FUNDAMENTALS OF SOCIOLOGY establish certain rules as mediator of
MIDTERMS – WEEK 7
Social interaction refers to the process by which people
act and react in relation to others. PROCESS,
LANGUAGE, GESTURES AND SYMBOLS are used.
Much of what people do everyday = INTERACTION.
- FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION of even the
simplest sort is a far more socially intricate
operation. It is rife with unacknowledged
RITUALS, TACIT UNDERSTANDING, COVERT
SYMBOLIC EXCHANGES, IMPRESSION
MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES, and CALCULATED
STRATEGIC MANEUVERINGS.
Brain function by 3 elements:
- ENERGY - BLOOD - AIR
HERBERT BLUMER – that distinctive characteristics
of social interactions among people is that:
“HUMAN BEINGS INTERPRET OR DEFINE EACH
OTHHER’S ACTIONS. OUR RESPONSE TO
SOMEONE’S BEHAVIOR IS BASED ON THE MEANING
WE INTERPRET”
PHYSICAL PROXIMITY – not always needed in social
interaction. One may interact with others through
letters, telephone, cellphone, or even e-mail and
internet.
TYPES OF SOCIAL INTERACTION
1. COOPERATION – to collaborative efforts,
between people to achieve a common goal.
It takes place when 2 or more individuals
produce a desire end more efficiently and
effectively. A group effort is needed. This
process brings out its own social rewards – a
sense of sharing a challenge, sense of caring
for people in need, the fund of working.
2. CONFLICT - stress that involves direct
struggle bet. Individuals over commonly
valued goods, resources, and goals. All
conflict virtually incurs within ground rules
that are shared by opponents. To avoid,
conflicts.
3. COMPETITION – form of conflict in which
there is an agreement on the means that it
can be used to pursue an end. Compared to
open conflict, there are more rules and
limits that are imposed in the interaction,
which are more followed by the
participants.
!society today has made situation where
people must cooperate and compete at the
same time! (EX. Finding a Job/getting a
Promotion)
4. NEGOTIATIONS – under which they agree to
a social exchange. 2 or more competing
parties reach a mutually satisfactory
agreement. When negotiations fail, conflict
follows. In formal types. Agreements are
arrived at either verbal or written,
depending on the seriousness of process
and matters at hand.
5. COERCION – appears to be one-sided. Every
act of it leST PARTIALLY determined yb the
expected react to it. There is relationship
bet. Coercer and coered. Interactive
relationship, although asymmetrical. Occurs
thru the use of physical force. (EX. Master
and Slave, Guard and Prisoner).
INTERACTION: ARRIVING AT COMMON
UNDERSTANDING
SHARED LANGUAGE
- Includes terms, vocabulary, and jargon used
by a social group. May include scientific,
academic, or technical terms and acronyms,
as well as the subtleties of language
(colloquialisms and words that carry specific
meaning in the social context)
SYMBOLIC INTERACTONS
Mediated by the exchange and interpretation of
symbols. People contrive to reach a mutual
understanding of each other and of the task at
hand.
Definition of the situation – arises out of ongoing
communicative interaction.
- Defined by the indication of meaning given
by participants and the responses of others
- “SUCH A RESPONSE IS IT MEANING”
- Not define in advance nor in isolated
understandings of the individuals involved.
SITUATIONS ARE ‘REAL’: THE THOMAS
THEOREM
1. THEORY of sociology which was
formulated in 1928 by William Issac
Thomas and Dorothy Swaine Thomas. “If
we define situations as real, they are
real in their consequences. The
interpretation of the situation causes
the action.
STEROETYPES
One assumes that a person who fall into a
particular category on the basis of certain
characteristics also have many characteristics that
we assume to belong to that category.
- People generalize their observations into
patterns that define a whole category, but
don’t necessarily or accurately describe any
member of a social category. May be
harmful that cause mistreatment.
- Stereotyping- tendency to picture all
members of a group in a oversimplified
manner. Process by which all members.
OVERCOMING CLASS STEREOTYPES
1. PLURALISM – society in which ethic and
racial groups maitian their distinctiveness to
treat one another with respect. A
philosophy that not only assumes that
minorities have rights but also consider the
lifestyle.
2. ASSIMILATION – a minority grp becomes
integrated into the dominant society.
Cultural differences are lessened. Coming to
a common ground. Fusion of cultural
heritage. Ethnic and racial groups are
absorbed by dominant culture.
Groups:
- CULTURAL – adoption of the dominant
groups food, dress, customs, and language
- STRUCTURAL – admission to major business
and professions.
- PRIMARY – acceptance into private clubs,
friendships cliques, and family thru
intermarraiges, ethnicity does not totally
disappears.
- SYMBOLIC – voluntary association with an
ethnic group, may increase as a third and
fourth generation seek to establish their
identity.
EXTERNALIZATION: SOCIETY IS A SOCIAL PROUCT
- Process by which the meaning is carried and
communicated to the outside world.
Example, Superiority based on outward
physical features became a social fact.
OBJECTIVATION: SOCIETY AS AN OBJECTIVE
REALITY
- Treating nonobjective things as objects.
Once the social fat of racial superiority was
established, people started objectifying this
reality by creating segregated areas.
INTERNALIZATION: MAN IS A SOCIAL PRODUCT
- Internalizing and unquestioningly accepting
the intersubjectively externalized and
objectified understanding s of a social group
as realty.
SOCIAL STATUSES AND ROLES (may notes na
during prelims)
Role Strain – when ther is too many roles to
manage by a single person.
Role Conflict – 1 or more roles are contradictory
ETHNOCENTRISM
- William Graham Summer(1840 – 1910)
- One’s own culture is better than all others
(1906)
- Groups of societies are inferior to his own.
CULTURE SHOCK
 - Confronted by diff. of new culture, one may want to be associated down and racial groups
experience disorientation and frustration. with that group, they have mixed.
are in fact a member
RACE AND ETHNICITY of that group.
Macionis defined RACE as a socially constructed They distinguish Distinguished by skin color,
themselves differently
category composed of people who share
from one time period
biologically transmitted traits that members of
to another. They
society consider as important. typically seek to
Social scientists argue that RACE lack biological define themselves but
significance, however to them it has also are defined by
tremendous social significance. Racial stereotypes of
dominant groups
Distinctions became significant because we
attach meaning to them, and the consequences
may vary from prejudice and discrimination to Racial/Ethnic identity is the part of self-concept
slavery and genocide. Some people believe that that focuses on cultural group membership and
racial differences are real and important, and perception of that membership. While Racial
behave accordingly, therefore, those differences identity and Ethnic identity may reflect the
become real and important. differences between race and ethnicity, they
commonly include some sense of shared history,
ETHNICITY, however, refers to cultural factors,
values, and cultural bonds. Hence, this study treats
including nationality, regional lculture, ancestry,
racial identity and ethnic identity as
and language. An example of race s brown,
interchangeable.
whita, or black.
It is important basis of self-identity because it
Ethnicity Race
instills a sense of identification with a givens’ group
it is a population Concept of dividing a
cultural values, kinship, and beliefs. Hence,
group whose people into populations or
member identifies groups on the basis of racial/ethnic identity may influence an individuals’
each other on the various sets of physical perception of race-related stressors as well as the
basis of common characteristics = genetic extent to which they find those stressors
nationality or ancestry psychologically damaging.
shared cultural
2 perspectives that guide our theorization on
traditions.
racial/ethnic identity:
Connotes shared Shared biological or genetic
cultural traits and traits. Actual or asserted. In 1.racial/ethnic identity operates as a protective
shared group history. the early 19th cent., racial resource that can be used as a coping strategy to
Also share linguistic or difference were ascribed buffer the negative mental health consequences of
religious traits. significance in areas of
discrimination.
health, intelligence, and
personality. There is no 2.racial discrimination can be particularly
evidence validating these demeaning for individuals who put stronger values
ideas. on their raciel/ethnic background. The main aim of
Shared genealogy. Result from a shared the present study is to adjudicate the perspectives.
Actual or presumed. If genealogy due to
people believe they geographical isolation. In FUNCTIONALISM
are ascended from a the modern world this
particular grp, they isolation has been broken
-emphasizes that all the elements of society
functions
INTERACTIONISM
-Race and ethnicity provide strong symbols as
sources of identity. Some people claim a white
identity has a stronger skin pigmentation then black
identity.
CONFLICT THEORY
-often applied to inequalities of gender, social class,
education, race, and ethnicity.
INTERSECTION THEORY
-further developed by Patricia Hill Collins, a
feminist-sociologists, originally articulated In 1989
by.
250,000 years ago – Dawn Man, related to the java
man,
30,000 years ago – Negritos, aboriginal group of
hunters and gatherers, arrived via land bridges.
6,000 years ago – group of Indonesians capable of
travelling acroo=ss the sea and weildiing tools
became the first immigrants to reach the
Philippines using the ocean.
3,000 years ago – Malays brought the iron age
culture to the Philippines and became the
dominant group ahead of the arrival of the Spanish
in the Pre-colonial period.
Ethnic groups of the Philippines
1 Tagalog
2.Cebuano
3.Ilocano
4.Bisaya
5.Hiligaynon
6. Bikol
7.Waray
8.Chinese Filipino
9.Others
Popular Culture – the pattern of cultural
experiences and attitudes that exists in the
mainstream society and are accessible to most
people.
Subculture – a smaller group within a larger
culture. Part of a larger culture but also share a
specific identity within a smaller group.
Countercultures – type of subculture that rejects
some of the largers;’ cultures norms and values.
Might actively defy larger society by developing
their own set of rules and norms to live by,
sometimes even creating communities of their
own.
Sex refers to physical or physiological differences
between males and females, primary sex
characteristics.
Gender refers to social or cultural distinctions
associated with being male or female.
Refers to the personal traits and social positions
that members of the society attach to being male
or female. A dimension of social organization, shaping
how we interact with others and and how we thin
ourselves.
Involves heriarchy or ranking, in terms of power, wealth.
Gender Identity is the extent to which one
identifies as either being masculine or feminine.
As sex is Determined by his or her biology, it does
not always correspond with his or her gender.
Therefore, the terms sex and gender are not
interchangeable.
Men, 10% Taller, 30% Stronger, 20% heavier
Women outperform men in life expectancy.
Gender inequality causes gender differences.
Sexuality – central aspect of being human
throughout life encompass sex, gender identity and
roles
Patriarchy – rule of the Father
Sexism –
Feminist Theories
Cited by Capiro and Brinkerhoff and white.
Gender Inequality is the social phenomenon in
which people are not treated equally on the basis
of gender.
Gender stereotypes influenced greatly by gender
expectations, which determines their roles,
behaviors and the such. It limits opportunities of
different genders.