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SOC 104 – Lisa Marie Wright Elements of Sociology ~ Reflection/ reading Assignment NOTES What is sociology? History of sociology? Social location? Social structure and social institutions? Social constructs? Sociology is the study of human groups Patterns in groups and peoples Sociologists study: Inequality in the modern world Broad range of topics Address social problems and make the world a better place History of Sociology Sociological inquiry and the industrial revolution Reorganization social life and rapid social change Rapid manor of change What was lifelike before the industrial revolution? Large scale use of machinery Mass distribution of consumer goods The railroad, steamship, telegraph
How we produced goods and distributes good transformed out industrial relationships How should resources and wealth be distributed? Social Location Not just geographical locations Affects access to resources and education Also, encompasses cultural elements of our lives: religious and political beliefs each of us as a unique social location Actions, life chances, and treatment of person or group of people due to their placement within the social structure The interesting number of larger social forces (& social institutions) that affect individuals lives and gives individuals a unique understanding and perception of the world Social location is affected by: Social structure Social institutions Social Structure Framework of society Comprised of social institutions Enduring patterns of behavior and relationships withing a society that comes from interaction between groups, individuals, and social institutions. Social institutions Examples: economy, religion, law, media, politics, military, family, education How we organize our society Created pragmatically Normal value and beliefs are different for each institutional sphere Structure and Agency Social structures change over time Avoid dichotomous thinking
Social institutions o Examples: economy, religion, media, law, politics, military, family, medicine o How we organize society Socialization How socialization relates to social reality 2 types of socialization o Primary socialization The interanimation of the generalized other o Secondary socialization Happens throughout your whole life Race and Social Constructs: Race is tied to biological heritage and perceived biological characteristics o Traits may be associated with specific races: this is socially constructed Privilege Explained: o Not confined to race but to all social institutions which categorize qapeople into groups o Race, age, gender, veteran status, sexuality, socioeconomic status, religion, etc. What does privileged look like in the real world? -Often times different forms of oppression or privilege will intersect
- ex. If you’re working class, you’re more likely to also be uneducated
- privilege can impact our daily lives in ways we don’t expect it to
- Where are the wheelchair accessible bathrooms on campus?
- How are you treated by those older than you?
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Topics Socialization How socialization relates to social reality 2 types of socialization PRIMARY SOCIALIZATION o The internalization of the generalized other o When we go through primary socialization, we understand that we are apart of something larger within society and we have general expectations, and we must follow them o Understanding your social self o Primary socialization can stop (usually in toddlerhood) o Learning society has expectations for you Secondary Socialization o Acquisition of role specific rules o It means as you go throughout your life, they will be new rules, and new change constantly o No definitive end Phases of socialization
Historically important- connection between biography and history Oftentimes issues looked at too individually Sociological Imagination Example: water crisis – Flint, MI SOC 104 9/ Exam – End of week 5 Study guide for exam is now posted Administered in discussion class 50 multiple choice questions Allowed 1 4x6 notecard Coverage: The Promise, Socialization, unequal childhoods, disability visibility, white privilege
Sociological Imagination C. Wright Mills Personal troubles and public issues are linked Historically important – connection between biography and history Oftentimes issues looked at too individually Soc 104 9/ Privilege Sociological Origins of Privilege Privilege = unearned benefits or unearned advantages which particular groups in society possess because of their social location W.E.B. Du Bois – 1930s Working poor whites receive “psychological wages” (black reconstruction in America) C.Wright Mills – 1950s (The Power Elite) Connects privilege to class inequality “People with advantages are loathe to believe that they just happen to be people with advantages” -Mills Peggy Mcintosh Privilege Earned strength vs. Unearned Power Privilege as the invisible Knapsack Myth of meritocracy Race What is the difference between race and ethnicity? Race- a social and cultural system by which we categorize people based on. Presumed biological differences Ethnicity – Cultural aspects of individuals lives These Cultural aspects include: o Religion
o Proponent of what is now called “functionalism” or the “consensus perspective Collective conscience o “The totality of beliefs and sentiments common to the average member of society” Collective effervescence o Perceived social energy that emerges from crowd solidarity; produced by group rituals and actions Collective effervescence at KU o Ku wins the national championship – full mass street Mechanical and organic solidarity o Mechanical solidarity found in simple societies o Organic Solidarity found in complex societies Anomie o Individual or groupwide feelings of aimlessness or purposelessness provoked by certain social conditions Consensus perspective o Focuses on cooperative interaction in social life o Consensuses thorough shared values and beliefs Conflict theories o Focuses on issues of contention, power, and inequality o Views society as a collection of competing interests The Conflict Perspective terms Arenas of conflict o Social Class Hegemonic masculinity Gender Socialization Masculinity: Patriarchy : Male dominated social strictures
Gramsci and hegemony A sneaky kind of power that works by getting people to buy into the criteria of their own oppression k o o Gender, sex, and sexuality o Race and ethnicity o Region o Religion o Age Karl Marx (1818 – 1883) o Another one of the founding figures in sociology o Proponent of what is called “conflict theories” Marx and conflict theory Class o A hierarchical system that groups people based on their economic status with fluidity in class categories and a certain degree of social mobility between class statuses
Constructionism Vs. Essentialism Constructionism – hols that ideas, values, objects, or people act based on society and socialization Essentialism – holds that something is a certain way because of what it has or is perceived as. Gender Constructionism Gender is constructed based on societal values Gender norms and roles reflect other institutions Gender Ideology In a romantic relationship: How much power one wants & which sphere does one prefer to define oneself with work or home Gender Strategy A plan SOC 104 10/
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Hegemonic Masculinity: Bell Hooks – The Will to Change Bell Hooks transformative masculinity Patriarchal masculinity To Feminist masculinity Strength within feminist masculinity + capacity to be responsible for self and others Socialization – Socialization is important because it is the pivotal mechanism whereby societies reproduce themselves If a person is socialized, they’re accepted and internalized the norms and values of their society Gender socialization begins at a young age:
