Psychology: Subcultures, Culture Lag, and Media Effects (PDF)

\-      Ex. Girl scouts, college sororities, boarding school.           Subcultures include ethnic groups like Mexicans or orthodox Jews, or groups like the elite upper class. Can cause [tension with dominant] group.           When laws of dominant society are violated, a **counterculture results*...

\-      Ex. Girl scouts, college sororities, boarding school.           Subcultures include ethnic groups like Mexicans or orthodox Jews, or groups like the elite upper class. Can cause [tension with dominant] group.           When laws of dominant society are violated, a **counterculture results**. Values differ greatly from larger society. \-      Ex. Mormons believe in polygamy. **Polygamy =** more than one spouse, **polygyny** = more than one wife \-      Ex. Amish reject mainstream ideas and have their own ideas, reject technology and consumerism.           Jim Goes to College Subculture          Within a nation many smaller groups -- ethnic, regional, tribal subcultures made of people who [identify closely with each other.] So subculture is [smaller community t]hat distinguishes itself from larger society.  \-      Different cities states in US may have their own unique subcultures.  ·       Ex. Jim, grew up in Florida his whole life, but got into university in Washington DC. Notices a lot of differences between the two. Ex. Has to parallel park, and has to pay for parking. Driving in DC not same as in Florida, much more traffic.           Culture Lag and Culture Shock          **Culture lag** is the fact culture takes [time to catch up] with technological innovations, resulting in [social problems].  \-      Common in societies because material culture changes rapidly, while non-material culture resists change.  \-      **Material culture** refers to [physical and technological aspects] of our daily lives, like *food and houses* \-      **Non-material culture** doesn't include physical objects, like *ideas/beliefs/values*, which [resist change].  ·       Examples: when cars first invented no laws to govern driving (no speed limits, lanes, etc). Very dangerous but laws soon written to fix problem. Or invention of computers and emails.           **Culture Shock** -- feelings of disorientation, uncertainty, and even fear when they encounter [unfamiliar culture] practices. Ex. Moving countries or travels to another type of life (urban to rural).  \-      In foreign places, business conducted differently, and food completely different.  \-      As a result of culture shock may feel homesick, lonely, etc.  \-      Sometimes see things frowned upon in own culture          Diffusion          **Diffusion** is the [spread of an invention or discovery] from one place to another. Even technology and software have made a difference in how people connect with others across the globe. Can occur in many ways. ·       Ex. Capitalism, democracy and religious beliefs ·       Exploration, military conquest, missionary work, mass media, tourism, internet. ·       Ex. Food in America seen all around the world -- McDonalds in Asia. Spanish is one of fastest growing languages. Or the ALS ice bucket challenge.           **Mass media** = dissemination of information, and how it's transmitted within a culture. Includes print media and digital media. How it's consumed changes across cultures in each group. Can look at role it plays through society through different sociological perspectives.  \-      According to the **functionalist perspective**, its main role is to provide **entertainment**. Also says it can act as an **agent of socialization** (ex. **Collective experience** of watching Olympics on TV, and **community building** -- entire internet communities) and act as an **enforcer of social norms**.  ·       Also tells us what *society expects of us* through [rewards and punishment], ex. Seeing criminals. But can also [glorify behaviours] that are wrong in society, like intense physical violence.  ·       Also functions as a [promoter of consumer culture]. At the turn of century average US child saw 20000 commercials a year on TV. Only increased from there, and not clear what impact this may have on next generation. \-      The **conflict perspective** focuses on how the media portrays and reflects and [exacerbate **divisions**] that exist in society, ex. Race/social class.  ·       Uses term **gatekeeping** to describe the process by which a small number of people and corporations [control what information is presented] on the media, and how they move through a series of gates before they reach the public. In some countries this is decided by the government, in others decided by large media corporations. ·       Gatekeeping has more effect on some media than others, ex. Lots of control on big movies, but little overhead control on what's posted online. ·       Also describes how mass media reflects the dominant ideology. Often limits other views. People who make the choice -- the gatekeepers are predominantly white, male, and wealthy.  ·       Portrayal of minorities can be [stereotyped]. And attempts to fix this can wrongly result in **tokenism**.  ¨     Tokenism -           **Feminist Theories** is similar to *conflict theory*, in that mass media misrepresents society towards the ***dominant ideology***. Specifically, message about men and women are represented in the media. Depictions of men and women often stereotyped, emphasizing traditional sex roles.            **Interactionist perspective** looks at mass media on **micro-level** to see how it [shapes day to day behavior].  \-      How mass media blurs line between solidary and group activities  ·       Ex. watching a movie.  \-      And [how we connect] with others using media *changes over time* (email instead of phone, or online dating).            **Evolution** **and Human Culture**          Culture is the customs, knowledge, and behaviours [learned and socially transmitted]. Includes values and objects meaningful to a group of people. Culture also has a **biological** component.   \-      **Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution** -- both **physical traits** and **behaviours** can be selected for if they contribute to success of the species.  ·       Ex. For behaviours, all cultures of ways of dealing with illness/medicine/healing. Or wedding/funeral ceremonies. Language. Indicates they were selected for as human species evolved.           **Evolution** can [shape culture], but can also think of [how culture can shape human evolution]. \-      Ex. Hunter-gatherer society vs. farming society, people moved less, and populations grew. Because of this people were more exposed to outbreaks of disease. Since only those that survived weren't killed off, these societies have shaped our immune systems. \-      Or *lactose intolerance*, first year of life most humans get nutrition from milk, but switched after children are weaned. But Northern Europeans which reared cattle, don't have this effect -- their lactase gene doesn't turn off. So those able to digest milk more likely to survive.           **Social Inequality**          Overview of **Social Inequality**          The **resources** in a society are [unevenly distributed].  \-      Ex. Wealth in US, top 20% have 72% of the wealth of the country and bottom 20% only control 3% \-      Upper, middle, and lower class. Based on incomes.  \-      As you go up the social ladder, have better access to education, healthcare, and housing.           Groups of population disproportionality affected -- **ethnic/racial minorities** have greater degrees of inequality as manifested by lower incomes, lower education, and reduced access to healthcare. \-      Those in poverty also face considerable barriers to obtaining the same healthcare, education, and other resources as others. \-      Gender does too. Females experience differences in pay (**gender-pay gap**), and the **glass ceiling effect** (poorly represented in higher position in companies)          People may feel increasingly **socially excluded**, live in **segregated neighbourhoods**, and feel **politically disempowered**. \-      Can lead to civil unrest, and tempt people into criminal activities.           Ways to help: **government schemes** (ex. Food stamps), improve **access to education/healthcare,** and figure out social interventions that allow **integration to society**.           **[Upward] and [Downward] Mobility**,           We have a number of ways to break down society into social layers, ex. Classes \-      Lower class -- manual work, labour, low-pay jobs. \-      Middle class -- professionals, better paying jobs \-      Upper class -- very wealthy businessmen and family wealth  ·       Correlates to amount of income.           When we think of **social positions**, can there be movement? Yes. Various ways. \-      Individual can move **horizontally** -- move within the [same class].  ·       Ex. Accountant switches job to different accounting company.  \-      **Vertical movement** -- move up or down the [social hierarchy].  ·       Ex. Manager at restaurant becomes CEO of fast food restaurant. But if he gets demoted to serving food, fall downwards.           Various types of social constructs that allow for social mobility. \-      **Caste system** -- [very little] social mobility, because your role is determined entirely by ***background*** you're born to and who you're married to. *A lot of social stability*.  ·       Ex. The Hindu caste system.  \-      **Class system** -- allows for [degree] of social mobility, ***combination of background and movement***, often by education. *Less stability*.  \-      **Meritocracy** -- concept that people achieve social position solely based on ***ability and achievements***. Highly idealized. Birth/parental background doesn't matter. [Extreme] social mobility. *Equal opportunity* **         Intergenerational and Intragenerational mobility, Social Mobility** \-      If change in social class happens in a [person's own lifetime] -- **intragenerational mobility**. \-      **Intergenerational mobility** -- change in social class [between generations] ·       Ex. Parent is working class and son is working class.           **Absolute and Relative Poverty**          2 different ways of thinking about poverty -- does it *threaten survival* of person, or does it *exclude* them from society?  \-      **Absolute poverty** -- An absolute level at which if you go below, [survival is threatened]. ***Minimum level*** of resources a human being needs to survive. This level no matter where you are.  ·       Approx. \$1-2 a day, talking about [developing countries].  ·       However, someone in Arctic needs a lot more than somewhere else. There's variability absolute poverty does not consider.  ·       The median level of income in a society can gradually rise as country gets richer. When it does, we find less people live in absolute poverty -- decrease in poverty. \-      **Relative Poverty** -- in [developed countries], use a different marker -- a % level below the median income of the country. Ex. In Us, instead of \$1-2 a day, median income is above \$80/day.  ·       **\