savvii99

[savvii99]

Intro

Hi, I’m Savion and welcome to my Tumblr blog! I made this for my Sociology class, so most content posted here will be related to that subject. I attend Harrisburg Area Community College, my Professor is Dr. Jacobson and my major is Business Administration. Taking up this class during the winter break was a great choice, but I’ll save that for the reflection post! Thanks for viewing my page and enjoy.

[savvii99]

Reflection

Throughout this course, I've come to realize just how pertinent sociology is to me. I've come to a greater understanding about different interactions I have with others, what motivates us, and our different relationships and identities. It's also helped me to pinpoint some issues that I was facing within my own relationships such as problems between my family members and close friends as well. I personally connected with the Children's March film that we viewed. Sometimes I'm discriminated against because people don't understand my culture since I'm from the Caribbean, but watching how African American children fought back against the racist people of Birmingham all while singing of Freedom was really inspirational.

[savvii99]

Advice for Future Students

Never, ever underestimate a discussion deadline! Ha, but in all seriousness always make sure to give yourself ample time to complete any and all assignments you may have in this class. You might think that an assignment might be easy enough for you to procrastinate and do it later but never do tomorrow what could be done today. Also be sure to read that textbook and get use to all the important terms and concepts. When it comes to the discussions it'll help to have a good understanding of the terminology used in each chapter. Last thing I would recommend is to have some notes prepared for any quiz that'll allow them, which is most. Doing this provides a good safety net just incase you get stuck on a question.

[savvii99]

Intro

Hi, I’m Savion and welcome to my Tumblr blog! I made this for my Sociology class, so most content posted here will be related to that subject. I attend Harrisburg Area Community College, my Professor is Dr. Jacobson and my major is Business Administration. Taking up this class during the winter break was a great choice, but I’ll save that for the reflection post! Thanks for viewing my page and enjoy.

[savvii99]

Thinking Like a Sociologist

Thinking like a sociologist promotes critical thinking and the identification of the sociological forces that affect social phenomenon and situations. As a result, the sociological imagination promotes sociological thought and the application of sociological theory to everyday events. Students who learn to think like a sociologist not only earn a higher grade but develop a much more nuanced view of the world around them. One can be a student of sociology even if he /she never even step foot in a sociology classroom. Thinking like a sociology has helped me to develop awareness of the relationship between my personal experience and society as a whole.

Thinking sociologically involves a number of steps. Firstly, one needs to develop a behavior where he/she does not assume anything. The assumption about the way life is might seem to be a common way of life but this limits the sociological thinking. As a matter of fact, even sociologists have their own assumptions but they find out what actual empirical evidence tells them. This means that before a sociologist presume their assumptions are true, they test them or find the truth from other studies of the same phenomenon (Conley, 2011). In this case, assumptions that rely on a sample size of one is hardly sufficient to claim a consistent sociological pattern.

The next step that would help people to think like a sociologist is to get ready to be wrong. This comes after recognizing that assumptions are just personal opinions and these opinions can either be right or wrong. In fact, all scientists are supposed to presume that people’s opinions are wrong to begin with, which is the logic behind the concept of the bull hypothesis in statistics. Sociologists think beyond simply what is right and wrong and also ask why. For example, they ask questions about how misconceptions in the society benefit a particular group, institutions as well as the overall balance of power in the society.

Asking even more questions also helps a person to think like a sociologist. Sociologists respond to conclusions with more questions such as what makes people understand human interactions the way they do, how does social change happen and how things should be done. This would improve the individual reasoning capacity (Conley, 2011). People should also embrace the life complexities and acknowledge the fact that life is not simple. They should really aim at understanding various sociological theories, research, and analysis that open up the mind of a person as well as providing some world complications.

Practicing these steps, challenging individual assumptions, asking questions instead of looking for simple answers will make a person start thinking like a sociologist. I know that I sure started to, and if I feel like I have a hang of it, you can to!

(Word count 335)

Reference

Conley, D. (2011). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist. WW Norton & Company.

[savvii99]

Racism

Racism is the belief that a particular group of people is superior or inferior to another. It takes many forms and can happen in many places. It includes prejudice, discrimination, and hatred directed to some people because of their color, ethnicity, or national origin. Racism may be revealed through people’s attitude and actions, systems as well as institutions. Anti-racism education is a rewarding and transformation process that provides guidelines for the implementation of the policy for countering racism in the society. It is important for students to learn the anti-racism education that would enable them to succeed in the learning and working environment. In my case, anti-racism education has helped me to connect with people from a different cultural background and this has contributed to my success.

Racism can take many forms such as jokes and comments that cause offense or hurt some people from a certain group. It elicits hatred and distrust and precludes any attempt to understand its victims. In most cases, racism is influenced by a range of historical, social, political and economic factors. It takes different forms in different contexts and this call for an understanding of the nature of racism in order to implement measures that would help to counter it successfully (Omi & Winant, 2014). Societies have initiated different policies in order to eliminate racial discrimination and inequality. This is achieved by denouncing racist believes and practices and promote policies that enhance self-development for all people in the society regardless of their color, ethnicity, or national origin. However, private beliefs and practices of people have remained racist despite constitutional and legal measures aimed at protecting the rights of racial minorities in the United States.

Sociologists recognize racism as both observable biological characteristics and any conclusions drawn about race on the basis the observations that are influenced by cultural ideologist (Omi & Winant, 2014). Racism as an ideology exists in society at both the individual and institutional level. Anti-racism is important in order to identify racism and effectively work towards the elimination of racial discrimination and inequality. Additionally, different societies have launched anti-racism campaigns to spark a dialogue within the community and inspire people to be the bridge to changing the racism landscape in the society. This would help people to enjoy freedom and opportunities regardless of their color, ethnicity, or national origin.

(Word count: 262)

Reference

Omi, M., & Winant, H. (2014). Racial formation in the United States. Routledge.

[savvii99]

Gender

Gender is a socially constructed definition of women and men. It denotes the social and cultural role of each sex within the society. People tend to develop their gender role in response to their environment, including family interaction, the media, peers and education. Gender studies are relevant in society since it addresses life issues such as the equality and responsibility within relationships, marriages, and families. Students should learn gender education to understand the real life issues that would shape and define their moral values in the society. In my case, gender studies have made me understand the historic and current customs, norms, general laws, social standards as well as the cultural trends and this has continuously shaped my life.

The degree of decision making and financial responsibilities expected of each gender and the time that women or a man is expected to spend on homemaking and bringing up of children varies depending on the cultural beliefs (Belknap, 2014). Currently, the duties and responsibilities of men and women in the society are changing where men are increasingly taking on roles traditionally seen as belonging to women and the women are taking the roles traditionally seen as assigned to men. Genders studies help to identify and examine significant differences in experience of sexes across the world.  

There are various concepts associated with gender such as gender inequality, gender role and gender mainstreaming. Gender equality is the state of equal access to resources and opportunities regardless of the gender status which includes economic participation and decision making as well as the state of valuing different behaviors, aspiration, and needs of both men and women. (Belknap, 2014) it appreciates the fact that human beings, both men and women are free to develop their personal abilities and make choices without the obstacles that are mostly set by stereotypes, rigid gender roles and prejudices. Gender role is a social role involving a range of behaviors and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate for people based on their actual or perceived sex. The modern society aims at changing the aspects of prevailing gender roles that may be oppressive or inappropriate for both men and women. The gender mainstreaming is the concept of assessing the different implications for people of different genders of any planned policy action in all areas and levels.

(Word count: 265)

Belknap, J. (2014). The invisible woman: Gender, crime, and justice. Nelson Education.

[savvii99]

Social Class

Social class refers to a group of individuals with similar levels of wealth, influence and status in society. Besides being important in social theory, the concept of class as a collection of people sharing similar economic characteristics has been widely used in the study of social mobility. It is important for students to understand the social structure in order to know ones place within the society and how the lives of individuals in the lower class could be improved. In my case, social stratification has motivated me to work hard to acquire a position in the upper class. I have come to realize that all positions in society are not equal and hence need stratification.

In most cases, there are large variations in wealth, material possession, power, and authority, as well as prestige in the society. The various social classes in the society include the upper class or the elite, the middle class and the lower class. The upper class or the elites is the highest class in the society and consists of the wealthiest members of the society and also people with great political power. People in this class have more money than they could possibly spend, which leave them with much leisure time for cultivating a variety of interests (Stephens & Phillips, 2014). The middle class consists of people with more money than those in the lower class but less money compared to those in the upper class.  The lower class consists of people who have to work in order to survive. In most cases, they do not have savings and may even be surviving with debts, and have low wage and insecure jobs. They also suffer from lack of medical care, adequate housing and food, decent clothing, safety, and vocational training.

The social stratification encourages hard work in the society where people of the upper class work hard to live up to their positions and status (Stephens & Phillips, 2014). Additionally, the other people in the other classes would put emphasis on hard work and productive activity within the economy. In this case, the business executive who has achieved the position through his own hard work is encouraged to keep up the hard work and maintain his position in the society. Therefore, social stratification is a form of motivation for different positions, particularly those which carry higher statuses and rewards.

(Word count: 268)

Stephens, N. M., Markus, H. R., & Phillips, L. T. (2014). Social class culture cycles: How three gateway contexts shape selves and fuel inequality. Annual Review of Psychology, 65, 611-634.

[savvii99]

Globalization and the Economy

Economic globalization refers to the increasing economic interdependence of world economies as a result of the rapid spread of technologies, the massive flow of international capital, and the growing scale of cross-border movement of goods and services (Raymond, 2013). It is also about how interdependent different nations and regions have become across the globe. Study of economic globalization helps students to understand the contemporary international political economy and how it influences their local economic environment. It also equips them with the ability to move and interact easily with other people around the world in order to transact business internationally. The study has enabled me to appreciate the current demand in the job market to hire and work with people from other countries and cultures. Through this understanding, I can travel independently to other nations to seek employment or promote my business.

Over the last 20-30 years, under the framework of World Trade Organization and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), economic globalization has been occurring at an increased rate (Raymond, 2013). Countries have been rapidly opening up their borders and cutting down trade barriers. This has opened up vast areas for free movement of labor, capital, technology, and goods and services, leading to increased wealth for nations (Raymond, 2013). Globalization has also enabled advanced economies to integrate with emerging ones, helping them to achieve rapid developments. Many goods and services that previously were affordable to only the high class such as cars and mobile phones are now common in most nations thanks to economic globalization and technological progress.

Rapid globalization of world economies over recent years has created an environment in which the market economic systems can move faster across the world. For instance, the emergence of the internet and electronic communication means that organizations can hire employees from virtually any place in the world. These economic processes have created a lot of business opportunities and new jobs, and ultimately, improved the standards of living. This gives hope to students that once they complete their studies, they can look for employment anywhere in the world. It also provides an opportunity for the employees to work with people from other countries, helping them to learn and acquire new skills (Raymond, 2013). Additionally, globalization facilitates sharing of knowledge across different institutions and disciplines on a global scale. For instance, students from various nations around the world can integrate through technology and create interdisciplinary groups to address global economic challenges and come up with suitable solutions.

(Word count: 271)

Reference

Raymond, L. (2013). Globalization, the knowledge economy, and competitiveness: A business intelligence framework for the development SMES. Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, 3(1-2), 260-260.

[savvii99]

Social Movements

Social movements are purposeful, organized groups of individuals or organizations which focus on addressing specific social or political issues. Their intention might be to create or resist a social change or raise a political voice. They help to bring the desired changes in the structure of the society or to eradicate social injustices such as child abuse or women discrimination in the workplace. The study of this topic helps students to learn the key components of social movements and the circumstances under which they can lead to social and political transformation. It also enables them to understand the issues of social justices and their role of creating a more socially just society guided by the vision of human rights. The topic is relevant to my life in that it enables me to advocate for fairness and justice both in my workplace and among all sections of the society.  

Social movements have been one of humanities most prominent abilities to drive social change. Throughout history, social movements intended to advocate for change and equal rights for all have been formed and inspired by prominent leaders. Their actions are propelled by the desire and dedication of the leaders and their followers to fight for social change (Tarrow, 2011). Famous social movements witnessed around the world include the civil rights movement, women suffrage, resistance against apartheid, and the gay rights movement. These groups use various tactics to advance their cause. Street demonstrations and confrontation are the most used strategies by many social groups. Other tactics include hunger strikers, civil disobedience, and educating people about their rights.

The rapid growth of technology and the emergence of the millennial have enhanced the effectiveness of social movements. The majority of the world’s population is made of young people who have grown up during the time of technological advancement. Technology has not only shaped the way they work and live but have also created a whole new set of aspirations and beliefs that makes them desire to change the world. Around the world, young people are using technology and social media to monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of public services as well spread their message and generate pressure for action (Tarrow, 2011). Recent social movements such LGBT Community are also using social media to fight for their rights. The group uses sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to look for more supporters and push their cause.

(Word count: 253)

Reference

Tarrow, S. G. (2011). Power in movement: Social movements and contentious politics. Cambridge University Press.

[savvii99]

Deviance

Deviance refers to any behavior that goes against social norms, values, and expectations of society. There are two forms of deviant behaviors: Formal deviance which refers to the violation of social rules that have been enacted into law such as committing murder or engaging in criminal activities such as rape or robbery; and informal deviance which is the breach of informal social rules that have not been enacted into law. Examples include homosexuality, adultery, or prostitution. Deviance is a significant aspect of any culture because it leads to social order. In school, response to deviant behavior help students to distinguish between right and wrong. For instance, when a student lies or contributes to cheating at an examination and receives a failing grade for the unit, the other students learn that cheating is not acceptable in school. The topic is relevant to my life in that it helps me to act professionally at all times by working productively, being honest, adhering to the set rules, and supporting others in the workplace.

Deviance is a broad term which describes behavior or actions that violate social norms and conventions. Norms refer to social expectations or rules that guide members of society. People who fail to conform to these rules are said to be deviant. Deviance can take many forms and interpretations (Rubington, & Weinberg, 2015). Criminal activities such as robbery, murder, rape, assault, and embezzlement are considered deviant in many societies. However, some deviant behaviors vary from one culture to the other. For instance, homosexuality is regarded as deviant behavior in many nations because it deviates from the prescribed sexual and gender norms. Nevertheless, the practice is acceptable in some western cultures such as the United States, Australia, and Canada.

The study of deviance is vital because it helps students to become responsible members of society. When a deviant student breaks the school rules by cheating on a test or failing to attend classes and receives a failing grade for the course, other students learn that it is essential to adhere to the school rules(Rubington,& Weinberg,2015). This helps them to succeed not only in class but also later in their lives. When they complete their studies and get employment, they can follow the rules of the employer and carry out their duties effectively. Deviance also fulfills other functions in society. For instance, sentencing a government official to prison for embezzlement of public funds affirms our societal held value that corruption is wrong and prevents other officials from engaging in such activities.  Therefore, deviance helps to affirm social norms and expectations established by society.

(Word count 258)

Reference

Rubington, E., & Weinberg, M. (2015). Deviance: The interactionist perspective. Routledge.

[savvii99]

Socialization

Socialization is the process through which people are taught to be proficient members of society. It gives descriptions of how members of a specific society come to understand the societal norms and expectations, accept society’s beliefs and aware of societal values. Socialization serves to incorporate new members into society so that they can understand the behavioral expectation in the society. It is important for children to learn socialization skills in school and at home. This will help them to interact with members of the society in a healthy, positive and productive manner. In my case, my academic performance has been positively improved by the socialization skills I was taught in my childhood age.

Socialization process typically occurs in two stages. The first stage is the primary socialization that takes place from birth through adolescence and is guided by primary caregivers, educators as well as the peer. The second stage is the secondary socialization which continues throughout the individual life’s, especially when one encounters new situations, places or a new group of people whose norms, beliefs and customs may differ from one’s own (Ely & Gleason,2017). Through socialization, people are able to learn what is expected of them by a given group or in a given situation. It serves to preserve social order by keeping people in line with societal expectations.

As children grow, they come to realize that there are others in the world and the other people have feelings, needs, and desires just like they do. The egocentric mental states that they are born with changes, allowing them to look outside themselves to the people, adult, and children around them. In order to learn the socialization skills, children must learn to transfer the child’s own thinking to others. In order to teach the socialization skills to the children as they grow up, both teachers and parents must foster an appropriate social environment by modeling and teaching respectful interaction methods with others, teaching students to work with others as well as responding appropriately to conflicts (Ely & Gleason,2017). The adults involved in the lives of children should teach the appropriate social behavior since children learn from what they see the adults who are important in their lives do, far more than what they are told to do by the adults.

(Word count: 267)

Reference

Ely, R., & Gleason, J. B. (2017). Socialization across contexts. The handbook of child language, 251-276..

[savvii99]

culture

Culture is the social behavior and norm found in human societies. It defines the way of life of a group of people's beliefs, values as well as the symbols that are accepted generally without thinking about them and are passed by communication and imitation from one generation to the next. Culture differences manifest themselves in different ways and differing levels of depth. The cultural symbols represent the most superficial and values of cultural manifestation with heroes and rituals in between. The teachers and parents should be at the forefront in instilling learners with cultural values both at school and home. In my case, I appreciate the fact that the success of any country depends on its people taking charge and ensuring that I leave it in a better place for a future generation.

Different people with different cultural background think, feel and act differently. There is no scientific standard for considering one group as intrinsically superior or inferior to another. Studying the cultural differences among groups and societies presuppose a position of cultural relativism (Williams, 2014). Culture allows people to maintain a unique identity society. Different cultures may have common interests while others may have customs that differ greatly from one another. In some cases, the cultural beliefs among the societies may have greater differences that people may not agree with the values of another which can cause social and ethical issues.

Culture can be represented in form of material and non-material culture. Material culture is the physical creation made which is used and shared by the members of the specific group. These material cultures may include faucets, tress minerals just to mention a few. The transformation of raw materials into usable forms can be seen a paramount achievement of material culture. Non-material culture (Williams, 2014). The non-material culture is the unseen human creations by the society fashioned towards the behavioral influence of a specific society. The components for non-material culture include the language, values, and norms.

Technology has impacted on culture in the modern world. One of the cultural effects has been a growth in the number of innovators and entrepreneurs leveraging mobile technology in areas like business, healthcare, and education (Williams, 2014). A handset and data have become more affordable, mobile technology as well as the manner in which politics are being conducted. Constant communication through the use of technology has changed the way people think of themselves and the manner in which they communicate.

(Word count: 274)

Reference

Williams, R. (2014). Keywords: A vocabulary of culture and society. Oxford University Press.

[savvii99]

Digital society and Information

Introduction

We are living in a digital society in which every aspect of our lives is profoundly being affected by the digitization of data. Technology has impacted how we communicate, socialize, how we work, the learning process, as well as participation in politics and the economy. Students can use technology to meet, collaborate and create content virtually. They can use it to research subjects, share idea and learn specific skills. Personally, technology has made it easy for me to use computers and mobile devices to continue learning outside the traditional classroom setting, even having used the web-based conferencing tools such as google hangouts to interact with professionals who offer advice on how to cope with real-life challenges.

Digital information technology is becoming more deeply and rapidly entrenched in our society. It will not take a long period before everyone is permanently connected to each other through the internet (Mossberger & McNeal, 2007). In this case, it is clear that the extensive digitization aim at changing all aspects of society across the world. The improved technology creates equal opportunity for people to connect, interact and share information with other people across the world.

Being a digital citizen requires active participation in online platforms to learn and remain updated on the emerging issues in the world. Research has revealed that digitization promise tremendous benefits for better health, more efficient mobility, and efficient energy use as well as flourishing companies (Mossberger & McNeal, 2007). Researchers in the digital society issues are interested on how culture, society and digital technologies shape and affect each other. As a matter of fact, the future prosperity will depend largely on how well the society will master the digital revolution as well as appreciate the need of the improved technology in our lives

Nevertheless, the Digital society and Information has raised complex challenges such as the identification of the knowledge and truth among the deluge of information, sophisticated artificial intelligence as well as the access and control of data. These challenges raise multidisciplinary issues of power, culture, governance, and social aspects (Mossberger & McNeal, 2007). To address the digitization challenges, the computer and data scientists need to work together with social scientists and humanities scholars. Prominent expert and managers from industry and society need to discuss the prospective on digitization, future threats and promises and this would make it easier for people to appreciate the need of digitization in the real life situations.

(Word count: 284)

Reference

  Mossberger, K., Tolbert, C. J., & McNeal, R. S. (2007). Digital citizenship: The Internet, society, and participation. MIt Press.

[savvii99]

The Conspicuous Consumption among Apple Consumers.