Sociology - Exam 2

*Discuss examples of empirical evidence in sociological studies.

- Acceptable evidence is that which can be observed by one individual and shared with others so they can observe it, check it, criticize it, build on it, or disapprove of it. Can take place in a laboratory or in a natural environment - We can observe prominent people, items checked on a questionnaire, or diaries and letters. We can observe people in a gang, corporation, religious group, football team, etc. By seeing how many commit suicide during a specific time, no matter what the question is, if sociology is being done, then researches must use empirical evidence to support their ideas. Evidence that can somehow be observed and therefore checked out by others. - Example, Durkheims study on suicide and Kanter, intrested in how by its nature a large institutional system worked against equality between men and women. She knew ways to observe men and women in the organization.

*How is sociology a "questioning perspective"?

- All science must be suspicious of what people know from their everyday experience, but sociology especially must be suspicious, and this suspicion leads to a questioning, probing, doubting, analytical approach to understanding society and the human being. It questions what many people take for granted.

*What does taking the role of the other allow us to do?

- Allows us to see ourselves how others see us. Gives us a different way to see the world and ourselves.

*Why are social patterns important in society?

- As we interact, patterns develop that come to be followed - often for efficiency and because of familiarity, this provides a kind of security to society, we know what to expect from others and what others expect from us. Societies are held together by people in interaction and by social patterns that develop from interactions.

*Define and describe natural law in science and in sociology.

- Assumes order. Order of the universe. There's an order to the world that precedes effect, we can understand in terms of order and cause and effect. There's a plan to things, a framework that can be discovered. Regularity that governs nature. Things we take for granted like gravity.

*Define and describe natural causes in science and in sociology.

- Assumes that order is governed by natural law. Assumes there's a reason for things. There's an order to the world. Events in nature are caused by effects in events. Like gravity.

Moodle Joel Best "Critical Thinking About Statistics"

- Being Critical requires more thought. but failing to adopt a Critical mind-set makes us powerless to evaluate what others tell us. When we fail to think critically. the statistics we hear might just as well be magical. - writes that the _____ are suspicious about statistics. and that the numbers are probably intentionally flawed - Best shows how statistics are manipulated. mismanaged. misrepresented and massaged by officials and powerful groups to promote their agendas. - Joel Best is a professor of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware. - Every statistic is socially constructed in the most operational sense of that term.

*How does it rely on Weber's idea of "social action".

- Believed that modern societies were obsessed with efficiency - modernizing and getting things done, such that questions of ethics, affection, and tradition were brushed to one side - this has the consequence of making people miserable and leading to enormous social problems.

*How is this important ability learned?

- By playing games growing up. Starts with two person games (you're mom and I'll be dad), in order to play these games you have to know the other's role. The games become more complex like hide and seek, as we get more mature. Eventually we get to multiple role games, we learn to take many different roles. Like baseball, to play this, you have to not only know your own role, but everyone else's, also have to know how to play the game. This is when we get good at taking another's role to see ourselves, and how they see us.

*How would you explain Weber's seminal work, "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism"? *What are the two important ideas and how are they connected?

- Comes from Calvinism: predestination for heaven or hell before you're born. You don't know what side you're on. Suggests we don't know where we're going, but people who know they're going to heaven look well, don't want to live a luxurious life, thrifty, simple life, work hard, focused on heaven. This creates a lot of people who are perfect for capitalism, perfect proletariat, they wont rebel against the owner of a business, they don't care about their paycheck, and are focused on heaven and don't want shows of wealth. - The spirit of capitalism: Social structure. This creates the perfect proletariat worker for the bourgaise. Comparative study over historical time and comparing on how successful their capitalism is. - Their connection: Weber argues that the religious ideas of groups such as Calvinists played a role in creating the capitalistic spirit. Ideas are meaningful and can affect us. Meaning is important, this is a qualitative historical study. Looks around the world and sees capitalism is more successful than other places. Set of two ideas and how they work together to result in the action of the act of capitalism as an economic form.

*What is the significance of symbolic communication - how does it contribute to the functioning of society? (Charon outlines 5 points)

- Communication brings a means of knowing one another, making possible consideration of others needs and helping to ensure that one's own needs are expressed. It brings "taking the role of the other" , understanding the world from the perspective of others in the situation. - Makes "shared understanding" possible among people. This includes a way of handling disagreements and compromising among peoples various interests. - Brings a basis for continuing cooperation, a way for individuals to handle problems together as they arise. - Brings a means by which people new to interaction can be socialized so they know how to act in the interaction - Let people know when their acts are unacceptable. It is a means of telling others that they're breaking the rules, that they are not going by the established group procedures, or that their acts are wrong.

*Identify and discuss ethical considerations in sociological research.

- Confidentiality, no harm, deception, anonymity, institutional review boards, informed consent

*How does conflict serve a positive function in society?

- Conflict needs to be recognized as an opportunity to identify, discuss, and deal with social problems. Without conflict, there would have been little change. With conflict, there is change, societies exist because they develop conflict and change. Their members solve problems rather than ignore them; they develop creative solutions rather than simply act the same way over and over again.

*What according to Charon does it mean to be a "social actor"?

- Constantly imagining the thinking of others when we act. Our actions are constantly influenced by many individuals and organizations.

*What three social patterns do sociologists generally see as central for social groups?

- Culture -Social structure -Social institutions

*What is culture?

- Developed in interaction as ideas are expressed, shared, and reinforced in interaction - A groups shared understanding about what is good, bad, right, wrong at a general and abstract level. - Kind of shared framework for society; it is supported w/ ritual, ceremonies, and symbols. - Develops in groups and out groups; it established boundaries Includes beliefs, values, and rules - in order of abstractions

*How does Durkheim view social structure?

- Each position contributes to others. We do what we are expected to do in our various positions, others become dependent on us. As we deal with others in their positions, we become dependent on them. Balances individual self-interest with a higher system of rules.

*How do social institutions make society possible?

- Each society has developed its own ways that allow it to function, by trying to solve basic problems as they arise. - Social institutions are the third set of social patterns that make society possible.

*Briefly describe Erikson's theory of psychosocial development.

- Eight stages, developmental process. Trying to develop a whole identity, at each stage they have to overcome a crisis, comes from the environment. The environment matters, who you're with, where you are matters. Person has to overcome each crisis at each stage in order to move on to the other. - Without the social element, you can't develop a new sense of self. - At each stage there is an environmental or social crisis that comes up and you have to master that in order to move forward. Then you have a new sense of self. Without other people and being able to see ourselves through others, or no interaction with other people, we have no sense of self.

*What are social institutions?

- Every organization that lasts over time establishes itself as social institutions. - An action that is honored, timely, important, and directive. Example, a grocery store may have computerized checkouts and numbered boxes for grocery pickup, and a family might have Friday evening meals or a Christmas eve celebration. All of these are institutions, grooves that people follow. - They sometimes become rituals and seem to be sacred, and they are patterns that keep action working smoothly in organizations over time. - Social institutions are mechanisms or patterns of social order focused on meeting social needs, such as government, economy, education, family, healthcare, and religion.

*Define Mead's important conceptual contribution "taking the role of the other".

- Experience ourselves as subject and object at the same time. This increases our understanding and use of symbols.

*What are the three purposes of sociological research?

- Explore: where does it begin, end? How far does it expand? - Describe: In detail what they see/find, what's going on in all cases - Explain: Asking why? Makes us more efficient and being able to understand why

*Define rules and discuss their role in culture.

- For there to be communication, there must be rules and individuals must be willing to guide their actions according to these rules. - Societies are guided by laws, taboos (prohibitions with severe punishments) - Societies have informal expectations. - All these, tell individuals how to act, they tell them how others expect them to act; they tell them how to expect others to act. Rules are used to aid both society and the individual.

*What does Max Weber mean by "value-free investigation"?

- He says we should be unbiased as we do science. We dont let our values go into who we ask, how we ask, etc. We can't be biased because of our values.

*In what ways might Weber's biography have influenced his work?

- His father was abusive to his mom, Max loses it and leaves, and disappears after his dad's death. Goes to Switzerland to get help and ends up completely alone and absent from the social world for years, He then reappears like he never left and then teaches, publishes again and begins to focus on the importance of meaning.

*What is social interaction and how is it a building block for society? Include examples between individuals and between groups.

- Human interaction is "special" according to weber... it is meaningful; Weber calls this "social action" in interaction we learn to, we use, we gravitate towards meaning. - Examples: Take the Role of the Other (mead) and interpret symbols and gestures - Experience ourselves as subject and object at the same time - reflexivity (Blumer) and increase our understanding and use symbols (symbolic interaction) - We can never craft out respond to achieve our goals - impression management (Goffman) - everything about us comes from being social - Shared understandings: This facilitates further interaction; we can accomplish things. (ex. If we speak the same language as someone, we can share this interaction more, and accomplish things. - Cooperation: creates patterns and stability in society -Socialization: Teaches the patterns to new societal members - Sanctions: Reinforces The patterns with (positive and negative sanctions (rewards or punishments for following or not following the pattern)

*What is the "Interactionist Perspective"?

- Humans use symbols. We have words, we develop language - Humans develop self. We see ourselves as subject and object at the same time; reflexivity lends to creativity to interaction. - Humans think - We create our social life in interaction; we define social problems; we create social reality. - Social problems are viewed at the micro-level of individual interaction; they are created, specified, defined, and changed in interaction

Tearoom Trade by Laud Humphreys

- Humphreys goal was to understand why so men at the time were having anonymous sexual encounter with other men in public restrooms. Bathrooms where men would have sex in were refered to as "tearooms" he was curious why men would engage in this. For his research, he personally visited many tearooms but did not identify himself as a researcher while he was there, instead he volunteered to be on the lookout and cough when a police or stranger would come. He would then listen to their conversation and behaviors, he would also record license plates after they drove off. He then tracked them, showed up to their homes and interviewed them about "social health survey of men" many of the men were married to women, slowly he let it go because the sex was consensual and they should be focused on other more important issues. They chose bathrooms because in the 1970s being gay was stigmatizd and many were limited to where they could do things. I think this was unnecessary and an invasion of privacy.

*In addition to being social, human beings are cultural. What according to Charon is "culture"?

- Ideas, values, and rules that are socially created and understood. - Culture is abstract. What we take from the ideas, values, and rules of our organizations. Culture guides what's right and what's wrong, what our customs, traditions, laws, and values should be. We end up seeing and understanding the world and ourselves through the filter of culture.

*Why is symbolic communication important for the creation and continuation of society?

- If we are not communicating with others, then larger society's maintenance is more difficult

*What is Goffman's "dramaturgical approach"?

- Like being on a stage. There is a front and back stage, the back stage is preparation and support for the performance and front stage is the performance. He relates life to this because all life is like a stage and we are just players in it.

*What is the purpose of loyalty in making society possible?

- Loyalty helps build stronger bonds and creates social support. Loyalty can be fostered by being honest, supportive, and appreciative. Builds trust. Helps us trust one another more and build stronger relationships.

*How might you characterize Max Weber's work?

- Made contributions in method and objective rules of science - Value neutrality (the duty of sociologists to identify and acknowledge their own values and overcome their personal biases when conducting sociological research. (ex. a sociologist who reported about the beliefs of people in a society but did not judge or rank their beliefs.) - Meaning is important to actors; take into account subjective meaning - Expanded the notion of power beyond economic power - Created typologies of authority -> a relationship when one gives up their own power to someone whos in position of power - Linked the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism to explain western capitalism - Elaborated the idea of bureaucracy -> An organization with formal procedures and standards - Developed and explained the process of rationalization

*What was Marx's view of culture?

- Maintained that a people's rules, values, and beliefs are exaggerations of reality, and that there are understandable reasons why particular exaggerations occur. Much of culture is ideology, or ideas that act to defend society as it exists, including its inequality of power and privilege. - Culture means that people in society agree on many important matters - rules, values, and beliefs, and this agreement fosters the continuation of society. - finds that culture is a social product, social tool, and social process resulting from the construction and use by social groups with diverse social experiences and identities, including gender, race, social class, and more.

*What are symbols and why are they important in human interaction?

- Makes up most of our communication, human way of understanding the world. You have a strong connection with someone if you have things in common. Like a language, same hair color, same foreign flag, you're able to communicate with them in a deeper connection with these symbols.

*How would you summarize Weber's theory?

- Max Weber is famous for his thesis that the "Protestant ethic" (the supposedly Protestant values of hard work, thrift, efficiency, and orderliness) contributed to the economic success of Protestant groups in the early stages of European capitalism.

*How does Mead describe socialization?

- Mead believed that social experience depends on our seeing ourselves as others do, or, as he coined it, "taking the role of the other." Understanding the role of the other results in self-awareness. - According to Mead, children learn to take the role of the other as they model themselves on important people in their lives, such as parents

*What are the differences between societies and nations?

- Nations: a political system; a political system includes government, law, an army, and physical boundaries. Modern political entities. - Societies: the largest social organization that individuals are socialized into and that is necessary for social patterns(social structure, culture, and social institutions) The society is usually the identity that is the furthest from the individual. Society is organized and predictable, an order. A society usually has a long history.

*Discuss the biography of Erik H. Erikson. How might his personal story have influenced his intellectual interests and accomplishments?

- Never seen his dad after his dad left them, raised christian with mom, early on asks who am i? What am I doing? Because he has no father and can't get information on who his dad is. Mom marries a jewish dad, goes to Jewish school. Am i Jewish? Christian? Who am I? Does very well in school but doesn't know what he wants to do, He travels, gets jobs to get money. Begins identity crisis, goes on around the world, he writes about ego identity.

*Is it possible to be truly objective?

- No, all scientists have possible biases that we are not aware of and such biases always enter into their studies, sometimes a lot, sometimes a little.

*What is the key difference between rational proof and empirical proof?

- One relies on careful thinking(rational) and the other requires careful observation (empirical)

*Humans first come to see themselves through "significant others". Who are "significant others"?

- Our family, our teachers, schools, the US, all the people at church, or all of humanity.

*How does socialization contribute to the development of our individual qualities?

- Our talents, traits, ideas, and morals are not qualities we have at birth but qualities we develop through socialization in the context of family, school, our peers, community, and even the media.

*Describe Blumer's perspective, Symbolic Interactionism".

- Perspective that focuses on interpretive interaction, he puts it all together. We communicate with ourselves and others through symbols.

8. What different identities do you see expressed by the people of the Big Apple Circus?

- Positions: everyone had their positions ex. Ring crew, flyers, directors. But identities is a name you give yourself, if you're a mother, that's your identity. Usually our identities come from our identity. -Identities are the flyers, catchers, clothing designer, ring crew, horse groomer, clowns, acrobats, jugglers

*For Cooley, individuals come to know themselves in primary groups through the mechanism of the looking glass self. Define the primary group. Define looking glass self.

- Primary groups: A small group, face to face interaction, often, intimate, we care what they think of us, (ex. family) groups we're apart of, share deep stuff with, their evaluation of us matter to us (ex. A significant other) - Looking glass self: how people come to be human, seeing ourselves from the perspective of another

*Describe examples of quantitative work: experiments, surveys, interviews.

- Qualitative: Gathering info that is not that translatable into numerical form, data can be audio, visual, or written observation of some kind. - Case studies: single case, group, class, university, not just a random study but a very particular/deep study on a case. Ethnographies: long time periods to gather as much info as possible, ex. Someone stays somewhere foregin to study and understand them. Seek to understand patterns in social life Interviews: may be face to face, phone, zoom, or also written as self reports. Open ended, topics are discussed, explore in detail, questions proceed more like conversations Participant observations: Watching or participating, complete participant, complete observer, convert observer, overt observer Focus groups: Goal is to explore the parameters of phenomena, description and explanation take a back seat to exploration, small groups of people are created to participate in guided discussions, gets people to talk to each other

Obedience to Authority by Stanley Milgram (if hitler asked you to shock someone would you):

- Researched the effect of authority, concluded people obey either out of fear or out of a desire to appear cooperative even when acting against their own better judgment and desires. He recruited subjects for his experiment, they were offered a token cash reward if participating, he lied saying they'd either be a teacher or a student because they all ended up being teachers. Teachers were asked to administer severe electric shocks to the learners when they answered questions wrong. If at any point the innocent teacher hesitated to inflict the shocks, the experimenter would pressure him to proceed. Such demands would take the form of increasingly severe statements, such as "The experiment requires that you continue." Results from the experiment. Some teachers refused to continue with the shocks early on, despite urging from the experimenter. This is the type of response Milgram expected as the norm. But Milgram was shocked to find those who questioned authority were in the minority. (65%) of the teachers were willing to progress to the maximum voltage level. Isn't about memory but it's to see how far the teachers will go to electrocuting when being asked by authority to stop.

*Define these aspects of social structure: role, perspective, identity, rank.

- Roles: Expectations, scripts, guidelines for behaviors - Perspective: Outlook; way of viewing the world - Identity: Naming; more precise then "self" - Rank: Positions in terms of power, privilege, prestige. Ranking gives rise to inequality

*What are integrating institutions? Give examples.

- Social integration is the process of creating unity, inclusion and participation at all levels of society within the diversity of personal attributes so that every person is free to be the person she wants to be. - Maybe organizations that are specifically advocacy for change about problems around the world. People come together and protest, or fundraise, etc.

5. How would you describe the social structure of the Big Apple Circus?

- Social structure is when people interact over time, establish relationships, position and rank themselves in relation to one another, they learn and enact roles in the interaction. Structure organizes people's actions in relation to one another. - Social structure in the big apple circus is shown by looking deep into the relationships they've made because of how much interaction within one another, and how they are ranked. They know who the boss is, who the founders and directors are, they know who the flyers are, they know where they stand. Especially with their living conditions, in the film they said it themselves, who has a better closet, or where they are located and why.

*What rules are in place to ensure objectivity in sociological research?

- Strict rules tell scientists how to create good theory, how to sample, how to observe accurately, how to control the study so that it focuses only on what they want to study, how to interpret data carefully, and how to refine theory on the basis of the evidence. Strict guidelines tell scientists how to report to other researchers the way in which an idea was formed, how a test was developed, what was observed, and how the results were interpreted. This ensures as much as possible, and that possible bias is minimized.

*How does social structure make society possible?

- Structure sorts people, distributes people throughout society, people learn appropriate behaviors and ways of thinking. - Structure aids society, creates interdependence among the actors and through this, creates a commitment to the whole. - Structure reinforces one another, both contributing to control over the individual, cooperation and interdependence among individuals and order in society.

Prison Study by Zimbardo

- Study where college students became prisoners or guards in a simulated prison environment. 24 were selected if they were to be physically and mentally healthy. They were split into an equal number of groups of prisoners and guards and given uniforms or prison attire. They were taken and arrested by mock police to make it seem very real. They were told not to hit the prisoners. On the second day prisoners staged a rebellion and guards worked out a system of rewards and punishments to manage the prisoners. Within the first four days 3 prisoners were so traumatized they were released. Some guards became cruel and tyrannical while others were depressed and disoriented. An outside observer came upon this and was shocked and Zimbardo concluded the experiment a week after it started.

*In defining humanity, sociologists focus on three interconnected qualities: symbols, self, and mind. Define each. Discuss how each of these is given in social interaction.

- Symbols: Something that stands for something else and is used in its place for purposes for communication. Although we communicate through the use of unintentional body language, unconscious facial expressions, and etc. Symbols have the additional quality of being understood by the user. Symbolic communication is meaningful: represents something to the one who communicates as well as to the one receiving the communication. It's an act of intentional and understood communication for the one who communicates. - Self: Realization that they exist as objects in the environment. "This is me, I will, I will die" This arises through the acts of others. We see ourselves through the eyes, words, and actions of others; clearly through socialization that we come to see ourselves as objects in our environment. - Mind: The ability to think about our environment. Thinking is what we call mind. Humans figure out their world, they decide how to act in situations, and don't simply respond to their environment. This is made possible through symbols and self, which is possible only through social interaction,

*How can we assess the value of various ideas?

- Take it apart, look at its assumptions, search for its contradictions, examine it according to what else has been proved, dissect it into its components and examine them.

*Define "socialization".

- Teach people the ways of society and in doing so, form basic qualities. - Necessary for survival; that socialization is ongoing, lifelong, and broad in scope. - Socialization is responsible for developing our individual qualities. - The process by which the various representatives of society - parents, teachers, political leaders, religious leaders, the news media - teach people the ways of society and in doing so, form their basic qualities. Through socialization people learn the ways of society and internalize those ways, that is, make them their own. (qualities and can form identities, "I'm a teacher, or a doctor, or a manager, etc.)

*Define "social pattern".

- That social interaction is made regular, it is regulated, and a stability is established whereby individual actors know what they are to do in relation to one another. Routines, common expectations, predictable behaviors, and ways of thinking and acting that have been established so that ongoing cooperation is made possible. As new people enter the interaction, they learn the patterns. It's the patterns that socialize individuals so they become a part of the organization.

*Define and discuss the concept of "mind" as outlined by Mead.

- The ability to think is intimately related to self hood and symbol use. This ability to mead is called mind. We are born with a brian, but the mind - the ability to think about our environment is a socially created quality. Symbols are agreed in representations that are used for communication. When we use them to communicate to ourselves, we call this thinking and all this communication is what we call thinking is what we usually call mind.

*What is the notion of logical proof?

- The basis for understanding in much of the academic world. Just as we can determine which line is longer by applying rulers to both, so we can determine if one idea is more true than another by applying rules of logic to both.

*How is Anderson's work, "The Code of the Streets" an example of the Interactionist Perspective?

- The code of the streets is a study by Anderson he's interested in the culture of the city: what are ideas, values and beliefs that affect behavior. Also interested in violence respect and social control. The city he's in is a city of poverty, discrimination, and alienation - hoplessness for many. - People who are living in an environment of risk; everyone risks being affected by violence. - He finds that people deal with this by taking one of two orientations from which to deal with the possibility of violence. "Decent" or "Street". Decent is middle class and the street reflects oppositional culture. - Deal with this also by children gaining respect early and being taught by their parents to fight back with words and actions - Showing toughness, by wearing correct clothing jewelry or by showing manhood. "Code of the streets" - How it's an example of an interactionist perspective: The way we communicate that we're worthy of respect or respect to others. We use symbols like our language, clothing, stance, etc.

*What is a society?

- The largest social organization that individuals identify with and are socialized into, they are constantly affected by its social pattern

*What is the "critical approach" of the Greek philosophers?

- Their constant questioning. They taught people who would listen to them, and people who would eventually read their works - to reject authority alone as the basis for truth and to be suspicious of what the culture in greek society claimed to be true, Instead they argued, the truth and falsehood of any idea must be measured against a neutral standard, some acceptable measuring stick that prevents people from simply believing something because it feels good or it agrees with what they already believe.

*Why are positions important? What do they bring with them?

- They bring with them roles, perspectives, identities, and inequality.

*What did Auguste Comte suggest was the purpose of sociology as a discipline?

- To analyze the nature of society carefully and objectively through careful observation rather than to accept what has been handed down to us from the past. To understand what society actually is irrespective of what people want it to be.

*What does it mean to be "objective"?

- To see the world as an "object" apart from ourselves, to separate it as much as possible from our subjective perception.

*What is empirical proof?

- Understanding through observation

*Define values and discuss their role in culture.

- Values is what they consider to be important in their lives. - These influence peoples' actions, they encourage people to work hard in order to make money for themselves and their immediate family. Or encourage people to go to school, etc. - Without some shared sense of what is important, organizations would become more tentative and less united. - Shared values make it easier to understand one another's actions. - Values are standards we apply to many specific situations. They guide what we choose to do.

*Define and discuss the three things Charon suggests we are able to do as a result of "selfhood"?

- We can see and understand the effects of our own actions, and we are able to see and understand the effects of the acts of others on us. We are able to plan strategy, alter our directions, and interpret situations as we act. - Ability to judge ourselves: to like or dislike who we are or what we do, to feel proud or mortified. We develop a self-concept, an identity, and self esteem, self love or self hatred. - Self control, our ability to direct our own actions. We can hold back, we can let go at will, can go one direction and upon evaluation go the other direction. We can alter our own acts as we make decisions, able to do something other than what we've been taught to do.

*What does Blumer mean by "self indications"?

- We communicate with ourselves and others through symbol usage, we make indications through ourselves meaning and usually through symbols.

*Mead suggests that after understanding the self through significant others we move on to see the self through the "generalized other". What is the "generalized other"?

- We use the generalized other to see and direct ourselves. - When we see ourselves in relation to a group or society, in relation to many people simultaneously. We guide our own acts in line with an organized whole. We see and understand a relationship between our acts and these other organized wholes. - collection of roles and attitudes that people use as a reference point for figuring out how to behave in a given situation.

*How is meaningfulness central to an interactionist perspective?

- Weber emphasizes meaningfulness in social interaction; human interaction is special - sophisticated and creative. He sees our interaction as interpretive, ongoing, and unpredictable.

**Weberian concepts to know: verstehen, authority, rational, traditional and charismatic bases of authority(below) , process of rationalization, bureaucracy, iron cage, social action.

- verstehen: The ability to step into others' shoes and see the world is useful, we can get better at communicating with one another and understanding one another because we see their point of view instead of just OUR. - process of rationalization: To rationalize is to organize it in a fashion. Gets more and more detailed. Ex. University life is logically organized. Rules and regulations, forms, things to sign, and process makes it accessible to everyone in the organization. - iron cage: Process gets bigger and bigger, more and more rules. causing us not to have any of our own thinking cause we are such rule followers. We don't have room to feel anything anymore because we are just following the rules. - social action: an action carried out by an individual to which an individual attached a meaning. Therefore, an action that a person does not think about cannot be a social action. Weber believed that human beings adapt their actions according to social contexts and how these actions affect the behavior of others.

*What are socializing institutions? Give examples.

A group or organization that has specific roles, norms, and expectations, which functions to meet to sociali needs of society. The family, gov, religion, education, and media.

2. What rules are evident at the Big Apple Circus?

An example of a rule at the circus is Steve smith making the horse rider wear the harness that entire time while practicing, when they tried convincing him to not wear it anymore, he yelled at them and said it is staying on.

*How does culture make society possible?

Arises social patterns in an organization, including society. It controls individuals as they interact.

*What is Weber's conceptualization of "legitimate authority"? How does it help make society possible?

Authority - obedience to legitimate power. Every leader seeks legitimacy because acceptance of what the leader orders is much more efficient and stable.

*Define beliefs and discuss their role in culture.

Beliefs may or may not be true, that is not the pont. They are probably beliefs that are important in this society, and thus they have become a part of the society's culture. We are all taught them, and most of us accept them. Such shared beliefs influence people's actions, and order and cooperation are made easier.

*Discuss Ferdinand Tonnies' concepts, Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft. How is loyalty expressed in each social form? Give examples of each.

Gemeinschaft - Where commitment is based on a feeling of community, an emotional bond in which the individual feels that he or she is part of something larger. A sense of "we" prevails, and a belief that my efforts are important for all of us.

7. What perspectives go with the various roles in the circus?

I feel like being able to take the role of the other and seeing glass self is important here, they can see what they need or should improve on to make the show as best as they possibly can, and especially with the directors and founders, being able to make sure they are not pushing them too hard to do things they may not be capable to do. When they fired the flying Neveeses because they were not meeting his expectations.

What is social structure

Makes society possible, as people interact over time, they establish relationships, they position and rank themselves in relation to one another, they learn and enact roles in the interaction. Structure organizes people's actions in relation to one another. As in culture, people understand what others expect them to do.

*Discuss Pierre Bourdieux /Jean Claude Passeron's study of the French University System,"The Inheritors".

Many were dropping out, they found it was lower class people who were dropping out. Why? Because they felt they didn't fit in w/ faculty and school. Even though they had the money and academic ability, they felt they didn't fit in. Different interests, they were uncomfortable/ THis shows us how important socialization is.

*What does it mean that as human beings, we are "social" and "cultural" animals? How are these two core qualities connected?

Social: Our lives are linked to others and to society in many complex ways - family, education groups, etc. We don't live in isolation. We need other people. Cultural: What we become is not a result of instinct but of the ideas, values, and rules developed in our society. We develop ideas that we share, this supports our relationships this grows more as we interact, we get connected more strongly to one another and other people How they're related: Our culture arises from our social life, and the continuation of our social life depends on our culture. They're interdependent. We start with being social, then start being cultural when we share different things with one another. Ex. language, ideas, values, and beliefs.

4. What beliefs are parts of the Big Apple Circus culture?

That they are all family, everyone is accepting no matter where you came from, what you believe in, your past, once you're in the circus you are family.

6. Describe roles you see in the Big Apple Circus?

The founder and co-founders have a lot of power because they are in charge of the circus and how everyone is training and planning the big night out. Then we have the flyers who have a high rank in position because they are one of the most important parts of the show.

*What is the relationship between social structure and culture?

They reinforce one another, both contributing to control over the individual, cooperation and interdependence among individuals, and order in society. Both are social patterns; both developed over time through social interaction; both are necessary for the continuation of society and every organization.

1. How would you describe the culture of the Big Apple Circus?

They share the same beliefs and values as one another, it all started off by them joining and simply interacting with one another on a daily basis for a long time and eventually began to believe in the same things and value the same things like everyone being family, and valuing their job/work in the circus.

3. What are the values you see expressed at the Big Apple Circus?

They value their friendship very much. It is frequently mentioned how they are all family, and always there for each other. They also really value their work and what they do. Especially if they come from generations of being a part of the circus they really value making sure they keep that going for as long as possible.