socio2ll3group5

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Group Activity #3

The final modules, seven to nine, provided a great variety of multimedia materials. We chose to write a short blog about “What is globalization? understand our interconnected world” and “Bourdieu: Cultural Capital, The love of art & hip hop”. The first video provided a clear explanation of globalization and the current implications it has on the world. The interconnection of the modern world allows for ideas, products, news and styles to spread faster than ever before; this is one outcome of globalization (CFR Education, 2019). Our second video was interesting as it related Bourdieu's idea of cultural capital to the hip-hop movement. Cultural capital is the social and cultural advantage that some people have, typically in a position of wealth. The rise of hip-hop created a new outlook, as people are building a new cultural discourse (Then & Now, 2019). The videos were chosen because of the fascinating and concise explanations to the overall discussion of how sociological ideas “speak to” one another, as well as how they will expand on the issue of inequality.  

The idea of globalization and Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital greatly connect to one another, mainly through their understanding of accessibility to certain resources relates to economic power. Globalization describes the rapid spread of goods, resources, behaviors and information on an international scale (CFR Education, 2019). It brings about many positive effects, such as facilitating access to information and technology-based forms of social interaction, but also comes with consequences for countries that are exploited for cheap labour and resources. According to Bourdieu, cultural capital refers to knowledge, expertise and educational credentials which can be accumulated and exchanged to acquire or maintain social influence (Hooks, Module 7). It can be understood as a means to demonstrate one’s status and economic standing (Then & Now, 2019). These two sociological ideas relate to one another by demonstrating how economic power is maintained in two different contexts. With globalization, the role a country takes regarding the production of the exchanged goods is largely dictated by their economic standing. This allows wealthier countries, who primarily consume these goods, to maintain their economic dominance over poorer countries, who exchange their labour for minimum profit. This thus also limits the poorer countries access to a lot of the products readily available in wealthy countries. A similar exclusion is seen between social classes when discussing cultural capital. Since many of the activities which the elite engage in require higher levels of education, thus also requiring a good economic standing, lower economic classes are prevented from participating in them. This allows for wealthier classes to maintain their position due to the advantages that come with being able to partake in such cultural acts, particularly in social institutions. 

Inequality is a persistent issue in human society, and in the increasingly globalized modern era. The world is changing rapidly, with these issues being more widely discussed and accelerated in their spread. In this context, individuals and groups with traditional cultural capital are often better able to adapt to change and seize opportunities. In contrast, groups lacking cultural capital find themselves in a more unequal predicament, as their cultural capital is being rapidly marginalized. The rise of hip-hop music provides us with a fresh perspective for observation and understanding, facilitated by the rapid spread brought about by globalization. As a cultural expression originating from marginalized groups, hip-hop music not only brings marginalized culture back into the public eye, but also unites more groups oppressed by inequality. Therefore, it raises awareness of the existence of inequality and challenges the existing unequal patterns to some extent. 

The videos offered a comprehensive illustration of how sociological concepts intersect with one another. The theoretical principles examined in both media types assisted in clarifying the problem of inequality. 

CFR Education. (2019). What is globalization? understand our interconnected world. YouTube. from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLNp3kgBuuQ 

Then & Now. (2019). Bourdieu: Cultural Capital, The love of art & hip hop. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th0eYWnGZ_4

[socio2ll3group5]

Group Activity #2

Modules five to six offered a wide range of multimedia materials, and we have decided to conduct brief studies of two videos, “Erving Goffman and the Performed Self” and “Dorothy Smith EDER 700” in this blog. The first video uses Shakespeare's plays, as quoted in Goffman’s book, to illustrate the idea that people do not possess a truly enduring self, but rather perform different roles in various environments. (BBC Radio, 2016) The second video reads from Dorothy E. Smith's own words to reflect her observations on social inequality. Her critique is related to phenomenology (tmasoninnes, 2010). These two videos can clearly explain how sociological ideas “speak to” one another, and the two videos also help explain self-presentation on social media.

Erving Goffman and Dorothy E. Smith's theories have a strong connection with each other, which explains how perspective can change depending on self-presentation. Goffman’s theory of dramaturgy explains the dramatized self, and how people are actors on a stage. When people are playing different roles, they may have multiple personas and faces, which can be hard to juggle. Though, they may overcome by adapting how they act and present themselves depending on who they are interacting with and the situation they are in (Hooks, Module 5). Goffman's theory emphasizes the importance of "impression management" in social situations, where individuals try to control the way others perceive them. On the other hand, Smith’s work views social situations from a different lens; focusing on how people may view interests and social occurrences from their own subjective perspectives. Smith accepts phenomenology, which maintains that the line separates the objective and subjective (Hooks, Module 6). It embodied an understanding of their surroundings. Smith's work is more concerned with how social inequality and injustice are formed via social interactions and institutions. Despite these differences, Goffman and Smith’s theories are easily connected in a multitude of ways. For example, both Goffman and Smith highlight the importance of social interactions and how they shape our understanding of the world around us. Both theories are used to emphasize the ways in which individuals are shaped by social structures and institutions, but can also exert agency and shape those structures through their interactions. Ultimately, while Goffman's theory of dramaturgy and Smith's emphasis on phenomenology and inequality vary, both perspectives are beneficial in helping us comprehend the intricate ways in which social interactions, institutions, and individual subjectivities intersect to construct our social environment.

Social media has blurred the lines between what is real and fake online, this is a current issue in contemporary society. Erving Goffman's theory of “performed self” and Dorothy Smith's beliefs in feminism contribute important insights into the underlying issues of social media. People act or speak in different ways around distinct groups. Goffman's theory of the preformed self said that there is no true self, as we are juggling multiple lives at once. These multiple lives are known as “masks” (BBC Radio, 2016). Social media allows us to choose the “masks” we want. People often never show the real and unfiltered versions online. This can push a harmful false narrative onto younger, and more impressionable generations of what bodies look like, as well as all aspects of life. Dorothy Smith spent her life fighting for gender equality in education, and believed the foundations of sociology should consider feminism. Social media perpetrates hate and bigotry towards women, rather than men. Women are venerable online to being bullied for what they look like, post, and how they live. While men are rewarded and supported for doing the same. The contemporary problem of social media opens young generations up to inaccurate representations of life, and body image, as well as the targeted hate and sexist attitudes towards women. 

The selected videos clearly exemplify the interconnectivity of sociological ideas and how they “speak to” one another while also presenting two different theoretical outlooks that may be applied to better our understanding of self-presentation on social media. 

Erving Goffman and the Performed Self (2016). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z0XS-QLDWM 

Dorothy Smith EDER 700 (2010).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlIavZpOYPc  

[socio2ll3group5]

Group Activity #1

Modules two to four provided a vast selection of multimedia materials, we chose to write a short blog about “Habermas: The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere” and “Homan Exchange Theory Proposition #2”. The first video provided insight into Jurgen Habermas book “The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere”and how it may still apply to current time (Then & Now, 2017). Our second video provided an example of George Homans stimulus proposition. Two colleagues sought reward for finishing deadlines on time, because they saw that coworkers had previously received rewards for doing such task (Szlachtowski, 2016). The videos were chosen because they provided a clear explanation to the discussions of how sociological ideas “speak to” one another, as well as how they will explain the issue of political polarization.

The intersection between Habermas and Homans’s theories lies in their connection to social relations, offering distinct approaches which focus on interactions taking place at differing levels of society. Habermas’s theory primarily utilizes the concept of the public sphere, a variety of social spaces in which ideas about politics, ethics and social issues may be exchanged without distortion, in understanding the dehumanization of contemporary societies (Hooks, Module 3, 2023). His ideas stemming from this concept thus focus on interactions on a collective level by observing relations within larger groups such as social classes in making assumptions about greater society. On the other hand, Homans, with his theory of social exchange, insists that interactions should first be analyzed on a smaller scale in trying to understand them within groups of larger sizes (Hooks, Module 4, 2023). He described how exchanges between individuals take place on a stimulus and response basis, observing how behavior is adjusted to promote the occurrence of desirable responses and minimize that of unwanted ones (Hooks, Module 4, 2023). Homans’s theory thus relates to Habermas’s by suggesting what may first need to be observed before general assumptions about society may be made. 

Political polarization is an increasingly significant issue in contemporary society. Two videos, focusing on Habermas' public sphere theory and Homan's exchange theory, provide valuable insights into this issue. People tend to only listen to information that aligns with their own position, leading to gaps and divides between social groups, especially on the internet. The public sphere should be a space where everyone has an equal right to speak and exchange diverse viewpoints. Homan's exchange theory highlights the importance of balance and reciprocity in interpersonal relationships, crucial factors in individual decision-making. Imbalanced exchange relationships between social groups exacerbate political polarization. These concepts explain how political polarization on the internet arises in this public sphere and can provide solutions to alleviate this issue. Rebuilding the public sphere, promoting dialogue, and establishing equal and reciprocal exchange relationships are essential measures to achieve balance and sustainability in political decision-making and social development. Only in this way can we build an inclusive and harmonious society. 

The videos provided an in-depth explanation to the discussion of how sociological ideas "speak to" one another, as well as how the theoretical concepts explored in both medias helped us further explain the issue of political polarization in 2023. 

Andrea Szlachtowski. (2016). Homan Exchange Theory Proposition #2. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzdf9GlvSVA 

Then & Now. (2017). Habermas: The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1K46oK3xTU