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The Occupy Movement: Analysis

Decent Essays

Herbert Spencer was a very important figure in sociological theory, especially in the field of social evolution. Through his work Spencer demonstrated knowledge through scientific reasoning while “displacing the pre-Enlightenment view of society ordered by divine hand” (Dillon 2014:79). Due to his liberal views, Spencer thought that the state should not interfere in individual affairs, he thought that social life should be free to evolve (Delany 2004:48). It is of no surprise that Spencer coined the term “survival of the fittest” (Ritzer 2006:34). His philosophy was that “if unimpeded by external intervention, people who were “fit” would survive and proliferate where as the “unfit” would eventually die out” (Ritzer 2006:34). In other words, he believed that only those who adapt to change would survive. Although Spencer explained why some people prospered and others didn’t, he failed to acknowledge the fact that his own survival was aided by the fortune he inherited from his uncle. Spencer simply ignored the fact that not all individuals had access to the same resources and proved that his theory was 100% circumstantial. …show more content…

A great example of this is the Occupy Movement. The Occupy Movement is made up of individuals who protest against social and economic inequalities, with the primary goal of “fighting back against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process” (occupywallstreet.org). The movement was driven by mounting frustrations against Wall Street greed like corporate profits, tax breaks for the rich, corporate lobbying in Congress, and bank bailouts at a time when the poor and the middleclass were losing their grip on the economy. People were simply tired of working hard for their money just to hand it over to big

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