Chapter 13: Rituals

Rituals are ceremonies or repetitive practices that help unite people. Marriage is considered a ritual because it unites two families. It is practiced by many people such as kneeling and praying, going to church, and following traditions at funerals and such other important events.

Chapter 13: Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy refers to something that is predicted falsely and just happens by chance when it becomes true. I could say I predict to be the next great cake boss. That will not happen unless it is by some crazy chance. It's not something that usually happens so it would be "luck" in a way if I could falsely predict that.

Chapter 13: Mainstreaming

Mainstreaming is including all students including students with disabilities in regular school activities. Wheelchairs and interpreters are a couple of examples of accommodations. Students with emotional and behavioral problems are hard to accommodate because of their disruptive behavior. Test scores in classes with a mixture actually have lower scores on tests because of the disruptions. 

Chapter 13: Credential Societies

Credential societies are led by sorting devices such as degrees or diplomas for choosing the right people for jobs/careers. This helps weed out the multiple applications they receive and determines eligibility. Earning your degree shows the effort put towards it and your special skills. It also shows that you are responsible enough to complete a harder task. 

Chapter 10: Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is unwanted sexual attention at work or school. It is possible for it to affect your job or school work and may create an uncomfortable hostile environment. When feminism arose, this became more of a defined problem rather than just an obnoxious man. This does not include attraction, rather men using their positions of authority to pressure women for sex. 

Chapter 10: Patriarchy

Patriarchy means that men dominate society. It is centered on reproduction because throughout history women cared for children. Infants needed nursing mothers and without one the child would die. Women had to move slower and stay closer to camp for their children. This allowed men to do the hunting and stay away from camp longer and so became an assumed task of women to take care of children. This is where men became dominant. Women did most of routine things where men could go out and accomplish various things. 

Chapter 10: Feminism

Feminism is a view that biology is not a destiny and stratification is wrong. Feminists would believe that military men and women are equal and that physical strength does not apply because that could be equal as well. They would agree that certain jobs/positions should be equally obtainable and fulfilled by either gender. Feminists also disagree with males having issues with losing and women being okay with their status. 

Chapter 10: Gender

Gender is what a group associates to be proper with males and females. Gender consists of learned behaviors and attitudes that a society deems appropriate. I picked this picture of a couple of friends because it would be strange picturing males doing this. Making kiss faces in our society as a male may be associated with being gay or it would be funny generally. Gender varies around the world.

Chapter 9: Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism or pluralism encourages ethnic and racial variation. Minority groups can have their own identities and beliefs but can freely do what they please in a country's social institutions. Multiculturalism has been very successful in places such as Switzerland to where none of the groups could be called minorities. These groups live peacefully in unity.

Chapter 9: Discrimination

Discrimination is an unfair action towards someone. This can be based on sex, age, gender, weight, skin color, among many more. There is individual discrimination which is just from one person to another. There is also institutional discrimination corresponding with discrimination in society. When discrimination becomes about race, it is known as racism. Discrimination also ties into prejudice easily. Prejudice is a judging of someone in a negative way.

Chapter 9: Assimilation

Assimilation refers to a minority group being absorbed into a mainstream culture. A good example of this is in our education systems. In our culture it is important to attend college, and other cultures that have joined the country may assimilate into this. Here it is a permissible assimilation, meaning it allows the new culture to be adopted at their own speed and in their own ways. 

Chapter 9: Compartmentalize

To compartmentalize is to use labels in making it easier to treat someone bad and seem less human. I say this term applies to animals. If someone were to say they had to hit an animal for misbehaving it sounds way better than saying you had to hit a baby for misbehaving. This is how I would compare the term to it's usage with people of different races. This kind of labeling makes certain groups seem inferior or inhuman so it is easier to treat them poorly.

Chapter 8: Poverty and Social Class

There is a poverty line to determine who is poor in the U.S. If you spend 1/3 of your income on food then you are considered poor. Race-Ethnicity, education, age, and geography are all factors connecting the poor. Most of the nations poor live in the suburbs, only 3 of 100 people that finish college are poor, and elderly are less likely to be poor. 12% of whites are poor compared to 27% of Native Americans. I took a picture of my bike to show that some people that are living in poverty must ride their bikes because they can't afford a car. Two very different methods of transportation based on wealth.

Chapter 8: Property

Property consists of land, housing, bank accounts, animals, businesses and many more things. This ties into wealth by adding someone's property and subtracting their debt. If your debt exceeds your property then you aren't considered very wealthy. Property is another factor of social class. I took a picture of furniture because it is also considered property. 

Chapter 8: Power

Power is the ability to get your way despite resistance. It is another component of social class. Sociologist C. Wright Mills created a term, power elite. Power elite refers to the people in the U.S. that make all of the biggest decisions. These wealthy people look at the world in the same way and view themselves as special. They participate in the same clubs and vacations as well. I took this picture out of a comic book of Thor because he is powerful and a god. Maybe not exactly the same type of power but he would be able to get his way regardless of any resistance. 

Chapter 8: Prestige

A component of social class is occupational prestige. Prestige means respect or regard. Certain careers have higher prestige based on pay, amount of education, the amount of autonomy, and abstract thinking. This is a picture with my grandma and a baby lamb that was just a couple days old. My uncles are farmers and based on looking at Table 8.2 Occupational Prestige chart, their job is not very prestigious. The most prestigious  careers are physicians and supreme court judges.

Chapter 5: Triad

A triad is a group of three people. When you add the third person it puts a strain on the original two. There is another opinion and addition to conversation so the original two wouldn't have as close of a relationship. Triads produce coalitions and arbitration. This means that sometimes two of the people will gang up on one, and sometimes one will play the mediator and settle disagreements. This is a picture of me and two friends. With only two people it allows them to have that closer conversation and form a closer bond.

Chapter 5: Social Networks

Social Networks are made of people that are linked together. A good example of this would be Facebook or Twitter. Social networks could consist of family, friends, and even friends of your friends. Social Networks are really good for getting jobs/careers. Lots of my friends and family have their job from knowing the right people in the field. I picked this picture of an electrical current to show how people could be connected, and in multiple ways.

Chapter 5: In-Groups and Out-Groups

In-Groups and Out-Groups are groups we either feel loyalty towards or antagonism towards. People that are close develop a sense of belonging towards their group. It could be positive with excusing mistakes and encouraging to do better. Out-Groups could lead to discrimination and hatred unfortunately. I took a picture of these posters because a lot of people hate smoking and refuse to be around it while a lot of people want to be able to smoke in restaurants and such. The other poster is of a mushroom so it represents drugs and in my mind I am comparing it to legalization of marijuana. In-Groups and Out-Groups will stick together on each of their sides and have their own opinions. This might create a tension. 

Chapter 5: Primary Groups

Primary groups are based off of intimacy and a sense of belonging. This usually consists of your family and close friends. People that you are more than just acquaintances with, that give you an identity and a feeling of who we are. Primary groups give us our self-esteem and fulfill our basic needs. The attitudes and values of people in our primary groups greatly influence our own beliefs. Primary groups overall influence our perspectives. I picked this picture of me and my fiance because he is a part of my primary group.

Chapter 4: Macrosociology and Microsociology

Macrosociology focuses on general features of society where microsociology focuses on social interaction. Macrosociology would be things such as social class and how different groups are related. Microsociology would be what people do when they come together. This picture is showing two people meeting and getting along really well. It could be studied on how different social factors play a role in making friends. If it were to be studied macro, maybe there would be a study on how often people become friends with strangers in public transportation.

Chapter 4: Symbolic Interaction

Symbolic interaction is a mixture of symbols people use, how people look at things, and behavior followed by. Stereotypes, personal space, eye contact, smiling, and body language play a big role in symbolic interaction. If someone is to close to you while talking, you would feel uncomfortable. Stereotypes stem from all of the above. If you didn't like something about a random person's body language, you might assume certain things about them. Based on body language, you would be able to tell how this mother is feeling towards her child at the moment. She seems happy and content. If the child was crying and upset, the mother might not be smiling so much.

Chapter 4: Dramaturgy

Dramaturgy refers to social life being similar to a drama or play. Every time you leave your personal space you put on some kind of mask for others to see. You try to behave in the way that you want to be viewed as a person.  This leads to impression management. You will have a different act for different things you want to achieve and depending on who you are around. I took this picture of my sister after a band performance. She acts and dresses the proper way for the performance.

Chapter 4: Master Status

Master status is generally something you are known for. It could be a condition, your career, or your gender. Sometimes master statuses are achieved. If you are very wealthy because you created something like Amazon.com you would be known as the Amazon.com creator rather than by your name because it is something easily remembered and well known. A master status could also be your race, ethnicity, or age. Sometimes a disability or disfigurement is a master status as well. In this picture I show an astronaut because it is something unique and something people would remember you by.

Chapter 3: Socialization through Life Course

Over your life course you will have different opinions and beliefs on things as you gain experience and knowledge. Your beliefs will also be affected by ethnicity, social class, gender etc. Most people in college are in the transitional adulthood stage. In this photo, I was in my adolescence stage and looking back, it is pretty funny. Whenever someone looks at older pictures or things they have done previously, they can't help but to think how much they have changed. Everything you experience affects your outlooks on things.

Chapter 3: Socialization In School and Peer Groups

 

 

People learn from their friends and in school tremendously. You learn about what is popular, ways to socialize, and how to act in a different setting. Peer groups give different insight and are part of the development of resistance to parents. It is usually a conformity or rejection type thing in school and among peer groups. They can influence grades, behavior, and even the type of music you listen to. If your peers have good study habits, you most likely will too. If your friends steal and do drugs, you will most likely participate in the same activities. This picture is of me and a group of my friend's shoes. We all think Chuck Taylor Converse shoes are an "in" thing.

Chapter 3: Socialization in Family

Family is the first group we come into contact with. Things that happen, experiences, memories etc. all create our beliefs and values. Family greatly influences your perspective and how you view your own roles. They help determine your social class as well depending on what style of teaching and punishment. Family helps develop things from the way you dress to the way you emotionally relate to things. I have a picture of my family here including my grandparents, aunt, cousin, sister, and father.

Chapter 3: Socialization into Gender

Gender Socialization is the attitudes and behaviors expected of a person because of their gender. Everyone goes different ways in life, and gender helps guide us. Everyone goes based off of what society has set as the standard. I picked this picture of my dad and his friend in uniform because usually when thinking about the military, you think of it as a manly job. It seems more dangerous and riskier than what a woman would normally do. Of course there are many women serving in the military now, but there are still jobs that are associated with a certain gender.

Chapter 2: Sanctions

Sanctions are reactions to breaking a norm. There are positive and negative sanctions. This picture could show both depending on the time of day and place. If this man is drinking beer at 9am in a children's park, this would be considered a negative sanction. He would be breaking a norm because usually people don't drink alcohol that early in the morning and not around young children. If he is drinking at 7pm at a beer festival, this could be considered a positive sanction because he isn't drinking all day long and is at a festival where everyone else is doing the same. Negative and positive sanctions could also be displayed through material such as prizes or court fines.

Chapter 2: Norms

Norms are expectations of different groups. On an average day, it would not be a social norm to go out in public with paint on your face or body. People would probably look at you weird and you would feel embarrassed. Certain norms are broken for special occasions, like a concert. If you go to a rave, it would not be uncommon to see people with paint on them and in crazy outfits. Depending on the event, certain places would not allow you to enter if you were not proprerly dressed because you are breaking a norm.

Chapter 2: Language

Language is a form of communication that can be put together in multiple ways to portray different meanings. Language allows us to be more advanced rather than just using grunts, that would limit knowlege and idea possibilities to be passed on throughout time. We would not be able to communicate memories, deep thoughts, or plan activities. There are multiple types of language, including hand gestures. Even though the language between a dog and person won't ever be the same, we still use gestures and words to command. Well trained dogs are used for protection with police, and even guides with the blind.

Chapter 2: Cultural Relativism

Cultural Relativism is trying to understand culture on its own terms. In some middle eastern countries, smoking hookah is a traditional thing. People would eat dinner, and afterwards, smoke hookah with their family. It's a way of relaxation and bonding time. Talking to people from middle eastern countries, they say its more of male bonding time. I also learned that in their countries it is not as common for women to smoke because it doesn't look lady-like, so women would only smoke at home with their families rather than going out. Other cultures might think this is wrong, because smoking really is not a healthy thing, and in our culture it is pretty common to see a man or woman smoking a cigarette. In cultural relativism you have to look past your own beliefs or previous opinions about something, and look at it from this cultures view without an inferior belief of your own culture.

Chapter 1: Functional Analysis

Functional Analysis is the concept that society is made of different parts that all work together. Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer looked at society as an organism; without a body part, the whole body would not function the same. In nature birds eat bugs, berries and more. When they fly around, they "deposit" seeds from berries all around. This allows different plants to grow in different areas. Every animal plays a role in the ecosystem and without a species, a part would be missing, and things would not function the same.

Chapter 1: Conflict Theory

Conflict Theory is a third perspective on social life. Karl Marx developed the idea between the bourgeoisie and proletariat in class conflict. More recently a sociologist named Lewis Coser discovered that people with close relationships are more likely to have conflict. This picture shows conflict theory between two sisters. They have power and responsibilies figured out and change could lead to conflict. Its a constant balancing act where on the surface everything looks fine, but one change and underlying conflict could be revealed.

Chapter 1: Symbolic Interactionism

Symbolic Interactionism is anything you attach meaning to, to communicate and understand the world and one another. Everything is a symbol in one way or another. An engagement ring signifies life long love. It could mean so many different things to different people depending on perspective. Years ago it was completly immoral, immature, and not easy to get a divorce. Today it happens every day and nobody thinks twice about it anymore. More recently marriage became based on personality and compatibility rather than being arranged. Over time symbols start to mean different things depending on culture and perspective, so something like a ring will always have different meaning according to symbolic interactionism.

Chapter 1: Social Integration

 

Social Integration is the degree to which people are tied to their social group. This concept was defined by Emile Durkheim. Durkheim linked it to suicide rates, and people with lower social ties are more likely to comit suicide. Religion, sex, marital status and more plays into it as well. Communites where people spend most time around their friends and family tend to be happier. In modern societies, things are more separated, like working in offices for example. The separation of more things lead to a feeling of isolation. Participating in similar activities, like a local water skiing team, leads to higher social integration.