem status, specific role, bf skinner,
Approximate Word count = 737
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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