Sunday, March 25, 2012
The Bottom Line: The Culture of Poverty
The idea of a "culture of poverty" was originally founded by Oscar Lewis. Oscar Lewis looked past poverty's functionality in society and instead delved into the norms and values of those who are impoverished. His research demonstrated that the poor, had there own system of norms and values. Just like individuals in high culture set out the standard for what is innovative and beautiful in society, individuals within the culture of poverty have their own distinct lifestyle specifically structure for those who are impoverished; "it has a structure, a rationale, and defense mechanisms without which the poor could hardly carry on." The culture of poverty, mimics the principles of a subculture; impoverished predecessors pass down the principles and morals of the poor to forthcoming generations. Practices such as this one, suggest that the poor lives a distinct way of life that is essentially intertwined to the functionality of society.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Monkey See, Monkey Do: High Culture
Hello fellow bloggers :D, this week we have to use a sociological perspective and discuss the forces and institutions
that help shape popular culture. Instead of using the typical Marxism, Functionalism, or Symbolic Interactionism to answer this question, I've decided to use high culture :D.
High culture, developed by Matthew Arnold, is the theory that a superior form of culture serves as the premise for virtue, reason, and human excellence. "The best that has been thought and said in the world", is laced within high culture. Those who exist outside of the "higher culture", are considered to be the common folk or, in other words, the average individual. Through the use of institutions and forces such as the educational system and the mass media, the higher culture imposes certain principles and beliefs into the common folk resulting in the shaping of the popular culture. Popular culture are those things that are considered trendy and valuable by the common folk. What are the things that are considered trendy? Things that are most likely held by the "higher culture". Ultimately, in this tense, popular culture serves as slaves to the dominance of the higher culture.
that help shape popular culture. Instead of using the typical Marxism, Functionalism, or Symbolic Interactionism to answer this question, I've decided to use high culture :D.
High culture, developed by Matthew Arnold, is the theory that a superior form of culture serves as the premise for virtue, reason, and human excellence. "The best that has been thought and said in the world", is laced within high culture. Those who exist outside of the "higher culture", are considered to be the common folk or, in other words, the average individual. Through the use of institutions and forces such as the educational system and the mass media, the higher culture imposes certain principles and beliefs into the common folk resulting in the shaping of the popular culture. Popular culture are those things that are considered trendy and valuable by the common folk. What are the things that are considered trendy? Things that are most likely held by the "higher culture". Ultimately, in this tense, popular culture serves as slaves to the dominance of the higher culture.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Symbolic Interactionism: Finding its Place in a Sociological World
Symbolic Interactionism, developed by G.H. Mead, is a sociological perspective that uses symbols portrayed amongst individuals in order to derive motive and meaning (language being the most notable). In symbolic interactionism, symbols serve as the core elements of all human interaction.
There has been much dispute over the context of symbolic interactionism; is this a sociological perspective or does it play a greater role as a psychological approach. Even though symbolic interactionism tends to focus more on the individual's behavior, ultimately the focus does contribute to the overall study of society. For example, making connections as to what a symbol represents could interpret why a certain area acts in a specific manner; Or an observation on irrational behavior being correlated to a recent trend of symbols that sparked in the area. Really what I'm trying to convey is that micro studies like symbolic interactionism do have a macro impact. Symbolic Interactionism may dwell more into the individual psyche but that intrusion is still influential and beneficial to sociology.
There has been much dispute over the context of symbolic interactionism; is this a sociological perspective or does it play a greater role as a psychological approach. Even though symbolic interactionism tends to focus more on the individual's behavior, ultimately the focus does contribute to the overall study of society. For example, making connections as to what a symbol represents could interpret why a certain area acts in a specific manner; Or an observation on irrational behavior being correlated to a recent trend of symbols that sparked in the area. Really what I'm trying to convey is that micro studies like symbolic interactionism do have a macro impact. Symbolic Interactionism may dwell more into the individual psyche but that intrusion is still influential and beneficial to sociology.
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