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Humanities
Sociology 1010: Introduction to Sociology
In this class we were asked 1 - Load up 3 pictures of people holding some sort of event. Add a caption to the picture stating what the picture represents using a sociological construct. You will have one for Conflict, another for Functionalism, and a 3rd for Symbolic Interactionalism.
2- Next write a reflection (at least 2 full pages) of what you have learned in sociology that has a practical meaning for you.
I have learned many things this semester in Sociology. Here is an example of those things:
According to Karl Marx in all stratified societies there are two major social groups: a ruling class and a subject class. The ruling class derives its power from its ownership and control of the forces of production. The ruling class exploits and oppresses the subject class. As a result there is a basic conflict of interest between the two classes. The various institutions of society such as the legal and political system are instruments of ruling class domination and serve to further its interests. Marx believed that western society developed through four main epochs-primitive communism, ancient society, feudal society and capitalist society
Emile Durkheim established sociology as a quantitative, academic social science, and established the functionalist paradigm in sociology. His analysis of suicide was the model for the scientific analysis of social rates as Asocial facts@ which have to be explained causally rather than interpreted psychologically or judged morally. His first work, The Division of labor in Society is partly a critique of Spencer=s individualism. While Marx saw the division of labor as a competition of individuals and groups, Durkheim saw it as a cooperative, functional specialization, regulated by the normative system. In a functional system, the different people, performing different tasks, are rewarded according to the functional importance of their contribution. Durkheim argued that social development can be explained by the increased differentiation of functions (the division of labor) and the moral transformation which is necessary to integrate a heterogeneous, differentiated society.
A revival of symbolic interaction today is driven partly by skepticism about there being "one true story" about anything. Symbolic interaction has always stressed that there are many different viewpoints a ways of looking at the world (definitions of the situation) associated with different structures of interaction. This means that symbolic interaction is often skeptical of the possibility of any objective or predictive social science. Interactionists believe that different actions would follow from different meaning systems and since interaction can lead to development of many different meaning systems, human action cannot be predicted. Most sociologists regard this as a council of despair. The rise of identity theories and of multiculturalism (feminism, Afrocentric theory, Queer theory, Third-worldism etc.) have often been formulated in ways close to symbolic interaction.
Reflection
One of the most fascinating lectures I participated in this semester was on Social class in America. Alexander Hamilton is quoted as saying “All communities divide themselves into the few and many. The first are rich and well-borne, the other the mass of the people.. The people are turbulent and changing; they seldom judge or determine right… Give, therefore, to the first class a distinct, permanent share in the government. They will check the unsteadiness of the second, and as they cannot receive any advantage by a change, they therefore will ever maintain good government.” (1780)
It is a proven fact that, as suggested by Weber, the influence of social class on our lives is indeed pervasive. It has also been suggested and proven that people in the bottom 25% of the class as defined by income as less likely to be in good health, more likely to find life boring, less likely to have internet access, and more likely to be victims of violent crime. Those in the top 25% are healthier, safer, more likely to send their kids to college, and more optimistic about the future. Many observers have recognized the imprortance and impact of social class for centuries. They know that some individuals and families had more money, more power and more prestige than their neighbors. They also realized that the differences were more than personal or ever among those families that shared similar positions. These social classes divided society into a hierarchy, each with interests and goals in common with equals but were different from and often conflicted with those in groups above or below them.
According to Karl Marx, social classes are defined by their distinctive relationships to the mans of production. Marx defined two classes among the emerging industrial societies of his own time . He maintained that in a modern, capitalist society, each of these two basic classes, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat tend towards an internal agreement that annihilates differences within them. He also recognized that at any given historical moment, the reality of the class system was more complex. From his perspective the manner in which production takes place and the class and property relationships that develop in the course of production are the most basic and important aspects of any society. Together they form what Marx referred to as the “mode of production.”
Following Marx, Weber stressed that the most important class distinction is between those who own property and those who do not. He also noted, that any signifignt distinctions could be made within those two categories. A social class then becomes a group of people who share the same economically shaped life chances. The individuals in the social class are not necessarily aware of their common situation. It simply establishes a statistical catageory of people who share similarities to eachother.
Regardless of if you are true to the theories of Marx or Weber a definite class system exhists in America and people are treated according to where they fall within the system. In class we watched the documentary “People Like Us- Social Class in America.” Which tackles a question so rarely addressed in public media: Are all american’s created equal? In the film we are introduced to several different people from several different social classes in America. The city council in Vermont has decide who will build the up-scale new town grocery. Shaw’s a national chain of supermarkets, or the Onion-River Co-op, a smaller, community based store which features the products of local growers and health food selections. While the upscale Co-op has agreed to accomidate everyones needs, many blue-collar community members resent its members as “snooty” and it’s comments about the low class etables. In this situation the biggest symbolism of society is the bread people are willing to purchase.
A woman who grew up poor and ended up marrying a millionaire Has taken a less fortunate woman under her wing and has shared with her a precise formula for having confidence when in the presence of the rich and powerful. The idea of these instructions is that they will make her more classy and powerful.
Thomas L. Phipps is a writer who when interviewed about his inborn sense of “noblesse oblige” states “We stand better, We walk better, We speak better, We dress better, We eat better, We’re smarter, We are more cultured and We treat people better…” He is an official WASP and makes no quandrum of the fact that you either belong or you don’t and it is not something that can be taught.
By far the story that moved me the most was that of Tammy. A woman from Ohio living in a dingy trailer with her four teenage children. After almost two decades of public assistance, she is now no longer receiving welfare, but her job cleaning bathrooms at a local Burger King barely pays the bills. She can see herself striving to do better and wants to eventually become a teacher. Something she has wished for her whole life. She is labeled “trash” by her neighbors and is openly rejected by her 16-year old son Matt, who dreams of moving up the social ladder. Matt is embarrassed by his mother, her job, her clothes, her home, her looks. Because as he says “she wears that Burger King outfit everyday.” It left me thinking what does it mean to be at the bottom? What does it mean to be invisible? How does ones social class make people invisible and to whom?
People judge you by your appearance. They judge you by the color of your skin. They judge you by your gender. They judge you by the color of your eyes. They judge you by the color of your hair. They judge you by the size of your nose. They judge you by the size of your lips. They judge you by the size of your breasts. They judge you by the size of your butt. They judge you by your weight. They judge you by your smile. They judge you by your walk. They judge you by your talk. They judge you by the clothes you wear. They judge you by the car you drive. They judge you by the house you live in. They judge you by the places you go. They judge you by the people you hang out with.
“People Like Us shows how social class plays a role in the lives of all Americans, whether they live in Park Avenue penthouses, Appalachian trailer parks, bayou houseboats or suburban gated communities. The documentary travels across the country presenting stories that will resonate with viewers regardless of where they see themselves on the social spectrum — stories of family traditions, class mobility, and different lifestyle choices. An exciting cast of characters and commentators help make the connections between daily life and the larger issues of class in America.”
As American's, we have been raised to believe that hard work will bring us success and happiness. The " American Dream" embodies the ultimate goal of the people, a dream that is centered upon attaining financial success at any cost. As a result, our society has become obsessed with the notion and attainment of wealth. The mass media plays an instrumental role in perpetuating this idolization of affluence and distorted perceptions of economic class.
We have become the " bling bling" generation, taught by the media to worship money, those who make a lot of it, and all the things it can buy. Wealth has always been an important element of American history, but it has grown to new levels, perpetuated through all forms of media and ruling our society's consciousness. Many television shows center around the worship of money and are geared directly toward the impressionable younger generation who internalize these distortions and negatively affect their views toward themselves and society.
In my professional career in oncology and hematology I see firsthand on a lot of occasions how there is even a class system in medicine. Those patients with good jobs that yield good insurance coverage and benefits are in turn provided with more treatment options at a better overall out of pocket cost. Those that are on government funded insurance such as Medicaid are only provided with basic treatment options and fewer places where treatment can be performed if payment is expected.
In mid- February we as a class, took the “love test.” At first I was apprehensive. I have been in a serious relationship for over 6 years and felt like I knew inside out all about love and how it worked. I mean I must be doing something right if it has lasted this long right? Well boy was I in for a surprise. The 54 true and false questions with as much honesty as I had. The questions asked things from feelings on sharing your possessions with your loved one to how I felt when we kiss. I had no idea what these questions were leading up to or what I would learn about myself. When all numbers were assigned to each question and I was able to graph my results, the picture was as plain as day. I had high egotistic scores which translated means that I can be quite self-serving at times and more into the game of love than my actual partner and his needs. I also scored higher on the manic scale which means that I am more interested in the fun part of life and relationships that are all consuming and intense. I need to work a lot on being more companionable and altruistic. When I look at this exercise as a whole rather than just in my love life I can see it as an important tool to assist in every aspect of my personal and professional relationships.
Reflection
One of the most fascinating lectures I participated in this semester was on Social class in America. Alexander Hamilton is quoted as saying “All communities divide themselves into the few and many. The first are rich and well-borne, the other the mass of the people.. The people are turbulent and changing; they seldom judge or determine right… Give, therefore, to the first class a distinct, permanent share in the government. They will check the unsteadiness of the second, and as they cannot receive any advantage by a change, they therefore will ever maintain good government.” (1780)
It is a proven fact that, as suggested by Weber, the influence of social class on our lives is indeed pervasive. It has also been suggested and proven that people in the bottom 25% of the class as defined by income as less likely to be in good health, more likely to find life boring, less likely to have internet access, and more likely to be victims of violent crime. Those in the top 25% are healthier, safer, more likely to send their kids to college, and more optimistic about the future. Many observers have recognized the imprortance and impact of social class for centuries. They know that some individuals and families had more money, more power and more prestige than their neighbors. They also realized that the differences were more than personal or ever among those families that shared similar positions. These social classes divided society into a hierarchy, each with interests and goals in common with equals but were different from and often conflicted with those in groups above or below them.
According to Karl Marx, social classes are defined by their distinctive relationships to the mans of production. Marx defined two classes among the emerging industrial societies of his own time . He maintained that in a modern, capitalist society, each of these two basic classes, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat tend towards an internal agreement that annihilates differences within them. He also recognized that at any given historical moment, the reality of the class system was more complex. From his perspective the manner in which production takes place and the class and property relationships that develop in the course of production are the most basic and important aspects of any society. Together they form what Marx referred to as the “mode of production.”
Following Marx, Weber stressed that the most important class distinction is between those who own property and those who do not. He also noted, that any signifignt distinctions could be made within those two categories. A social class then becomes a group of people who share the same economically shaped life chances. The individuals in the social class are not necessarily aware of their common situation. It simply establishes a statistical catageory of people who share similarities to eachother.
Regardless of if you are true to the theories of Marx or Weber a definite class system exhists in America and people are treated according to where they fall within the system. In class we watched the documentary “People Like Us- Social Class in America.” Which tackles a question so rarely addressed in public media: Are all american’s created equal? In the film we are introduced to several different people from several different social classes in America. The city council in Vermont has decide who will build the up-scale new town grocery. Shaw’s a national chain of supermarkets, or the Onion-River Co-op, a smaller, community based store which features the products of local growers and health food selections. While the upscale Co-op has agreed to accomidate everyones needs, many blue-collar community members resent its members as “snooty” and it’s comments about the low class etables. In this situation the biggest symbolism of society is the bread people are willing to purchase.
A woman who grew up poor and ended up marrying a millionaire Has taken a less fortunate woman under her wing and has shared with her a precise formula for having confidence when in the presence of the rich and powerful. The idea of these instructions is that they will make her more classy and powerful.
Thomas L. Phipps is a writer who when interviewed about his inborn sense of “noblesse oblige” states “We stand better, We walk better, We speak better, We dress better, We eat better, We’re smarter, We are more cultured and We treat people better…” He is an official WASP and makes no quandrum of the fact that you either belong or you don’t and it is not something that can be taught.
By far the story that moved me the most was that of Tammy. A woman from Ohio living in a dingy trailer with her four teenage children. After almost two decades of public assistance, she is now no longer receiving welfare, but her job cleaning bathrooms at a local Burger King barely pays the bills. She can see herself striving to do better and wants to eventually become a teacher. Something she has wished for her whole life. She is labeled “trash” by her neighbors and is openly rejected by her 16-year old son Matt, who dreams of moving up the social ladder. Matt is embarrassed by his mother, her job, her clothes, her home, her looks. Because as he says “she wears that Burger King outfit everyday.” It left me thinking what does it mean to be at the bottom? What does it mean to be invisible? How does ones social class make people invisible and to whom?
People judge you by your appearance. They judge you by the color of your skin. They judge you by your gender. They judge you by the color of your eyes. They judge you by the color of your hair. They judge you by the size of your nose. They judge you by the size of your lips. They judge you by the size of your breasts. They judge you by the size of your butt. They judge you by your weight. They judge you by your smile. They judge you by your walk. They judge you by your talk. They judge you by the clothes you wear. They judge you by the car you drive. They judge you by the house you live in. They judge you by the places you go. They judge you by the people you hang out with.
“People Like Us shows how social class plays a role in the lives of all Americans, whether they live in Park Avenue penthouses, Appalachian trailer parks, bayou houseboats or suburban gated communities. The documentary travels across the country presenting stories that will resonate with viewers regardless of where they see themselves on the social spectrum — stories of family traditions, class mobility, and different lifestyle choices. An exciting cast of characters and commentators help make the connections between daily life and the larger issues of class in America.”
As American's, we have been raised to believe that hard work will bring us success and happiness. The " American Dream" embodies the ultimate goal of the people, a dream that is centered upon attaining financial success at any cost. As a result, our society has become obsessed with the notion and attainment of wealth. The mass media plays an instrumental role in perpetuating this idolization of affluence and distorted perceptions of economic class.
We have become the " bling bling" generation, taught by the media to worship money, those who make a lot of it, and all the things it can buy. Wealth has always been an important element of American history, but it has grown to new levels, perpetuated through all forms of media and ruling our society's consciousness. Many television shows center around the worship of money and are geared directly toward the impressionable younger generation who internalize these distortions and negatively affect their views toward themselves and society.
In my professional career in oncology and hematology I see firsthand on a lot of occasions how there is even a class system in medicine. Those patients with good jobs that yield good insurance coverage and benefits are in turn provided with more treatment options at a better overall out of pocket cost. Those that are on government funded insurance such as Medicaid are only provided with basic treatment options and fewer places where treatment can be performed if payment is expected.
In mid- February we as a class, took the “love test.” At first I was apprehensive. I have been in a serious relationship for over 6 years and felt like I knew inside out all about love and how it worked. I mean I must be doing something right if it has lasted this long right? Well boy was I in for a surprise. The 54 true and false questions with as much honesty as I had. The questions asked things from feelings on sharing your possessions with your loved one to how I felt when we kiss. I had no idea what these questions were leading up to or what I would learn about myself. When all numbers were assigned to each question and I was able to graph my results, the picture was as plain as day. I had high egotistic scores which translated means that I can be quite self-serving at times and more into the game of love than my actual partner and his needs. I also scored higher on the manic scale which means that I am more interested in the fun part of life and relationships that are all consuming and intense. I need to work a lot on being more companionable and altruistic. When I look at this exercise as a whole rather than just in my love life I can see it as an important tool to assist in every aspect of my personal and professional relationships.