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Semester 2: PRINCIPLES OF SOCIOLOGY
Social stratification: Forms (Slavery, Estate, Caste, Class and Gender), Theories of Stratification, Social Mobility (Vertical, Horizontal)
Social Stratification
A system where individuals are owned by others. It involves forced labor and willful exploitation. Historical examples include ancient Rome and the transatlantic slave trade.
A hierarchical system often based on land ownership. It typically includes three estates: the nobility, clergy, and commoners. It characterized many European societies during the feudal era.
A rigid social structure primarily observed in India. It divides people into hereditary groups where social mobility is limited, traditionally defined by occupation and ritual status.
Based on socioeconomic status. It includes upper, middle, and lower classes. Class positions can shift due to economic changes, education, and employment opportunities.
The unequal distribution of wealth, power, and privilege between men and women. It manifests in various forms including wage gaps, job segregation, and social expectations.
Posits that stratification serves a purpose in society by ensuring that the most qualified individuals fill the most important roles, thereby enhancing overall efficiency and stability.
Argues that stratification arises from the competition for resources and power. Those in power create structures that maintain their dominance, leading to inequality and social conflict.
Focuses on three dimensions of stratification: class (economic position), status (social prestige), and party (political power). It suggests a more complex picture of stratification beyond just economic factors.
Refers to the movement up or down the social hierarchy. It can be influenced by education, career advancement, or other factors that affect an individual's status.
Involves movement within the same social level without a change in status. This can include job changes or relocation that don't shift class position.
Social Processes: Associative social processes (Co-Operation, Accommodation, Acculturation, Assimilation), Dissociative social processes (Competition and Conflict)
Social Processes
Associative Social Processes
These processes promote social cohesion and strengthen relationships within a group.
Cooperation
A voluntary process where individuals or groups work together to achieve common goals.
Accommodation
A process where conflicting parties make adjustments to coexist peacefully, often through compromise.
Acculturation
The process through which individuals or groups adopt the cultural traits of another group, leading to cultural exchange.
Assimilation
A process where individuals or groups gradually adopt the cultural norms of a dominant group, often losing their original cultural identity.
Dissociative Social Processes
These processes lead to social division and conflict.
Competition
A process where individuals or groups vie for limited resources, often leading to greater innovation but can also create tensions.
Conflict
An open struggle between opposing forces, typically arising from values, interests, or resources.
Social Control: Definition and Normative order, Informal means (Values, Norms, Customs, Folkways, mores, public opinion and Beliefs), Formal means (Laws, Community Policing, Zero Tolerance, Citizen Patrol)
Social Control
Social control refers to the mechanisms, strategies, and institutions used to regulate individual and group behavior, aiming to conform to perceived societal norms. Normative order relates to the shared values and rules that guide the behavior of members within a society.
Core beliefs that guide behavior and cultural practices.
Expectations about how individuals should behave in various situations.
Traditional and habitual practices that shape social interactions.
Customs or norms that guide everyday behavior, socially accepted but not strictly enforced.
Stricter norms that embody moral values and are often linked to social taboos.
Collective attitudes or beliefs of the general public that influence behavior.
Convictions or accepted truths that can shape individual and collective actions.
Codified norms that are enforceable through governmental institutions.
A strategy that focuses on building relationships between police and community members.
A strict enforcement policy for certain behaviors, resulting in no leniency for violations.
Neighborhood watch initiatives where citizens actively participate in monitoring and reporting suspicious activities.
Culture: Definition and Elements, Types of Culture (Material and Non-Material), Cultural Process (Cultural Lag, Sub-Culture, Contra-Culture, Counter-Culture, Cultural Relativism)
Culture: Definition and Elements, Types of Culture, Cultural Process
Definition of Culture
Culture refers to the social behavior, norms, beliefs, and practices that characterize a particular group or society. It encompasses the way of life, values, customs, and artifacts produced by a group. Culture shapes identity and influences individual and collective behaviors.
Elements of Culture
Key elements of culture include language, norms, values, symbols, beliefs, and customs. Language facilitates communication and the transmission of culture. Norms are social rules that guide behavior, while values represent what a society considers important. Symbols convey meanings and beliefs form the worldview of a group.
Types of Culture
Culture can be divided into two main categories: material and non-material culture. Material culture includes tangible objects and artifacts created by a society, such as buildings, tools, and art. Non-material culture encompasses intangible aspects like beliefs, values, and social practices.
Cultural Process
Cultural processes encompass changes and adaptations within a culture over time. This includes phenomena such as cultural lag, where societal change is slow to catch up with technological advancements; sub-culture, which refers to smaller cultural groups within a larger culture; contra-culture, which actively opposes the dominant culture; and counter-culture, which seeks alternative lifestyles or values.
Cultural Relativism
Cultural relativism is the practice of judging a culture by its own standards rather than comparing it to another culture. This concept promotes understanding and respect for cultural differences and discourages ethnocentrism.
Social Change: Definition and theories, Factors (Geographical, biological and technological), Globalization and Changing world
Social Change
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Social change refers to significant alterations over time in behavior patterns and cultural values and norms. It can occur in social institutions, social structure, and community dynamics.
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Various theories explain social change, including functionalist theories that view change as a natural evolution of society, conflict theories that emphasize the role of social conflict and power struggles, and symbolic interactionism that focuses on individual interactions and meanings.
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Geographical factors encompass how the environment and location of a society can influence social structures and relationships. For example, access to resources, climate, and population density impact social organization.
Biological factors can refer to demographics like age, sex, and health which also influence social change. Changes in population dynamics, such as aging populations or youth bulges, can shift societal needs and roles.
Technological advancements drive social change by introducing new ways of communication, transport, and production. The digital revolution is an example of how technology reshapes social interactions and economic structures.
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Globalization accelerates social change by connecting societies more closely and facilitating the exchange of ideas, goods, and cultural practices across boundaries. This can lead to both homogenization and diversification of cultures.
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The changing world highlights how various global challenges, including climate change, migration, and social justice movements, contribute to evolving social norms and values, necessitating adaptations within societies.
