SOC100H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Symbolic Interactionism, Class Consciousness, Social Change
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SOC100H5 Full Course Notes
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Document Summary
Society is a set of interconnected parts, like the human body. If one part stops working, there will be imbalance. Society has institutions (schools, marriage, religion, etc) that work together so the social structure can survive. There always has to be a balance. If there"s a shift in the social equilibrium, it must be reestablished so that society can function normally again. Powerful groups try to maintain their power while weaker groups strive to raise theirs. Life is characterized by conflict, not consensus. According to karl marx, workers will become aware of their class (class consciousness) and will revolt to produce a classless society. Weber, a middle class would form amidst the conflict to stabilize society. We collectively come together to give meanings to things. We create, not just react, to social structures. Society is the product of everyday interactions between people. We live in a world of symbols. All reality is based on shared subjective agreement.
