1 Chapter 1 a Sociological imagination i Learning to distinguish between personal troubles and public issues 1 Personal problems a Failing a test because watching TV 2 Public problems a Fail a test because your house is loud ii Social Problems 1 A social condition that has negative consequences for individuals our social world or the physical world a Social b Physical i Family education economy i Global warming etc 2 Objective acknowledges that a particular social problem exists a Harsh chemicals in the environment 3 Subjective shows how a problem becomes a problem i All perception It s a problem via perception b Social Constructionism c History of Social problems i 4 stages 1 Stage 1 Transformation a Taking private trouble to public issue 2 Stage 2 Legitimization a How things are handled 3 Stage 3 Conflict stage a Readjusting and renegotiating problems 4 Stage 4 a Do things outside of the system to change things d Sociological Perspectives as a whole i Theory set of assumptions and propositions used for explanation prediction and understanding 1 Macro large picture 2 Micro individual analysis ii Functionalist Prospective 1 Emile Durkheim a Society to the human body multiple parts with individual functions b Rapid change disrupts social order c Anomie social order becomes threaten when changes is happening 2 Macro prospective 3 Focuses on how society maintains and creates social order iii Robert Merton 1957 1 Negative consequences with social structures dysfunctions 2 Homelessness 3 Manifest Functions intended 4 Latent Functions not meant to happen often hidden e Conflict Prospective i Macro ii Considers how society is held together by power benefitting those in power iii Creates inequality between various groups iv Carl Marx Father of Conflict Theory 1 Capitalism conflict 2 Proletariat workers a Must be aware of their position if they want to organize and seek change 3 Bourgeoisie Owners v Contemporary conflict theorists 1 C Wright Mills power elite controls society 2 Ralf Dahrendorf whoever has the power wants to keep their power hence do what they can to keep it 3 Lewis Coser Suggests a functional aspect Creates and f Feminist Perspective binds groups i Defines gender sometimes race or class ii Key perspective Patriarchal Society g Interactionism Perspective i Subjective creation and symbols ii George Herbert Mead 1 society is ordered and patterned interactions among individuals a The self is a mental and social process and reflective ability to see others in relations to ourselves and vice versa iii Human agency the active role of individuals in creating their social environment and in defining and addressing social problems h Quantative methods data stats variables surveys i Qualitative capture social live as different people experience it 1 Chapter 2 Power Privilege and oppression a Social inequality uneven distributions of resources services and positions i Prejudice negative attributes based on the attitudes on the attributes of an individual ii Discrimination acts based on prejudiced beliefs against b Social stratification i Primary characteristics serve as social boundaries ii Society stratifies ranks or individuals or groups iii Stratification results in inequality c Social inequality i Social experiences may have less to do with ability and more to do with how you are in society 2 Difference a Social construction difference b Categories are constructed as they do not exist outside of our constructions i Example Race 1 Constructed on the definitions of those in power the 2 Demonstrated by historical changing of definition of dominant group different races c One drop of blood black d 1 8 of a person African American e how are people with glasses not considered disabled 3 Power a The ability to coerce another s behavior i Power over others 1 Also includes access to social political and economic resources 2 Power lies in the hands of the norm a Male white heterosexual finically stable young middle adult able boiled and Christian American Power 3 Social institution reproduce hierarchy and ensure the maintenance of power in the hands of members of the dominant culture by making norm the dominant culture ii Dominant group 1 Who holds the power 2 Who gets the best jobs 3 Who s history will be taught in school 4 Whose relationships will be validated in society iii Think about power as high school 4 Privilege a An invisible package of unearned assets i Unearned entitlements 1 Things of value all people should have 2 Unearned advantages a Restricted to certain groups b Often gives dominant groups an edge they are usually reluctant to acknowledge and unwilling to give up ii Conferred dominance 1 Gives power to one group over another b Paradox of privilege i Consequences of the paradox of privilege 1 Is rooted in societies and groups as much as it s rooted in peoples personalities and how to perceive and react to one another 2 You can be privileged without feeling like you are c Cycle of socialization i Born into no guilt no choice limited information Institutional and cultural socialization 1 Socialization a a 2 Re enforcement Internalization 3 Status quo a Back to born into d Blinds people and Toyota prius no one really thinks about how blind people rely on hearing cars while this car is made too quite it is extremely quite Thursday Feb 6th 1 Scholarship is not privilege 2 Oppression a Birdcage i Go any direction and yet run into a barricade every way ii Focus on one wire and that s the only thing you see yet step its multiple bars 1 Look at one aspect its hard to see why people cant break free of opression yet step back and consider all different aspects iii Oppressive systems 3 Dimensions a Institutional dimension i Based on race and privilege shows where people go b Symbolic Dimension i Ideologies and thoughts people have to justify the class groups This can be in the media showing to define individuals i Gender race and class frame individual backgrounds and how c Individual 4 Matrix of domination we participate a One form of privilege can defend or reinforce another b Access to one form privilege can affect access in another c Access in one suppresses the access in another d Subordinate groups are pinned against one another and draw attention away form the system of privilege hurts them all 5 Social Environment Its not our fault but our responsibility a b Predujuices come from what we are not told in the world 6 Racism a A system of advantaged based on race systemic