soc 168 final

Simmel bio

- Weak ties to family - His academic work can be interpreted as being _influenced by his marginality to his family and to the academic establishment in Germany.

Darwinian tradition(Gilman)

BUTTTTT Gillman also understood that men and women are in fact different from one another at the biological level. She used animal analogies to explain the human condition and the differences between the sexes. ): She used animal analogies to explain the human condition and the differences between the sexes.

Conflict and coalitions

Conflict can lead to coalitions and new solidarities that did not exist before the enemy of my enemy is my friend

Conflict as a threat to the group

Conflict sometimes occurs among opponents who have common membership in a group (but are not intimate/close) This can easily become violent if each party sees itself as representing the group and sees the other as a moral enemy of the collective ex Civil wars

Intellectual Tradition (Gilman)

Gilman maintained that from the earliest age, young girls were encouraged, if not forced, to act, think, look, and talk differently from boys, though their interests and capabilities at that age might be identical.

Exchange: Human Nature

People are teleological (they act on the environment in the pursuit of anticipated goals. To achieve these goals people use tools- not just in the traditional material sense, but also symbolically (language for instance) The more tools people possess, the greater their ability to manipulate their environment. Money for Simmel was the ultimate tool because it was generalized- it can be used in many ways to manipulate environments in order to achieve goals.

feminism

Political movement that seeks the individualistic equality of men and women through political and legal reform

Six general points of feminism:

The importance of gender The importance of equality The importance of choice The importance of sexual freedom Activism against patriarchy Activism against gender violence

Centralization of authority

When you are fighting, you need to "pull yourself together." Different elements within each group in the fight will need to centralize authority to streamline and organize what is needed for the conflict If each side is organized, conflict resolution can proceed in a systematic manner. centralized groups prefer to fight other centralized groups (see the connection to broader normative agreements and cooperation within conflict )

sociability important bc

democratic in nature Establishes an artificial world No inequalities Treatment of others as human beings

Simmel's intellectual interests spanned three disciplines:

philosophy, history, and sociology.

Society is (simmel)

the interactions that exist between individuals and groups. It is not a thing that needs to be studied; rather it is a series of event(s) in which people interact or engage in "_sociation_" What is "real" is neither top down (sui generis) nor bottom up (individualist) "Society is something that individuals do as they influence and are influenced by each other during the course of interaction"

Conflicts among recognized and accepted opponents

Direct conflict involves when parties square off to achieve their different goals Indirect conflict is a situation in which each conflicting party only interacts with a third party in order to achieve their goals. Also called competition

the tragedy of culture and commodity fetishism

DoL - Specialiation -->creativity and innovation --->increasing # of cultural objects (goods to consume, new tech, new science ---> theses products take on life independent of their creators This creativity becomes an autonomous force that requires submission to its own internal logic, thus hindering the ongoing pursuit of growth and creativity Objects that didn't exist 20 years ago seem indispensable They are fetishized

In both direct and indirect cases:

Opponents have the right to strive for the same goal Conflict usually is non violent Feelings of hostility are usually excluded Usually very clear and accepted norms that regulate the conflict - Important because even as parties confront each other, they are still agreeing upon larger principles that serve to unite them. -increase solidarity

Gilman Bio

- Father left family early - had little interest in the pursuits deemed for a girl - Vowed never to marry, but did reluctantly. Had child, Katherine - very depressed and melancholy. The absence of intellectual activity really broke her. And the "cure" at the time was bedrest, making the depression and angst even worse. -Let ex-husband and new wife (her good friend) raise her child. This made her a bad mother in the public eye. -Well known in women's suffrage movement Was a Fabian socialist- collective ownership and democracy without revolution.

Consequences of money for society (simmel)

- velocity - it increases value . We get what we pay for -create Multiple social ties -Allows for exchange at Great distances -It allows for greater continuity in social relations. -Promotes social solidarity - Increases the power of centralized authority -Extends into all forms of interaction_ -There is an Objection of social relations

Sociability or play form

At its most basic and commonplace, sociability is the "stuff" of casual convo We do not always engage in interactions for strategic or objective purposes. Sometimes we find ourselves interacting with others _for the sake of connection itself_. Simmel called this form of interaction "sociability," or the "play-form of association." conversations have no significance or ulterior motive outside the encounter itself. As soon as the truthfulness of the conversation's content_ or the striving for personal rewards or goals is made the focus, the encounter loses its playfulness.

Simmel and Weber

Contemporaries Similarities: both disagreed with Marx's one dimensional ideology Differences: Weber was more _focused in the particularism_ of historical study (no causal laws); while Simmel was a philosopher and saw _more value in timeless laws of social organization __

simmel rejects sui generis perspective on reality

Durkheimian sui generis perspective on reality. That is, society is not its own objective thing that is distinct from the individual society is an event, a lived experience of ever-present interaction among individuals.

exchange

Exchanage is the purest and most concentrated form of all human interaction in which serious interests are at stake not all interaction is exchange, but exchange is a universal form of interaction. Simmel focuses on the nature of economic exchange, particularly as it relates to the creation of value

fundamental forms of social interaction (sociality) (simmel)

Exchange (of which money is an example) & conflict (today) Sociability; the stranger; fashion; the metropolis (Tuesday) Superordination and subordination; the secret society; the poor; faithfulness and gratitude; nobility

the corset & false consciousness (Gilman)

Gilman's metaphor of the corset is similar to Marx's notion of fake consciousness, internalized oppression In both cases, "the facts are there"—the inequality is there—but the person "does not feel it"; she does not see or know of it. She has internalized the pressures and constraints as her own Just as corset chokes the stomach so too do the traditional institutional features of the family choke women Represents constraints placed on women originate outside her In addition, she acknowledges that women may be resistant to developing a "true" consciousness because of the safety and familiarity provided by false consciousnesses

Gilman's main theoretical questions

How do women and men come to have their societal roles? Why do societies develop gender inequalities?

Exchange: Objectivity and Subjectivity

Humans have the ability to divide the world into subjective (internal) states and objective (external) states. This only happens when our needs are not immediately for use and enjoyment "the content of our desire becomes an object as soon as it is opposed to us, not only in the sense of being impervious to us, but also in terms of its distance as something not enjoyed

simmel and Kant

Immanuel Kant's "pure reason:" cognitive capacities and forms of thought exist independently (before) sense experience. Categories of thought are created in the mind, and then attached to perceptions. This is how we make sense of the world. Simmel takes this and says that social structures (forms of interaction) influence our behavior prior and independently of people's specific purposes. Most of Simmel's sociology is based on teasing out these social forms (conflict; exchange; group affiliation) These forms of interaction "influence social action regardless of the intention of the participants.

Conflict solidarity and intolerance

In conflict, there is often a "tightening" of the relations among the party's members. An intensification of unity Especially true in violent conflict Intolerance of dissent: antagonistic members within the groups, who normally could coexist in peacetime, cannot remain so during war. An important consequence is that solidarity bred from external conflict often becomes An end in itself, so conflict persists.

How is Gilman a Marxist?

Just like Marx considered the system of capitalism to be inherently exploitative because workers do not own the means of production, Gilman considered the traditional family structure inherently exploitative because the economic compensation of women bears absolutely no relation to her labor. Regardless of how much work she actually does in the home the housewife's social and economic standing comes from her husband. Thus her labor belong to her husband, not to her -economic dependence & unpaid labor

simmel and Marx

Rejected some of Capital and also of his revolutionary emphases Challenges Labor Theory of Value: Challenges on alienation: some alienation is inevitable In terms of conflict, Marx saw it as an inevitable result of the growth of capitalism leading to a cooperative society in communism. Simmel argues that __humans have a better chance of developing their full human capacities in a competitive rather than a cooperative society (competition can be good)

The Yellow Wallpaper (Gilman)

Semi-autobiographical social constraints driving woman to madness We see the poignancy of The Yellow Wallpaper" lies in its directness. The reader experiences the protagonist's mental breakdown from the inside out" In the story, truth is the domain both of science and of men. maintains that the _traditional division of labor renders women economically dependent on men_ and, hence, necessarily strips women of their freedom.

Simmel and Marx on value

Simmel says value is not about the labor time necessary to produce a commodity, rather relative desirability and scarcity. For simmel, the measure of sacrifics necessary to attin goods or services is the source of their economic value - unlike marx, who argued that the value of goods is equal to the amount of labor power invested in their production - simmel found in sacrifice the condition of all value - hence there can be no universal, objective standard by which value can be established -ex when collector of comic books may be willing to buy a rare comic $200 most of us would not preferring to sacrifice out money on other goods and services such as cloths Therefore value of comic book (ratio of desired sacrifice) would be less than 200 for most Value is always subjective and relative it is determined by the interaction at hand in which actors weigh their desire for the goods in question against the amount of sacrifice required to get them

forms of interaction (simmel)

Simmel was focused on the "_forms_ of interaction." This was more important to the sociologist than the specific _content_ of what is happening in interaction. What is important to Simmel, is to see how the argument between husband and wife is similar/different to the argument between a ruler and a servant or a father and son...etc. The form of interaction here is domination/subordination.

Symbolic interactionism tradition & chicago school (Gilman)

The Chicago school: differential socialization leads to (and perpetuates) gender inequality - Obviously challenges biological (nature/inherent) arguments over gender differences. - These biological arguments, in part, have the product of insisting that women and men CANNOT and SHOULD NOT have overlapping activities.

Forms of sociality (simmel)

The drives/interests/purposes that we have for interaction are our own. These are isolated biological and psychological impulses (content) In themselves such motivations are not social but rather isolated from others When we interact with others to fulfill these drives/interest/purposes we are being social. These interactions, while not necessarily stable, are also not individual. We engage in forms of interaction that are centered on conflict or cooperation; subordination and dominance; exchange...etc.

Three main form of conflicts within groups

Three main forms: Conflict among those with common personal qualities Conflicts in which the opposing parties perceive each other as a threat to the existence of the group Conflicts in which the opposing parties recognize and accept each other as legitimate opponents

Exchange: Value

Value for Simmel is based on scarcity and distance. It is based on humans' basic capacity to distinguish a subjective and objective world and in the relative scarcity in securing objects. Long before money, markets, and corporations existed, humans wanted stuff which were not easily obtainable to them. The economic production of goods and their market value is only a special case (content) of the Subject-object division that humans inherently make

Historical Waves of Feminism

Wave 1: 1830s-early 1900s. Focused on Women's fight for equal contract and property rights_ Wave 2: Post WWII. Focused on workplace, sexuality, family and reproductive rights_ Wave 3: 1990s to present. Intersections of gender equality. Intersections of gender inequality in addition to violence, economic, political and reproductive rights.

money positives (simmel)

We can enter into multiple associations and satisfy multiple desires. It is flexible and opens multiple opportunities. It allows us to be less dependent upon others. - Think about the freedom that your first job gave you. It can cancel out social inequalities. -Since money buys the product, not the person. Status is based on objective qualities rather than ascribed characteristics . impersonal quality of money allowed for a qualitative and quantities expansion of ones' social network Buys us membership (pi phi) or access to activities (travel)

Biological determinism (Gilman)

Women and men have different biological principles to which they must adhere. Women- more capacity for love and concern than do men. AND that these have immense social value and are immensely underpaid. In addition, women are superior to men since they have more civilizing capacity to compensate for men's destructive, combative, and warlike men.

The Sociobiological Tragedy (Gillman)

Women are not "underdeveloped men, but the "feminine half of humanity in undeveloped form" Women are "oversexed," there is too much emphasis on their sex distinction. Rather than a healthy "survival of the fittest" in which women would be taught to be strong and productive, bourgeois women are mandated to be soft and weak, dependent, emotional, and frail. While sexes may be different, the division of labor is not based on biology, rather it is based on patriarchy.

money (simmel)

a key element of the "tragedy" of objective culture over subjective culture

Consequences of Money for Individuals (simmel)

can pursue many different activities -Gives us many options for Self expression -We develop a distance between us and our objects since they can be acquired (and discarded) easily. -We can engage in many types of social relations. -Can also Atomize us . Alienation. -Money can now speak for us, we have Less intimate personal relationships -As life is emptied of emotional connections, personal loyalties, and the enchantment of tradition, and replaced with a calculating indifference

modern societies (simmel)

characterized by an increasingly specialized division of labor and expanding circles of affliations. No longer I an individual's total personality absorb into a particular group or controlled by a particular leader - Involved in a lot of shit so hard to be same as someone else

conflict as a form

conflict is not only disintegrative, but also a means of maintaining or even increasing integration within groups. Humans, unlike other animals, see conflict as a means towards goals rather than instinctual reactions to external stimuli Conflict is Almost always combined with cooperation. People agree on norms that regulate when, where and how to fight.

Corset (Gilman)

considered a metaphor for the general constraints placed on women - put a corset on someone who has never worn one and there is discomfort but person who habitually wears one feels nothing in fact when removed feels discomfort

Liberty of being marginal (simmel)

detachment from social structure gives people options, choices, & opportunities not available in traditional societies.

Simmel, unlike, say, Marx or Mead

did not set out to construct a coherent theoretical scheme__ Collection of insights that provides an understanding of social interaction

Gilman compares the traditional position of the woman to

domesticated horse when in natural condition it is free and economically independent but in present condition of slavery is economically dependent - the horse works but what he eats depends on power and will of his master

Marxist tradition (Gilman)

focus on the political and economic factors that produce gender inequality. The traditional family division of labor was problematic (husband public/wife private). Made women dependent upon men

Conflict between groups

focuses here on the consequences of conflict for the social relationships within each side of the conflicting party He argues that... -it increases the degree of centralization of authority within each group -it increases the degree of social solidarity within each group; this means less tolerance for deviance and dissent. - it increases the likelihood of coalitions among groups having similar opponents

ANOTHER PROB of Gilman

implicitly assumed she was speaking about all women when she was really referring to white women.

value is determined (simmel)

is always subjective and relative : determined by the interaction at hand in which actors weigh their desire for the goods in question against the amount of sacrifice required to attain them. created out of the "distance" that separates desire from its satisfaction and the willingness to sacrifice something in order to overcome that distance. For Simmel, The source of value is the measure of sacrifice necessary to attain goods or goals.

The Individual in Modernity (simmel)

modern urban society simultaneously saps our spirit as well as empowering opportunities. the modern Individual has desperate relationship that tie her to work, family, community, creative pursuits or hobbies, as well as to religious and ethnic identity. We are not as bound so extensively to any specific person(s). Group membership is therefore not as "totalizing" We now have different interactions that simultaneously provide cohesion and community along with individuality.

how do women receive both their social status and her economic viability

not through her own labor, but through that of her husband. This makes her labor not her "own," but a property of the male.

huge organizations and institutions are (simmel)

nothing more than interactions that become crystallized and permanent fields.

The protagonist in the story is at the mercy of (Gilman)

of her husband not only because he is _the man__," but also because he is _the doctor__ This _legitimacy__ means that it is his—and only his—assessment of the protagonist's health and treatment that counts.

Gilman argues that if women were actually compensated for their work in the home,

poor women with lots of children would get the most money (for they are doing the most work), while women with no children and those who do no work in the home (i.e., those who have nannies, maids, etc.) would get no compensation.

The problem with women's economic dependence on men (Gilman)

rather than develop her own capabilities, women reduce themselves to finding a viable life partner Economically makes sense because "their profit comes through the power of sex-attraction," not through their own talents In denying her capabilities, _she reduces herself to being, literally the "weaker sex"

simmel's view of social life

rooted in a combining of opposites or seeming contradictions into a whole ex Conflict: tears us apart and brings us together Fashion: expresses individuality AND attachment to specific social groups.

Conflict among those with common personal qualities

so few differences, that the slightest conflict is magnified in significance - can get really heated Because of this potential, participants develop explicit normative behavior to keep conflict within reasonable bounds ex marriage

categories of thought (simmel)

some examples: cause, effect, unity, necessity, space, and time.

Forms and Content (simmel)

that lots of diverse contents can be involved in the same form ex: Countries in war and contestants in a beauty pageant or husband and wife in a custody battle. (all conflict or cooperation) The same content can be involved in different forms - This class might be conflict or cooperation or exchange. - Ex: attempts to gain economic advantage can be asserted through cooperative agreements among parties as well as through submission from others

Main task of sociology is to uncover (simmel)

the basic forms of interaction through which individuals pursue their interests or satisfy their desires...

duality (simmel)

the existence of one presupposes the other. Society and individuals are a _duality

exchange only occurs when

the object given is less valuable than the one received. Much exchange is manipulated : buyers want to hide their intensity of need, and sellers want to hide the availability of what they are selling.

Gilman contends that

traditional division of labor is not biologically derived For those who argue that "a woman's place is in the home" because of her childbearing responsibilities, Gilman argues that "women's work" is actually mostly house service (cooking, cleaning, mending, etc.), not child service (bearing children, breastfeeding, etc.). (guys can do housework so not biologically derived)

money negs (simmel)

trivializes personal qualities, and creates superficial and fragmented relationships. Our relationships become less personal and more standardized. Our goals increasingly become rationalized (instrumental and impersonal). Money becomes the standard bearer and personal considerations are lost. the pursuit of interest and fulfillment of desires are limited more by the amount of money it posses - this could restrict the styles of clothes, or profession to pursue

Flirtation

type of sociability is a type of erotic playfulness in which an actor continuously alters between _consent and denial_ Play on drawing the man without letting matters come to decision Should a final decision be revealed, resolving the tension between consent and denial, the "play" is over. Denied a man' desire to continue or has made real her attraction for him

Deviance and pathology become prevalent in societies (simmel)

where money is the primary tool. You can no longer effectively constrain individual desires and aspirations.

the tragedy of culture (simmel)

where the material world (objective)- the ideas and products created by us-come to dominate individual will and self-development or "subjective culture." This is an inevitable consequence of modernization. Need for DOL and specialization creates more and more material culture which inevitably becomes reified and asserts itself upon us as external and constraining to ourselves.

Society is therefore a structure in which (simmel)

which people both stand inside of it and outside of it simultaneously (we are at the same time individuals and collectivities). "You" have to be involved with others to be who you want to be, and those interactions with others impact "who" you are. And that "you" is always a bit different in different contexts.

sociology and geometry (simmel)

while a car tire, clock face, and nickel are different things or "contents" that serve different purposes (you wouldn't look at your tire to find out what time it is), to the mathematician they all take the form of a circle and thus share spatial properties. although giving a wedding present, paying for music lessons, and volunteering at the food co-op are motivated by different intentions or "contents" to the sociologist they all take the form of an exchange relation and thus share interaction properties

late 19th/ 20th century cure for women (Gilman)

women were expected to physically as well as intellectually be "childlike" and "fragile. The rest cure These constraints placed on women drive healthy, independent women to insanity. Social bonds essential to mental health -coincides with that made by Durkheim he found that women had lower rates of suicide than men bc they were more likely to have tighter social bonds yet American doctors to cure hysterical women by disallowing social intimacy