Section D. Read the following article. - The Victory Academy



Introduction to Sociology WorkbookWelcome to Sociology! Congratulations for choosing a subject that will change your life.Sociology will reveal the secrets of society that you wish you’d known a long time ago.This workbook will introduce you to some of the key ideas in Sociology, and help you get an excellent foundation for success in the subject. I can’t wait to meet the new class in September and get started!4400550291465-61912529146514547856350What is Sociology?Sociology is the study of society and of people and their behaviour.It’s evidence-based; this means that it’s not just about people’s opinions. Sociologists conduct research and experiments to try to find out about society. Once the evidence has been collected, sociologists create theories to explain aspects of society, for example why girls do better than boys at school.349948548323500-38100133159500Sociology also has practical applications. If you know what the issue is, you can design ways to solve social problems. Governments use sociological research to design social policies. Free School Meals? This policy was introduced after sociological research found a link between poor diet and not doing well at school. But be warned! Governments tend to choose the research findings that fit with what they want to do anyway.Key ConceptsNature vs. NurtureThere is a big debate around what causes you to behave in the way that you do;Nature – our behaviour is natural and in-built. We act on instinct.Nurture – our behaviour is the result of what society has told us to think and do.Activity: What are your initial thoughts about this debate? Use the table below to record your ideas:Our behaviour is instinctive and automatic (nature)Our behaviour is the result of what we learn from society (nurture)Biologists think that we are mainly shaped by natural instincts, just like animals are. Lions chase and kill zebras, birds migrate, most dogs like to fetch sticks. Biologists say they are programmed to do this. They don’t think about it; they just do it. Biologists think that humans are programmed to follow their instincts too, for example females are programmed to look after children.right1270000Sociologists think it’s more interesting than this. They argue that most of our behaviour (even the things we think are ‘natural’) are actually learned from society. The key evidence is the differences between cultures around the world. How can we be acting on instinct, if we’re doing things differently in different places?Let’s look at some of this evidence that we learn our behaviour: All societies have their own culture, norms and values:-2857509525000Culture = all the things that are learned and shared by a society, or group of people, and transmitted from generation to generation. This includes language, customs, traditions, knowledge, beliefs, norms and values.Values = the general principles or goals of a society. These tell us what is good/bad and what we should aim for. In western societies, such as the UK and America, being wealthy and successful is valued. Norms = the rules about how you should behave in different situations. These cover how we should dress in different places (school uniform?), how we should speak to different types of people in society (adults vs children), table manners, who you can marry etc. Norms are what we consider ‘normal’.486727514986000left44450000Some norms are informal, such as table manners. If you break this norm you may receive an informal sanction, such as someone frowning at you. -18097531178500Some norms are formal. These are rules or laws. If you break them you might get a formal sanction, such as an official warning, a fine, or a prison sentence.Positive sanctions are rewards for sticking to norms. If you work hard at school, you get a prize.Sanctions are a form of social control.Activity: Norms and SanctionsComplete this table. Look at each action. Decide whether it has broken a formal or informal norm. Suggest the sanction.ActionFormal or informal norm?Sanction?Taking up two seats on a crowded busInformal normInformal: other passengers frown and tut. Someone might ask you to move.Stealing moneyEating with your hands in an expensive restaurantJumping a queue4419600000Extended Activities: Norms and FoodDifferent cultures have different ideas about what counts as food.In China, dog meat is considered a normal food. In some cultures, certain foods are forbidden.Task 1: conduct some research in to the following foods: beef, pork, shellfish. Where are they forbidden? Why are they forbidden?Task 2: In some cultures and in some circumstances, cannibalism is a cultural norm.A. Using the web links below (or others), find definitions for the following types ofcannibalism:1. exocannibalism2. endocannibalism3. necro-cannibalism. The Korowai people of Papua New Guinea practise endocannibalism. Use the web linksto research the reasons why these people eat human flesh.. The Wari’ use cannibalism in different ways. Use the link to research the two differentmeanings and types of cannibalism among the Wari’.. Write a summary of how the meaning of cannibalism varies between and within cultures.(You may like to consider how it reflects differences in attitudes towards death andbereavement in different cultures.)Cultural Variation and SubculturesNot everyone in society behaves in exactly the same way. Within a culture, especially a complex one like Britain today, there are smaller groups with their own norms and values. We call these subcultures. Examples might be:Smaller religious groupsVegansTime457136512255500Cultures and their norms and values change over time. There are lots of examples of norms and values that have changed. Here are some examples:Smoking used to be considered ‘good for the lungs’Women could not have a baby unless they were married (in Ireland as recently as the 1970s, the baby would be taken away from the mother for adoptionUntil 1970, it was legal to pay women less than menLiving together before you were married was not acceptableHomosexuality used to be a crimeChallenge question:Some sociologists believe that cultures are becoming more similar, and there is less variety in norms and values. What is the evidence for this?367284020701000What is the evidence against this?6052820000SocialisationSocialisation the term we use to describe the process through which we learn the norms and values of our culture. This helps us to be accepted by other members of our society.We’re not born knowing how to speak a certain language, how to hold a knife and fork, or what is right and wrong. We must learn these things.Sociologists divide socialisation into two stages: Primary Socialisation: this happens from an early age in our familySecondary Socialisation: this happens as we get older, in school, the workplace, through the media and from our friends. Each of these helps to teach us the things we need to know to perform our roles in society.Status and RolesA status is a position in society. It tells us what we are in relation to others. If you have a particular status, you are expected to follow specific norms of behaviour. Some statuses are ascribed. These are based on fixed characteristics and we are born into them. This includes your age, your ethnicity, and your sex.Some statuses are achieved. These are earned by your own efforts, for example getting a promotion at work or studying to become a doctor. The norms associated with a status make up a role. Activity: What are the norms associated with the following roles:TeacherTeenagerDoctorWe also look at gender roles. These are the expectations and norms associated with males and females in society.10655305080Activity:One interesting area for sociological research is how far your ascribed status affects your ability to achieve other statuses. Think about it. Make some notes below. If you don’t know, you will at the end of the course!How might being male affect your ability to achieve certain roles?How might being female affect your ability to achieve certain roles?How might being an ethnic minority affect your ability to achieve certain roles?Nature vs Nurture RevisitedThere is a lot of evidence to show that human behaviour is learned. There’s one more area we might want to consider; the example of feral children. Feral children have, for different reasons, not been socialised by humans. Some of them have lived with animals, or have been left alone. Sociologists are interested in these cases because they show us how much of human behaviour is instinct.Review the following examples and then answer the questions below:right1016000The Case of Shamdev Shamdev was found, aged around 5, living in the forest with wolves. He hated the sun and would curl up in shadowy places. After dark he grew restless and the villagers who found him had to tie him up to stop him following the jackals who howled around the village at night. If anyone cut themselves, he could smell the scent of blood and would scamper towards it. He caught chickens and ate them alive, including their entrails. Later, when he had made a sign language of his own (he was never able to acquire full spoken language) he would cross his thumbs and flap his hands. This meant ‘chicken’ or ‘food’.The Case of IsabelleDiscovered at the age of six, Isabelle was the only child of a deaf, mute single mother. Both Isabelle and her mother were kept locked in a darkened room by the family. According to Davies, her behaviour to strangers was like that of a wild animal, full of fear and hostility. She made a strange croaking sound instead of speech. She acted like an infant. It was hard to tell whether or not she could hear. She was unable to walk properly.However, after two years of intense therapy, Isabelle was able to catch up on her development and acquire human social skills. Further examples: three things that humans do not naturally develop.Can you think of other explanations for the children’s behaviour?What do these examples tell us about the importance of nature and nurture in human development?The Individual and SocietySome of you might have been reading the sections above, and thinking that individuals do not seem to have much choice or free will. But we know society changes over time, so there must be a way this happens. People must cause change in some way.Sociologists are really interested in how far society completely controls what an individual does or, alternatively, how far individuals cause changes to society. These ideas are represented by two views:The Structural ViewThe Social Action Viewright8255The Structural View This suggests that we are completely controlled by the structure of society. It sees us as completely internalising society’s norms. It is called a ‘macro’ (large-scale) approach because it focuses on how wider society affects us.It is criticised for seeing people as puppetsThe Social Action View 3667125571500This suggests we have free will and choiceIt says that individuals have the power to change society through their actions and interactionsIt’s called a ‘micro’ (small-scale) approach because it looks at individuals’ actions.You will study examples of both these views. Today, most sociologists think that society can be explained by a mixture of the two approaches. Giddens calls this ‘Structuration Theory’ (see what he did there?)Activity:Freedom and ControlThink about your education. In what ways do you have individual freedom and choice about your education?In what ways are your choices shaped by wider society e.g. your parents’ views, the jobs available, what your school tells you is important?Theories of Society - Consensus or Conflict?So, as we’ve seen in the previous section, there is a group of sociologists who believe that society shapes our behaviour. They are known as Structural Sociologists. However, there is big difference in opinion over the kind of structure and its effects. There are two groups:Consensus – suggests social structures keep society in harmony. Social structures create positive effects, like giving people a shared culture.Conflict – social structures are sources of inequality. The structure of society makes life unfair for some groups. Society needs to be changed.Example: FunctionalismSociety is like a body. All the different parts fit together and work together. Each part performs a function that contributes to the well-being of society as a whole. e.g. the family socialises people to have similar norms and valuesthe education system teaches people the knowledge and skills needed for workExample 1: MarxismSociety is divided into two groups:The Bourgeoisie who own all the land, factories and businesses (and therefore have lots of money)The Proletariat who have to work for the Bourgeoisie and can only earn ‘wages’ (and therefore have little money)Marx believed the Proletariat are exploited by the Bourgeoisie, that society is unfair, and that all the social institutions (education, the media, religion) tell us that it’s normal for some people to have lots of money and for others not too. Marx called this ‘false consciousness’. He though everyone should share things more fairly.Example 2: FeminismSociety is patriarchal (controlled by men) and social institutions are biased towards men. There are far more men in ParliamentThe family is unfair as women do most of the housework and childcareWomen are still not given equal chances-45148540640000285877020129500Some of you might be reading the perspectives above and disagreeing. Good. There’s another group who also disagree with Structural Theories. They are called Postmodernists.Postmodernism, Diversity and IdentityPostmodernists say that Structural perspectives are old and out-dated, and don’t properly represent society today. They think that society today is too complicated to explain with one theory. Identity is not imposed by social structures, but is constantly created and re-created as a result of choice. They think that we choose who we are by picking our own religion, sexuality, doing what we want and living where we want. Hobswarn says identity is like a shirt we wear rather than the skin we were born in. Dominant culture is being replaced with ‘taste groups’ and a diversity of lifestyles.Evidence to Support the Postmodern View: Identities are now more fractured. There is more social mobility e.g. working class students attending university (although not as much as was hoped for). Gender identity is no longer binary – you can be cis, bi, trans etc. Previous social rules about identity are relaxing. Prince Harry – the ultimate representative of social structure - has married Meghan Markle, a black American divorcee. In 1936 King Edward VIII was forced to give up the throne when he wanted to marry an American divorcee as this was socially unacceptable. This shows that things have definitely changed.Evidence against the Postmodern View:The conflict structuralists say you can choose what you like, but fixed aspects of your identity still matter. Marxists say that your class e.g. the job you do, still have a huge impact on your chances in life. We’ll look at this when we study education.Feminists say that your gender e.g. male/female still has a huge influence on what you can do in life.Other groups point out that being black/white can have a huge impact on your life.Task: Let’s look at a modern example. Yes, Meghan Markle married Prince Harry. But did ‘society’ like it? Read the following article that compares the way the media treated Meghan (black American) and Kate (white, English, married to Prince William). Focus: this type of research is known as Content Analysis. You read through documents and count the number of times something appears. It can be very revealing! 00Research Focus: this type of research is known as Content Analysis. You read through documents and count the number of times something appears. It can be very revealing! and InequalityWe might not want to face it, but the research shows that Britain is still an unequal society. This is roughly how the wealth of our country is shared out:Group 1: Top 10% of the population own 44% of the country’s wealthGroup 2: 40% of the population share 47% of the country’s wealthGroup 3: Bottom half of the population share 9% of the country’s wealthThere are other ways in which people find they are not equal. Sociologists are really interested in these. They use the concept ‘life chances’. This mean the chance you have of enjoying the good things in life, like success in education, good health, a long life, high-quality housing and a well-paid job you enjoy. Social ClassSociologists usually define someone’s social class by looking at their job. Class can have an enormous effect on your life chances. The groups above roughly represent the social classes:Group 1: Either people who have inherited a lot of money and property. They might have titles (Earl, Lord etc.) or celebrities/extremely successful business ownersGroup 2: Professional people such as doctors, lawyers, teachers. This can include people who own businesses, such as building companies. They earn high salaries and usually own their own houses.386334059118500Group 3: Manual Workers or Service Workers. These people are plumbers, electricians, builders, or else they work in supermarkets and shops. They earn lower wages and tend to rent their homes.Task:How might being in Group 3 affect your life chances? Try to give as much detail as you can in your answer.Read this: how might Covid-19 change our social attitudes? there have been changes, men and women are still not equal in society. On average, women earn about 15% less than menWomen do more childcare and housework than menMore women than men are in povertyTask: Suggest two reasons women earn less than men.Read this: 499110036322000 refers to shared culture and identity. Everyone is part of an ethnicity. Sociologists are interested in ethnic minorities and their life chances.In Britain today, the dominant ethnic group is White British. This means that all other ethnicities are minorities. There is inequality:Unemployment is almost twice as high for ethnic minorities than for whitesEthnic minority employees tend to earn less than whites and are more likely to work shiftsThe infant mortality rate (babies dying) of African Caribbean and Pakistani babies is double that of whitesTask: Read this article: might you explain these statistics? What could be influencing them? Try to give as much detail in your answer as possible.AgeAge affects your status in society. Different societies view age differently. In traditional societies, older people have higher status. In contrast, modern societies give them low statusIn the UK, children are dependent on adults and, by law, are not allowed to work until they reach at least 16. This is not the same all over the world.The very old and very young are more likely to be poorTask:Read these reflections on the difference between the generations and the value we place on age. to Succeed in SociologyFirstly, you need to start thinking about your own thinking. What are your values? Where have your opinions come from? We will also study the work of many social scientists as they try to uncover what really goes on beneath society.Many sociologists have studied society from a range of different angles, and we will be learning about their findings. However, at A Level it’s not enough just to know what someone said or did (Knowledge). We also have to explain how it’s relevant to a particular situation (Application) and then provide criticism (Evaluation). In Sociology there are three main Assessment Objectives that cover these skills. The grade you will get for each of these is in brackets.AO1 – Knowledge (E Grade)AO2 – Application (C Grade)AO3 – Evaluation (A Grade)So, you can see that just learning facts will not be enough to get you a high grade. A Levels are about teaching you to think. This is good news.AS you move through the course, we will practise our essay writing skills to enable us to meet all three of these AOs.Final ActivitiesThe following activities will help you consolidate what you have learned in this workbook.Section A: Please answer the following questions. They are all testing AO1.Define ‘socialisation’.Give an example of a social role.A prison sentence is what type of sanction?Explain the difference between norms and values.Give an example of an agent of secondary socialisation.Define the Structural view of society.What is a subculture?Fill in the gaps in this table (AO1)___________ – suggests social structures keep society in harmony. Social structures create positive effects, like giving people a shared culture.Conflict – social structures are sources of ________. The structure of society makes life unfair for some groups. Society needs to be changed.Example: FunctionalismSociety is like a _________. All the different parts fit together and work together. Each part performs a function that contributes to the well-being of society as a whole. e.g. the family socialises people to have similar ________ and valuesthe education system teaches people the knowledge and skills needed for workExample 1: _____________Society is divided into two groups:The Bourgeoisie who own all the land, factories and businesses (and therefore have lots of money)The Proletariat who have to work for the Bourgeoisie and can only earn ‘wages’ (and therefore have little money)Marx believed the Proletariat are exploited by the Bourgeoisie, that society is _________, and that all the social institutions (education, the media, religion) tell us that it’s normal for some people to have lots of money and for others not too. Marx called this ‘false consciousness’. He though everyone should share things more fairly.Example 2: FeminismSociety is ____________ (controlled by men) and social institutions are biased towards men. There are far more men in ParliamentThe family is unfair as women do most of the housework and childcareWomen are still not given equal chancesSection B. These questions all test AO2. This is your ability to explain why something is relevant, or explain the relationship between ideas. How could your social class prevent you getting a highly paid-job? Explain your answer, using examples. How could being part of an ethnic minority cause you to do badly at school? Explain your answer, using examples.Section C. These questions will develop your AO3 skills by encouraging you to think critically. Postmodernists think that people have far more choice today about who they can be. Using examples, argue against this by presenting evidence that suggests people have less choice, and are becoming more similar.Education statistics show Chinese students achieve highly, whilst white students (particularly boys) and black African students (particularly boys) do less well. This suggests that some ethnicities are naturally more intelligent than others. Argue against this, suggesting alternative reasons for these statistics.Section D. Read the following article. Why might advertisers use gender stereotypes?Argue against this article by suggesting ways in which the media promotes non-stereotypical views of gender.'Harmful' gender stereotypes in adverts banned14 June 2019A ban on adverts featuring "harmful gender stereotypes" or those which are likely to cause "serious or widespread offence" has come into force.The ban covers scenarios such as a man with his feet up while a woman cleans, or a woman failing to park a car.The UK's advertising watchdog introduced the ban because it found some portrayals could play a part in "limiting people's potential". It said it was pleased with how advertisers had responded.The new rule follows a?review of gender stereotyping in adverts?by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) - the organisation that administers the UK Advertising Codes, which cover both broadcast and non-broadcast adverts, including online and social media.The ASA said the review had found evidence suggesting that harmful stereotypes could "restrict the choices, aspirations and opportunities of children, young people and adults and these stereotypes can be reinforced by some advertising, which plays a part in unequal gender outcomes"."Our evidence shows how harmful gender stereotypes in ads can contribute to inequality in society, with costs for all of us. Put simply, we found that some portrayals in ads can, over time, play a part in limiting people's potential," said ASA chief executive Guy Parker.'Stereotypes'Blogger and father of two Jim Coulson thinks the ban is a good idea. He dislikes adverts that perpetuate stereotypes about dads being "useless"."It's the small things though that build up, and the small things are what inform the subconscious," he told the BBC."That's the problem... that adverts rely on stereotypes. We know why they do it, because it's easy. "But columnist Angela Epstein disagrees, and thinks that society has become "over-sensitive"."There's a lot of big things we need to fight over - equality over pay, bullying in the workplace, domestic violence, sexual harassment - these are really big issues that we need to fight over equally," she told the BBC."But when you chuck in the fact that women are doing the dishes [in advertisements], it's not in the same sphere. When we lump it all together and become desensitised, we devalue those important arguments we need to have."'Lack of diversity'As part of its review, the ASA brought together members of the public and showed them various adverts to gauge how they felt about how men and women were depicted.One of them was a 2017 television advert for Aptamil baby milk formula, which showed a baby girl growing up to be a ballerina and baby boys engineers and mountain climbers.The ASA found some parents "felt strongly about the gender based aspirations shown in this advert specifically noting the stereotypical future professions of the boys and girls shown."These parents queried why these stereotypes were needed, feeling that they lacked diversity of gender roles and did not represent real life."At the time it was released, the campaign prompted complaints but the ASA did not find grounds for a formal investigation as it did not break the rules.However, Fernando Desouches, managing director of marketing agency New Macho, which specialises in targeting men, said this was an example of a past advert that would not pass the new ASA legislation.He said it showed how easy it can be for "deeply entrenched views on gender to come through in an ad that purports to be caring and nurturing of future generations." He was "unsurprised it generated a backlash".Other situations likely to fall foul of the new rule include:Adverts which show a man or a woman failing at a task because of their gender, like a man failing to change a nappy or a woman failing to parkAdverts aimed at new mothers which suggest that looking good or keeping a home tidy is more important than emotional wellbeingAdverts which belittle a man for carrying out stereotypically female rolesHowever, the new rules do not preclude the use of all gender stereotypes. The ASA said the aim was to identify "specific harms" that should be prevented.So, for example, adverts would still be able to show women doing the shopping or men doing DIY, or use gender stereotypes as a way of challenging their negative effects.The ASA?outlined the new rules?at the end of last year, giving advertisers six months to prepare for their introduction.Mr Parker said the watchdog was pleased with how the industry had already responded.The ASA said it would deal with any complaints on a case-by-case basis and would assess each advert by looking at the "content and context" to determine if the new rule had been broken. ................
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