SOC 1200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Sociobiology, Symbolic Interactionism, Bluetooth
15 May 2018
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Thursday, December 7, 2017
Sociology Test 2
Social Structures!
-Sociology says that human behaviour is driven by the collective, not the individual!
-A structure for a sociologist: a pattern -> predictable, enduring pattern of social
relations among different people or elements of a social system!
i.e. schools are highly structured, desks in groups or facing the front!
#we know what to expect with a pattern!
-Referring to a structure, we know what to expect in terms of role and status!
-Institution: a pattern of conduct that channels our behaviour in specific directions!
Developed with humans attempting to form a solution to common problems!
i.e why did marriage become an institution?!
-Economic considerations!
#Every society needs to feed, shelter and clothe themselves!
-Reproduction!
#Need to take care of the young!
-Civil union!
-Romantic love as a reason for marriage was very short lived in the course of history!
-The nature of institutions channel our social behaviour !
-Religious institutions do two things, provide two solutions!
-1. Gives meaning to awesome events -> aka “awe-inspiring” events!
-I.e weather, tragedies!
-2. Set of rules that allow us to live together in relative peace!
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Thursday, December 7, 2017
-Two streams of analysis !
-1) Institutions !
-2) Behaviours within institutions !
-Symbolic interactionist see social life as a stage, in which social groups interact on
the basis of shared scripts!
-Scripts= expected behaviour in the roles we play!
-Scripts defined by culture, “culturally constructed”!
-They are socially enforced!
-We should section people when they are not following the script, playing their
role, I.e when someone makes eye contact w/ you, you look away!
-Norms = Roles, different types of norms…!
-Norms: roles that define appropriate (acceptable) and inappropriate (unacceptable)
behaviour in any society !
-1) Folkway: defines acceptable or unacceptable behaviour!
-Breaking folkways is not seen as a threat to the survival or well being of the
group!
-Sanctioned by ridicule or scorn, feel embarrassed !
-I.e making eye contact with strangers!
-2) Mores: rules that are considered to be vital to the survival of the group,
defines moral and immoral behaviour!
-Punishment is quite stringent !
-I.e cheating on a test!
-3) Laws: either been evolved through court decisions (common law) or
deliberately created by a specific legislative body !
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Thursday, December 7, 2017
-Norms do not call attention to the individual, but to the behaviour!
-Promote certain types of behaviour!
-Prohibit other types of behaviour!
-i.e drinking and driving!
-Not a big problem in the 1960s -> not as many cars!
-It was exceptional!
-1st step: PSAs to prevent drinking and driving (folkways)!
-2nd step: Highway traffic act used to issue punishment (mores)!
-3rd step: laws enacted , ie min $1000 fine, criminal record, time in prison (laws)!
-A criminal record is as stringent a response as we can mount!
-Every society has norms -> whats the difference?!
-Severity of the punishment to breaking norms!
-How norms evolve over time!
-Institutions: social relations and practices that channel our behaviour in certain
directions, pattens!
-(NOT a physical structure, but the relations inside them, i.e. the set up of prisons,
marriages, the military, education, patterns of conduct!
-Scripts : not the lines we need to memorize, but the parameters of our behaviour!
-Reminder of symbolic interactionism!
-Provides guidelines for our conduct!
Status and Role!
-Status : a position you occupy with varying degrees of prestige!
-Role: the behavioural expectation!
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Document Summary
Sociology says that human behaviour is driven by the collective, not the individual. Referring to a structure, we know what to expect in terms of role and status. Institution: a pattern of conduct that channels our behaviour in speci c directions. Every society needs to feed, shelter and clothe themselves. Romantic love as a reason for marriage was very short lived in the course of history. The nature of institutions channel our social behaviour. Religious institutions do two things, provide two solutions. Gives meaning to awesome events -> aka awe-inspiring events. Set of rules that allow us to live together in relative peace. Symbolic interactionist see social life as a stage, in which social groups interact on the basis of shared scripts. Scripts= expected behaviour in the roles we play. We should section people when they are not following the script, playing their role, i. e when someone makes eye contact w/ you, you look away.
