Social Cubism Model - Essay Example

? Qualifying Exam Practice Qualifying Exam Practice Question I: Human Factors Social Cubism Model is an approach for analysis of ethnographic and territorial conflicts in addition to micro-conflicts which emanate within a society which is comprised of diverse international groups (Peck & St. Bonaventure University, 2006). This model is effective in the analysis of the conflicts which arise from within the American society. This is because of the diverse nature of the US population within states such as California. The multi-ethnic and multicultural California community has recently demonstrated a conflict between the Latino population and the local police (Yi-Hui & Bedford, 2009). There are several underlying factors which surround the causes and possible solutions within this conflict which reflects the appropriateness of applying the Social Cubism Model in analysis of the conflict and recommending the most effective solution. Social cubism model, unlike other theories views issues within community conflicts from multiple perspectives (Peck & St. Bonaventure University, 2006). The model also acknowledges the different circumstances, times, settings and interrelated factors which define a conflict among groups within a community or a society. More importantly, the theory reflects upon the evolution of circumstances which surround a specific conflict in its analysis and determination of solutions (Sarala, 2010). Within the US, Social Cubism Model can be used to achieve resolutions for ethnographic and territorial conflicts. As a result the model is effectively useful in strategic planning and designing policies for cohesiveness, peace and unity within the society regardless of the differences in culture, ethnicity, beliefs and nationality of the members of the society. The Social Cubism Model proposes that ethnographic and territorial conflicts should be viewed from the social cubism perspective which involves active interaction of psychological and material factors and mechanisms (Peck & St. Bonaventure University, 2006). Social cubism can be used as a framework for understanding the conflict between Latinos in California with the Anaheim police. Within this model, there is a social cube which defines conflict within a community as composed of six forces or facets which are interrelated (McKay & Nova Southeastern University, 2007). These forces include religion, history, economic factors, and demographics, psycho-cultural and political factors. The religious factor within the social cube represents a group of beliefs which concern the purpose, cause and nature of a specific group’s activities and the divine control over them (Peck & St. Bonaventure University, 2006). The Latinos of California are majorly protestant with some religious groups such as Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses being practices within this ethnic group. On the other hand the Anaheim police and the rest of the community are largely Catholic. The religious differences between the groups within this conflict reflect differences in beliefs, cause and purpose. These differences are important in understanding the reason why the Hispanics belief that the police brutality is solely directed at the Latinos and not the other religious and ethnic groups. History as a factor within the Social Cubism Model represents the origin of communities and groups and the changes that they have experienced over time. The beliefs and values of the Latinos emanate from their history and they are playing a role in the conflict because it defines the understanding of their social and political rights. The political factor within the social cube represents the government policy and the administration. There is an evident political difference between the Latinos which is characterized by lack of adequate representation in the administration. This is attributed to the campaigns and political protests of the Latino which led to conflict with the Anaheim police. In order to effectively resolve community conflicts, the underlying psycho-cultural factors must be understood and their role in the conflict established (Fredericksen, 2006). In the conflict between the Hispanics and the Anaheim police, the psycho-cultural component is demonstrated by the incidences within the conflict such as the confrontations between the police and the Latinos which were videotaped (Brunell, Hurtado & Martinez, 2012). This fuelled a psychological motivation for more demonstration by the Latinos and the fight for their rights. Another psycho-cultural factor which furled the confrontations or conflict includes the shooting of the unarmed Diaz by the Anaheim police. The demographic factors as postulated by the Social Cubism Model refer to the characteristics of a portion or a group of the population such as size, distribution, density and growth. The demographic factor in this conflict is revealed by the fact that the Latinos are minority community and as a result they are underrepresented which is the root cause of the conflict. The economic factor is related to the political and represents a set of forces which affect the investment and business value of a group or individual. The confrontations that the Latinos are having with the police are related to their fight which is driven by their desire to achieve economic growth in the society. The resolution of the conflict between the Latinos and the Anaheim police can only be solved by understanding the underlying forces or factors which are causing the confrontations. This reflects the effectiveness of the Social Cubism Model in understanding and creating solutions for conflicts within the community. In the light of this case of community conflict, it is recommended for the California administration to allow representation of Latinos in the political setup so that they would be able to present their grievances effectively. Additionally, mediation will be effective in solving this conflict where a neutral individual will mediate the two groups to come up with a solution which is acceptable to both parties of the conflict. Question II: Systems Design The systems that are represented in the case study include the political system and cultural systems. The political system comprises of the local government within California. The cultural system on the other hand is represented by the Hispanic society. Each of these systems has a various elements, a purpose or function and interconnections. In addition each of these systems is characterized by self-organization, resilience and hierarchy which make it functional. A society is composed of various systems which have a common purpose (Heffron, 2008). These systems are composed of elements which play interrelated roles to achieve the major goal of the larger system. More importantly is the fact that the systems within the community or society demonstrate interconnections which cause them to have implications on each other (Holden, 2009). The political system within California is affected by the cultural system which comprise of the Latino community. This is demonstrated by the demands that the community poses on the administration which emanate from their social cultural values and the need for political representation. The purpose of the political system within California is to achieve effective administration of the community. This is achieved through the role of the police of enforcing the law and bringing about peace and order. It is through this role that a conflict results between the Latinos and the Anaheim police. The Anaheim City Council is a function of the political system which is directly involved in the conflict. This is demonstrated by the inadequate representation of the Latinos within the council. It is notable that the various ethnic groups and the police comprise of the elements within the political system of California which is represented by the Anaheim City Council. In this case, the elements within a system are in conflict with each other. It is notable though that the political system is failing to achieve its purpose effectively which has resulted into confrontations with the community. The political system is self-organized and hierarchical. This is revealed by the larger state government under which the Anaheim City Council operates. This organization leads to the fact that the higher authorities are responsible for setting laws and policies such as the criteria for selection of political representations into the city council. The cultural system within the case is represented by the Hispanic community. The members of the community or Latinos are the elements of this system. This system has a common purpose which is defined by their history, beliefs, religion, values and nature. This is this is the reason why they are collectively advocating for their political rights within the Anaheim City Council and the California political system in general. The resilience within this system is revealed by the confrontations that they pose against the police regardless of the shooting and injury to some of the members of this system. The hierarchical and self-organization of this cultural system is demonstrated by the leaders of this community who are in the forefront in the fight for occupancy in positions within the council from which they would represent their group. The political system as represented by the Anaheim City Council is evidently a failed system. This conclusion is reached owing to the fact that there is unequal representation in the council and administration. This means that the elements of the system are drawn from specific groups of the society. In achieving its administrative purpose, this system is failed as disclosed by the police brutality and killing which is focused at a specific group. The interconnectedness among the elements of this group is the justification for the use of the police by the political system to achieve its ends and purpose such as stopping demonstrations from the Latinos. Failed systems within a society are defined by the inability to effectively meet the needs of their elements (Holden, 2009). The hierarchical arrangement of the political system has failed to meet the needs of the society at the Anaheim City Council level which is causing the demonstrations and conflict between the society and the administration. The contemporary California has been reported to be characterized by a conflict between two major groups. These are the traditional group which upholds the law and American values or order and another group which comprises of a class of lawlessness and dysfunctional third world class of individuals. This situation has similarities and differences with the case of the Latinos and the Anaheim police. The systems in both of these cases are in conflict. However the participants in these cases are different. In the latter case, the legal system is involved which includes the legal institutions. Additionally, the members of the cultural systems are different. On one hand, the latter case compromises of a mixed race of lawless individuals while the former case represents the Hispanic group who have a common heritage and culture. However the participants in law enforcement are similar. The structure of the former case is organized with hierarchical structure which has a defined functional. On the other hand the latter case is characterized by a dysfunctional group of lawless individuals. References Brunell, N. Hurtado, J. & Martinez, M. (2012). Latinos in California seeks council seat in ongoing tension with Anaheim police. CNN, 1 Fredericksen, P. J. (2006). Community collaboration and public policy making: Examining the long-term utility of training in conflict management. The American Behavioral Scientist, 39(5), 552-552 Heffron, J. M. (2008). Beyond community and society: The externalities of social capital building. Policy Sciences, 33(3), 477-494. Holden, M. (2009). Community interests and indicator system success. Social Indicators Research, 92(3), 429-448. McKay, J., & Nova Southeastern University. (2007). Strategic community planning: Using social cubism and multi-modal theories in the design of community peace building partnerships. Peck, A. J., & St. Bonaventure University. (2006). An analysis of the conflict in Northern Ireland using Social Cubism and the theories of Edward Azar. Saint Bonaventure, N.Y: St. Bonaventure University. Sarala, R. M. (2010). The impact of cultural differences and acculturation factors on post-acquisition conflict. Scandinavian Journal Of Management, 26(1), 38-56. Yi-Hui, H., & Bedford, O. (2009). The Role of Cross-Cultural Factors in Integrative Conflict Resolution and Crisis Communication: The Hainan Incident. American Behavioral Scientist, 53(4), 565-578. Read More