SOC212H1 Lecture Notes - Social Capital, Deskilling, Rodney Stark
Document Summary
Small town uniformity - complex patterns of urban life. Melting pot - weak ties, shared customs, social control. Facts are not self evident but vary from person to person. Knowledge is not a state, but a process. Task of soc is to explore social activity. Social activity is distinct from its setting. Understand society though practical experiences of those living in it. Summary of main points: behaviour is the product of the social environment. 7. behaves according to definitions that conflict with those of the dominant culture. Social disorganization and social pathology are most prevalent in the city-centre, decreasing as you move out: crime is transmitted by frequent contact with criminal traditions developed over time in disorganized areas. Ecological metaphor - patterns and changes produced by denizens. Cities are natural - shaped by their function. Forces that shape cities also shape areas of the city. Distinct social organization not explainable by its population. Home to most recent wave of immigrants.
