Sociology revised 2

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Introduction
Although individuals are unique, we are also affected and shaped by the society. One fundamental aspect of social life is “social interaction.” It is the ways people act and react to the way other people act. A person’s behavior is normally influenced by certain social forces and structures on the people’s lives. Socialization normally results from people’s social interactions. The paper provides a sociological analysis of certain aspects of the life of Theodore Roosevelt, who is a historical figure. It focuses on how his early childhood interactions, interactions in the military and his social class shaped his presidency. Based on nomothetic reasoning, Roosevelt’s life can be explained by certain sociological theories such as symbolic-interaction theory and functionalism. The theories are critical in identifying general patterns and examining social causes. The life stories of people normally unfold in a particular social and historical context, and the biography is shaped by that context.
Roosevelt was born to socialite parents who were also wealthy and were considered as among the upper class. It is likely that his social class and wealth also plaid a role in shaping his presidency. The family trips abroad, including trips in Egypt in 1872 and Europe in 1869 shaped his cosmopolitan perspectives (Milkis N.p). Hiking with the family in 1869 helped him realize that he could keep his father’s pace. He discovered the significant benefits of physical exertion to bolster his spirit and minimize his asthma.

He was determined to pursue his political ambitions. Based on chapter 6 of Barkan’s text, “Regardless of how we measure and define social class, what are our chances of moving up or down within the American class structure? The degree of vertical social mobility is a key distinguishing feature of systems of stratification” (Barkan 148). In other words, the degree of social mobility for Theodore Roosevelt was influenced by his social class. He started making his political mark in 1882 when he was a member of the “New York State Assembly,” particularly in corporate corruption issues (Milkis N.p). For instance, he blocked corruption effort by financier Jay Gould to reduce his taxes. His anti-corruption efforts contributed to his winning re-election in 1882 by a big margin. Considering the social status his family, Theodore Roosevelt experienced upward intra-generational mobility. Barkan defines it as the “social mobility within a person’s own lifetime” (Barkan 149).
Based on chapter 3 of Barkan’s text, “socialization into one’s culture is necessary for any society to exist, and socialization is also necessary for any individual to be human in the social sense (Barkan 123). Considering the life history of Theodore Roosevelt, his personality and actions were largely shaped by his societal background and interaction with others. For instance, his father influenced him significantly. His father had a prominent leadership role in the New York cultural affairs who helped found “the Metropolitan Museum of Art.” He had been active in rallying support for the civil wars. Theodore knew his father as a person who wouldn’t tolerate in his children selfishness, cruelty, cowardice, idleness or untruthfulness. How he was brought up influenced his decision to wage wars of big conglomerates that exploited the poor to make supernormal profits. He sought to prosecute “bad trusts” that charged unfair prices and restrained trade. During his tenure, he brought about 44 antitrust suits. Such legal suits led to the dismantling of huge conglomerates such as the largest railroad company, the “Northern Securities Company” and the Standard Oil which was the largest oil refinery. His socialization made him believe in the principle of fairness and was against the huge gap that existed between the rich and the poor.
Roosevelt’s youth or childhood was shaped largely by his poor health as a result of debilitating asthma. He often experienced nighttime asthma attacks that could be compared to the feeling of smothering to death (Milkis N.p). Nevertheless, Roosevelt was energetic, brave and mischievously inquisitive. He bravely persisted, and during his presidency, he portrayed a lot of bravery. He faced the wealthy businessmen whom he believed were doing business unfairly without fear or favor. He was not driven by cowardice at any given point. His actions can be explained by conflict theory. Based on mini-lecture 3, “the reason for continuing conflict is that resources, the things in society that people desire (e.g., money, power, good education, good housing, good health care, etc.), are usually scarce, or they are made scarce because some acquire so many of them that little is left for others.” It is the same case with the founders of businesses such as standard oil and railroads who acquired most wealth through ruthlessness in running their businesses. The conflict arose because Roosevelt was against this way of doing business.
Roosevelt’s life in the military can be explained by Total institutions. Total institutions normally control or shape various aspects of one’s life. His stay in the military shaped his bravery. For instance, in Cuba, he distinguished himself by leading a cavalry on charge-on foot up Kettle Hill (Milkis N.p). They suffered heavy casualties,, but the Rough Riders came back as was heroes. Service in the military was the total institution that also shaped certain details of Theodore Roosevelt’s life.
The culture or cultural values are also factors that shaped the life and presidency of Roosevelt. It is the belief that every American deserves the freedom of pursuing a better life. Every nation normally has a political culture which is based on values, shared beliefs and norms. A better understanding of the political culture of a country may help make some sense on the way a nation is governed as also the political decisions that are made by its leaders. Roosevelt understood this and strongly stood against businesses that made sure they had a monopoly to charge unfair prices and restrain trade. Based on sociological perspective, Roosevelt’s can be explained by the theory of Functionalism which is a macro-level paradigm that looks at how society or larger parts of it are generally organized by allocating certain places, tasks or rewards. As much the political culture of America has changed over years, it has remained uniquely the same in many ways. The American view has been characterized by certain familiar elements including equality, liberty and the rule of law. According to mills, “Looking at the contemporary societal context, living in India vs. the U.S. is likely to lead to different biographies” (Mills 1). Our group membership or being raised in a particular society like Theodore Roosevelt is likely to affect us.
Conclusion
As much as everyone has a unique biography, our life story unfolds in a particular social and historical context and is shaped by that context. Therefore, factors such as gender, race, class biases and interactions with others may shape a person’s experiences. They are the things about society that makes people act is a certain way. Similarly, cultural values and norms may also affect a person’s life. Although people’s behaviors are limited once they occupy a particular status, there is room for variation in behavior within these limits. Social influences help in explaining the general patterns, for what is typical or average for groups in society. These can be summarized as socialization which results from people’s social interactions.
Works Cited
Barkan, Steve. Sociology: Understanding and Changing The Social World. 2nd ed. Flat World Knowledge, 2011. Print.
Milkis, Sidney. “Theodore Roosevelt: Life Before The Presidency.” Miller Center. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Feb. 2018.
Mills, Wright. The Sociological Imagination. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. Print.

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