Concept 9

Society and Culture

Social Structures
- Macrosociology large scale perspective
o Social structures, institutions, etc.
o Looking for patterns that affect large groups of people
o Deals with war, poverty, world economy
o Functionalism looks at a society as a whole, how
institutions adapt to keep society functioning
o Conflict theory institutions benefit powerful people and
make inequalities, when conflict is resolved there is equally
distributive power
- Microsociology smaller scale everyday social interactions
between individuals or small groups
o Interpretative analysis of society how individual
interactions affect larger stuff
o Look at symbolic interactionism how individual give
meaning to objects, symbols, etc. in life
- Social institutions
o Institutions police stations, hospitals, schools (core parts
of community)
Impose structure on how to behave
Guide what people do
Meet the needs of society
Individuals rely on institutions
Institutions need individuals to contribute in order to
function
But, dont need a particular individual
Continue after one individual leaves
o Conservative view on institutions
Institutions are natural byproducts of human nature
(ex. Hosptials)
o Progressive view
Insititutions are artificlal creations that need to be
redesigned to be helpful to society (ex. Businesses)
o Specific institutions
Education
Hidden curriculum: learn to stand in line, wait,
etc.
Funding through property taxes = differences
in schools (due to socioeconomic conditions)
Family

Different family values go hand in hand with

different social values of families
Ex) urbanizations caused a change in family
roles
Religion
Can range from private beliefs to institutions
Religion has been affected by social changes
o Modernization caused more available
information so less beliefs in religion
Secularization
Government
Give them the power and authority to govern
country
Democracy, authoritarian systems
(dictatorship), communism, monarchy
Economy
o Capitalism, socialism. Etc.
Value jobs that require specialization and
education which creates inequalities (not every
has resources)
Health and Medicine
Medicalization: medical conditions become
subject to research studies, diagnosis,
treatment, etc.
Sick role based on society, you can take a
break and get better
o If you dont get better you are seen as
harmful
Insurance programs leave behind working
forces
Functionalism (Emile Durkheim)
o Society heads towards equilibrium
o Society is made of many institutions and social facts (ways
of thinking and acting formed by society, objects that cant
be influenced by individual)
Ex of social fact: law, moral regulations, religious
faiths, etc.
o Society is dependent on all the structures that have
created it
o Manifest functions the intended consequences of
institutions
o Latent functions indirect consequences of institutions
o How are societies held together?
People specialize and force mutual independence

Need for distribution, production and coordination

Changes in one of these will force society to
change and reach an equilibrium
o Problems: focuses mainly on institution, doesnt
acknowledge individual
o Problem 2: cannot explain problems in society
Conflict Theory (Karl Marx)
o Focuses on inequalities between individuals
o Conflicts resolve in new thesis
Then a new source of tension will arise leading to an
antithesis
o Problem: doesnt explain stability of society, or how society
is held together

Social Constructionism
o Theory that knowledge and everyhtig around us are nto
real, btu exist because society give them value
o Weak social constructs are based on brute facts (most
basic and fundamental facts)
o Strong reality depends on language and habits
All knowledge is social construct
There are no facts that just exit
o Problem: doesnt explain natural phenomenon on society
Symbolic interactionism (George Herbert Mead and Herbert
Blumer)
o Looks at small scale perspective of society
o Explains interactions of individuals
o People change based on interactions with events, objects,
individuals
o 3 tenants:
Act based on meaning we give something (who
normally sits under tree sees tree as a place to rest;
people who dont say it isnt a place to rest)
Different people assign different meanings
Meaning given is not permanent
o Problem: doesnt act same question as large scale,
restricted to studying small interactions
Feminist theory
o Looking at world from macropersepctive
o Focuses on womens social roles (in education, family, work
force, etc.)
o Women deal with: discrimination, objectification,
oppression, streoetyping

o 1 type of feminist theory: focuses on gender differences

created through process of socialization
Each society passes down different norms and values
o 2 type of feminist theory: focuses on gender inequality
Women subordination is viewed as a patriarchy
rd
o 3 type: focuses on gender oppression
Women are not only different but also suppressed
and abused
Based on split roles which gave men more social
power
th
o 4 type: focuses on structural oppression
Women are exploited, objectified,
Rationale choice-exchange theory
o Rationale choice
Main assumption: everything people do is rational
People act in self interest, driven by goals, etc
Look at resources exchanged to determine value of
something
3 assumptions:

Completeness every action can be ranked

o None of the options have equal values
Transitivity A is greater than B which is grater
than C
o A is greater than C
Independence of irrelevant alternatives new
options wont change rankings

o Exchange
Application of rationale choice theory as interactions
If interaction results in approval more likely to be
repeated
Compare rewards and punishments in order to
determine behavior
Assumption 1: more often something is available, will
lead to less value
Assumption 2: interactions operate within norms
Assumption 3: people have access to make rational
choices
Assumption 4: human fulfillment is based on other
people
Assumption 5: standards vary over time and are
individualized

Self interest and interdependence guide interactions

and individuals
Problem: why do some people do things that arent in
the best interest of them?? Reduces all human
interactions to comparison of pros and cons
Overview of Social Theories:
o Functionalism society is always trying to come to
equilibrium
Relation to medicine: what is the purpose of
medicine? When sick, upsets stability of society so
hospitals fix that
o Conflict Theory focuses on how societies change and
adapt due to conflicts in society
Relation to medicine: unequal access leads to health
disparities
o Social constructionism everything is created from mind of
society (based on what value society gives something)
Relation to medicine: we have preconceptions of
people, need to be aware of these preconceptions
o Symbolic interactionism based on the meaning
individuals give something (not the same for everyone)
Relation to medicine: meaning given to objects can
affect doctor patient interaction (lab coat authority)
o Feminist theory focuses on gender inequalities in
patriarchal society
Relation to medicine: mainly male dominated
o Rational choice theory people take ration actions by
weighing costs and benefits of every action
Relation to medicine: is it a capitalist structure or
used to make people happy? People will weigh cost
and benefits of going to hospitals or doctors
o Exchange theory people behave to maximize their own
rewards guided by self interest and interdependence

Demographics
- Demographic structure of society - age
o Baby boomers all shared similar experiences, gradually
leaving work force, may become reliant on family
o Age of 65: when many people retire
o Dependency ratio: those who are 14 and under and 65 and
older to those who are in between
High number means more dependent people in
nation
o Life course theory: social, psychological and biological
process of aging (all affect each other)

o Age stratification theory: look at age in order to regulate

behavior of generation
o Activity theory: how older generations view themselves
o Disengagement theory: older adults and society separate
and allow more self reflection
o Continuity theory: people try to maintain basic structure of
life as they age
Race and ethnicity
o Race: a socially defined category based on physical
differences
Differences are sometimes real or based on
perception
Not really genetic determination for race (DNA is
99.9% similar)
o Ethnicity: based on language, nationality, etc.
Less defined than racial groups
Immigration
o Number of immigrants can put pressure on people
o Can be dysfunctional:
Immigrants can be exploited by countered
Social services sometimes cannot handle too many
immigrants
o Race and ethnicity are the cause of biased policies
Sex, gender, sexual orientation
o 5 conditions: biological (based on genetics), identity
(gender you identify as), expression (which gender they
express to the world), attraction (which gender you are
attracted to) and sex
o Gender is a social construction while sex is biologically
constructed
o Sexual attraction doesnt depend on either gender or sex
Urbanization
o Movement of people from rural area to urban/city area
o Theories of cities:
Functionalist persepction: have functions and
disfunctions (culture, but also source of crime)
Conflict theory: cities are centers for inequalities,
mainly for entertainment centers for wealthy
Symbolic interactionism: where people have different
ways of looking at life
o Crowding: too little space and too many people
Individuals fall into categories based on similarities
o Suburbanization: small movement outside of cities
Problems: commute, quick medical health, etc.

o Exurbs: prosperous areas out of cities

o Urban renewal: revamping parts of cities (targets wealthier
community)
People who used to live will be pushed out
Population dynamics
o Growth rate: fertility, migration and mortality determine
growth rate
o Two factors will increase: births and immigration
Birth rate: number of births per 1000 people
Immigration: movement into a country
o Two factors will decrease: deaths and emigration
Demographic transition
o Model the changes of a countrys population
o Population will stop growing when country transitions from
high birth rate and high death rates to low birth and death
rates (stabilizes population)
Occurs in industrialized countries
Most countries have a positive growth right now
Why? Economic (helps a family), religion
(increases faith and community)
o 5 stages:
Stage 1: high birth rates and high death rates
Large young population and small odl
opoulation
Stage 2: Death rates drop, birth rats are same
Lots of young and more old
Stage 3: Death and birth rates drop
Still expanding but at a slower rate
Stage 4: birth rates and death rates are low
Due to improvement in contraception, high
percentage of women in workforce, etc.
Stage 5: speculation???
Run out of resources? Public health disaster?
Decrease?
Globalization theories
o Sharing of culture, money and products between countries
o Social process where people become more aware of
cultures
o World-systems theory: importance of world as a unit
Core countries (western Europe and US) economically
diversified, strong central government, industrialized
Periphery countries (Latin America and Africa): poor
government, raw materials, huge inequality in
population

Semi periphery country: not dominant in world trade

but have diversified economy
Problems: criticized for focusing on economy
o Modernization theory:
With help, countries can develop into modern
countries
o Dependency theory:
Periphery countries are poor and export resources
because they were integrated into world as a 3rd
world country, dont have the opportunity to develop
Trade and transnational corporations
o Increase in international trade caused an increase in
support, international regulatory groups, etc.
Regulate flow of goods and services
Benefit private industries the most
o TNC surpass borders to take advantage to market, sell,
etc. in other countries
Have significant sway in economy and politics
Social movements
o Need organization, resources and leadership
o Activist changing something in society
o Regressive: resist change
o Mass society theory:
People would only join movements in order to feel
community and get refugee
o Relative depravation theory: focuses on people who were
oppressed
How people perceive their situation is important
Relative depravation: what you are doing vs. what
you want
Criticism: people who dont feel deprived will
sometimes join a social movement (join something
that doesnt even concern them)
o Resource mobilization theory
Focuses on factors that hinder social movements
More than idea is needed: money, organization,
leader, etc.
o Rational choice theory:
People compare pros and cons and will follow
behavior that is best for them
o Timeline of social movements:
Begin with a few ideas, public takes notice, people
begin to rise up, forces society to adapt