module one: social and cultural world Flashcards
fundamental course concepts
SPECT
* persons
* culture
* time
* society
* environment
additional course concepts
PITAGG
* technologies
* globablisation
* identity
* gender
* power
* authority
culture
refers to the shared knowledge, attitudes and behaviours that give each society its coherence, identity and distictive ways of life.
culture is dynamic and undergoes change, and is therefore not static
environment
every society is located in a particular physical setting and interacts with its environment
time
every person, society, culture and environment is located in a period of time and is changing with time.
time can be examined as past, present and future.
Our perceptions of time are drawn from past events and these influence our ideas about the present.
Time is studiied in relation to continuity and change
persons
every pereson is a unique individual who develops in a social and environmental setting in which they are influenced by, and interacts with other persons and groups
identity
our understanding of self: who we are and why we are
The identity achieved by each individual is the result of interactions at the micro, meso and macro levels of society
society
Society comprises people, groups, networks, institutions, and systems, with local, national, regional, and international patterns of relationships and organisation. Individuals belong to informal and formal groups, contributing to unique cultures.
micro-level interactions
personal interactions between individuals, families, peers and local communities
- Immediate sphere of influence
- It includes all the people, groups, social settings, and experiences that you interact with and see first hand
meso-level interactions
interactions between communities, schools, workplaces and villages
- Structures and groups withing the community, village, school, workplace, local interest groups, branch, organisation
gender
determined by society rather than defined by particular biological or physiological characteristics
technologies
any tools that have been developed and used to assist in our interactions in society
power
refers to the capacity to influence and may include coercion
authority
the lawful use of power
globalisation
process of integration and the sharing of goods, capital, services, knowledge, leisure, sport, ideas and culture between countries
multiculturalism in current day Australia
- it is the right of individuals within a society to maintain their cultural heritage, traditions and language, free from discrimination
- ongoing disputes regarding land rights, land use and self governance for traditional custadians
social constructs do not have an _______________ , but arise from ______________ within society
objective existence, shared experiences
social constructs reflect
social norms and cultural traditions, which evolve based on public knowledge, environment, context and time
groups and institutions of society
connect individual through shared interests:
- location
- religion
- social activities
- beliefs
- relationships
groups and institutions of society
promote ____ and create ____
conformity, continuity
groups and institutions of society
family:
first exposure to culture, traditions, relationships and morality
groups and institutions of society
definitions of a family has evolved and the word now applies groups that include:
- single-parent
- blended
- inter-generational
- same-sex
- etc
cutural norms leads to
conformity
groups and institutions of society
school
- one of the first institutions outsife the family that influences socialisation
- often viewed as agents of conformity
- actually offer exposure to a range of ideas
groups and institutions of society
peers
- formal and informal settings
- generational consistencies
groups and institutions of society
government
local -> state/territory -> ferderal
groups and institutions of society
media
- facilitates the communication of knowledge - effectively a means of socialisation
- consumers must use critical discernment
groups and insitutions of society
legal system
- reflect societal values, morals and ethics
- citizendships - consider welfare, social justice and human rights
culture is demonstrated by:
beliefs, customs, values, norms, rules, laws, governance, arts, technologies and artefacts that people generate and use as they interperet meaning from their worlf and solve present and future problems
primary research
original information collected first-hand, specifically targeted to your research question
secondary research
- tends to be qualitative
- collect and collates existing information
process of research
- choose a topic
- develop a focud question or hypothesis
- gather background info
- design the research
- develop the research methods you plan to use
- ensure you have applied ethical research
- compile and organise the research findings
- analyse, synthesise and interpret data
- final conclusions
- writing up
Quantitative research:
involves numerical and measurable responses
qualitative research
interprets perspectives and experiences to draw conclusions
methods of research: content analysis
- Extensive examination of particular types of media such as news publications or TV series
- Primary form of research
- Quantitative via systematic categorisation and counting
- Qualitative via interpretation and analysis of the meaning behind specific content
methods of research: focus group
- Tends to be qualitative
- 3-8 participants conduct a discussion with the researcher
- Explore interrelationships between each other and the topic
methods of research: interview
- Gather detailed information from a relevant person
- Good idea to undertake background research on the persona and prepare questions
methods of research: observation
Involves watching, tallying and interpreting the actions of the group
methods of research: participant observation
Researcher immerses themselves in the situation, joining the group that is being studied
methods of research: personal reflection
- Qualitative
- Preparation similar to an interview
methods of research: personal reflection
- Close-ended questions tend to be more quantitative:
- Multiple choice
- Likert scale
- Open-ended questions tend to be more qualitative:
- Ask ‘how’ and ‘why’
methods of research: statistical analysis
- Make generalisations and extrapolate trends in both primary and secondary research
Not all statistics are ‘equal’
Identify strengths and weaknesses in data by asking who, what, when, where, why and how it has been collected
methods of research: case study
Examine an individual or small group
list all the methods of research
SQIFCOPP
* statistical analysis
* questionnaire
* interview
* focus group
* case study
* personal reflection
* participant observation
SAC is designed to:
facilitate the development of a student’s social and cultural literacy; a process that requires students to synthesise personal experience and public knowledge at the micro, meso and macro levels of society
social and cultural literacy
idea that people should possess a body of knowledge, understanding and skills that allows them to share, communicate effectively, and respect themselves and others
macro-level interactions
impersonal interactions, related to large institutions, the media, law and government are evident at a national + international level
- Sphere of indirect influence
- It includes laws, government, governing bodies, media, cultural expectations, big business, world events that you do not directly participate in, but they continue to have a significant level of influence
a socially and culturally literate person demonstrated the following characteristics:
- sense of personal, social and cultural identity + understand that culture underpins behaviour and beliefs/values
- interested in, observes and asks questions about the micro, meso and macro levels of society
- emphasises/appreciates the diverse beliefs and values of different societies and cultures
- Researches effectively/ethically with critical discernment
- Communicates effectively + works cooperatively in a cross-cultural setting
- Applies skills to achieve social inclusion and is aware of the issues of discrimination and prejudice
- Avoids making judgements of another culture’s practices using the values of their own culture
- Sense of social responsibility + active citizenship
- Aware of/sensitive to, major national & global issues
- Considers the impact of globalisation, technologies and rapid change, as well as continuity and its implications for the future
all interaction is ____________
dynamic
multiculturalism
Containing several cultural or ethnic groups within a society but with one main, dominant culture who passes on traits to minority cultures.
- contains several cultural or ethnic group with one main, dominant culture which the minority cultures borrow aspects from
- promotes the view that cultural difference should be respected
- is premised on the the belief that different cultural groups can live together harmoniously, each contributing to an enriching of the whole
hybrid society
Societies of mixed character, where the dominant culture is less obvious and there is more of an exchange between dominant and minority cultures.
- mixed character society where the dominant culture is less obvious and there is more of an exchange between dominant and minority cultures
- a society that comprises a range of social and cultural influences and components, rather than having a homogenous identity
social construct
Society is actively and creatively produced by human beings rather than given or taken for granted
Gender identity
refers to the degree to which an individual sees themself as masculine or feminine based on society’s definitions of appropriate gender roles
Gender roles
expectations regarding proper behaviour, attitudes and activities during childhood which normally continues through to adulthood. Gender roles are reinforced by agents of socialisation, particularly the media
gender on a macro level
for gender roles to improve, changes to the law are needed as well as educational opportunities for women as well as changes in the way women are portrayed in films, songs and advertising.
gender on a micro level
gender roles become very personal and it is where people most often notice a generational change in the construction of these roles. For example, gender roles and expectations have changed between your grandparents, your parents and you because each are from a different context. These face to face interactions are powerful and reinforce values and behaviours
gender on a meso level
the way we participate within our community is a lived experience of the social world where we refine our behaviours. For example, it is where at school you may choose people to work in small groups on the basis of their gender
continuity
The persistence or consistent existence of cultural elements in a society across time. Continuity can also be referred to as the maintenance of the traditions and social structures that bring stability to a society
change
The alteration or modification of cultural elements in a society. Change to society can occur at the micro, meso and macro levels and results in an alteration to culture
social norms
the rules that define how we should and should not behave and consequences are put in place to reinforce these expected norms
socialisation
the way we learn to become functioning members of a society by internalising the roles, norms and values of that society
what is sociology?
scientific study of society ad human behaviour
what is sociology looking for?
patterns; recurring characteristics or events. it looks at all aspects of society, and at all scales
what is the sociological perspective?
- general in the particular
- seeing the strange in the familiar
what is social location?
you social location is a way of classifying yourself, by race, social class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc,
what is marginalisaton?
if a social group is marginalised, it occupies a position outside the centres of power
what is power and inequality?
obvious kinds include: power (economic) and income inequality / political power + politically-enforced inequalities (e.g. segregation / slavery)
less obvious kinds include: social / cultural power and inequality
what is the point of sociology?
- sociology is about understanding society, and society is where we all live, so we’s like it to work as well as possible
- good sociology can help us create good public policy
*understanding THE WHOLE THING at every level and how these levels interact
what does ethical refer to?
moral issues of what is right or wrong
what is ethical behaviour interms of social reseaerch?
- informed consent
- confidentiality
- privacy
*consideration of the possible effects on research participants and on the researcher themselves - considerations of vulnerable groups (children)
- avoidance of any covert research
- any material from sources other than the researcher’s own work is clearly acknowledged
what is ethical behaviour?
ethical behaviour follows understood codes of what is morally right whn undertaking any study of people or society
taking the appropriate steps to ethical consideration will:
- form trust between the researcher and respondent
- increase the likelihood of genuine responses
things to consider for ethical consideration:
- privacy, confidentiality and informed consent of participants
- biases and inconsistencies in data or questions
- uncomfortable, sensitive or distressful questions / topics
- intellectual property rights and correct accreditations
what is the stanford prison experiment?
aim: to investigate the effects of perceived power dynamcs within a simulated prison environment
- the experiment quickly spiralled out of control as the guards began to exhibit abusive behaviour towards the prisoners
- study was terminated prematurely due to ethical concerns surrounding the treatment of the participants
- highlighted the profound impact of situational factors on human behaviour and the importance of ethical guidelines in psychological research
what did the stanford prison experiment highlight?
highlighted the profound impact of situational factors on human behaviour and the importance of ethical guidelines in psychological research
what is the milgram experiment?
The Milgram experiment on obedience to authority figures was a series of experiments measuring the willingness of men to obey an authority figure who instructed them to perform acts conflicting with their personal conscience.
*Ordinary people are likely to follow orders given by an authority figure, even to the extent of killing an innocent human being.
* Obedience to authority is ingrained in us all from the way we are brought up.
* People tend to obey orders from other people if they recognize their authority as morally right and/or legally based.
This response to legitimate authority is learned in a variety of situations, for example in the family, school, and workplace
