Theoretical Perspectives in the Study of Culture and Society PDF

**Theoretical Perspective in the Study of Culture and Society:** **THEORY** - Coherent set of general propositions that are used and applied as principles to explain a certain phenomenon 1. **COMPARATIVE THEORY** - Study the similarities and differences between or among societies. 2....

**Theoretical Perspective in the Study of Culture and Society:** **THEORY** - Coherent set of general propositions that are used and applied as principles to explain a certain phenomenon 1. **COMPARATIVE THEORY** - Study the similarities and differences between or among societies. 2. **CRITICAL THEORY** - To critique society, social structures, and systems of power to foster egalitarian social change. 3. **CULTURAL EVOLUTIONISM THEORY** - Declares that societies progress from simpler to more complex organizational forms. 4. **DIFFUSIONISM THEORY** - Cultural borrowing from one another results in societal change. 5. **FEMINIST THEORY** - Women are given a voice to highlight various ways on how they have greatly contributed to society. 6. **FUNCTIONALISM THEORY** - Society is like a biological organism with all its parts interconnected. - These parts function relatedly to satisfy the human needs. 7. **HISTORICAL MATERIALISM THEORY** - Culture is a product of material conditions in which a given community finds itself. 8. **INTERPRETIVE THEORY** - Understand the subjective experience of human beings. 9. **NEO-EVOLUTIONISM THEORY** - Culture is shaped by environmental and technological conditions. 10. **PSYCHOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY THEORY** - Learning a culture impacts on one's personality. 11. **STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM THEORY** - Social institutions primarily function to maintain the harmony of social whole. 12. **SYMBOLIC INTERACTION THEORY** - Society is analyzed by addressing the subjective meanings that individuals impose on behaviors, events, and objects. **SOCIAL ORGANIZATION:** **PRIMARY & SECONDARY** **SOCIAL ORGANIZATION** - Pattern of individual and group relations resulting from social interactions **SOCIAL GROUP** - Two or more people who share enduring interaction and relationship resulting in similarities in values, beliefs, lifestyle, and attitudes - The commonality established in social groups makes members feel **a sense of belongingness.** **Not Considered a Social Group:** 1. **AGGREGATE** - Quasigroup that possesses **physical proximity** but does not have enduring social interaction 2. **CATEGORY** - Assembly or gathering of people with common traits and interests. - Does not need to be physically together or have interactions. **PRIMARY GROUPS** - Small social groups - Personal and lasting relationships - Tightly integrated groups with more commonalities - High sense of group identity, loyalty, and emotional ties - Introduced by Charles Horton Cooley. He believed that these groups **mold individuals** into who they are and **prepare them for society.** **Ex**: - Family **SECONDARY GROUP** - Large membership - Impersonal relationships - No sense of group identity - Exist to accomplish goals or objectives - Bigger and less personal **Ex:** - Construction workers **Primary Group** **Secondary Group** ------------------------------ ----------------------------- Personal Impersonal Intimate Less intimate Long-term Short-term High sense of group identity low sense of group identity Smaller Larger **SOCIAL ORGANIZATION:** **IN-GROUPS & OUT-GROUPS** **IN-GROUP** - Social group that a person identifies with and feels like he or she belongs to. - In-group members are loyal to each other and believe they are superior than out-group members. - People tend to favor the members of the group they identify with and probably have stereotypes and prejudices about nonmembers. **OUT-GROUP** - Social group a person does not identify with and does not belong to the in-group **POWER** - When a large in-group has power, it has the ability to influence how society views out-group members **INTERGROUP AGGRESSION** - When a powerful group does acts that intend to harm out-group members, it results in intergroup aggression **SOCIAL ORGANIZATION: REFERENCE** **REFERENCE GROUP** - Came from Herbert Hyman - Group to which one compares himself or herself to evaluate one\'s attitude, beliefs, and behaviors. - One can change his or her reference group depending on the stage of one's life. **ANTICIPATORY SOCIALIZATION** - Out-groups can also be used as a reference by someone who wishes to be part of the group. +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Types of Reference Groups:** | | +===================================+===================================+ | **POSITIVE REFERENCE** | **NEGATIVE REFERENCE** | | | | | Groups whose norms are followed | Groups whose norms are avoided by | | by individuals because they want | individuals because they do not | | to be a part of the group | want to be identified with them | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **SOCIAL ORGANIZATION: NETWORK** **NETWORK** - A structure of social actors connected by relatively weak social ties. - Vary in terms of size, form, and relationship. - A group of immediate and distant relatives can be considered a network. **The Concept of Common Good** - Not all networks are tied to a geographical location. - With the invention of the internet, users can form connections with social actors from around the world. **Importance of Networks:** - Being part of a network comes with expected cultural and economic benefits or social capital. **PERSPECTIVE-AT-WORK** - Charles Horton Cooley's **looking-glass self theory** and its implication on how we project ourselves on social media