A Matrix on the Pillars of Society

Pillars

What have you read? (use your textbook and other academic readings)

What have you observed (personal experience)?

How does your community impact the pillars?

*What is the impact of technology?

Politics

A system of government is usually formed to maintain a system of checks and balances. However, the ruling class (the wealthiest and most powerful people in a country) solicits and spends funds to influence legislation and pass laws. Members of the power elite make decisions that directly influence politics (Rowell, 2006).

From personal experience, I have observed that the economy is an important aspect of political life. This can be seen that during the economic crisis where the US population tends to align with leaders who claim to have solutions to fix the economy. For instance, during the Great Depression it was Franklin Roosevelt, in the 1980’s it was Ronald Reagan and currently, it is President Obama.

The community can influence politics through voting, circulating petitions, and participating in interest groups.

Through technology, politicians can raise funds and communicate directly with constituencies. This reduces the need to use campaign managers or experts, thus achieving an effective way to campaign at a reduced cost.

Marriage and Family

The economy can impact marriage and family. The upper class tends to focus more on maintaining their influence and wealth thus they prefer to marry people of the same caliber. The middle class focuses on achievement and respect. The lower class focuses on sharing scarce resources and stretch kingship (Rowell, 2006).

Economic status impacts marriage where downturns affect the provision of basic needs, increase family conflicts, divorce, child abuse, and lead to income loss.

Communities can impact the spouse chosen since people tend to follow the communal perspective of an eligible spouse, though this trend is in decreasing with the millennial generation.

Technology can impact the family and marriage positively or negatively. Family and marriage institutions can be influenced positively through getting extra income from online business and work. It can be influenced negatively through spouses cheating using social sites.

Religion

Economic can influence religion where people look for religions where they will prosper.

Young people easily give up on religion, if they do not prosper financially, since most religions recently talk about finance. 

The community emphasis on religious teachings to provide life guidelines and to control behavior.

Young people rely on technology to get religious teachings in the form of music and preaching other than go to religious places of worship.

Education

The economy impacts the quality of education achieved. The rich are more likely to go to universities compared to the poor who mostly go up to secondary level (Rowell, 2006).

The rich get high-quality education due to financial ability but this does not mean that all the successful people came from a rich background.

Advanced communities are more likely to embrace education compared to the poor and marginalized communities.

Through technology, education can be easily accessed (through online educational columns plus distance learning), knowledge easily shared and information can be easily stored through digital libraries (Horn, 2008).