Conflict Theory

The year is 2032. A lot has changed in the last 20 years. America is no longer the center of power. China now rules the economy because of their huge exports. Since America was one of the lowest countries to invest in education and never changed how they promoted education, they are now one of the lowest 1st world countries for education. They import other people from other countries to fulfill the prosperous jobs. For those Americans that decided to get their education, they are in extreme debt because the schools kept on increasing tuition. Since students had no way to pay for the high tuition, they asked for help from the government or banks in which the students ended up with an egregious amount of debt. So, students found that the cost of getting a higher education outweighed the benefits of sticking with a lower education. Also, these students that did end up getting their education found it difficult to get a job because most businesses wanted someone with experience. So, people who were getting their education were stuck without jobs for years on end.

In the next 20 years for me, even though I have received my degree, I find it least effective to pursue a career in sociology because there is not anything better than the career I am currently in which is a career at Costco. Most of my friends and family share my same outlook because the cost of going into a new career outweighs the benefits of sticking with the old job. I have my degree for that just in case time where something happens at work and I lose my job. I would need it to get a leg up on the competition and a degree would help me with this accomplishment. I am still able to go out with my family. However, ever since the war, it has been more difficult to enjoy family time.

There is a lot of tumult and uprising that happens because they are fed up with how the government is handling the economy. We are one of the lowest on education and the highest in debt and people are angry that the government keeps on bailing out these failing companies which increases the national debt. It seems as though every country has invested in America's debt which makes it hard for the countries to rely on America's dollar. So, the temptation to flood the market by selling American bonds is overwhelming. The only reason why they do not is because America is one of the biggest importers. If they did flood the market, then America's economy would go into ruin and the other countries do not want to get rid of their best customer not unless if they had some other best customer.

In order to look at how this would result in a conflict perspective, we first have to look at what has happened in the past. The Observer reports that, "No balance of power lasts forever. Just a century ago, London was the centre of the world. Britain bestrode the world like a colossus and only those with strong nerves (or weak judgment) dared challenge the Pax Britannica" (The Guardian). Britain used to be the world power. However, after the 2nd world war, the UK eroded and America became the new super power. It has happened for centuries that no country will last forever as far as a super power. So, America will inevitably take this same change and a new super power will emerge.

China and India are two of the biggest contenders for the new powerhouses to emerge. China and India are two of the world's largest countries by size, and easily the two largest by population with almost 40% of the world's people living between them. This mix of landmass and population combined with the resultant ability to call on raw materials gives both China and India the opportunity to maximize any opportunity and become global powerhouses" (Canadian and Global Economy). With the largest amount of people and the greatest amounts of resources, this is a good indication that the Chinese and Indian economies can flourish in the technological 21st century. "[China and India] are expected to have a big century, and by the middle of this one will, on any reading of the situation, have economies which outstrip the current largest in the world, that of America" (Canadian and Global Economy). Thus, there dawns a new economy that is based upon education and resources. Since we already concluded that America did not invest in education, then America will be left behind these countries.

Social class is another area of conflict. Social class is "(or simply "class") is a set of concepts in the social sciences and political theory centered on models of social stratification in which people are grouped into a set of hierarchical social categories" (wikipedia.com). So, people are associated with a hierarchical system that puts them into a caste based upon their economic or social status. Karl Marx stated that, "fundamental social change is the product of conflict between classes. Thus, in Marx's view, an understanding of classes is basic to comprehending how societies function and how they are transformed" (sagepub.com). Marx view of how the societies functioned was the basis of how countries were formed and how they transformed into new societies. There are three different classes; upper, middle, and lower which are determined by the socioeconomic status that each person is in. Therefore, the upper class "is the social class composed of those who are wealthy, well-born, or both," the middle class is "the broad group of people in contemporary society whom fall socio-economically between the lower class and upper class," and the lower class is "are those employed in low-paying wage jobs with very little economic security" (wikiperdia.com). Where a person falls into each status is based upon how much money they make or the caste that they have been

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