CAS BI 203 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Showgirl, Social Group, Ikea
22 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Sociology:
- Fritz Heider’s theory: scientists who develop theories by observing patterns in the world
around us; think in terms of “cause and effect”
- We try to understand why things work (ex. How friend voted for Trump or do
drugs etc. -> lead to observation of their childhood, actions, lives etc.)
- Sociologists require methodological rigor rather than anecdote; use of research
data/systematic patterns (historical trends/all other trends)to support hypothesis
How would our class be different in:
- 1970? Vietnam War; Social class difference in which colleges were taking deferred war
people
- 1955? Women were not always able to attend college
- 1940? -> WWII; all men went to war = no emphasis on social distinctions
- Summary: How we come to class has changed dramatically since the past due to the
trends such as socioeconomic.
Sociological Imagination (Mills 1959)
- Argument: All of human lives are the intersection of biography (who parents are,
personal story) and history (the past); “An individual can understand his own experience
and gauge his own fate only by location himself within his period.”
- Social and value changes help us understand how humans have become current
person
How would your parents and friends react if you…
- Decided to get married next week? Anger b/c it is seen as a financial stability due to the
transition into adulthood, individualism can be derailed due to distraction. There would
be a lack of structural support if married at this time.
- 1961: Avg. age of marriage = 19 for women and 20 for men; not all people were
in college and expectations were to have a family and a fair number of children
(expected children = 5); in order to have a physical relationship (sexual), you
needed to be married.
Importance of social norms:
- Humans are socialized to behave in accordance with informal rules that guide behavior.
- We learn to adapt to our different environments such as using certain words with
friends vs. grandparents; going out at 10PM in college vs. home.
- Interesting notion: Through a process of observation or direct punishment,
we know how people act/behave
- Even in the absence of direct punishment, we know what the
“rules for life” are.
- “Rules” may vary by gender, age, social class, religion, national
origin, and so on…
- Aged based norms in which people do not behave like other ages (ex. 19 year old acting
like a 5 year old or an 80 year old)
- Ex. Child pageants dressed as Vegas showgirl due to inappropriate behavior and
how it is not in their age group; Lawrence Welk Music = audience for older
people
Document Summary
Fritz heider"s theory: scientists who develop theories by observing patterns in the world around us; think in terms of cause and effect . We try to understand why things work (ex. How friend voted for trump or do drugs etc. > lead to observation of their childhood, actions, lives etc. ) Sociologists require methodological rigor rather than anecdote; use of research data/systematic patterns (historical trends/all other trends)to support hypothesis. Vietnam war; social class difference in which colleges were taking deferred war people. Women were not always able to attend college. > wwii; all men went to war = no emphasis on social distinctions. Summary: how we come to class has changed dramatically since the past due to the trends such as socioeconomic. Argument: all of human lives are the intersection of biography (who parents are, personal story) and history (the past); an individual can understand his own experience and gauge his own fate only by location himself within his period.
