soc wks 2-4

the sociological perspective is defined by two fundamental ideas:

our individual lives are deeply shaped by social facts, and reality is socially constructed

social facts

anything produced collectively through human interaction with persuasive (or coercive) power over individuals

examples of the sociological perspective

the bystander effect, the matthew effect

the matthew effect

advantages tend to lead to other advantages, they accumulate over time

bystander effect

individuals are less likely to help someone in need when other people are present

two examples of the mathew effect

milgrim’s obedience study and the stanford prison experiment

the social world and the natural world are/aren’t the same thing - the speed of light is not a social construct, that is an objective fact

aren’t

social reality varies across social contexts and _____.

changes over time

unlike the speed of light (that cannot change), social reality is always _____

subject to change

examples of how reality is socially constructed

20 dollar bill vs. piece of paper, mental illness, race

the thomas theorem

situation perceived as real ARE REAL in their consequences

the most personal things can still be due to _____

the most enormous social influences

Stuff that we might think we could reduce to individual explanations, we actually cannot. Individual things we do are ____

highly conditioned by our social context

sociology is

the study of social facts

examples of social facts

kinship, marriage, law, language, religion, political organization, all societal institutions, cultural norma and beliefs, rules of interaction

social facts can only be explained by other ___. examples of this are unemployment rates, steep rises in mental illness and suicide rates, etc.

social facts

sociology’s core concepts

culture, social structure, social interaction

almost everything we know about society can be extracted with a concept or a combination of these concepts

culture, social structure, social interaction (sociology’s core concepts)

culture

widely shared values and norms of a society. a social factor. ex: beliefs

social structure

durable social relationships and organized patterns of behavior. ex: what to do when you enter a classroom, open computer, listen silently to lecturer, raising your hand.

social interaction

the process by which people act and react to one another. where society really happens, it is what we do all day, interact. we interact with others and institutions

three sociological theories/frameworks

functionalism theory, conflict theory, symbolic interaction theory

functionalism (macro or micro)

macro theory

functionalism

society is like a human body with interrelated parts. these parts work together to promote social order and stability. when all roles are being fulfilled, society flourishes. dysfunctional elements of society must be fixed/eliminated

examples of functionalism

family culture, technology, education, economy, religion, government, law, etc.

functions of functionalism

manifest (obvious) functions, latent (unintended) functions

conflict theory (macro or micro)

macro theory

conflict theory

Society is fundamentally a struggle over scarce resources (wealth, power, status. etc.). idea that society is fighting for resources or for more resources. ongoing competition. Society is organized into hierarchies (ranking system). Emphasis on power, domination, and inequalities between dominant and subordinate groups

symbolic interaction theory (macro or micro)

micro theory

symbolic interaction theory

society is created, maintained, and reproduced at the micro level of social interaction. focus on the subjective interpretations and meanings that people attach to objects, events, and behaviors. social life is about “defining the situation” and how we act based on those definitions

____ is a social fact

the self

the two parts of the self

the knowledge that we exist (and that others exist), the creation of a “self-concept”

the mirror test

shows what the self is, it is an awareness of your own objective existence

theory of mind

The ability of imagine the mental states (or minds) of others. All animals have a brain and instincts, but most typically do not have a mind. This is why human beings dominate the animal world.

self-concept

Our sense of “who” we are. Personality traits; physical characteristics; social identities; personal narratives; etc.

your individual sense of self can only emerge through _____.

interactions with others

without _____ there is no such thing as a self

society

Cooley’s “looking-glass self” (aka mirror self)

Our self-concept is simply how we imagine others see us.

Cooley’s looking glass self quote

“I am not what I think I am: I am not what you think I am. I am what I think you think I am.”

over time, our self concept becomes a ____

self narrative

self narratives are inherently _____

incomplete and inaccurate

If our self is a product of human interaction, then the self is a ______ that we can study sociologically

social fact

culture

totality of beliefs, values, practices, and physical objects that signify a society’s way of life

there is no culture without ____

humans

features of all cultures

culture is:shared, learned, a social construct, and a social fact

_____ is a social fact

culture

material culture

Tangible things / objects frequently used and consumed by a society. ex: smartphones, cars

Non-material (symbolic) Culture

language / symbols, beliefs and values

norms

shared behavioral expectations

folkways

weaker norms lacking serious sanctions if violated

if you violate a folkway …

there is not too much of a consequence. you might get a funny look but that’s it

folkway examples

not holding the door for someone nearby, not saying bless you when someone sneezes

mores

stronger norms with serious sanctions if violated

if you violate a more …

society is probably going to impose a harsher consequence on you - not murder though

more examples

living with someone that you are not married to (cohabitation), having a polyamorous relationship, showing up to work / school drunk, lying

levels of culture

dominant/mainstream culture, subcultures, counterculture

dominant / mainstream culture

the broader culture shared by most members of society

subcultures

cultures that exist within the dominant culture but with its own internal norms and values

examples of a subculture

Lifestyle / hobbies, music, race/ethnic groups, religions, identity/sexuality, professional, deviant, etc.

counterculture

cultures that reject the dominant culture altogether and live outside it; generally reside outside the mainstream culture. they break apart and have their own dominant culture.

examples of counterculture

cults, “hippies”, amish

Ethnocentrism

Judging other cultures by the standards of our own. common and natural feeling, can lead to prejudice; discrimination, or worse

cultural relativism

Understanding the cultures of other societies in terms of their own values and practices

cultural diffusion

process by which elements of one culture spread to and get adopted by another culture

examples of global diffusion

McDonalds / fast food, hollywood films, technology

____ both reflects our culture and leads to changes in culture. changes in ____ changes cultural norms

technology

examples of cultural change

technology, cars, smartphones and social media

nature perspective

We are NOT biologically determined; Nor, however, are we “blank slates:

evidence of the nature perspective

identical twins, sociopaths, cultural universals

nurture (socialization) perspective

the lifelong process by which we learn our culture and develop a sense of self

agents of socialization

parents/family, peers, school, church, workplace, media, technology, sports

three sociological perspectives of culture

functionalist theory, conflict theory, symbolic interaction theory

functionalist theory (culture)

Culture is the foundation of social cohesion, order, and stability

conflict theory (culture)

A society’s dominant culture reflects the values and expectations of more powerful groups, thus contributing to social inequality. Culture is used to justify inequalities of wealth and power

symbolic interaction theory (culture)

Culture helps us successfully navigate social interactions / encounters. Culture provides the tools for establishing meaning and interpreting situations in day-to-day interactions; culture shapes how we interact with others