Ideal Society: Final Project

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Economic Security as an Ideal Society

School

Name

Introduction to Sociology

Lecturer

November 28, 2021

Economic security as an ideal society

The economic security researchers and analysts define economic security as the ability of individuals, households, or communities to cover their essential needs sustainably and with dignity (Waller, W. T. 2019). This can vary according to an individual's physical needs, the environment, and prevailing cultural standards. Food, basic shelter, clothing, and hygiene qualify as essential needs, as does the related expenditure; the essential assets needed to earn a living, and the costs associated with health care and education also qualify.

According to Waller, W. T. (2019) Economic security companies concentrate on restoring one or several of what are known as "key livelihood outcomes." These are: food consumption: What are people eating? Does their diet cover their nutritional requirements, are people able to hunt, fish, produce food or forage as they normally would? Do people earn or obtain enough money to cover their basic expenses? Are people protected against bad weather? Do they have the means to cook food? Can they maintain basic standards of hygiene? And can the government, civil society, National Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies and others help meet people's economic security needs?

Defining economic security is a tricky matter, considering that the central characteristic of a market economic system is ‘insecurity’. Market economies function best when there is widespread competition and the ever-present threat of failure. According to Maroto, M., Pettinicchio, D., & Patterson, A. C. (2019) to seek economic security, therefore, seems at odds with support for a global economy based on market mechanisms like free trade and competition. Of course, this position is predicated on the needs of the market being equal to or the same as those of individuals. Critical security studies proponents frame the issues differently. Competition itself is not at odds with security. Developing countries argue that free trade is not entirely ‘free’ as trade restrictions unfairly favor already developed or rich nations. The issue is not one of insecurity brought about by free trade, but by an unfair trading system.

Conclusion

Economic security might be the ability of a nation-state to obtain through production or fair trade those goods and services it needs in order to preserve its national security. Studies of economic security policy would focus, therefore, on how a state uses economic mechanisms to maintain territorial integrity, meet citizen demands for goods and services, preserve political and cultural independence, and achieve freedom. An ideal society is indeed a utopian society, which is described as a society in which everything is as excellent as it possible can be for everyone who lives there (Maroto, M., Pettinicchio, D., & Patterson, A. C. 2019). This form of civilization, on the other hand, has never existed before and remains a pipe dream in our heads. John Rawls, Milton Friedman, Karl Marx are three thinkers who appear to suggest an ideal just society.

References

Maroto, M., Pettinicchio, D., & Patterson, A. C. (2019). Hierarchies of categorical disadvantage: Economic insecurity at the intersection of disability, gender, and race. Gender & Society, 33(1), 64-93.

Waller, W. T. (2019). Economic Security and the State. In The Stratified State (pp. 153-171). Routledge.