Group Notes:
1. Aggregate: a number of people who happen to be in the same place, but do not interact with one another, ex: mall shoppers
2. Social Network: webs of social relationships that link individuals or groups to one another, ex: cliques, groups of friends (old school); facebook, twitter (new school)
3. Group: two or more people come together with a distinctive pattern of interaction, indentify with one another and share a feeling of unity, ex: a group of “best friends”
Different Classification of Groups:
A. Primary Group- individuals interact informally, small size, personal and long lasting relationships, individuals define themselves by who they are (ex: friends, family)
B. Secondary Group- individuals interact formally, large size, impersonal relationships, based on specific interests, individuals define themselves by what they are (ex: co-workers)
C. In Group- group to which an individual belongs
D. Out Group- group to which an individual does NOT belong.
Ex: Muzafer Sherif experiment at Robber’s Cave Park: boys formed two groups (Rattlers and Eagles). Loyalty to In Group generates hostility toward and Out Group and divisions between groups form. Usually members of In Group view themselves with positive types and the Out Group members create stereotypes.
E. Reference Group- a group that is used as the frame of referencing and formulating one’s own behavior
Group Characteristics and Perspectives
A. Leadership Status
Autocratic Leaders: achieve group’s goals by getting others to focus on task, serve as overseers, most effective leadership.
Democratic Leaders: achieve group’s goals by making sure everyone is happy with their roles, a kind of partnership
Laissez Faire Leaders: let others work more or less on their own, provides little oversight, probably least effective form of leadership.
B. Group Size- when group size is increased, personal relationships weaken. Also, increasing group strengthens groups durability, However, greater group size leads to social loafing (where each member in the group has to do less work
C. Group Conformity- individuals in group expected to conform to group’s norms, (pressure to conform is so powerful, many go along with the majority even if they privately disagree, illustrated by Asch Lane experiment and Milgram shock experiment.)
D. Sociological Perspective on Social Groups
Functional Perspective: groups are important to cooperate and achieve a common goal as a whole
Conflict Perspective: power flows from the bottom up in groups
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective: groups culture and changes result from the interaction of those within (and even outside) the group.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Social Interaction and Group Notes
Social Interaction and Group Notes:
A. Social Interaction: process by which individuals act toward and react to others.
1. The three main types of Social interaction
A. Oppositional Interaction: treating others as competitors or enemies
1. Supported by Conflict Perspective
2. Ex: c ompetitive sports, coworkers, foreign economies
B. Supportive interaction: treating others as supporters or friends
1. Supported by Functionalist perspective
2. Ex: teams, restaurant workers, teachers
C. Symbolic interaction: people actively interpret each other’s actions and reactions and behave in accordance with the interpretation
1. Supported by symbolic Interactionist Perspective
2. Ex: International affairs, political figures, religious views
A. Social Interaction: process by which individuals act toward and react to others.
1. The three main types of Social interaction
A. Oppositional Interaction: treating others as competitors or enemies
1. Supported by Conflict Perspective
2. Ex: c ompetitive sports, coworkers, foreign economies
B. Supportive interaction: treating others as supporters or friends
1. Supported by Functionalist perspective
2. Ex: teams, restaurant workers, teachers
C. Symbolic interaction: people actively interpret each other’s actions and reactions and behave in accordance with the interpretation
1. Supported by symbolic Interactionist Perspective
2. Ex: International affairs, political figures, religious views
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Culture Notes - From Sociology
Culture
Culture: refers to societal beliefs, values, behaviors, characteristics, and shared symbols that individuals learn as members of a society.
A. Components of Culture:
1. materials: tangible objects that reflect the nature of society; serve as a buffer between
humans and the environment (ex: food, clothes, technology)
2. normative/non-material: the intangible aspects of culture that include knowledge, beliefs, values, norms
Beliefs: ideas that are relatively subjective, unreliable and unverifiable
Values: socially shared ideas about what is good, desirable, or important; general principles that support the norms of society.
Norms: derived from values, social rules that specify how people should behave; provides conformity and produces shared expectation.
Components of norms:
1. Folkways- norms that have little moral significance; “weak norms” that specify expectations about appropriate behaviors (ex: smiling, smirking)
2. Mores- norms that have moral significance; “strong norms” that specify normal behavior and constitute demands not expectations; violations are seriously punished (ex: murder kidnapping, rape/molestation)
3. Laws- norms (mores) that are specifically formal in writing and backed by the local, state, and/or federal government.
B. Symbolic- word, gesture, music, or anything that stands for something that enables us to communicate (ex: language)
C. Sociologic Perspective on Culture- culture meets human needs and unsure social order by meeting our needs.
Conflict perspectives- culture supports social inequality by reflecting the interesting rich and powerful.
Symbolic Interactionist perspective- culture reflects a shared understanding by serving as a social guide to social interaction and a product of interaction.
2. Analysis of culture
D. multiculturalism: a state in which all subcultures in the same society are equal to one another.
E. Ethnocentrism- the attitude that one’s own culture is superior to those of other people.
F. cultural relativism: the belief that a culture must be understood on its own terms; suppresses ethnocentrism by understanding other cultures by looking in their point of view.
Socialization Notes:
1)Socialization-process that involves social experience in which individuals develop human potential; process by which society, through its institutions, transmits its values so that individuals can assume their role in society.
2)Sociological Perspectives on Socialization:
A. Functionalist Perspective- Norms and values are instilled in children to insure social order
B. Conflict Perspective- reinforces age inequality and exploits children to child labor, child slavery, and child abuse.
C. Symbolic Interactionist Perspective- development of self-image and self esteem from interaction with others.
2) Processes of Socialization: Personality, morality, and intelligence, can all be shaped by socialization. Sociologists believe human nature is shaped by experiences in life, not biological factors. **Nature VS Nurture debate** Global analysis of socialization shows that some influence of culture on socialization.
Culture: refers to societal beliefs, values, behaviors, characteristics, and shared symbols that individuals learn as members of a society.
A. Components of Culture:
1. materials: tangible objects that reflect the nature of society; serve as a buffer between
humans and the environment (ex: food, clothes, technology)
2. normative/non-material: the intangible aspects of culture that include knowledge, beliefs, values, norms
Beliefs: ideas that are relatively subjective, unreliable and unverifiable
Values: socially shared ideas about what is good, desirable, or important; general principles that support the norms of society.
Norms: derived from values, social rules that specify how people should behave; provides conformity and produces shared expectation.
Components of norms:
1. Folkways- norms that have little moral significance; “weak norms” that specify expectations about appropriate behaviors (ex: smiling, smirking)
2. Mores- norms that have moral significance; “strong norms” that specify normal behavior and constitute demands not expectations; violations are seriously punished (ex: murder kidnapping, rape/molestation)
3. Laws- norms (mores) that are specifically formal in writing and backed by the local, state, and/or federal government.
B. Symbolic- word, gesture, music, or anything that stands for something that enables us to communicate (ex: language)
C. Sociologic Perspective on Culture- culture meets human needs and unsure social order by meeting our needs.
Conflict perspectives- culture supports social inequality by reflecting the interesting rich and powerful.
Symbolic Interactionist perspective- culture reflects a shared understanding by serving as a social guide to social interaction and a product of interaction.
2. Analysis of culture
D. multiculturalism: a state in which all subcultures in the same society are equal to one another.
E. Ethnocentrism- the attitude that one’s own culture is superior to those of other people.
F. cultural relativism: the belief that a culture must be understood on its own terms; suppresses ethnocentrism by understanding other cultures by looking in their point of view.
Socialization Notes:
1)Socialization-process that involves social experience in which individuals develop human potential; process by which society, through its institutions, transmits its values so that individuals can assume their role in society.
2)Sociological Perspectives on Socialization:
A. Functionalist Perspective- Norms and values are instilled in children to insure social order
B. Conflict Perspective- reinforces age inequality and exploits children to child labor, child slavery, and child abuse.
C. Symbolic Interactionist Perspective- development of self-image and self esteem from interaction with others.
2) Processes of Socialization: Personality, morality, and intelligence, can all be shaped by socialization. Sociologists believe human nature is shaped by experiences in life, not biological factors. **Nature VS Nurture debate** Global analysis of socialization shows that some influence of culture on socialization.
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