Barack Obama possesses many innate qualities that are the envy of millions around the world. More important than this is that his qualities, character, personality and vision for America is the hope of even more millions.
In order to examine Barack Obama it is impossible to summarise his traits and persona into a single paragraph or chapter. It therefore becomes necessary that he is analysed with the same characteristic as his person that is with a lot of depth.
We shall analyse Barack Obama systematically from chapter to chapter explaining in detail the particular concepts that he embodies and giving examples wherein necessary and appropriate.
The two concepts inherent in Barack Obama and brought out in Chapter 1 are his deep sense of values and the social imagination surrounding his election to office. Barack Obama holds ideals and beliefs that are deeply rooted and form the foundation of his presidency. (Michael, 42)
He has always stated his commitment to American values of freedom, dignity and peaceful resolution of conflict. He also fights for the common American men and women in his unrelenting efforts to improve their healthcare and reduce their tax burdens. This is because he believes in the small businesses and the middle class as the pillars of the American economy.
The sociological imagination surrounding the Obama’s presidency even prior to his election as president is outstanding. Barack Obama, his supporter, the general American society and the World all viewed the election of a black president as a monumental step in American history.
His election was seen in the context of wider society as a historical milestone that changed the social structure of American civilization and brought in a new culture that is racism repugnant.
In Chapter 2 Barack Obama exhibits the two concepts of agency and social networks. Within the agency concept the President of the United States, has the ability to act and think independently of constraints imposed by social circumstances. His decisions are always based on pure analytical skills and objectivity in judgement.
For instance, his decision to support the position that Palestine should exist as a State with the pre-1967 border lines he came under heavy scrutiny by the American Congress but he stood his ground based on the objective belief that the Palestinian people have a right to exist as a state while Israel’s security is as always paramount but should not be used as an excuse.
Obama also displays an ability to develop and maintain social networks. This series of relationships amongst individuals and groups have helped him keep in touch with the common Americans and their issues. This has given him unique insight in American politics.
In Chapter 4 Obama is a clear example of status characteristics theory and indirect or generalized exchanges. In the former Barack Obama’s presidency, the role and expectations that emanated from the same are evident in American society. African Americas, Latinos, Hispanics and even Whites expect the processes of economic and social stratification that are prevalent between them to start crumbling.
Obama gives a lot of leeway to Republican leaders having reached out to them even during his inaugural speech. This is despite the fact that Republicans have been constantly on his case even when it is not warranted, this is especially true of the Tea Party. He is thus capable of giving benefits without necessarily receiving benefits from the same people.
In Chapter 5 Obama is characteristic of having achieved self concept and personal accomplishments. Obama understands himself and has been able to emerge from the self process that gave rise to his steady character and deep values. The sum total of his thought, attitudes and feelings towards American society are informed by these deep rooted values that are built as part and parcel of his self concept.
Obama also has a strong set of personal accomplishments both as President of the United States and as a community organizer. His academic profile also boasts of numerous accolades and achievements. This shows he is able to set out what he wants to do, works towards it and achieves it.
In Chapter 6 Obama is the perfect embodiment of agency and historical and social context. The agency concept is especially important to me. This is because it refers to our ability to make decisions and control our destiny. This should be the aim of every youth in America. We, the youth should make something of themselves. Obama experimented with drugs but choose to change pattern. He took charge of his destiny and become an American president. I thus believe that I can also take charge of my life.
The historical and social context of the Obama presidency is indisputable. He makes a new dawn for the new birth cohorts in America and all over the world. This is particularly meaningful to me because it means we shall grow our children in an air of reduced racial discrimination and thus more opportunity.
In Chapter 7 Obama totally dispels the concepts of social control theory and stigma. Obama was borne to an American mother who was white and an absentee African father, he was raised in Indonesia and was raised as an inter-racial child. All these are outside the conventional norms of American society and though his bonds with his part of his family and society were weakened he maintained his character and composure though he fell off a bit.
Obama though stigmatised as a black man was able to rise above it. He was able to prove all the deeply discrediting attributes associated with African Americans are unfounded. He indeed proved that an African American is not only worthy of equal standing amongst all races but can lead all races.
In Chapter 8 Obama experienced the concepts of ambient hazards and negative life events. He was constantly in communities experiencing ambient hazards. He was thus exposed to poor community conditions and vices that come along with it such as crime, poverty, corruption and despair. This is meaningful to me because he not only knows and understand s such conditions but can relate with them.
He has been the victim of many negative life events most traumatising for him may have been the loss of his mother who had stood by him for so many years. He emerged from that and held strong.
In Chapter 9 Obama displays the basic concepts of time deepening and free time. The President of the United States is constantly busy attending to the American public and their interests both within the country and overseas. He seldom ahs time for rest. The little time he has he uses for leisure activities such as spending time with his family, going to a Cub's game or exercising. He does this without abdicating his responsibility to the American people.
In Chapter 10 Obama demonstrates sympathy account and situational cues. He is known as a person who has a great amount of sympathy for people afflicted by adverse conditions and circumstances. It is partly due to his sympathy account that he volunteered for community service organisations in Chicago.
The President also has an uncanny ability for situational cues. He displays emotion when appropriate in any given social interaction. For instance, when he had covertly ordered a United States attack team to hit Osama Bin Laden he never showed any emotion of heightened stress during his public and private encounters despite the fact that the hit had enormous implications for the American Society and the world in general. (Dorning, Mike; Christi Parsons, 03)
In Chapter 11 the concept of collective identity and ego involved participation is brought out. In collective identity Obama is characteristic because he has a sense of connection with wider society. His community affiliations and knowledge of ground level dynamics endear him to ordinary Americans. (Obama, 98)
He is also an ego involved participant t in whatever he does. This is to say that he has a strong and irreversible commitment to issues surrounding the community or cause he finds himself in.
In conclusion I believe that Barack Obama has done a lot for American society and indeed taken the world a step further in making it a better and less discriminatory place to live in. I believe that he is a person of great character and personality who has a vision for America.
He has given hope and courage to many to strive for their dreams and achieve what they dare to imagine. This is why Obama is meaningful to me.
Works Cited
Dorning, Mike; Christi Parsons "Carefully Crafting the Obama
Brand. Chicago Tribune. 2007
Obama, Barack Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. New
York: Three Rivers Press. 2004
Tomasky, Michael "The Phenomenon". New York Review of Books 2006
