SOCI 1010 TEST #1

Systemic Racism

AKA Institutional racism Goes beyond the individual level to the systematic level into the ways that racism + white supremacy is embedded in institutions, historically created + presently sustained

Real culture:

Actual everyday behavior. actual behavior patterns of members of a group (Ex: Many people exceed the speed limit)

Theoretical Perspectives..

1. Critical Sociology: The study of society that focuses in the need for social change (for an equal society). Critical sociologists reject Weber's goal that sociology can be value free + emphasizes that sociologists should be activists in pursuit of great social equality Critical sociology is another approach sociologists use to better understand the need for social change in order to make world fairer. Advocating for critical perspectives such as feminism, and environmentalism, will result in universal social justice. This lens is what sociologists focus on when attempting to analyze how human behavior is a reflection of existing social injustices (through an objective lense), in hopes of change in the direction of democracy and social justice 2. Symbolic Interactionism: (Micro; A type of interpretive sociology; uses qualitative research methods ex. participant obsvervations) Phrased coined by Herbert Blumer This perspective is associated with Max Weber + George Herbert Mead. We focus on the individual, looking at how we create the social world through our interactions. There is embedded symbolic meaning in all of our interactions which reflects on the social norms + values. People interact through shared symbols + languages (Society is composed of symbols that people use to establish meaning, develop their views of the world + communicate with one another) The meaning of our symbols + reality is subject to change, since every person has their own ideas, feelings + thoughts on symbols in society ex. Tattoos have different meanings to everyone; ex. reading textbook represent other's hard work, gateway to learning A symbolic interactionist may compare social interactions to theatrical roles 3. Conflict theory: (Macro) Sees social life as a competition, + focuses on the distribution of resources, power + inequality Conflict theory focuses on the conflicts between those who have power + those who don't (the Bourgeoisie + the Proletariat) Those in power exploit those without power as a means of continuing their dominance in society Karl Marx focused on class struggles, but conflict theory can be applied to race, sexuality, age + gender which brings us to... Feminist Theory: Conflict theory focused on gender inequality 3. Functioanlist theory/structual functionalism: (Macro) This perspective is based largely on the works of Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, + Rober Merton. Accroding to functioanlism, society is a system of interconnected parts that work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance + social equilibrium for the whole. Society is a machine. Society is a living organism. Each part of the body or machine needs to be working in order for the whole system to function. Society stability is necessary for a strong society. If social change is to occur, it would be best at a slow pace. Structural Functionalism falls within the positivist tradition. Stability is achieved when a society's social institutions (ex. family, religion, schools, law, etc. ) meet the needs of the citizens. Institutions/structures are interdependant and work together to meet the needs of individuals. Social institutions support society by: - satisfying the basic needs of society - defining the dominant social values - helping establish permanent patterns of social behavior - support other institutions - provide roles for individuals Functions: Positive consequences for society - Manifest Function: Intended + recognized consequences of any social pattern ex. Higher Learning: Education - Latent Function: Unintended and unrecognized consequences of any social pattern/Unintended consequences from manifest functions ex. Keeping young adults out of the job market Social dysfunction: Negative consequences of an aspect of society/ any social pattern that may disrupt the operation of society - Latent Dysfunctional: Unintended (Bad) 4. Standpoint Theory: A feminist theoretical perspective developed by Dorothy Smith's - How we exist in the social world affects how we see + understand the world; Marganilized people, including women, see the world differently (they have more motivation to understand + less interest in the status quo)

Blumer's 3 Premises for Symbolic Interactionism

1. Humans act toward things on the basis of the meanings they ascribe to those things. 2. The meaning of such things is derived from, or arises out of, the social interaction that one has with others and the society. 3. These meanings are handled in, + modified through, an interpretative process used by the person in dealing with the things he/she encounters.

Subcultures

A smaller cultural group within a larger culture; people of a subculture are part of the larger culture, but also share a specific identity within a smaller group. In terms of ethnicity, religion, politics, sex and gender, age, occupation, music and art, physical ability, social class, or recreation among others. Ex. College students who identify with certain styles, vocabularies, or housing

Characteristics of Culture

Culture is learned, innovative, and restraining • Culture is learned. It is not innate. • Culture is transmitted from one generation to the next. Humans pass on attitudes, customs, and habits making culture cumulative. • Culture is shared. bringing members of a society together. • Culture is adaptive and always changing. Culture adaptation is a survival strategy.

Cultural Persistence

Culture is transmitted to new generations New behaviors and beliefs adapt to existing ones through cultural integration Life would be chaotic and unpredictable without cultural integration Culture is both stable and dynamic

Difference between culture and society

Culture represents the beliefs, practices, and material artifacts of a group, while a society represents the social structures, processes, and organization of the people who share those beliefs, practices, and material artifacts.

Cultural universals

Customs and practices that are common to all societies ex. Values - All cultures include bodily adornments, dancing, food taboos, ideas about modesty, and expectations for mourning. - Ex. Values; family unit (Every human society recognizes a family structure which cares for the children)

How the Media Manufactures Consent Video

Back in the days of Edward Bernay's youth, intellectuals were targeted with information or propaganda because those intellectuals had their own means through which they'd then disseminate this information. But in the modern era, it's large media organizations who now set the agenda. More than 25 years ago, Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman argued that all information streaming through the mass media goes through 5 filters and if you look at their arguments today, you can see that they're still relevant. These 5 filters reveal how information isn't always as free flowing as it may seem. - 1st filter: Ownership: Media is owned by a decreasing number of large conglomerates [power in hands of fewer] o In 1983, a study suggested that just 50 corporations controlled just about every single mass media outlet in the United States. By 1992, that number had dropped to 14 and now there are just six. o This controls how information flows, just owning as many publications as possible. o Mass media firms are big corporations. Often, they are part of even bigger conglomerates. Their end game? Profit. And so it's in their interests to push for whatever guarantees that profit. - 2nd filter: Adversiting: Who pays for advertisements? [conglomerates] o According to Chomsky, you are the product of a news organisation. Media costs a lot more than consumers will ever pay. So who fills the gap? Advertisers. And what are the advertisers paying for? Audiences. - 3rd filter: Access: Who provides information? 'official sources' - corporate and gov't power centres o Nobody can afford to have reporters everywhere, so everyone places them where they expect the news to come from. That's power centres like Westminster, Washington DC, Wall St, the City of London and so on. o Governments, corporations, big institutions know how to influence the news narrative. They feed media scoops, official accounts, interviews with the 'experts'. - 4th: flak or as Chomsky called it "negative responses to a media statement" How negative responses are dealt with o When the story is inconvenient for the powers that be, you'll see the flak machine in action discrediting sources, trashing stories and diverting the conversation. o Something like the Global Climate Coalition - made up of fossil fuel and automobile companies such as Exxon, Texaco and Ford. That was set up by PR company Burson Marsteller to try and rubbish climate change stories and the scientists researching them. So they were using their power and influence to educate you to their agenda - and yet people still think that there's a media conspiracy to promote climate change. - 5th filter: The need for an enemy Identification of 'an enemy' to instill fear, submission to power rather than to question and contest o Whether that's the Soviet menace during the Cold War, anti-capitalist protesters constantly being called rioters or the current bogeyman, al-Qaeda.. o Having that evil figure, threatening your good, honest way of life can be used to sell weapons, to start wars and to prevent you, the public, from believing their really is an alternative. o Communism. Terrorists. Immigrants. A common enemy, a bogeyman to fear, helps corral public opinion

Social script

Behaviors, actions + consequences that are expected in a particular situation Ex. When an individual enters a restaurant they choose a table, order, wait, eat, pay the bill and leave. Ex. When someone hurts me, I will tell them to stop

Commodity Fetishism:

Belief that it is natural and inevitable to measure the value of useful things with money A concept by Marx · Ex. Starbucks advertisements

Zero tolerance policy

Black students are suspended 3 times more frequently than white students White students are more likely to be suspended for provable offenses like smoking or vandalism, while black students are more likely to be suspended for subjective reasons like talking back or insubordination

Primary Data Analysis

Data collected directly from firsthand experience

'Operational Definition'

Defining a concept in terms of the physical + concrete steps it takes to objectively measure it Ex. Operationalizing the term 'weight of an object': "weight is the numbers that appear when that object is placed on a weighing scale" (LIKE WHAT WE DID IN PSYCHOLOGY) Ex. Operationalizing intelligence: Their score on the SAT

Intersectionality

Describes the ways in which race, class, gender, and other aspects of our identity "intersect" overlap and interact with one another, informing the way in which individuals simultaneously experience oppression and privilege in their daily lives interpersonally and systemically. Intersectionality provides a basis for understanding how these individual identity markers work with one another.

Feeling rules

Feeling rules are the social norms that dictate what is an appropriate feeling in a given situation, as well as when and for how long we can feel that way

Feminist Perspective on Culture

Feminist scholars use gender based analysis to examine multicultural variations across groups. Feminists focus on how gender affects our cultural experiences. Critiques of feminism are that the perspective promotes divisiveness and focuses on low income and middle class men and women ignoring how women can exploit other groups.

Examples of Unethical Research

Mid 1940's injected prisoners and others in Guatemala intentionally exposed to syphilis. 194o's to early 1950s malnutrition experiments on canadian aboriginal children and some adults

Hope + Change

More anti-racist education initiatives in schools such as the implementation of the We Rise program Advocating and participating in social movements Through activism, there is the removal of police officers in schools

Innovation

New objects or ideas introduced to culture for the first time Turning inventions into mass-market products - Ex. Henry Ford began mass producing automobiles.

Globalization and Media

Globalization refers to the flow of goods, services, media information, and labour around the world. Critical researchers are concerned about the deepening and worldwide impact of media industries. They note that the dominance of the American motion picture industry has made it difficult for other countries such as Canada to develop their own film industries.

Feudal societies

Hierarchical system of power based around land ownership and protection; nobility- lords owned land which was cultivated by peasants who maintained the land for a place to live and protection from enemies; surplus of resources but surplus in the hands of a few

Socializing tasks

Homogenization and social sorting: Students from diverse backgrounds learn a standardized curriculum that effectively transforms diversity into homogeneity. Students learn a common knowledge base, a common culture, and a common sense of society's official priorities, and they learn to locate their place within it Social Sorting: Within the norms established by school curriculum and teaching pedagogies, students learn to identify their place as A, B, C, etc. level vis-à-vis their classmates.

Social Interaction

How people relate to each other + influence one another's behavior

Face work / 'Saving your face'

How we make adjustments to cover our inconsistencies or incidents There are different avoidance strategies ex. Preventive acts are so-called announcements about potential awkward incidents that might take place in the flow of events; or Ignorance of uncomfortable and unforeseen incidents might help to continue in the desired flow of events. One example is the ignorance of stomach noises. However, ignorance strategies do only work in cooperation with the addressee.

Cultural Lag

Refers to the slowness in the rate of change of one part of a culture in relation to another part Cell phones were invented before our norms for when to use them. Culture takes time to catch up with technological innovations, resulting in social problems. Ex. gaining the ability to modify genetic patterns in humans before understanding the possible social consequences of doing so.

Material culture

Tangible objects that members of a society make, use, and share. Ex. Tools, jewelry, pottery, clothing, and furniture.

Class socialization

Teaches the norms, values, traits and behaviors you develop based on the social class you're in ex. People of high class being expected to go to uni

Multiculturalism

The coexistence of many cultures in the same geographic area, without any one culture dominating another. The existence of a diversity of cultures within one territory and to a way of conceptualizing and managing cultural diversity AKA cultural pluralism. Our collective cultural heritage as a species

Mainstream culture

The cultural patterns that are broadly in line with a society's cultural ideals and values It includes all popular culture and media culture, typically disseminated by mass media.

Cultural Imperialism

The deliberate imposition of one's own cultural values on another culture Cultural Imperialism is when the cultural values and products of one nation influence or dominate those of another country. Where popular cultural icons become popular in another country, such as Elvis in Japan. Cultural imperialism in cultures is one of the consequences of the increased global flows of capital, people, culture, and entertainment. Ex. American fast food restaurants, toys, music, and advertising are available in most countries of the world.

Role distance

The detachment of the performer from the role she is performing

Ethnic Penalty

The economic and non-economic disadvantages that ethnic minorities experience in the labour market compared to other ethnic group Immigrants in all Western societies suffer from this

Postmodernism Culture

The form of culture that came after modern culture A general term used to refer to changes, developments and tendencies which have taken place in literature, art, music, architecture, philosophy, etc. in the post WWII era. The erosion of authority, eclecticism, decline of the consensus around core values.

Biological Determinism

The forms of human society and human behaviour are determined by biological mechanisms like genetics, instinctual behaviours, or evolutionary advantages.

Digital Divide

The gap between demographics; those with and without sufficient resources or effective technology; and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology and those who don't or have restricve access ex. Telephone, TV, internet Ex. With Corona, teachers out of the loop because they are unaware of how to use certain technologies Knowledge gap results from the digital divide

Consumerism

The idea that increasing consumption of goods and services purchased in the market is always a desirable goal and that a person's wellbeing and happiness depends fundamentally on obtaining consumer goods and material possessions.

Sapir Wolf Hypothesis

The idea that people experience their world through their language and that they, therefore, understand the world through the culture embedded in their language AKA linguistic relativity We initially develop language to express concepts that emerge from our experience of the world, but afterwards language comes back to shape our experience of the world People can't feel or experience something that they do not have a word for · Ex: People who are into decorating can distinguish color by descriptive adjectives i.e. pearl white.

Habitualization/ Habitual

The idea that society is constructed by us + those before us, + it is followed like a habit

Mass Media

ex. Radio, television, books, Internet, movies, music, magazines, ...

Commodity

A raw material or primary agricultural product that can be bought and sold, such as copper or coffee.

Grade Inflation

A real or perceived upward trend in the average grades awarded to students for a particular level of academic achievement. This may be due to a culture rewarding effort instead of a product (i.e., the amount of work a student puts in raises the grade, even if the resulting product is poor quality).

Sociology & The 'Father'

The science that studies human society and social behavior. The study of society and human behavior; Auguste Comte was considered "the father of sociology" as he coined the term. He encourages others to use scientific observation when studying society. Economics was a topic of study in early sociology Simmel described sociology as the study of social forms Sociological studies test relationships in which change in one variable causes change in another

Nonmaterial culture

The shared set of meanings that people use to interpret and understand the world. Ideas, knowledge, and beliefs that influence a people's behavior--items of culture you cannot touch Ex. Political opinions, religious beliefs, and marriage patterns. EX how I pray, the language that I pray in 5 aspects of nonmaterial culture: Language, Symbol, Value, Belief, Norms

Culture Shock

A sense of confusion, uncertainty, disorientation, or anxiety that accompanies exposure to an unfamiliar environment.

Culture shock

A sense of confusion, uncertainty, disorientation, or anxiety that accompanies exposure to an unfamiliar way of life or environment. We react to differences in personal hygiene, privacy, food, and personal space.

Both material and nonmaterial

Engagement ring, pandemic masks, family heirlooms, bible, flags, (you can touch and feel them and they also have meaning attached)

Access to Education

People's equal ability to participate in an education system. Access might be more difficult for certain groups based on race, class, or gender

Doing Gender

Performing tasks based upon your gender assigned by society Ex. clothing choice, toy choices, hobbies, how we sit, colors

Song: "Girl or Boy"

"Do they like to play with dolls or do they play with toys?" "Life is not a pink or blue painting" "They also said to the girl who fought, that's not very ladylike" "Who decides it? Do you or I"

Bruno Mars Education Song:

"I am loyal to my future; I'm giving all I have to my schoolwork, exams, cause my future's in my hands" "I am loyal to my learning brain. You can't distract me baby"

George Herbert Mead Social Self

"I" : The self as subject who makes decisions and takes actions based on his or her desires (how you see yourself) "Me": The self as object as the person is regarded by others (how others see you) "Take the role of the other/ TROTS" : To understand how others view the situation + what it means from their perspective

Social Media Blues Song

"Lechin off the free wifi" (at starbucks) relates to digital divide and access to internet "So I made a move online"

Detournement

"Rerouting, hijacking" Defined as a variation on previous work Ex. An image of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper in a folksy sweater holding a cute cat was altered to show him holding an oily duck instead in order to defamiliarize familiar messages, signs, and symbols

Characteristics of Norms

- Most are unwritten. - They are instrumental. - Some are explicit while others are implicit. - They change over time. - Most are conditional. - Norms can be rigid or flexible.

Talcott Parson's AGIL Scheme: Structural Functionalism:

- Structural functionalism: Positivist approach (since functionalists believe that sociological matters should be explained w/ scientific facts (aka positivism) Social organizations, institutions, + culture keep people from destroying themselves The functional perspective assumes that conflict is caused by human nature, therefore social organizations, institutions, + culture are needed to make societies functional (they are the solution to the problem) - Talcott parsons and Emile Durkheim argues for value neutrality, objectivity; social order, solidarity, equilibrium; parts contribute to the working whole for the survival of a system Talcott parsons' A.G.I.L. schema - Satisfaction of four primary social functions: • Adaptation: How the system adapts to its environment • Goal attainment: How the system determines what its goals are and how it will attain them • Integration: How the system integrates its members into harmonious participation and social cohesion ex. in churches/mosques (different institutional should work together) • (Latent) Pattern Maintenance: How basic cultural patterns, values, belief systems, etc. are regulated and maintained.

Theoretical perspectives of Media:

- Symbolic Interactionism of Media: Is NOT one of the principle theories used by media sociologists. The microsociological focus gives it limited applicability. - Critical Theory of of Media: A macrosociological perspective that concentrates on social conflict and change. It allows sociologists to question rather than defend the media. This theory focuses on the creation and reproduction of inequality — social processes that tend to disrupt society rather than contribute to its smooth operation. When taking a critical perspective, one major focus is the differential access to media and technology embodied in the digital divide. Critical sociologists also look at who controls the media, and how media promotes the norms of upper-middle-class white demographics while minimizing the presence of the working class, especially people of colour - Feminist Theory of Media: A critical perspective examines both microsociological and macrosociological processes. Feminists are concerned about the patriarchal ways of society. Patriarchy refers to social, political, or economic mechanisms that evoke male dominance over women. The media justifies inequality between men and women on the basis of so thought of "natural" differences.

History Of Sociologists

1. August Comte: The first to come up with the term sociology to refer to the study of society He was the first who used the science method to study social life/problems Positivism: The belief that knowledge should be derived from scientific observation Comte believed that studying the 'social static' (things that held society together) along with the 'social dynamics' (things that cause social change), it would be more helpful in reforming societies Two focus areas: social order + social change: - Social statics hold society together + social dynamics cause social change - Social statics: study of social stability and order) - Social dynamics: study of social change 2. Herbert Spencer: Influenced by Darwin's evolution theories Social Darwinism- 'Survival of the fittest' Some people are born smarter = better than others; societies evolve to higher levels just like organims do; The best aspects of a society will survive over time so no need to correct social problems He determined that society is a set of interdependent parts that work together to keep the system going (compared society to the human body - parts working together to promote it's well being + survival) From this theory Spencer concluded that: Social change + unrest are a natural part of society's evolution 3. Karl Marx: The structure of a society is influenced by how the economy is organized Focuses on class conflict over scarce resources: The conflict between 2 social classes: Bourgeoisie: wealthy capatalists; owners; and the Proletariat: workers (those who provide the labor needed to produce goods) This struggle/conflict will cause social change - the conflict will last until the proletariat unite in revolution. Power imbalance would cause a worker's rebellion; workers would win + create a society without social classes Goal is a classless society where you will work according to your ability + receive goods/services according to your needs 4. Emile Durkheim: He was among the first to apply methods of scientific study to sociology Ideas led to development of the conflict perspective in sociology. Emphasized the primary role that conflict plays in social change Studied the importance of studying 'social facts' - social values, cultural norms, societal structures, behavioral patterns of a group Agreed that society was a set of interdependent parts that work together to keep the system going. But, he focused on the function (it's benefits; what it offers to keep the system going) of each part (especially religion) Believed in observable phenomena- Studied only observable things; collected data + used it to learn more about the social problem + solve it (ex. Suicide studies) He concluded that studying suicide was a study of social solidarity. Social solidarity: the degree to which a society is integrated, united, or held together as a solid whole. The opposite of high solidarity is a high degree of individualism. If people are highly individualistic, then social solidarity is low. Low social solidarity will lead to a high suciide rate. 5. Max Weber: Interested in separate groups rather than society as a whole Studied the effect of society on individuals Unlike Durkheim, Weber believed that studying unobservable things (feelings, emotions, thoughts, understandings) would also produce valuable insight into understanding societies. He called this Verstehen - why do people act the way they do? Put yourself in the place of others + see the situation through their eyes 6. Harriet Martineau: Contributions in research methods, political economy, + feminist theory She declared that in order to obtain valid reasercher, these 3 criteria needed to be respected: impartiality, critique, and sympathy. The impartial observer could not allow herself to be "perplexed or disgusted" by foreign practices that she could not personally reconcile herself with. Yet at the same time she saw the goal of sociology to be the fair but critical assessment of the moral status of a culture. She drew a distinction between morals — society's collective ideas of permitted and forbidden behaviour - and manners - the actual patterns of social action and association in society. She said that one could identify key "Things" experienced by all people — age, gender, illness, death, etc. — and examine how they were experienced differently by a sample of people from different walks of life

Role - 1. Role set - 2. Role strain - 3. Role conflict - 4. Role performance

1. Different roles attached to a single status ex. A sample role set of a student: Going to a club, having a part time job, making friends, being in a relationship 2. Difficulty meeting the role expectations of a single status ex. You, as a student, have to write 2 papers, finish 5 readings, + study for midterm (you are being pulled many different ways from this 1 status- being a student) 3. The conflict b/w the roles of 2 or more social statuses/fulfilling the role expectations of 1 status makes it difficult to fulfill the role expectations for another status ex. You, as a parent, have a paper due for school, but you finds out your son is injured + needs hospital; your status as a parent takes precedence over your status as a student 4. The actual characteristics + behaviors an individual expresses to carry out his/her role; might not match that which is expected; role behaviors differ in societies; ex. a student being too lazy to hand in an ungraded worksheet

3 Types of Field Research

1. Ethnography/Ethnographic reaserch: A method of field research/observation of behavior in a natural setting. Conducted to study cultures + groups through their history, routines, practices, languages, etc. It can be conducted using a variety of methods (Participant observation is one of the many methods that an ethnographer uses). It examines things like race, class, gender, religion, kinship, economics, political systems. The idea of ethnography is to get a full and holistic view of the cultural experience of a person living within that culture. "What does it mean to be human living in the Butte, Montana? In a rural village in Mexico?" 2. Participant observation: A methodology for approaching ethnography. Learn about group's beliefs + behaviors through social participation + personal observation within the community Ex. If you want to understand a fishing culture, you don't sit on the dock with binoculars, you go out and help make the nets, catch fish, cook the fish. (Journalists do this) (The main difference between ethnography and other types of participant observation is: ethnography isn't based on hypothesis testing) 3. The case study: An in-depth analysis of a single event, situation, or individual. To conduct a case study, a researcher examines existing sources like documents and archival records, conducts interviews, engages in direct observation, and even participant observation. Case studies are not generally applicable

Research Methods

1. Experiments: Lab-based experiments, + natural or field experiments. In a lab experiment, the sociologist selects a set of people with similar characteristics, such as age, class, race, or education. Those people are divided into two groups. One is the experimental group and the other is the control group. The experimental group is exposed to the independent variable(s) and the control group is not. 2. Survey: People responding to a set of prepared questions. Researchers are interested in the responses of a specific group of people (aka the population of interest) Since you won't be able to survey the whole population, you survey a sample: a smaller group that's representative of a population. Could be open ended questions, yes or no questions. Topics best for surveys include: Demographic surveys, market Research surveys, customer Satisfaction surveys, employee satisfaction surveys, product feedback surveys, post-event survey 3. Some reaserch is done "in the field" through participant observation. However, from the small size of the groups studied in fieldwork, it is difficult to make predictions or generalizations to a larger population.

Reaserch should be: 1. Reliable 2. Valid 3. Ethical 4. Valuable

1. How can our results be replicated by others 2. Does our reaserch measure what we set out to measure? 3. Have we followed established moral + professional rules 4. What purpose does it serve?

Ways of Knowing: Sociological Reaserch 1. Casual observation 2. Selective observation 3. Overgeneralization 4. Authrority/tradition 5. Scientific research methods

1. Occurs when we make observations without any systematic process for observing or assessing the accuracy of what we observed ex. Most of our cameras are off in zoom class 2. Occurs when we see only those patterns that we want to see, or when we assume that only the patterns we have experienced directly exist. ex. You form a negative opinion about a political party + only read/watch news stories that share this negative opinion about that party 3. Occurs when we assume that broad patterns exist even when our observations have been limited. ex. I see students from X country are superior athletes, + therefore all students from x country are superior athletes 4. A socially defined source of knowledge that might shape our beliefs about what is true and what is not true. ex. My mother said... 5. An organized, logical way of learning and knowing about our social world.

Research Methods

1. Positivism: Comte's idea for applying the scientific method to social problems Positivism adheres to the view that only "factual" knowledge gained through observation, the senses + quantifiable data, exists and is trustworthy. Everything else is nonexistent. This approach exemplifies how social facts shape the behavior of individuals, meaning that people's actions/thoughts are reliant on external forces such as one's ethnic background, social class, gender, etc. Correlations can then be formed to reveal how society operates. However, this process is only reliable if sociologists withhold their opinions from their data (only basing their findings on the 5 senses and quantitative research ex. questionarres). 2. Interpretive Sociology/Interpretivism Interpretivism opposes the positivism lense, and demonstrates that everyone has their own consciousness, and therefore can base their actions on their own decisions, rather than on what they were raised/expected to believe. Observing such behavior through qualitative research (ex. participant observation) develops a deeper understanding of why individuals act the way they do. Although, this approach is subjective, and therefore based on opinions as opposed to facts. Symbolic Interactionism is one of the main schools of interpretive sociology ------- The difference between positivism and interpretive sociology relates to whether sociological studies can predict or improve society

Xenocentrism

A belief that another culture is superior to one's own

Literature Review

A comprehensive summary of previous reaserch on a topic. Identifying + studying all existing studies - scholarly books, articles, books on a topic to create a basis for new research

High Culture

A form of cultural experience characterized by formal complexity, eternal values, or intrinsic authenticity such as is provided by the Greek classics. Pierre Bourdieu argues high culture is not only a symbol of distinction, but a means of maintaining status and power distinctions through the transfer of cultural capital: the knowledge, skills, tastes, mannerisms, speaking style, posture, material possessions, credentials, etc. that a person acquires from his or her family background.

Sociobiology

A framework which provides biological explanations for the evolution of human behavior and social organization Points to the complex relationship between nature and nurture. Inherent in sociobiological reasoning is the idea that certain genes or gene combinations that influence particular behavioral traits can be inherited from generation to generation. Ex. deer mice that migrated to the sand hills of Nebraska changed the color of their physical appearance over time. However, it fails to take into account the complexity of human behavior and the impact of the environment on human development. It is difficult to account for the variability of social phenomena by using a universal biological mechanism to explain them.Social scientists see explanations of human behaviour based on biological determinants as extremely limited in scope and value. The 3 steps of sociobiological propositions: 1. Identify an aspect of human behavior which appears to be universal 2. They assume that this universal trait must be coded in the DNA of the species. 3. They make an argument for why this behavior or characteristic increases the chances of survival for individuals and, therefore, creates reproductive advantage.

Androcentrism

A gender bias that comes from a male-centerd view of the world; male concerns, male attitudes, and male practices are presented as "normal" or define what is significant and valued in a culture. The use of male terms (e.g., he), images, and research participants to represent everyone. · Women's experiences, activities, and contributions to society and history are ignored, devalued, or marginalized. Ex. A "policeman" brings to mind a man who is doing a "man's job", when in fact women have been involved in policing for several decades now.

Media Representations of Women

A great deal of research has been done on media portrayals of women. Research on movies with female police officers has shown that they are often not commercially successful unless strategies such as domestication, infantilization, sexualization, and splitting strategies are used. Representation of women in news coverage has also been examined by cultural studies theorists.

Society

A group that interacts within a common bounded territory or region (share a common culture)

Counterculture

A group whose values and norms deviate from or are at odds with those of dominant culture (teenage culture) Counterculture is a group that deliberately opposes and consciously rejects some of the basic beliefs, values, and norms of the dominant culture. An example of a counterculture is the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Many counterculture groups violate laws. Counter culture of the 1960's: anti-war, pro-civil rights, feminism; LGBT rights

Line

A manner of self presentation in which an individual expresses their view of the situation, their attitude towards the other members of the group, and their attitude towards themselves.

Impression Management

A person attempting to influence the perceptions of other people about a person, object, event; ex. "I'm a good person" "I'm going to do this so they like me" Behaving in a nice way around your crush Impression management is a critical component of symbolic interactionism. Ex. A judge has many "props" to create an impression of fairness, gravity, and control—like her robe and gavel. Just imagine the "impression" that can be made by how a person dresses.

Reality is socially constructed/Social construction of reality + Thomas Theorem

A sociological theory of knowledge understanding that something/knowledge exists as a result of human interaction + human agreement ex. Family is a social construct - it had no pre-determined meaning, until we gave it meaning Thomas Theorem: This theorem provides a way to look at the social construction of reality. "If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences." People's behaviors can be determined by their subjective construction of reality. Ex. a teacher who is repeatedly given the label of overachiever might live up to the term even though it initially wasn't a part of his character Ex. A child's perception about the existence of ghosts will keep him awake at night, though they don't actually exist

Language

A system of shared symbols that enables people to communicate with one another. Language is important. - It makes us human. - It helps us interact. - It directs our thinking, controls our actions, and gives us a sense of belonging.

White Supremacy

A system which places whiteness at the top of a racial hierarchy + is sustained through various social institutions + daily practices. It places blackness and indignity at the bottom of this hierarchy + rewards proximity to whiteness.

Geneticism:

A theory explaining the perceptions, attitudes, and behavior of an individual primarily in terms of heredity and development Poses questions like: Where did I come from, what will happen to me in the future?

Social Control

A way to encourage conformity to cultural norms

Agents of socialization

Agents of socialization are groups of people who guide us through the process of becoming a member of society and help to shape the people we become. Key agents of socialization: • Family • Peer Groups (social groups whose members have interests, social position, and usually age in common) • Education System • Mass Media • Religion

Aging and Socialization

Aging is shaped by culture and institutions. The sociological study of aging focuses on: • The social aspects of how people age • Concerns with the general aging of the population as a whole The experience of aging depends on social factors such as: • Changes in public policies and programs • Overarching cultural values and norms

New media

All interactive forms of information exchange ex. email, twitter, facebook

Important Sociological Imagination Vocab: Biography Historical Context Social Structure

An account of someone's life written by someone else (you can see if your story relates to the experiences + stories of others) The social, political, economic, cultural situations that influence the events/trends we see happen during that time How society is organized + institutional agreements + stable organizations through which individuals + groups interact (ex. treatment of women in other places)

Beliefs

An idea/tenets/conviction that people hold to be true without any facts. Individuals in a society have specific beliefs, but they also share collective values. Ex. Faith in God

Sociological Perspective

An unbiased way to view the familiar, unfamiliar, + ourselves Viewing group behavior in a scientific, systematic way, rather than depending on common sense explanations (which are unreliable) A view that looks at behavior of groups, not individuals

Anti Black Racism

Any attitude behavior, practice, or policy that explicitly or implicitly reflects the belief that Black people are inferior to another racial group.

A racist idea

Any concept that regards one racial group as inferior or superior to another racial group in any way.

Symbol

Anything that stands for something else and has a particular meaning for people who share a culture - Symbols take many forms: o Words—chair, tomorrow, hope o Gestures—wave, salute o Visual images—tattoos, logos o Physical objects—cross or wedding ring - Symbols distinguish one culture from another. o Veil may be a symbol of respect or domination. - Symbols can unify or divide a society. o Confederate flag is a source of pride or offense. - Symbols can change over time. o "Green" is now used to mean environmentally responsible.

Achieved status/Ascribed status

Ascribed status is involuntary, something we cannot choose ex. Race, ethnicity, and the social class of our parents Achieved status is something we accomplish in the course of our lives; reflects our work and effort ex. being a doctor

Institutional Review Boards : Research Ethics

Authority to review, disapprove or approve, require modifications to research proposals in order to maintain an institution's ethical standards

Media Representation of Racial and Ethnic Minorities

Canadian studies on racial and ethnic minorities have shown that these groups are under-represented and misrepresented. Some minorities are portrayed in stereotypical and negative ways.

Gender neutrality

Characters that weren't constituted by any markers Neutral clothing, various sports/hobbies

How are these transitions explained sociologically?

Comte 19th c - developed the concept of sociology; evolution of human societies based on ideas - the law of three stages: theological [gods make things happen]; metaphysical [abstract ideas - nature]; positive stage [positivist, scientific observations and laws] Marx 19th c industrial society - change in societies not a change in ideas [as with Comte] but on power struggles over resources • Historical transformations from one type of society to the next are generated by the capacity to generate economic surpluses, such as by feudal time and à • Land owners contrl over agricultural workers, capitalists over labourers. • 4 types of Alienation in Capitalist society - 1] From the product of their labour; Their labor is not their own but ultimately belongs to another and is produced for another. - 2] Lack of control over process their work [no say in how work is organized] - 3] Alienation from our humanity [objects to be used rather than subjects to create] - 4] Alienated from each other as humans [as seen in hostility and competition] Weber late 19th, early 20th c - industrial capitalism society - importance of cultural influences: - Iron cage - increased rationalization i\in social life, particularly in Western capitalist societies; being trapped by efficiency, control, rationalization, predictability [relate to increasing technology, factory work - Rationalization - increasing concern with Efficiency & Predictability - Disenchantment -gone is the 'magic' that we saw in earlier times; he saw a downside to that Durkheim late 19th early 20th c - industrial society; The Division of Labour in Society (1893) - Social cohesion is based on dependence on others - Anomie - normlessness based on breakdown of social and moral values and standards; caused by division of labour & rapid social change - saw history of society as long term changes in solidarity - unity, common goals - Solidarity is about the degree of a division of labour - Transition from mechanical to organic solidarity mechanical - homogeneity, connection through the same/similar work, beliefs, education, family, religion, ... organic - highly differentiated division of labour; interdependence and complementarity rather than similarity Gerhard Lenski (1924-2015) 20th and 21st c - Evolution of society in terms of technology/technological sophistication - Think about what kinds of tools were available during each period from preindustrial - hunter-gatherer to postindustrial - Think also about humans and how their relationship to their natural environment has changed - preindustrial were most dependent on natural environment for basic survival Gerhard Lenski (1924-2015) 20th and 21st c - Evolution of society in terms of technology/technological sophistication - Think about what kinds of tools were available during each period from preindustrial - hunter-gatherer to postindustrial - Think also about humans and how their relationship to their natural environment has changed - preindustrial were most dependent on natural environment for basic survival

Mainstream Media

Conveys certain messages about society and groups in society. Critical media sociologists and other scholars argue that these messages reflect the dominant ideology. The messages express the viewpoints of the capitalist class and other powerful groups. Capitalist, patriarchal, or racist ideologies are some specific forms of the dominant ideology that have been embedded [encoded] in media texts.

Critical Sociology of Education

Critical sociologists see schools as a means for perpetuating class, racial-ethnic, and gender inequalities. They believe that the educational system reinforces and perpetuates social inequalities arising from differences in class, gender, race, and ethnicity Students of low socioeconomic status are generally not afforded the same opportunities as students of higher status, no matter how great their academic ability or desire to learn. Many students from working-class families have to help at home, contributing financially to the family, have poor study environments, and lack material support from their families. Cultural capital (Non financial assets that promote social mobility beyond economic means ex. Education, intellect, style of speech, dress, and even physical appearance) alters the experiences and opportunities available to students from different social classes. Conflict theory: Macro; Examines power systems + forms of inequality from a critical perspective; Karl Marx Hidden curriculum: The unwritten and often unintended lessons, values, and perspectives that students learn in school. Ex. Schools help: show children how to follow instructions; show the benefits of working hard and doing homework; how faculty treat students; oral culture ex. Story telling This hidden curriculum reinforces the positions of those with higher cultural capital, and serves to bestow status unequally. Ex. Spelling bee: Main goal to teach literacy and encourage learning to spell; hidden curriculum of it: doing better than their peers, enforces idea of the world having winners or losers. Critical sociologists think tracking perpetuates inequalities, whereby students feel they have to live up (or down) to teacher and societal expectations. Tracking = the assignment of students to specific education programs + classes on the basis of test scores, previous grades, or perceived ability IQ tests are biased; test cultural knowledge rather than actual intelligence.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the art of analyzing and evaluating thinking with a view to improving it. Using imagination to create connections ex. Looking for reasons of how a person, writes, talks, or acts When we have figured out how a person is thinking, then it is time to look for the quality of the thinking

Hybridity

Cultural hybridity constitutes the effort to maintain a sense of balance among practices, values, and customs of two or more different cultures. Global restaurant chains like Kentucky Fried Chicken or McDonald's (KFC), modifying their menus to suit the tastes or mores of different cultures. For example, in India, due to religious restrictions on eating beef, the Maharaja Mac is a McDonald's Big Mac made with a chicken or veggie patty.

Interactionists Perspective on Culture

Culture is created and maintained by the ways people interact and how individuals interpret each other's actions.

Diffusion + Cultural Diffusion

Diffusion: The spread of the beliefs and social activities of one culture to different ethnicities, religions, nationalities, etc. - Ex. o Internet is available throughout the world. o The tradition of the German Christmas pickle becoming popular in the United States. Cultural diffusion: How cultural traits spread from one culture to another (Language, Religion, Foods, Clothing styles, art forms, and societal beliefs). Burgers and fries were brought to America from Germany

Difference b/w discovery and invention

Discovery involves finding something that already exists, but invention puts things together in a new way

Feminist Standpoint Theory

Dorothy Smith: Recognizes that knowledge is derived from social position + that because women's social positions have become marginalized their standpoints have been ignored in theory + reaserch

Informal/Formal Education

Education happens through informal and formal education Informal: Education is an informal process in which an infant watches others and imitates them. Learning about cultural values, norms, and expected behaviours by participating in a society. ex. Learning how to dress for different occasions, how to perform regular life routines like shopping for and preparing food, and how to keep our bodies clean. As the infant grows into a young child, the process of education becomes more formal through play dates and preschool. Once in grade school, academic lessons become the focus of education as a child moves through the school system.

Symbolic Interactionism of Education:

Education is a means for labelling individuals (labelling theory) Credentialism: The emphasis on certificates or degrees to show that a person has a certain skill, has attained a certain level of education, or has met certain job qualifications. These certificates or degrees serve as a symbol of what a person has achieved, allowing the labelling of that individual. Max Weber Examines the shared meaning systems + the symbols in daily social interactions Micro

Education

Education is a social institution which teaches basic academic knowledge, learning skills, and cultural norms

Discovery

Exploration that results in new products - Ex. Penicillin prolongs lives.

Types of Norms

Folkways: Norms that members of a society look upon as not being critical and that may be broken without severe punishment (Customs + rules of politeness ex whether to shake someone's hand or kiss them on the cheek when you meet them) They are based on social preferences Mores: Norms that society considers very important because they maintain morals and ethics (Rules against murder/rape) Attitudes and behaviors that are so firmly fixed that they are followed like laws · People who violate mores are seen as shameful · Ex. Plagiarism Taboos: Actions which are strongly forbidden by deeply held sacred or moral beliefs · Severe punishment; ex.: cannibalism, child molestation Laws: Norms that are defined and enforced by a political authority

Functionalist Theory of Education

Functionalists view education as an important social institution that contributes both manifest and latent functions. Education is seen as serving the needs of society by preparing students for later roles, or functions, in society. - Manifest Functions: Socialization: Students are taught to practise various societal roles Émile Durkheim established the academic discipline of sociology, characterized schools as "socialization agencies that teach children how to get along with others and prepare them for adult economic roles" Learning the rules and norms of the society as a whole Social Control: Students are taught the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Social Placement. Use of education to improve one's social standing. Placing people in higher or lower social classes based on the education level they have completed. - Latent Functions: Making friends Learning how to work with others in small groups Learning social issues Students learn both how to work together and how to compete against one another academically Being taught about sexuality, budgeting... Structural Functionalism of Education: Examines the role of social structures + how society functions as a result through stability + cohesion; macro

Functionalist Perspective on Culture

Functionalists view society as a system in which all parts work together to create society as a whole. Norms and values promote stability and holds society together. Culture can be dysfunctional when it starts to impede integration. This might occur when immigrants enter a society and change its values. Functionalists are criticized for overlooking diversity and change.

Importance of Sociology

Gaining perspective on yourself and the world you live in Understanding that behavior is learned from those around you Gives you the ability to see the world from another's point of view Seeing patterns means that a sociologist needs to be able to identify similarities in how social groups respond to social pressure

Cisgender

Gender identity + gender expression match the gender they were assigned at birth

Girl Stuff

Girl accessories Girl clothes (skirts) The color pink Dolls

Institutional Ethnography

IE explores the social relations that structure people's everyday lives, specifically by looking at the ways that people interact with one another in the context of social institutions (school, marriage, work, for example) and understanding how those interactions are institutionalized. How social relations organize, structure, control, and enable people's everyday lives, esp. in relations to institutions such as education and health care; often used in research of health professions and professionals Asks questions like: "How does a person formulate a narrative about what has happened to him or her in a way that the institution will recognize? Where do the forms go next?"

Difference b/w real and ideal culture

Ideal culture refers to the beliefs, values, and norms people say they hold while real culture refers to the actual behavior that a society engages in.

Tramission of social heritage

Includes the communication of information, norms, and values from one generation to the next.

Factors that made people wonder about the effect of society on the individual:

Industrial Revolution: Rapid growth of urban populations = social problems (crime, unemployment, pollution, urban life) American and French Revolutions: Demands for freedom and rights

Qualitative Research

Information based on collecting and analyzing non-numerical data Focuses on things that are up for discussion and debate (Describing things) Questions that deal with what and how (open-ended questions) ex. How do individuals celebrate after tests These questions don't have a hypothesis, since we aren't trying to predict anything; we are trying to understand better the society around us Surveys, observations, interviews

Quantiative Research

Information based on numerical data Questions that deal with what, how, and does. ex. What is the religious breakdown of the US? Looking at statistics and numbers to be able to answer these questions

The New Eugenics Movement

It maps and tests the genome to manipulate the genes of a foetus or an egg to eliminate what are considered birth "defects" or to produce what are considered desired qualities in a child.

Importance of Sociological Imagination

Local + global societal issues affect people Mills beloved that the sociological imagination would relieve tension from people's lives as they learned that they were not alone in their troubles

Eugenics

Means "Well born" in ancient Greek The study of or belief in the possibility of improving the qualities of the human species/human 'stock' or a human population through selective breeding and sterilization.

Diaspora

Members of an ethnic or religious group, that originated from the same place but dispersed to different locations The dispersions of people from their original homeland

Norms

Norms are society's specific rules of right and wrong behavior. The visible and invisible rules of conduct through which societies are structured. Norms tell us what we should or should not do. Ex. In the U.S. young adults are expected to become independent while in China they are expected to remain with aging adults and care for them. - Formal norms: o Established, written rules that specify strict rules for punishment of violations o Ex. A crime to rob a bank - Informal norms: o Norms that are generally understood but are not precisely recorded o You learn informal norms by observation, imitation, and general socialization o Ex. "Use your napkin" "Kiss grandma bye"

Media Ownership (Private and public ownership of media)

Public ownership of the media exists when it is owned by the government. Private ownership refers to media held by commercial firms. Critical researchers are concerned that private ownership is problematic because content is based upon the ability to produce profit

Scientific Method

Rather than using our gut to answer research questions, we use a reaserch method; a systematic plan for gathering and analyzing observations about the world Sociological studies test relationships in which a change in one variable causes change in another 1. Reaserch starts with asking a question 2. Doing background research (finding the concepts you are studying and making sure that you and your audience agree on what these concepts mean ex. The way you define poverty, may not be how I imagine poverty? 3. Creating a hypothesis (If, then, because): A statement of a possible relationship between 2 variables. Includes: - Independent variable: What is being manipulated in the experiment/study - Dependant variable: What is being measured in the experiment/study 4. Testing your hypothesis by doing an experiment 5. Analyzing your data + drawing a conclusion: - Inductive logical thought: Takes your observations and uses them to build a theory; you start with data, and then use it to form an idea of how the world works ex. Seeing the results of this study, they can conclude that... - Deductive logical thought: Uses an existing theory to inform the hypothesis you test. You start with a theory and collect data that allows you to test the theory 6. Report your results. Was your hypothesis correct?

Reification

Reification is when you think of or treat something abstract as a physical thing. Reification is a complex idea for when you treat something immaterial — like happiness, fear, or evil — as a material thing. Society is not tangible, natural or universal, it is created by humans; society is about human relations. Yet, we tend to think of society as something concrete, natural, universal. when we do this, we reify (make something real) society Ex. The government, love, faith, "mother nature" - these are abstract concepts of human construction which we make 'real' or concrete.

Society is a reification

Represent/consider a concrete thing Society is constantly changing, people's belief systems/ways of living are constantly altering

A Micro Approach/ Micro-level studies

Research focusing on individuals, thoughts, actions + individual behvaiors

Ethnography

Researchers immerse themselves in a culture to understand how people live their lives; to see others' behaviours on their terms, not on the researchers' terms; ethnography aims to produce a rich/detailed, 'thick' description or narrative of what is being studied; time consuming, potential for researcher bias, ethical considerations re sensitive information

Resocialization

Resocialization occurs when an old role is replaced with a new one. Voluntary resocialization ex. Religious conversion, joining the military, retiring from a job Involuntary resocialization ex. Leaving prison, fired from a job, forced into a rehab facility

Sanctions

Rewards for appropriate behavior and penalties for inappropriate behavior Used to encourage conformity to cultural norms (a form of social control) ex. A hug; a prison term; getting fired; being praised for good grades

Aging population

Seniors are the fastest growing age group in Canada. By 2051, approximately 25% of Canadians will be over the age of 65. This trend is due to: • Low fertility rates • Increasing life expectancies

Education in Afghanistan

Severe shortage of teachers in Afghanistan, and the educators in the system are often undertrained Literacy and math skills are low, as are skills in critical thinking and problem solving. The World Bank, which strives to help developing countries break free of poverty and become self-sustaining has been hard at work to assist the people of Afghanistan in improving educational quality and access

Social Facts

Social facts are the reason why people within a society seem to choose to do the same basic things; e.g., where they live, what they eat, and how they interact. The society they belong to shapes them to do these things, continuing social facts. These social facts hold a moral authority over individuals in society and help keep social order stable Ex. Marriage: Social groups tend to have the same ideas toward marriage, such as the appropriate age to get married and what a ceremony should look like.

Iron Cage:

Social life increasingly dominated by rational institutions and practices Introduced by Max Weber Describes the increased rationalization inherent in social life The "iron cage" thus traps individuals in systems based purely on teleological efficiency, rational calculation and control. Ex. Recreation; does not break routine

Research Ethics

Sociologists are answerable to an Institutional Review Board, which ensures that all researchers take the privacy and well being of their participants into consideration when they design their reaserch methods • Professional competence • Integrity • Professional and scientific responsibility • Respect for people's rights, dignity, and diversity • Social responsibility • Human rights • Informed consent: The subject must know you're observing them, and must be aware of any risks they take by being part of the study

Theories + theorists

Structural functionalism is mainly interested in explaining how society functions effectively. According to structural functionalism: • Society's purpose is to survive and reproduce itself. • Socialization ensures society functions effectively. • Socialization is a top-down process. Émile Durkheim argues that society: • Soars above us • Exerts a constraining influence on us • Regulates collective activity • Enables us to understand the rules • Governs social behaviour • Helps us get along with one another According to Karl Marx: Conflict theory suggests that human behaviour and social relations result from the underlying conflicts that exist between competing groups. • Key questions for conflict theorists: • Who has the power to shape how individuals are socialized? • How does socialization benefit some groups over others? • How does socialization help or hinder social inequality? Symbolic interactionism examines how socialization is negotiated through our connections with other people. Mead is a founding figure of symbolic interactionism. • According to Mead: • Children develop a sense of self through social interaction. • Children develop a sense of self through four stages of role-taking. • Children learn about themselves and society through stages. Cooley is another founding figure of symbolic interactionism. According to Cooley: • We develop a self-image based on the reactions of others—the looking-glass self. • We imagine how others see us. • We imagine how people judge our appearance. • We modify our image based on how these judgments are interpreted. Goffman is a major contributor to symbolic interactionism. According to Goffman: • Social life is a stage and individuals are actors portraying roles. • Actors work to manage the impressions people have of them. • Actors can do this by changing the setting or their appearance.

Institutions

Structures that meet the needs of society ex. school , media, post office, military, government agencies, hospitals They serve different tasks which are necessary to have a successful and productive society

A Macro Approach/Macro-level studies

Studies that focus on social structures that inlfuence individuals, such as groups, organizations, cultures or even socieites

Sociological Imagination

The ability to see the link between society and self (Understanding private troubles which are connected to broader social structures within a historical context to become understood as public issues) ex. Private vs. public issues ex. Individual experience (knowing someone who deals with obesity); Comparing to society and seeing that obesity is becoming more prevalent, that because of obesity health care costs are rising ex. Body dysmorphia (I deal with it, but also other people who compare themselves to societie's expectations/societal standards) Is this behavior being encouraged by the larger society

Commodification

The act or fact of turning something into an item that can be bought and sold The process through which objects, services, or goods are increasingly turned into commodities, so they become defined more in terms of their marketability and profitability than by their intrinsic characteristics. Labour and skills are things that can be bought and sold In the past, humans were bought and sold as slaves, but today it is immoral to treat people like commodities

Anti-Racism

The active process of identifying and challenging racism, by changing systems, organizational structures, policies and practices, and attitudes to redistribute power in an equitable manner.

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one's culture and way of life are superior to those of another group. Judging other cultures by the standards of your own, which you believe to be superior. This attitude leads people to view other cultures as inferior, wrong, backward, immoral, or barbaric. Ex: Canadians say that people in England drive on the "Wrong" side of the road, rather than the "other" OR How Canadians express disgust at other cultures' cuisine ex. eating meat from a dog or guinea pig, while they don't question their own habit of eating cows or pigs

Low/Popular culture

The beliefs, practices, activities, and products that are widely shared among a population in everyday life. Cultural experiences and attitudes that exist in mainstream society: experiences well-liked by "the people." Popular cultural can increase bad behaviors such as U.S. sugar consumption leading to poor health. Many European countries forbid advertising to children unlike companies in the U.S. · Ex. baseball games, Youtube, television, music, magazines, radio, advertising, sports, fashions, movies, and food.

Ideal culture

The beliefs, values, and norms that people say they hold. cultural guidelines that group members claim to accept; consists of the standards a society would like to embrace and live up to

Culture

The learned and shared behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, values, and material objects that characterize a particular group or society Knowledge, symbols, values, language customs, and physical objects that are shared by members of a society—a society's way of life

Socialization

The lifelong social process of learning our society's norms, customs, and ideologies. Socialization is important because: • It provides us with the necessary skills for participating in society • It helps us fit into society • It leads us to develop an identity.

Feminist Theory of Education

The mechanisms and roots of gender inequality in education to promote women's rights to equal education Educational systems are characterized by unequal treatment and opportunity for women.

Cultural relativism

The practice of assessing a culture by its own standards, and not in comparison to another culture The viewing of people's behaviors from the perspective of their own culture Belief that cultures should be judged by their own standards

Invention

The process of creating new things Innovation and Invention are main causes of cultural change. Ex. DVDs were invented in 1995.

Secondary socialization

The process through which children become socialized outside the house, within society at large. ex. In school

Race Socialization and Gender Socialization

The process through which children learn the behaviors, values, and attitudes associated with racial groups

Socialization

The process through which we learn social norms, values + expectations

Rationalization:

The replacement of traditions, values, and emotions as motivators for behavior in society with concepts based on rationality and reason A potential reason as to why rationalization of a culture may take place in the modern era is the process of globalization Max Weber's analysis of modern society centres on the concept of rationalization

"Society" Song by Eddie Vedder

The song is trying to tell society to change as soon as possible before things get worse and that society is ungrateful because we never appreciate what we have, we always want to have more even if what we have is enough "Society controls us" = We don't have control over ourselves or over our own lives. He does not want to be judged for not following social norms or not doing what society expects him to do "Have mercy on me" = iron cage, where everyone is trying be efficient in 'hustle culture' and forget about enjoyment of life, showing low levels of integration in society. "When you have more than what you need, you have more space" to surpluses and how when the agricultural revolution happened Nomadic life to disperse which gave rise to class struggle and when people expand their livelihood into other cities and towns, land ownership becomes a point of contention "I hope you're not lonely without me" relates to Durkheim's ideology that all members of society help contribute to social stability and the greater good of everything "The more you make the less you have" made me think of the workers who work hard but at the same time their humanity is diminishing and they're treated like objects rather than subjects "You think you want more than you need" reflects society b/c we're always craving more than we need and it becomes a societal issue

Cultural transmission

The way people come to learn the values, beliefs, and social norms of their culture. Both informal and formal education include cultural transmission.

Globalization

The world's economies and societies have become increasingly interlinked and interdependent on each other. People, goods and services, and money all flow more easily across international borders.

Dramaturgy/ Dramaturgical Analysis (Erving Goffman) Front and Back Stages

This symbolic theory makes the analogy of life as a theoretical performance. How we present ourselves in everyday life is similar to a performance on stage. The performance is based on values, beliefs, + habits that we learn from social institutions + interactions "All the worlds a stage, + all of the men + women are merely players" (Shakespeare) Front Stage: The version of us that we believe will be favorable to others which we present when we don't know others in a scene; ex. Expected to dress + talk professionally Back Stage: The version of ourselves that we present to those we are familiar with. ex. They may actually feel disorganized + tired

Correlation vs. Causation

There has to be a correlation between variables for there to be a causal relationship, correlation does not necessarily imply causation. - Ex. There might be a positive relationship between wearing bikinis and eating ice cream, but wearing bikinis does not cause eating ice cream. It is more likely that the heat of summertime causes both an increase in bikini wearing and an increase in the consumption of ice cream. Correlation is a relationship between two variables; when one variable changes, the other variable also changes. Ex. The more time you spend running on a treadmill, the more calories you will burn Causation is when there is a real-world explanation for why this is logically happening; it implies a cause and effect. A causes outcome B. causes outcome B. Ex. Exercise causes muscle growth The 3 criteria for causation: - There must be a relationship or correlation between the independent and dependent variables. - The independent variable must be prior to the dependent variable. - There must be no other intervening variable responsible for the causal relationship.

Gender non conformity

These people are labeled as gender non-conforming or gender variant/diverse: Transgender Gender fluid (gender isn't fixed) Gender non binary (neither female or male) Genderless/gender neutrality (Don't believe gender is an integral part of their identity)

Conflict Theorists Perspective on Culture

They argue that culture can lead to inequality. Because the rich and powerful determine economic, political, educational, and legal policies for their own benefit and control the mass media, the average American has little power in changing the status quo—whether it's low wages, a disastrous war, or corporate corruption. - Critics of conflict theory argue that the perspective often emphasize divisiveness and don't appreciate how culture bonds people to a society. - American Dream

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective on Culture

They try to understanding how people interpret culture and transmit norms and values through social interaction. Symbolic interactionists focus on how culture influences our daily lives and how meaning is created through cultural symbols. Critiques of the perspective point out that it ignores power and the relationship between institutions and cultural meanings.

Committing Sociology

Thinking critically about a situation or circumstance to better understand motivations and meanings from the side of experts in them. That is, understanding the viewpoints of those in lived-experiences. Ex. Talking to people who have experienced homelessness. They are experts in their experiences. If I decided I knew everything about homelessness, I would likely make some false assumptions and possibly some ill-fated recommendations. Understanding why a person did what they did, what the contributing factors are, and the ways in which these factors can be addressed is important if people are to prevent such things in the future. Since a person's problems relate to all of us, we have a responsibility to contribute to society + share that one love

Data Collection

To chose which one to chose, consider resources, access to participants, purpose of the research. researcher's background + ethics • Observations: complete observer, observer as participant, participant as observer, complete participant • Interviews: collecting in-depth information from small groups • Questionnaires and surveys: structured questions to larger groups • Documents and records: use of existing data collected previously found in records from larger sources [governments, health departments, non-profit agencies, etc] • Focus groups: researcher guided discussions with small groups [usually 6-10] • Particiapnt observation: Types: - Complete observer - Completely detached, participants do not know they are being observed for purposes of research; no interaction, covert. I observe without my participants knowing what i am doing. - Observer as participant - Participants know the researcher is observing; limited interaction [overt] ex. after institutional ethics approval, i join an online group for tattoo enthusiasts but i just observe without interacting. the group knows I am doing research - Participant as observer - Researcher is know; qualitative research such as ethnography; researcher group life by sharing in its activities [overt] - Complete participant - Researcher is fully engaged but is unknown to participants as a researcher [covert]; ex. Participating in an online group for tattoo enthusiasts + participating in group discussions.

Secondary Data Analysis

Using data collected by others but applying new interpretations

Objectivity + Value Neutrality

Value neutrality is the duty of sociologists to identify and acknowledge their own values + overcome their personal biases when conducting sociological research. Max Weber defined the concept of value neutrality. Objectivity: Judgements based on observable phenomena + uninfluenced by emotions or person prejudices

Values

Values are the standards by which members of a particular culture define what is good or bad, moral or immoral, proper or improper, desirable or undesirable, beautiful or ugly. - Major U.S. values include achievement and success, activity and work, morality, humanitarianism, efficiency, equality, and individuality.

Boy Stuff

Video games Combat play

Critical Sociology Perspective on Culture

View social structure as inherently unequal and based on power differentials related to issues like class, gender, race, and age. For a critical sociologist, culture is not a unified tradition that is experienced the same way by all people in a society

Agents of socialization

We learn to 'do' gender through our exposure to the agents of socialization ex. Family, peers, government, religion

Self-fullfilling prophecies

When a person unknowingly causes a prediction to come true due to the simple fact that he/she expects it to come true 1. You believe something is true 2. You look for signs that support your view 3. You start to act differently towards others 4. Other people notice your behavior 5. They start to believe it + act accordingly Ex. A high school volleyball coach expects freshmen to be less skilled, so she does not put them in to play very often. When she does put them in, they are rusty and don't do well, thereby fulfilling her expectations. Ex. California media reporting gas reserves were running a little low. Drivers then panicked and filled their cars with gas + any containers they could use to store gasoline. This artificially inflated demand led to the gas shortage. Had the media simply reported the facts - that reserves were a little low but still more than sufficient to meet demand - individuals most likely would have not changed their behavior + the gas shortage would've never happened

Emotional Labour

When one feels the need to suppress their own emotions in order to fulfill the emotional requirements of a job Ex. Flight attendants having pep talks (to remind themselves that passengers are their guests on this flight, so they must be nice to them) It can also involve surface acting, when employee hide their inner emotions and fake a smile, which is likely when they are tired or when facing a rude customer or upset patient.

Media Representations of the 'Working Class'

Working-class men were generally portrayed as inept, immature, stupid, lacking good sense, and impulsive.

Primary socialization

Your first experiences with language, values, beliefs, behaviors and norms of your society (learned from parents)

Industrial societies

• 18th & 19th centuries - industrial revolution • Capitialism replaces feudalism • Social problems resulting from Move to cities for work; child labour • Conditions of filth, overcrowding, and poverty; > social inequality & social mobility • Existing social structure & ideas—like family, childhood, and time standardization—grew from industrial society

Post industrial society

• Aka information societies or digital societies • From production of raw materials and manufacturing to tech, finance, service, info

Anticipatory Socialization

• Anticipatory socialization refers to the process in which individuals "rehearse" potential roles they may have to take on in the future, to ensure we are ready for the level of responsibility • ex. Babysitting in preparation for parenthood • ex. Volunteering in preparation for paid work

Preindustrial societies: Hunter-Gatherer

• Before the industrial revolution [therefore < 18th and 19th centuries; occurring at different times globally • Small, rural, dependent primarily on local resources • Economic production limited to available labour; little specialization • Hunters [animals] and gatherers [foraged uncultivated plants] - both dependent on the environment • Today - some indigenous tribes in Australia and the congo

Concentration of Power

• Corporate concentration means the media is increasingly owned and controlled by fewer large media corporates and conglomerates. • Idea diversity refers to the range of viewpoints expressed in the media marketplace of ideas. • Media conglomerates have the power to censor information according to their interests.

Cultural ideas about childhood

• Cultural ideas about childhood have changed over time. • 18th Century: Childhood was not considered a distinct life-stage. • 19th Century: Childhood requires special care and institutions to protect it. • 20th Century: The concept of adolescence emerges.

Primary socialization

• During primary socialization, we learn how to become a member of society by discovering the attitudes, values, and actions that are culturally and socially appropriate. • This involves learning the unwritten rules of society. • Family members are very important during this stage. • Children learn information through observation and imitation.

Importance of closing the digital divide:

• Economic equality: Social welfare services are often offered electronically. Vital information for people's career, civic life, safety are increasingly provide through the internet. • Social mobility: The movement of individuals, families, households, or other categories of people within or between social strata in a society. The computer and computer networks play an important role in one's education and career- without such offerings the digital divide works unfairly for children and adults in lower socioeconomic status groups • Educational equity Understanding that some people may have access to 1 device and some may have access to 2; can help uncover equity gaps in education, and help inform policies to help close these gaps People may not have wifi at home, so go to coffee shops and public libraries to use free wifi • Democracy Increased public participation and decision making process if they can vote online • Economic growth Information technologies are assostaed with produvity economic development. The exploitation of latest technolgoies may give industries of certain countries a competitive advantage • Rural area access The accessibility of the internet in rural areas is a true test of the digital divide • Dis/abilities Constitute another type of divide; they should not be left out of internet access • Restrictions vs freedom Powerful intrests want to censor free speech, block information sharing, hinder innovation, and control how internet users get online

The evolution of societies

• From preindustrial [hunter-gatherer, pastoral, horticultural, agricultural • To feudal • To industrial • To postindustrial or information or digital

Preindustrial societies: pastoral, horticultural, agricultural

• Pastoral - Some societies begin to rely on the domestication of animals as a resource for survival; breed livestock for food, clothing, and transportation, and they created a surplus of goods; nomadic • Horticultural - capacity to grow and cultivate food [rather than merely gather it]; where rainfall and other conditions allowed them to grow stable crops; permanent settlements à greater social stability • Agricultural - tools became the technology of the day making farming possible & profitable à surplus of food. - Growth of towns as centers of trade -Have and have nots therefore inequality + the early origins of class + gender divisions

Roles

• Roles are the behaviours, beliefs, and norms performed in social situations. • Children learn to internalize social rules and values. • Conforming to roles is how children learn to belong. • Social conformity ensures society will run smoothly.

Gender Socialization

• The process of learning how to behave in a way that is consistent with the gender rules and norms of your society. • Children are socialized into gender roles. ex Gender-specific toys such as Barbie and G.I. Joe • A lifelong process. ex. Gender-specific marketing campaigns for beauty products It is through gender socialization that we learn gendered social norms, expectations, + how to 'do gender'

Adulthood

• The transition to adulthood involves establishing emotional and economic independence from parents • Adulthood is accompanied by a sense of commitment, purpose, and identity.

Challenges among young adults

• Unemployment • Temporary work • Rising debt • The average household debt