Outline of my sixth oral presentation

Institutional Subsystems

This is a presentation of Driving Lessons

J. Peter Rothe, Published by University of Alberta Press, 2002 Pages 122-132

By Brandi McWade

 

Instructions for this oral presentation are found at:

www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy22/g22-oral.htm

 

 

I. INSTITUTIONAL SUBSYSTEMS

            A)

·        Institutions whose rules govern the activities of their members.

·        They create a hierarchical structure and authority.

·        We give these institutions the right to represent our interests and assume a power that we as individuals cannot.

B)

·        I chose this topic because I believe that institutional subsystems are an important part in traffic safety. 

·        Without these institutions, our society would not be able to functions and people could not cooperate.

C)

·        Examples of institutional subsystems: education subsystem, legal subsystem, and economic subsystem.

 

 

II.  MOBILTY DIALECT

            A)

·        Hegel’s dialect of freedom strongly applies to traffic safety.  Hegel states that freedom involves opportunity for movement and speed.  Freedom comes at great costs; such as the sacrifice of human life. 

·        3 million people have died in car accidents in just the US since the birth of the automobile.

·        Pedestrians and cyclists have a fatality rate more than five times higher than that of car drivers.

·        Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for children aged 5-14. 

·        Automobiles poison fish habitats and other animals are killed in large number while trying to cross roads.

B)

·        I was shocked to read the statistics about vehicle fatalities and other negative effects of the automobile. 

·        I think it is important to be aware of the risk and sacrifices we are making in order to experience the freedom of mobility.

·        This section also brought to mind how we have no respect for the innocent lives of children on the road.

C)

·        An example of mobility dialect are the signs on the US side of highways near the Mexican border which portray women and children running across the road in the same way some areas have deer crossing signs.

 

 

III.  NEOLIBERALISM AND TRAFFIC

            A)

·        Neoliberalism goes with the desire for speed and personal indulgence.

·        Neoliberalism pays overwhelming attention to individual behavior and disregard for other factors in traffic.

·        The government of a neoliberalism country tends to ignore the societal neglect, industrial malfeasance and political responsibility.

·        It focuses on individual behavior as the cause of accidents and a major factor in environmental pollution.

B)

·        When I first read this section I didn’t understand what neoliberalism was or what it had to do with traffic.

·        However, I did realize that it plays a major role in road safety.

·        I thought it might be important to expose everyone of neoliberalism because I figured not too many have heard of it.

C)

·        Canada is an extreme example of how neoliberalism affects traffic.  It has a third higher vehicle fatality rate than Sweeden, which is not neoliberal.

·        The US is also neoliberal and has reversed many of the proven traffic safety laws, such as raising speed limits.  Many US citizens see speed limits as merely being suggestions. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Homepage