Sociology

SocioBiology & Gender
- Thesis of Social Darwinism K.T. CD.
- Claims about: Aggression/Promiscuity/Teamwork
- Evidence via Animal Research
- Critical Review

Functionalism & Gender
- Emphasis on learning (not biology)
- Different sexes assigned Different roles *for society
- Agents of Socialization [1) Institution + 2) Individuals] Responsible for teaching us gender. P.A./S.A. Ideal link between them [FOR SOCIETY]
~ Content of Gender Scripts E.X: 1) Babies 2) Rooms 3) Independence 4) Competetive/Coping

EX#1: Baby Size/Activity (Hale)
EX#2: Rooms (Greenglass)
EX#3: Independence (Greenglass)
EX#4: Competence/Coping (Hale)

2) Monitoring Strategies EX#1: Sissies/ Tomboys (Mackie)

how is ‘deviance’ from expected gender behavior explained? * Faulty socialization
Advantages over sociobiological theory? 1. Cultural differences 2. Reform

Limitations of functionalist/socialization theory? 1. Implies consensus 2. Assumes consistency (between+within) “” agents of society 3. Insufficient evidence for ‘faulty socialization’ 4. Awareness/internalization not the same
Gender Roles: Masculine|Feminine
Gender Roles: Masculine|Feminine

Abnormal
Inappropriate
Wrong
Tomboy
Sissy Excessive Monitoring
Bad
Abnormal
Inappropriate
Wrong
Tomboy
Sissy Excessive Monitoring
Bad

+ reinforcement -reinforcement
+ reinforcement -reinforcement
Script:

Right Good
Normal

Appropriate
Script:

Right Good
Normal

Appropriate

SOCIAL CONFLICT THEORY ON GENDER

Distinction from Functionalist Theory

Basis of Social Conflict Theory on Gender
a) history of Marx and Engel
b) focus of their interests

Dimensions of Gender Satisfaction
Gender Stratifcation Gender inequiality (not just different) Unequal ranking of men and women in a society a) Power
-capacity to oppose will on eithers despite resistence b) Wealth
- Resources = Wealth[Inheritence] + Work Related Earnings [Labour Force] c) Prestige (status)

Source of Gender Stratification?
*Capitalism – The Struggle For Economic Survival

E.H.G.E
E.H.G.E
Early Huning and Gathering Economies

Equality of Sexes Activities = Impatiant = P/W/P
Communal Property
Shared Resources
No Surplus/Subsistence
Equality of Sexes Activities = Impatiant = P/W/P
Communal Property
Shared Resources
No Surplus/Subsistence

Capitalist Economies

Public
Sphere
(males)
Public
Sphere
(males)
Private
Sphere
(females)
Private
Sphere
(females)

Engels: C. “Marks – The world historical defeat of the female sex.” Women economically dependent
Engels: C. “Marks – The world historical defeat of the female sex.” Women economically dependent
“It’s very hard to pretend in this world. Eventually we become what we play at.”
“It’s very hard to pretend in this world. Eventually we become what we play at.”
The Family Wage
The Family Wage
Production
Paid Labor $
Production
Paid Labor $
Domestic Consumption
Unpaid Labor

Domestic Consumption
Unpaid Labor

“Live Off Your Man”

Functionalist Perspective (theory, approach, framework) on Gender Cont’d
*monitoring stratigies (praise vs punishment) excessive for boys

Explaining Deviance (outliers) F.S. (Faulty Socialization)
Advantages? 1) Cultural Differences 2) Change

Critical Review: (Limitations) I.C (implies consensus) A.C. (assumes consistency) F.S. ? Able Awareness ≠ internalization

Social Conflict Perspective on Gender * Why certain gender roles? * Explanations rooted in Capitalism
*Gender Stratification 3 Dimension? (Power, Wealth, Prestige)
1) gender inequality 2) unequal ranking
*Public/private spheres
Famous Engels quotes

S= Exaggerated description of a given category of people.

Economic Survival and Gender Stereotypes
a) male work and norms of masculinity 1. Business men/executives (rational) 2. Blue-collar jobs/factory work
Ex. Gray (shop floor culture) great pressure to conform

b) female work and norms of femininity 1. Flight attendant/receptionist/secretary (less visible “expressive work”, the “voice” = “honeyed tones” causing women to be sexually attractive. 2. Homemaker (still applies “expressive work”) (emotional)
Ex. Constant emotional support, putting needs in others first

An appropriate response to demands placed on female + male workers in a Capitalist Economy.

Advantages over functionalist theory?
a) more complex ‘why’ answer * Capitalist

Limitations of social-conflict theory?
a) dubious assumption of causality
- Capitalism causes Gender Stratification
b) “social evil”
- man dominates woman social evil Capitalism man dominates woman
c) why not hire only women?

02/08/2013

Prejudice – Attitudes A rigid and irrational generalization about an entire category of people
Discrimination – Action Unequal treatment of various categories of people.
Racism – Attitudes The belief that one racial category is innately superior to another (or others)
Racial Discrimination – A combination of racism + discrimination
• C.C (Contextual Coordinates) = TIME (1996) PLACE (USA) Colin Powell – Secretary of startle defense
BLUE EYED – Jane Elliot Racial Equally Activist
1) What roles do expectations play in (racial) discrimination?
Low expectations
2) What role does “power” play in (racial) discrimination?
Power position to targeted groups, ability to force your will on others
3) What do physical characteristics have to do with (racial) discrimination?
Eyes (finding ways to control) pick characteristics they can’t catch

02/15/2013

SOCIO-BIOLOGICAL THEORY OF RACE:
Race as a Biological Construct.
-------------------------------------------------

What is race (according to this perspective)?
*Assumption
It’s assumed that racial classifications are based on physical differences (skin color, eye shape, hair texture, body shapes) these physical differences are seen to represent underlying genetic differences.

a. Race = physical/genetic differences b. Race = character/behavioral differences c.
Assumption: a. Causes b. * biological determinism

Where did this perspective come from?
Must travel back in time, prior to the era of sociobiology

Roots:

16th century
- rare

1508: William Dunbar (Scottish poet) “The Dance of the Sevin Deidly Synnis”

17th century
- groups
*appeared as a technical term classification (groups, people, stock, nation) system

18th century * evalulation/judgement * characteristics/behavior
* Race groups “strange to the European eye”
* Race the “other” groups “other than European”
Otherness = Strangeness
*Carolus Linnaeus (Swedish, botanist, zoologists, physician) Father of taxonomy

Racial Group Characteristics/Behaviour
- Europeans light, lively, inventive, muscular, swift, clever
- American Indian choleric [irritable], combative, perservering
- Asiatics yellow, melancholic, inflexible, server
- Africans phlegmatic, indulgent, crafty, negligent, slow

It was assumed that: 1) the groupings were accurate/true 2) the behaviors/characteristics of those within particular groups were accurate/true 3) the evaluations/judgements were true

19th century
a. Biology/Genetics * sociobiology enters the picture * thinking scientifically about race * biological determinism *
b. Hierarchy Higher
(smart, civilized)

(negative assications) Lower Higher
(smart, civilized)

(negative assications) Lower

Evolution
Evolution

* ‘natural’ hierarchy of human race(s)

c. Race Scientists ex.#1: Retzius & Cephalic Index
*Measure of ‘Civilization’ [advanced] (longsheads = more civilized, roundheads = less civilized)
- Broca racial determinist

ex. #2: Morton & Cranial Capacity
*Measure of ‘Intelligence’

ex. #3: Galton & Eugenics
*”Science of improving the stock”
1) Goal to improve so-called ‘superior race’ through selective breeding breed people from ‘genetically superior’ groups
2) Discourage/prohibit breeding among genetically ‘inferior groups’

ex.#4: Glaton & IQ
*Psychometrics
Critical Review/Limitations:
1. Race classification schemes questionable
2. ‘Races’ more similar than different:
EX #1:
“Blacks” and “Whites” have more genes in common than genes that distinguish the two so-called ‘races’

EX #2:
More genetic/biological variability within the ‘white’ race, and within the ‘black’ race than between ‘whites’ and blacks’

3. ‘Racial’ Traits & Behaviors Questionable
- no contemporary, convincing scientific evidence

4. IQ tests biased
- Bad as far as scientific proof goes

03/1/2013

Sociobiological Theory of Race:
• Race as a Biological Construct [Theory of Biological Determinism]

Claim

Genetic Difference

Physical Difference

Difference in Characteristics Behavior

Which Century?
19th century: Race Scientists [R/G/M] Retzius/Galton/Morton
18th century – R originated Retzius

Social Construction Theory of Race
*Race as a Social Construct

Assumption:
We are assigned to racial categories not according to actually biological differences, but accord to social definition (how are we defined in the social world).

Given the Assumption above:
What is race (according to the perspective)?
- Race is a position in the social world that we receive at birth, or that we take on either voluntarily or involuntarily later in life.

How is race constructed in the social world?

Four dimensions of Social Constructionism:

1. MEANING:
a. Physical attributes mean nothing on their own. • People attach meaning to them

b. Constructed/Invented/Imagined

c. Significance via. Assigning meaning

d. Subjective/Unscientific/Changeable

e. Can change over time within a culture

f. Can vary across cultures

2. EVALUATION:
a. Physical attributes become important when meanings used to judge/evaluate them

b. Began in 19th Century with Linneaus

c. Subjective/Unscientific/Changeable

3. INTERPRETATION:
• Race becomes ‘real’ in the everyday lives of individuals when people in the wider community respond meanings and evaluations about race as if:

a. They are real [present]

b. They always existed [past]

c. They will always be the same [future]

4. PRACTICE:
- A political practice [give 1-3 above]
- Examples: Social status, entitlements, goods, services unequally distributed

[How] do we know “what we are”? - Something we negotiate 1) how others categorize us [vs] 2) how we categorize ourselves

Social Constructionist Theory of Ethnicity: • Ethnicity as a Social Construct

What is ethnicity (according to this perspective)? • Ethnicity is a position in the social world that we receive at birth, or that we take on either voluntarily or involuntarily later in life.

How is ethnicity constructed in the social world? - Four dimensions of Social Constructionism 1. MEANING:
a. Geographic boundaries

b. Ethnic practices

2. EVALUATION:
*judgment
a. Hierarchies between ethnic categories

b. Hierarchies within ethnic categories

3. INTERPRETATION: • Ethnicity becomes ‘real’ in the everyday lives of individuals when people in the wider community respond to meanings + evaluations about ethnicity as if: a. They are real [present]

b. They always existed [past]

c. They will always be the same [future]

4. PRACTICE:
- Political practice [given 1-3 above]
- Examples: Social study, entitlement, immigration, quotas unequally distributed

Social Constructionism
Social Constructionism
03/08/2013

4 key dimensions:
1) Meaning
2) Evaluation
3) Interpretation
4) Practice
4 key dimensions:
1) Meaning
2) Evaluation
3) Interpretation
4) Practice Race as a Social Construct Ethnicity as a Social Construct

What is a FAMILY? Why care?

03/15/2013
Education Schooling
- Formal instruction
- Formal instruction
- Transmission of knowledge
- Transmission of knowledge

Composite/Fractured identity
Multiple Self’s
That we bring to the classroom 1) How we perceive experience others 2) How others perceive and experience us Racialized self * Genedered self * social * ethnic self * sexual, family * linguistic * religious * economic * geographic places (urban rural)

03/22/2013

Education vs Schooling
Composite/Fractured Identity Multiple ‘selfs’

Schooling and Functionalism:
The Functions of Schools
----
Manifest Functions:
(obvious functions, intended goals/activities of school)

1. Socialization

* Knowledge needed for adult roles - Technical knowledge/skills
- Social knowledge/skills
Course Content Basics: reading, writing, arithmetic Advanced

* Cultural values and norms
- Individualism/competition
- Cooperation/team-effort

* Political socialization
- National unity/patriotism
- National history + Whose history?
[History from the perspective of whom Traditionally Eurocentric History Positive contributions of French + English Men to development of the country]
Objective: “FACTS”: + Idealized view

2. Cultural Innovation

* New ideas * Agents of Change

3. Social Integration/Control Social glue for unified society – “invisible bond that keeps us together”

* Common language
* Common curriculum
1) Helps create common cultural base
2) “Maintain”

4. Social Placement

* Placement via Meritocracy
[Meritocracy: Earned, Role Models. Equal opportunity. Achievements.] Interest, Effort, Ability

* Placement via Credentials
Logic of Society:
- Gate keepers [B.Sc. P.hD. B.B.A B.A. B.S.W. C.A. MD. JD.]
- Cred. Evidence of I/E/A
- Schools Sorting devices, weeding devices, ‘“cream” of the crop’
What lies Beneath the Logic:

Latent Functions

1. Restricting Some Activities
Mandatory education laws

2. Matchmaking

3. Social Networks

4. Generation Gap

04/05/2013

Schooling and Conflict Theory:
Social Reproduction
---
a. View of Society:
• Society not a cohesive unit * Site of struggle [between groups with different amount]
(resources: prestige, hierarchy, power, wealth, education)
b. View of Schooling:
• School’s don’t eliminate inequality - Power groups control it - They reproduce inequalities
c. How is Inequality Reproduced Through Schooling?
- Various explanations EX. Pierre Bourdieu & Class Reproduction 1. Educational Success and Social Class - Closely related - Schools reinforce the elite in society by upholding: *Culture of the dominant class - Attitudes/behaviors/values/goals/beliefs/tastes/etc. 2. Educational Success and ‘Cultural Capital’ - Closely related - Cultural Capital? (resource, surplus, assets, wealth) assets things valued in society - assets in culture beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, knowledge, goals, language EX. Basil Bernstein & Socio-Linguistic Codes 1. What are codes? - Deep structure the words people use patterns of interactions - Speech patterns how they use them 2. Codes and Class Codes differ by social class different classes structure speech differently 3. Source of codes?

Research Ex. #1
Kids & Pictures
MCK
- elaboration
- analysis
- abstraction

MCK
- elaboration
- analysis
- abstraction

WCK
- concrete
- to-the-pt
- not elaborated/analysis
- reistricted language
WCK
- concrete
- to-the-pt
- not elaborated/analysis
- reistricted language

Research Ex. #2
Moms and Tots on Bus

Findings:
Restricted Codes Working Class
- Concreteness
- Condensed
- Direct
Elaborated Codes Middle Class
- Elaboration
- Abstraction
- Analytical

So Who Cares?

Tracking/Streaming/Inequality
Ability Groupings
- high, middle, low groups

- different streams/tracks for different students
- are: the ‘streaming and tracking’ criteria of social conflict theory
- the same as: the ‘sorting and selecting’ criteria of functionalism?
-compare them: social conflict vs functionalism

‘Objective’
S/S Function Individual merit, I/E/A
T/S – Conflict ‘signs’ of I/E/A related to class background
* cultural capital, socio-ling codes, other markers of class

Critical Review:
?????