- Introduction
SOC 110 (2007-2008)
- Prof. Lisa Broda
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- Typed by Sean (sorry for the typos!)
- Thanks a bunch to Kelsey and Richard for sending notes I missed.
- Let me know if I'm missing a day; right now, just missing the very start of March 18 and April 1 (oops).
- Have a nice day, and good luck studying!
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- ( Notes in parentheses are "asides" - either extra information from our prof or random things I wrote down; you can ignore them, or click the checkbox on the menu to hide them. )
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- Tuesday, January 15, 2008
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Gender stratification
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Gender and social stratification
- Working men and women:
- [increased participation of women in the workforce
- one of the most significant social trends in Canada]
- in 1901, women made up 13% of the workforce
- in 2001, 61.1% of women were in the labour force
- in 2004, 58% of all women aged 15 or over currently are part of the paid workforce up from 42% in 1976
- women are moving into business, finance, sciences and medicine, but still dominate sales work and service occupations, and men dominante most senior positions and trades.
- [a women works more often with other women than with men
- 3% of construction/trade workers are female]
- in 2004, 67% of all employed women were working in teaching, nrusing and related health occupations, clerical or admininstrative positions, and sales and service occupations.
- this compared with just 30% of employed men
- [women make up over half of mediacal diagnostic professionals ; make up more than half of dental professionals(?)
- interesting trends over past 30 years]
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- 2004 - 6% of women are multiple job holders as compared to 4% of men
- [could be single parents]
- past 3 decades = dramatic increase of presence of women in unions - 2004 = 32% [1966 = 16% or so]
- [figure 13-3 from textbook - employment rates of men and women (35 to 44 years of age)]
- Income:
- in 2003, the average annual pre-tax income = $24,400 vs $39,300 for men (women earned 62% of what men were earning) [age range not defined?]
- women earned 71 cents for every $1 men earn due to
- kind of jobs:low-income service
- being out of the labour force with children
- gatekeepers keep women out of certain jobs, eg, truck drivers
- employers pay women less
- women do not get promoted ("glass ceiling")
- [within scope, you're protected ; once not "in scope" vulnerable to discrimination, etc.]
- Housework: women's "second shift"
- women work full time, do most of the housework and childcare
- men do more but not an equal share
- Gender and Education
- women now earn more than half of under- and postgraduate degrees - Stat Can pg 93
- in 2000, earned over 50% of medical degrees
- Gender and politics
- Women are underrepresented (in North America), but a few have been leaders
- women hold 20 percent of seats in Canadian parliament
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- Thursday, January 17, 2008
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- are women a minority? yes [by textbook, prof]
- minority women: often in a situation of multiple disadvantage
- interesting theory: refers to the interplay of race, class, and gender, often resulting in multiple dimensions of disadvantage
- First Nations women earning less than average Canadians
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- Contemporary issues:
- gender relations in the workplace
- unequal employment opportunities
- women as subordinate
- [ last 30 years marked dramatic increase, been addressed to a certain extent ]
- labor force participation = the proportion of men and women 16yrs and older who are in the labor force - F/T or P/T
- pay gap = disparity between men and women's income [hard to determine in private sector
- gender and violence = majority of women are victims of emotional abuse, spousal assault, intimidation, stalking, rape.
- sexual harrassment
- rape
- date rape
- murder
- violence against women:
- family violence: though both men and women are victims, women suffer more serious injuries. [strength, etc. in most cases: men inflict violence physically, women inflict violence with a weapon]
- sexual harrassment: comments, gestures, or physical contact of a sexual nature that are deliberate, repeated, and unwelcome. Now most is subtle.
- pornography: women focus on it as a power issue, another means of controlling women. Some women endorse the rights of free speech [liberal feminist perspective - some view it as an enterprise, others view it as unequal participation and reinforcing inequality]
- sociological explanations of gender stratification:
- functionalist = view men and women as having distinct individual roles that are important for society to survive and reproduce
- critical review:
- ignoring women working due to financial need
- costs of rigid roles
- promotes patriarchy
- conflict perspective = inequality between the gender groups produces conflict and the eventual uprising to combat it [what kind of an explanation is that?]
- Friedrich Engels: Gender and Class
- men gained power over women in the past
- capitalism depends on women consuming
- capitalism needs men to work in factories, assigning women to the home
- critical review
- minimizes the cooperation between men and women
- men controlled women in pre-capitalist and socialist societies
- Feminist perspective = focus on belief that men and women are equal and should be valued as such via equal rights
- basic ideas:
- working to increase equality
- expanding human choice [ opportunities ]
- eliminating gender stratification
- ending sexual violence (and violence in general)
- promoting sexual freedom
- Types of feminism:
- liberal feminism
- freedom to develop own talents and interests - focused on changing laws to better women's position in society [dichotomy exists between liberal and radical streams of thought]
- socialist feminism
- [ women's position within the class structure ]
- pursue collective (male and female) social revolution with a state-centered economy
- radical feminism
- revolution for an egalitarian, gender-free society
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- cultural feminism
- rejects privileged white middle-class feminism that ignores others
- [ don't believe all women can be blanketed with same ideologies ]
- postmodern feminism
- rejects other feminist thought [ there are inherent differences between men and women; embrace the differences ]
- [ ex. women and housecleaning, housecleaning commercials - at what point does this become unethical? ]
- Critical review:
- ignores research that males and females do think and act differently
- most think women should advance individually, not by socialist or radical forms
- Gender - looking ahead:
- movement to equality has surged ahead
- work now depends on thought and imagination putting men and women on a more even footing
- birth control provides greater control over reproduction
- sexual harrassment claims are taken ore seriously
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Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
- race = a social construct - meaning that people create the concept and categories as a means to describe the variation they see in people
- race = group of members that share a real or biological heritage that distinguish one group from another
- racial types:
- caucasian = white people - light skin, fair hair
- negroid = people with dark skin and coarse curly hair, usual dark eyes
- mongloid = yellow/brown skin, distinctive eyelids
- ethnic group = refers to a group whose members share a commo cultural heritage
- involves a sense of people-hood that is passed from one generation to the next
- [ food, culture, beliefs, traditions and rituals ]
- ethnicity = expression of culture and feelings of the group
- five main characteristics that define ethnic groups:
- 1 unique cultural traits
- 2 sense of community
- 3 feeling of ethnocentrism
- 4 ascribed membership from birth
- 5 territoriality - occupy a certain region
- Race and ethnicity in Canada:
- many thousands of years ago Aboriginal people came to the americas. 55 founding nations greeted the...
- French and British established settlements in the 1600s and 1700s
- since the mid-1950s, southern Europeans came followed by Asian, African, and Caribbean
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- 39% now claim to be Canadian, but that varies from region to region
- 20% claim to be English or part-English
- 16% claim to be French or part-French
- visible minorities:
- 13.4% claim to be visible minorities, mostly in Toronto, Montreal, & Vancouver
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- Social standing:
- Japanese Canadians have the highest proportion with university degrees
- Chinese Canadians are second highest with degrees but have lower income than English and French [ why? ]
- Blacks have the highest proportion employed
- Aboriginal people have lowest proportion with degrees and lowest average income
- Many immigrants are not rewarded for their level of education
- Special status societies:
- aboriginal / First Nations:
- almost 1 million Inuit, Métis, and Indians
- registered or status Indians are registered with the government which has responsibility for them
- treated paternalistically, eg, forced to attend residential schools (recently given apology and compensation)
- quest for self-determination eg, Nunavut, controlled by Inuit majority
- quebequois [ read in textbook ]
- Immigration to Canada: 100 year perspective
- 1905 - 1914: the peak decase, 2.5 million immigrants
- 1950's - German, Dutch, and S. Europeans
- Most recently with the points system [ ? ] criteria: East Asia, South Asia, and Caribbean
- 19% of the population were born outside Canada and most come to Ontario and British Columbia
- Visible minorities now constitute 13.4% of Canadians and almost 40% of Toronto and Vancouver
- [ link Immigration patterns back to earlier discussion ]
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- Tuesday, January 22, 2008
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- Ethnocentricm = refers to the belief of the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture:
- one group's values and behavior are right or superior over other groups
- beliefs are not at expense of other cultures or other ethnic groups
- [ benign - within one's group, eg pride in accomplishments ]
- ( are these accurate statements? )
- Racism = a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others;
- [ results in ] a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
- hatred or intolerance of another race or other races - discrimination or prejudice
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Racism in Canada
- racism: a powerful rationale for subjugation
- Canada has not had external colonies but Aboriginal reserves are internal colonialism
- [ lots of changes in recent history, working towards multicultural society ]
- big increases in approval of interracial and interfaith marriages over last few decades
Implications of racism
- racial myth = refers to the thinking that one's race is superior
- social significance of race and ethnicity = equality, opportunities, life-span.
- dominant group = the group that has the greatest power, privilege, and social status
- [ "unfortunately tends to be the middle- to upper-class white society" ]
- minority group = racial/ethnic groups that are treated unequally and who collectively regard themselves as objects of discrimination
- visible minority = official government category that refers to non-white, non-caucasian individuals.
- 5 characteristics shared by minorities worldwide:
- 1 membership to a minority group is ascribed through birth
- 2 physical and cultural traits that distinguish minorities are held in low esteem by majority
- 3 minorities are unequally treated by the dominant group
- 4 minorities tend to marry within their group
- [ more a property of ethnic/cultural groups in general? ]
- 5 minorities tend to feel a strong sense of "we-ness" - solidarity
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- Thursday, January 31, 2008
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with thanks to Kelsey for today's notes!
Prejudice and discrimination
- Prejudice - prae (before) Judicum (judgment) = refers to biased attitudes and beliefs about individual's based on their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group.
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- Stereotyping = an oversimplified summary description of a group.
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- Theories of Prejudice
- Scapegoat Theory = Disadvantage people who from frustration unfairly blame minorities (scapegoats) their own problems.
- Authoritarian Personality Theory = a personality trait of intolerance to minorities. This personality types are rigid moralists with little education who see things as clear-cut matters of right and wrong.
- Culture Theory = everyone has some prejudice because it is embedded in our culture. Bogardus' social distance scale shows consistency between Canada and U.S.
- Conflict Theory = Prejudice is a product of social conflict - self-justification for the rich and powerful to oppress others.
- Example
- - Chinese railroad labors.
- - Minorities may cultivate climate of race consciousness (victim hood) in order ti win greater power and privileges.
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- Discrimination
- Discrimination = involves any actions, policies, or practices that deny an individual or group equal access. Example- Refusing allowing children of different race to play or go to school together.
- Institutional discrimination = refers to central elements of the social structure that disadvantage groups.
- Exclusion = explicit form of institutional discrimination - resting or preventing a groups full participation in society.
- Segregation = physically and socially separating and keeping apart different racial/ethnic groups. Jim Crow Laws in the United States.
- Genocide = refers to the deliberate attempt to exterminate an entire race or ethnic group.
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- Social Exclusion - Race, Class, Gender
- Social Exclusion = refers to the structures and processes of inequality among groups in society. People aren't able to full participate in society
- It is a byproduct of uncontrolled processes of capitalist production and accumulation
- Social Exclusion transcend class and economic lines
- Social Exclusion is experienced by individuals and communities.
- Its characteristics occur in multiple dimensions.
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- 4 Aspects of Exclusion
- 1 Exclusion from participating fully in Society, via legal sanctions and structural mechanisms.
- 2 Denial to access to social services/goods.
- 3 Denial of opportunity to be active fully in society.
- 4 Economic exclusion.
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- Certain groups face multiple risks to their well being - characteristics of differential life chances ARE:
- An income gap- double digit 1/3 less than the average.
- Unemployment - higher levels than average (discrimination in workplace)
- Poverty
- Differential access to housing/neighborhood segregation
- Over-representation in the Court Justice System
- Race - a disproportionate number of aboriginal people in Court Justice System - not unique to Canada (New Zealand-Australia-USA)
- Aboriginal people as in "internal colony" within the Court Justice System
- Society is often quick to label racial or cultural peoples who are in the Court Justice System.
- A Number of aboriginal women are entering system at younger ages than males counter parts.
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- Class Inequality - 2 main parts:
- How an act is defined through regulatory law and
- ...Example: how Court Justice System routes different people and groups through the system on the basis of social class.
- The separation of the street and corporate crime examples of this.
- Sentencing of poor vs. middle class offenders
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- SE - Policy Implications
- To address issues associated with social exclusion the following must be considered:
- Identifying the process that perpetuate structures of inequality and social exclusion
- Empowering excluded groups to become proactive in 'inclusion' ideology
- Distressed or failing communities
- Integrated agency response
- Meeting individual needs of each person in the community
- Addressing discrimination/exclusion in all forms
- Ensuring that new policy is evidence based
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- Social Inclusion as Policy
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- Definition of Social Inclusion is in development - not a fixed concept or theory
- Social Inclusion conceptually is 3 fold:
- Must deal with structural roots of exclusion.
- Be rooted in community organization and mobilization
- Must be transformative
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- Tuesday, February 05, 2008
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Social inclusion as Policy
- definition of social inclusion is in development - not a fixed concept or theory ( changes over time )
- social inclusion conceptually is three-fold
- must deal with structural roots of exclusion
- be rooted in community organization and mobilization
- must be transformative
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- Assimilation and pluralism:
- assimilation = referes to the process by which a racial/ethnic [group] becomes absorbed in mainstream society
- cultural or behavioral assimilation = involves the cultural changes over several generations
- ( couple generations lost in the case of FN youth - lost identity )
- structural assimilation = refers to situation where minority groups have full access to the same structural opportunities as the dominant group
- ( political appointments, general relationships; access to every aspect of society )
- ( melting pot metaphor criticized from a soc. perspective -- are we all fitting in to the dominant ideology, instead of being able to raise unique cultures? Now - cultural diversity - embracing each other cultures and maintain each culture instead of abandoning aspects of culture. )
- Pluralism/multiculturalism = refers to the promotion of racial and ethnic diversity in a society
- ( salad bowl metaphor - everyone working and living together in harmony ; mosiac )
- ( age, gender and class - issues towards ; BHP ?? )
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- Theory check:
- conflict perspective = refers to power and economics between subordinate and dominant groups
- capitalism increases the conflict between groups - class groups and racial/ethnic groups.
- ( can experience lower wages, opportunities, etc; - exclusion issues )
- dual labor market (split market) = workers are divided along racial/ethnic and gender lines
- ( exploitations of workers from various cultures; slavery, etc. )
- internal colonialism = conquered or colonized groups by the dominant group
- ( keeping the subgroup out of mainstream culture )
- Functionalism = focuses on assiilation of racial/ethnic groups as a necessary function of society to maintain order - restore balance
- ( if you have inequality between any groups, it'll always push society to produce better because of competition between groups. )
- Symbolic interactionism = focuses on how contacts between people may produce either increased racial harmony or hostility [ micro-theory, between small groups & individuals ]
- ( tolerance - arrogant term according to prof. Counterproductive in terms of language. )
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- Contact hypothesis = contact between people from diverse groups should lead to favorable attitudes when the following are present:
- 1 equal status
- 2 pursuance of same goals
- 3 cooperation in achieving goals
- ( removing the competition piece and recongnizing each other as equals and useful contributors )
- 4 receive positive feedback when interaction is positive
Looking ahead
- many immigrants now try to join Canadian society while maintaining their traditional cultures
- ( this university has changed over 10 years in terms of diversity of culture, etc. )
- some have built ethnic enclaves
- we are a "community of communities"
- ( has greatly improved over last 2 decades )
- our survival depends on our success in forging an identity out of diversity
- ( survival as a country and as smaller communities )
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- Thursday, February 28, 2008
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Sociology of Aging
- ( approx 3/4 students in class still have living grandparents )
- ( skip generation = grandparents are caring for their children's children. (social issues contributing to it - issues with parents, family, etc.) )
- ( gap - understanding of death and disengagement (or rather, lack of understanding) )
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Inequality of Aging
- aging = physical, psychological, and social processes of one getting older
- ( mind stays sharp longer; the body stops keeping up with the mind )
- life course = refers to the stages of life that all individuals pass through marked by "rites of passage"
- ( sometimes called "milestones" - eg, becoming an adult or moving out or getting married )
- ( also a cultural aspect - different ways of going through these stages )
- trends in aging = increased life expectancy
- ( in North America at least?? )
- cohort = group of people born in same range of years - ie, 1980-1989
- ( economic implications )
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- the Greying of Canada
- in 2001, those 65+ years were 13% of the population
- in 2001, median age was 37.6 years
- created by baby boom after 1945, baby bust after 1965, and increased life expectancy
- the proportion of elderly in increasing in all rich nations and with a declining birth rate
- a population decline (!) could result ( high percentage in older age category, smaller percentages in younger age categories )
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- Life expectancy
- at the beginning of the 1900s -
- 50.2 years for women, and
- 47.2 years for men
- Now
- 83.4 years for women, and
- 76.4 years for men
- Old-age dependency ratio: : ratio of elderly to working age population will double in the next 50 years
- possible problems for health care and other resources
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- Tuesday, March 04, 2008
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- Growing old: Biology and culture
- gerontology: the study of aging and the elderly
- Biological changes
- wrinkles, loss of vitality, chronic illnesses, etc.
- dementias: cognitive impairment, loss of memory, alzheimers', etc.
- but over 50% of those over 55 years report being very happy
- ( are people happy with their aging process? ie, cosmetic surgeries, Botox, and other appearance "maintenance"; but most aging people seem happy )
- Psychological decline
- ability to learn new material and think quickly declines
- Culture: signifiance of growing old varies
- how long people live depends on technology and standard of living
- most industrial societies push their elderly to the margins
- ( can no longer contribute ; have trouble coping with new technological changes )
- ( greater health and care requirements; being put in a home out of financial necessity )
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- Significance of aging:
- Life course and aging = stages of
- infancy
- childhood
- adolescence
- young adulthood
- middle adulthood
- and late adulthood
- ( see text for discussion of other life stages )
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- middle adulthood = 40 to 65 years of age
- involve normal changes in physical appearance
- ( mid-life crisis state for men; menopause for women )
- ( added contributing factors to your aging process - environmental factors (pollution, etc.) as well as (bad) personal health choices (smoking, drinking, stress, not exercising) )
- ( late adulthood = peroid of age - 65+ and retirement )
- ( you're in a routine-ized part of your life for 20, 30 years; to cope with the change following that (to re-carve their identity) can be difficult. Next generation may not have the same identity issues. )
- ( )
- ( Age stratification: )
- ( stratification: hierarchy of opportunity and distribution of wealth )
- ( age stratification: the unequal distribution of wealth, power and privilege among people at different stages of the life course )
- ( double-whammy: aging, as well as moving to a lower bracket of society upon retirement )
- ( Gerontocracy: form of organization in which elderly have the most wealth, power and prestige. It is most likely to occur in pastoral, horticultural, and agrarian societies. )
- ( status and prestige can vary by culture )
- ( Industrial socieites often give little power and prestige to elderly and young depend less on their parents. Japan is an exception. )
- ( our mainstream culture does not have the same value towards the elderly population (esp. compared to Japan. )
- ( )
- ( Inequalities of aging: )
- ( ageism = refers to a prejudice about or discrimination against elderly people )
- ( prejudice = thoughts&attitude; discrimination = actual acts or policies )
- ( certain stereotypes towards the elderly - grumpy, unemployable? combined with gender stereotypes in some cases. )
- ( poverty/aging = refers to the social problems of the aging population who have little income and/or poor health )
- ( elder abuse = verbal, emotional, physical, and financial abuse of people 65+ years. )
- ( "hidden victims" - within a family home or care home; don't have a lot of contact with other people or family members )
- ( in 1999, the general social survey said: 7% of seniors reported being abused )
- ( the stress of caring for an elderly person can be very demanding. Or, in some cases, caregivers/family members could be abused (or just worn-out) while caring for elderly family members. )
- back to Ageism
- ageism = prejudice and discrimination against the elderly
- is deeply rooted in our culture
- seniors can do a wide variety of things
- the elderly are not a minority, but a distinctive segment of our population with characteristic pleasures and challenges
- ( remember kids, one day, you'll all be seniors too! )
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- Transitions and challenges of aging
- aging and income:
- poverty rate of elderly has declined substantially since 1980
- but many lack sufficient savings and inflation affects their fixed incomes
- women and people of colours are vulnerable ( increased risk of living in poverty, partially because of longer lifespan; "survivor benefits" are not enough for modern cost of living )
- ( care giving: )
- ( informal and unpaid care provided to a dependent person by family member, other relatives, or friends )
- ( 80% given by family, and women feel more burdened by it. )
- ( elder abuse: )
- ( from passive neglect to active torment )
- ( 3-5% of elderly experience it )
- ( occurs in home or institutions )
- ( strong correlation between people admitted to homes , and death. (!) )
- ( both poverty and abuse can be hidden )
- ( often from stress of care-giving )
- ( )
- ( Sociological explanations of aging )
- ( symbolic interactionism = focuses on how people deal with process of aging and what circumstances contribute to their experience )
- ( could conduct focus groups and interviews with the elderly )
- ( activity theory - idea that people look ahead to late middle-age in effort to find substitutes for previous roles and activities )
- ( compare differences between members of different (current) age demographics )
- ( we are people that want to be involved, to be doing things and contributing )
- functionalist perspective = focuses on how older people adjust to their changing roles in larger society
- disengagement theory = refers to when older persons make a normal and healthy adjustment to aging.
- ( becoming prepared to die, etc. --making room for younger people, disengaging from societal roles )
- detach from roles
- prepare for dying
- ( depends on your life experiences and outlook; partially a religious/moral issue )
- conflict perspective = refers to the lost power people have when they age, unless they maintain wealth
- central here is inequality of the aging population in terms of standard of living, health, and welfare.
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- Tuesday, March 11, 2008
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Death and Dying
- Historically, death was routine. Now it is removed from life.
- ( nowadays, even extended family may not be involved in the reation-to-death/grieving process )
- Ethical issues
- when does death occur: no response to stimulation, no movement or breathing, and no indication of brain activity
- right to die; living wills are widespread, but euthanasia, assisting in the death of a person is still illegal. It exists in the Netherlands.
- What are your thoughts on this issue?
- ( highly controversial )
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- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross found people confront death in stages (see ch.5)
- Bereavement follows same stages
- response of family influences the dying person
- hospice helps people by providing palliative care
- ( for an aging population, this becomes very important )
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Looking ahead
- by 2050, the elderly poplutaion will be greater than the population of Canada in 1900
- Gerontology, the study of the elderly, will grow in stature
- ( want to pay attention to the trends )
- will demands of elderly be great
- ( will be a significant poulation )
- but, we are healthier than ever, are financially better prepared for old age, and the majority of women have been in the work force
- ( also, technological developments and other advances in terms of elderly care )
- change will occur in how we view death
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- Thursday, March 13, 2008
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The Economy
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- historical overview
- The economy is
- the social institution that organizes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services
- goods are tangible objects that are necessary or desired
- services are intangible activities for which people are willing to pay
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- agricultural revolution: began about 5000 years ago
- agricultural technology: invention of the plow
- permanent settlements
- trade
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- revolutionary events have taken place in the history of human labour: in each revolution a different economic secotr rose to dominance
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- industrial revolution: began in mid-1700s
- centralization of work in factories
- manufacturing and mass production
- specialization
- wage labour
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- information revolution and post-industrial economy: a productive system based on service work and information technology; began in 1950s
- character of work changed:
- from tangible products to ideas
- from mechanical skills to literacy skills
- sectors of the economy:
- primary: part that draws raw materials from the natural environment
- mining planting forestry and farming
- in developed countries a smaller and smaller amount of workers are in the primary sector - 3% of the labour force in the US, for example, where in the 1900s two-thirds worked there
- secondary: part that transforms raw materials into manufactured goods
- manufacturing, processing and construction
- metalworking, chemical and engineering industries, manufacturing
- tertiary: part that generates services
- retail sales, transportation, insurance, entertainment
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- the Global Economy
- the global economy expands economic activity that crosses national borders
- consequences:
- global division of labour
- ( eg. high tech manufactuning in Japan, oil production in Saudi Arabia )
- products pass through several nations
- national governements have less control
- small number of businesses control a vast share of the market
- ( 2 companies control 70-80% of the global wheat trade )
- concerns about the rights and opportunities of workers are raised
- ( factories moved to nations/areas with little worker protection legislation )
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- Economic systems
- Capitalism:
- private ownership of property
- pursuit of personal profit
- competition and consumer choice
- Neo-liberal capitalism vs. welfare capitalism, which combines a mostly market-based economy with extensive social welfare programs
- ( US: neo-liberal; Sweden: welfare capitalist )
- Socialism:
- collective ownership of property
- pursuit of collective goals
- ( instead of personal goals; everyone pursues collective goals such as housing, food and necessities for everyone; something of an ideal )
- gov't control of economy
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- Relative advantages of capitalism and socialism
- economic equality:
- socialist economies create less income disparity but offer a lower overall standard of living
- personal fredom:
- capitalism has freedom to act and socialism has freedom from want
- ( are these always the case? )
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- Work in the Post-Industrial economy
- Canadian statistics
- in 2001, 16.7million people in the labour force
- 73% of men and 61% of women aged 16+ are in the labour force
- 4% are in agricultural work
- 75% of the labour force is in the service sector
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- Dual Labour Market
- primary labur market:
- occupations that provide extensive benefits to workers, eg., white-collar professions and upper management
- secondary labour market:
- jobs that provide minimal benefits to workers, eg., low-skill service and blue-collar work
- reserve army of labour:
- those last hired in expansion and first fired with economic contraction
- ( can be based on various characteristics such as age, race, and gender )
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- Labour unions:
- worker organizations that seek to improve wages and working conditions through various strategies including negotiations and strikes
- one-third of workforce is unionized in Canada
- ( more than japan and US, but less than most western-European countries (Sweden-90%) )
- highest level is in public administration
- now unions face new challenges of providing security to workers
- ( increase in part-time work, globalization and outsourcing )
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- Professions:
- pretigious, white-collar occupation that requires extensive formal education
- theoretical knowloege, not technical training
- autonomy
- self-regulating practice
- authority over clients
- community orientation rather than self-interest
- paraprofessional possess skills, but lack theoretical knowledge
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- Self- and underemployment
- self-employment: earning a living without working for a large organization
- includes professionals, farmers, tradespeople, and homebusinesses
- ( a number of advantages: control of own work, tax reductions; but need to find own work and fund own health and retirement plans )
- in 2001: 15% of labour force
- underemployment:
- 1 uses less than one's full talents or bilities;
- 2 hidden unemployment
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- Unemployment
- cyclical - as a result of lower rates of production during recession in the busness cyle
- seasonal - a result of shifts in the demand for workers depending on the weather or the season
- structural - the skills demanded by employers do not match the skills of the unemployed
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- Rarely below 5% (even in stable economies in developed countries)
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- official statistics understate it
- higher for visible minority and Native men and women
- higher for younger men and women
- ( these trends are mostly worldwide )
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- Tuesday, March 18, 2008
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- Underground economy
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- New information technology and work
- how computers change the workplace:
- "deskilling" labour: machines make some managers obsolete
- making work more abstract: understanding (rather than doing) is key
- limiting workspace interaction
- enhance employer's control of workers: monitors output
- allow relocation of work: call centers
- also reduces (in some cases) the amount of workers required
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- Corporations
- ( unique because they're private sector business; treated as a single entity, but legally separate from the people who own them )
- an organization with a legal existence, including rights and liabilities, apart from that of its members
- ( can be questioned - the corporation is run according to the morals of it's owners/leaders, but they aren't actually held accountable. )
- most corporations are small, but many large corportations dominate markets
- foreign investment is reviewed, but integration is occurring
- ( a lot of controversy about regulation and deregulation, esp. considering foreign investment/work done in countries with lax or no regulations )
- conglomerates: giant corporations composed of many smaller corporations
- corporate linkages are created when corporations merge or when directors control several companies
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- corporations are not always competitive
- monopoly: domination by a single producers
- oligopoly: domination by several producers
- goverment regulation is needed
- in the global economy corporations..
- seek workers in low-income nations
- exploitation or modernization?
-
- Work and economy - applying sociological theory
- ( when you're thinking about soc. perspectives - this is a perspective to view this theory, but there's also an underlying theory describing it. )
-
- symbolic interationist perspective = analyze meanings and self-concept within the workplace and world
- ( professional burger-flipper ? )
- profession or job? Work as a status symbol
- five characteristics of professions:
- 1 rigorous education = undergrad and graduate work + an exam
- 2 theory = education is theoretical, not just hands-on work
- ( medical theory, soc. theory :), etc. )
- 3 self-regulation = member of the profession believes that they only possess sufficient knowledge to determine professional standards
- ( written kind of weird - has a national standardizing organization and ensures ethical standards )
- 4 authority over clients = authority claimed over clients based on their specialized education and theoretical understanding
- 5 professional culture = the public good or service to society, NOT self-interest that lies at the heart of a professional culture
-
- functionalist perspective = suggest that work and economy is a basis of social solidarity and the survival of society
- ( mechanical society: all work together to survive, to organic solidarity: all working for common goals )
-
- conflict theorists = focus on worker exploitation and alienation within economic system and work organizations
- ( workers exploited, uncertainty in work and insecurity )
- the "inner circle" - high-level employers/owners have significant political connections - that are used to get legislation that benefits them
- ( fiercely promoting capitalism around the world )
-
- the Economy: Looking Ahead
- ( our economy has shifted in a drastic way since the 1900s and will continue down a service/information-based economy route )
- transformations define this century:
- information revolution
- emergence of global economy
- problems
- "brain drain"
- people must have literacy and computer skills
- global inequality
- ( exploitation of underdeveloped nations )
- "KBE" - knowledge-based economy
- ( AAF - acronyms are fun )
- ( significant amount of the population is getting educated, almost by requirement )
- ( new idea that only barrier to success is lack of knowledge )
- ( relatively new phenomenon )
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- Tuesday, March 25, 2008
-
thanks to Richard for the notes
-
Ch.17 Politics and Government
- (focus on what covered by the notes)
- Historical overview:
- social institution that distributes power, sets a society's goals, and makes decisions
- power- the ability to achieve desired ends despite resistance from others
- government- a formal organization that directs the political life of a society
- authority - power that people perceive as legitimate rather than coercive
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- Authority
- traditional: power legitimized through respect for long-established cultural patterns, e.g. a monarchy
- rational-legal: power legitimized by legally enacted rules and regulations, e.g. lawful government
- charismatic: power legitimized through extraordinary personal abilities that inspire devotion and obedience, e.g. Pierre Trudeau
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- Politics in Global Perspective
- monarchy : a single family rules over generations
- constitutional Vs absolute Monarchy
- democracy: power is exercised by people as a whole
- limited by bureaucracy and economic inequality in society
- capitalist approach to political freedom is personal liberty and
- socialist approach is that economy meets basic needs
- authoritarianism: denies popular participation in government
- totalitarianism: a highly centralized political system that extensively regulates people's lives
- a global system?
- untied nations
- nongovernmental organizations(NGO): advance global issues, such as human rights and environment
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- Politics in Canada
- Canadian culture, economics and politics
- individualism is tampered with a sense on community responsibility
- shown by Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- a larger budget for government services than the U.S.
- continuing debate about how much should government do and how much it should tax
-
-
- Political Parties
- organizations operating within the political system that seek control of the government
- at the federal level, 3 national parties (Liberal, conservatives, and NDP) and a reginal one (bloc Quebecois)
- functions
- 1.promote political pluralism
- 2.increase political involvement
- 3.select candidates
- 4.forge political alliances
- 5.maintain political stability
-
- Political Ideology
- spectrum runs from communism(left) to extreme conservatism(right)
- left: anti-big business egalitarian, collectivist, and interventionist; supports a broad safety net
- right: pro-big business, private enterprise, free markets, and supports deficit reduction and globalization
- Fig. 17-2
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- Voter Apathy and Socialization
- turnout for federal elections was over 70% but lower in recent electrons , and in 2005, it was 65%; U.S. is lower
- political socialization by family, peers, schools, mass media, ethnic groups, special interest organizations which can become political because of circumstances and by political parties
- why do you think that so many young people do not vote? do you plan to vote in future elections?
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- Theoretical Analysis of Politics (text)
- pluralist model: power is dispersal among many competing interests groups, but powerful and wealthy elites are integratal
- the power-elite model: "Real" Power is concentrated among the very rich: Can the wealthies ever encounter pressure to not act in their own best interests?
- Marxist model explains politics in terms of a society's economic system:
- power is divided along the lines of a capitalist economy. the majority are excluded, like majority of workers
-
- critical review: Canadians can participate and vote, but the system is much less democratic than people think
-
- War power-not test
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- Politics: looking ahead
- problems and trends
- 1.voter turnout
- 2.consideration of more systems than capitalist and socialist
- 3.danger of war in many parts of the world and new superpowers like China and India
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- Thursday, March 27, 2008
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Family
- Basic concepts of family:
- family = universial social institution that unite individualsin to cooperative groups
- generally who live together (with commitment and care for children)
- family unit - a social group of two or more people, related by blood marriage or adoption who usually live together
- kinship = a social bond based on blood, marriage or adoption that joins individuals into families
- ( shift from large extended families (industrial era) to smaller family units (nowadays). Prior to this, families were literally united for survival. )
- extended families = a family unit including parents and childen, but also include their relatives
- nuclear families = a family unit that is composed of one or two parents and their children
- ( loosened concept of having 2 parents in a nuclear family )
- marriage = a legally sanctioned relationship
- involves economic cooperation, normative sexual activity, and bearing of children
- monogamy - legal marriage to one person at a time
- polygamy - a form of marriage uniting 3 or more people
- polygyny = form of marriage where 1 male marries 2 or more females
- polyandry = form of marriage where 1 female marries 2 or more males
-
- monolithic bias = an incomplete bias approach to understanding family
- implies that the "normal" or "natural" family is composed of 2 heterosexual adults who reside together to raise biological children
- ( hmm... )
- ( typing or labeling; negative effects as a result of this idea (?) )
-
- marriage patters and common cultural themes
- 1 norms and mate selection
- endogamy = refers to the norms that specify people should marry within their own group
- ( can be based on religion and/or social class as well; more enforced in caste systems )
- exogamy = refers to norms specifying marriage outside the group
- ( may or may not be controversial )
- 2 patters of descent = refers to the system by which members of a society trace kinship over generations.
- bilateral descent = traces descent of both mother and father's sides of family
- matrilinear descent = system of tracing kinship of mother's lineage
- patrilinear descent = system of tracing kinship of fathers side
- rights of inheritance = based on marriage and family in terms of systems of descent
- patters of authority = refers to men and women's position within familial structure
- patriarchal family = refers to a family where authority is held by the eldest male - generally the father
- matriarchal family = refers to a family where authority is held by eldest female - usually the mother
- egalitarian family = refers to a family in which both people share power and authority
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- Canadian families - Class, Race and Gender
- social class
- middle-class wives seek communication
- middle-class children enjoy better health and achieve more than children born to poor parents
- race and ethnicity
- traditional family values eroded for First Nations people
- most Canadians approve of mixed (religion or ethnicity) marriage
- ( the more educated we become, the more accepting we are; a generational difference )
- gender
- few marriages are equal partnerships
- marriage seems to be healthful for men
- ( marriages dependent on quality of relationship, not family structure? good question. )
-
- Diversity in families
- racial/ethnic diversity = inter-racial or cultural marriages or cohabitation
- single-parent families = one parent primarily raising children - 16%
- ( 1.3 m single parent families in Canada; 80% are single mothers; strong correlation to poverty. Growing number of single-parent dads; wasn't seen more than 15years ago except in case of death of wife. )
- common-law/cohabitation families = refer to a couple living together without being legally married - 16.4% in Canada
- ( younger more likely to cohabitate than older people )
-
- gay/lesbian families - 0.5%
- ( first same-sex marriages in Denmark in 1999; began with Scandanavian countries )
- families without children
- ( don't always want to bring children into a destructive world, financial reasons, etc. )
- ( average age to have children is now 28 instead of earlier 20/21 - more women with career opportunities, etc. )
- blended families = refers to family born out of other familes - brought toghether from divorce or separation and remarriage
- ( 2nd marriages tend to fail more quickly and more likely than 1st marriages; always a struggle to merge sometimes different value systems )
- singlehood - 25% of households
- reproductive technology
- ( statistical trends... missed it. )
- ( common-law rel. on the rise )
- ( marriage not so much )
-
- Transitions and problems in family life
- divorce: 37.7% chance (may be quite on the low end)
- causes
- individualism on the rise
- romantic love often fades
- women are less dependent on men
- today's marriages are stressful
- divorce is socially acceptable
- divorce is easier to get
- who divorces
- young spouses
- short courtship
- few financial resources
- people who have divorced parents (increased likelihood)
- less religious
- marriage as response to an unexpected pregnancy
- alcohol or drug-related problems
- two successful careers
-
- divorce and children
- many men fail to support children
- can be entangled in bitter feuds
- risks of emotional problems and dropping out of school
- could be better than families constantly fighting
- courts favour joint custody, but problems can occur if confrontations are not avoided
- ( laws are changing; court decisions are changing; greater recognition of single dad families )
-
- Some facts on changing families
- 1901 - census includes category for divorce as marital status
- 1968 - federal divorce act allows 'marriage breakdown' grounds for divorce - used to be only 'adultery' grounds
- 1976 - census includes "head of household" as husband or wife rather than husband only
- 1991 - census asks about common-law status
- 1993 - change to tax laws - C/L spouses - 12 months - same as married for tax-purposes
- 2000 - Modernization of Benefits Act - C/L and same-sex couples receive same benefits as married couples
- 2001 - census re-definies C/L to include same sex couples
- 2002 - Quebec recognizes C/L unions in civil codes
- 2003 - BC - rules definition of marriage discriminatory against same-sex couples
- 2004 - Supreme court rules: C/L relationship ends when people stop living together; married people tied legally
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- Remarriage: 80% of divorced remarry
- blended familes - children and parents of more than one family
- Family violence
- women are more likely to be severly abused and killed by an intimate partner than men
- much help for women, little for men.
- ( current shift - helping provide social services to the man in some cases and particularly to the family in general )
- Violence against children
- most abusers are men and have been abused themselves
- Elder abuse is likly underrepresented
-
- domestic/childcare responsibilites - difficult transition within a new family with children due to role expectations and dual earner status
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-
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- Tuesday, April 01, 2008
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-
- Social Perspectives on the Family:
-
- !!Missing notes for start - structural-functional
-
- Inequality and the family: social conflict and fem
- perpetuates inequality by:
- property and inheritance
- patriarchy
- race and ethnic inequality
- critical review: ignores that
- non-capitalist societies have family problems
- families carry out functions not easily accomplished by other means
- ( much more so in larger families )
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- Constructing family life: micro-level analysis (symbolic-interactionist)
- symbolic-interation: opportunities for haring activities helps build emotional bonds
- social-exchange: courtship and marriage as a negotiation to ake the "best deal" on their partner
- critical review: misses the bigger picture
- family life is similar for people in similar social and economic backgrounds
-
- ( integrated perspective required: a very complex issue, how it's structured, how it's changed, etc. - multiple perspectives required. Interdisciplinary approaches are required to understand the issue. )
-
- The Family: Looking Ahead
- 1 divorce rates likely to remain high
- 2 family life will be highly diverse
- 3 men are likely to play a limited role in childrearing
- 4 economic changes will be influential
- 5 new reproductive technologies will increase
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-
Education
- Education vs. schooling
- education = the social institution through which society provides its members with:
- important knowledge including basic facts
- job skills
- cultural norms and values.
- ( formal education clearly intended to sharpen our mind )
- schooling = formal instruction under the direction of specially trained teachers
- ( "apprenticing and more hands-on, compared to more academic of university" - wait, is that right? )
-
- Education: a global survey
- schooling is tied to economic development
- in low- and middle-income countries people learn at home and reflects national culture
- little opportunity to go to school
- ( is this correct as well? Seems like school is fairly common even in many poor countries. )
- Schooling in India
- many children work, limiting their schooling
- half the populatino is literate
- patriarchy shapes opportunity: 45% of boys and 30% of girls attend secondary school.
- Schooling in Japan
- has some of the world's highest achievers
- schools foster traditional values
- 96% of young people graduate from highschool
- half attend cram schools to attend university
- students outperform Canadian students in mathematics and science
- ( increased pressure on students that produces impressive results )
-
- Schooling in Great Britain
- schooling was a privelige of nobility in middle ages
- now, all attend till 16 years
- public schools, like Canadian boarding schools, are for the wealthy
- universities are now more open
- graduates of "Oxbridge" still become elite
- ( can become elite by attending a prestigious university )
-
- schooling in Canada
- 15.2% of Canadians (15+ years of age) have university degrees in 2001
- but it has a smaller percentage than the US with university degrees
- there is a gradual shift to engineering, mathematics, and science degrees, but we lag other countries.
- Canada has a policy of universal, publicly supported primary and secondary schooling
- ( difficulties in accessing post-secondary - prohibitive costs (plus loan issues) )
- ( do we really have the equality that the education ssystem promotes, or is there unequal access )
- it also has 273 publicly supported post-seconodary institutions, including 69 universities
- Canada claims minimal illiteracy, functional illiteracy, reading and writing skills insufficient for daily living.
- ( worth studying on a wider level )
- 15% of adult Canadians were not sufficiently literate to carry out word recognition and addition and subtraction
- classrooms - very mixed environment
- ( difference between rural and urban quality of education )
-
- Problems in the schools
- school discipline
- violence
- not like U.S. but assaults and killings have occurred
- eg., Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique, Columbine, Taber
- dropping out
- boys more than girls
- from single or no-parent households
- have lower averages
- use drugs
- etc.
- Aboriginal people have a high rate of dropout
- coming from rural/northern to urban area
- cultural differences
- Academic standards
- formerly low international test schores are now much higher
- ( criticism of standardized tests - designed for white/male people? )
-
- Home schooling
- less popular in Canada than in U.S.
- but some parents want higher standards than schools provide
- ( legislated a little bit; must meet education dept. standards )
-
- education and world of work
- the ability to integrate and use information, adapt to change and conceptualize the future are in demand
- leadership and conflict-management skills are also scarce
-
-
- The functions of schooling
- functionalist perspective = suggest education as contributing to well-being of society
- produces order and stability
- ( based on survival incentive - education helps one survive, in general. )
- Manifest function = intended consequences of people's actions
- ( intent of schooling - to get a job. "hmm?" )
- teaching of knowledge and skills
- cultural innovation
- social integration
- gate keeping/social placement
- ( certain amount of competition as well )
- ( historically, a certain amount of gender-based plaecement )
- ( Latent function = secondary consequences of an action ...? )
- ( latent functions: )
- ( provides child care )
- ( reduces competition for jobs, and )
- ( helps establish networks and identify partners )
- ( )
- ( Critical review: )
- the quality of schooling is far better for some than others ( community schools, inequality, ect. )
- ( reproduces the class system )
- ( )
- ( Conflict Perspective )
- ( ...and the Hidden Curriculum! )
- ( generally produce ideas of social control - punctuality, neat work, etc.; designed to encourage people to go out into the workforce )
- ( refers to the attitudes and rules of behaviour taught in school such as: )
- ( obedience to authority )
- ( conformity to cultural norms )
- ( )
- ( S.I. and the self-fulfilling prophecy - a result of the labelling process in school - what is predicted will actually come true )
- ( people start internailzing the labels people give them )
- ( teachers' expectations can affect self-image and academic performance )
- ( if students and teachers come to view one group is superior to another, the ensuing behaviour could fulfill prophecy )
- ( )