Chapter 2 Concepts For Social And Cultural Theories

Chapter Outline  The Concept of Society  Social Structural Concepts  Stratification  Networks  The Concept of Culture  Cultural Concepts

Chapter Outline  Modernization and Globalization  Jews and Italians in North America  Theorizing About Ethnic Mobility  The Cultural Theory  The Social Theory  Reference Groups and Italian Traditionalism

Society  Any relatively self-contained and self- sufficient group united by social relationships.  A society occupies a definite physical location—even nomadic societies tend to travel a familiar route within a specific area.  Not all societies are nations and some nations include several societies.

Social Structures  Social structures are characteristics of a group rather than of individuals.  Social structures influence behavior in much the same way that physical structures such as doors and stairways channel movements.

Population Density As a Social Structure Nation Population per square mileNation Population per square mile Singapore11,441Austria240 Bangladesh2,255Spain204 Taiwan1,659Costa Rica159 Netherlands1,146Egypt142 South Korea1,138Ireland131 Belgium850Mexico121 Japan757Ecuador101 India697Zimbabwe72 United Kingdom617United States71

Networks: Strong and Weak Ties  A tie is another word for a relationship.  Strong ties –Require more time and effort than weak ties. –More effective for exerting influence –Weak ties are more effective for spreading information.  Weak ties –Networks based on weak ties will be larger than networks of strong ties.

Redundant Ties and Networks  A tie that duplicates links among members.  Any member can send a message to another member by several routes.  Implications: –Information will get around rapidly. –Everyone’s information will be the same. –The scope of the information reaching the group will be very limited.

Local Networks  Members engage in direct, person-to- person interaction and form and sustain strong ties.  Members provide one another with emotional and material support.  Weakness: They are self-contained and lack input as well as outreach.

Cosmopolitan Networks  Members seldom engage in face-to-face interaction and tend to be scattered geographically.  Offer little solidarity and have little capacity to comfort and sustain members.  Benefit: Members have a constant flow of new information and a great reach of influence.

Nations and Local Networks “If you could improve your work or living conditions, how willing or unwilling would you be to:” Nation “Move to another neighborhood?” “Move to another city within this country?” Unwilling (%) Russia7277 Austria5869 Italy3853 Sweden3146 Great Britain2838 Canada2133 United States1929

Culture  The pattern of living that directs human social life.  Everything that humans learn and the things they learn to use. –language, religions, science, art, notions of right and wrong, explanations of the meaning of life

Values and Norms  Values are general standards for assessing good and bad, desirable and undesirable.  Norms define what behavior is required, acceptable, or prohibited.  Groups and societies vary immensely in terms of values and norms.

Truth as a Value Across Cultures Nation Lying in your Own interest is Never justified (%) Nation Lying in your Own interest is Never justified (%) Bulgaria70Canada45 Iceland69Spain43 South Korea 69United Kingdom 41 Norway56Mexico29 United States 55 Germany 29 Sweden55Belgium29

Cultural Theory of Ethnic Mobility  The best way to predict how people will behave is to know their cultural background.  Example: Jewish and Italian Success in North America –Jewish values of learning and norms of educational achievement helped them become successful. –Italians valued family loyalty over learning which led them to drop out of school and thwarted their social progress.

Social Theory of Ethnic Mobility  Social causes account for the differences in the economic position of immigrants.  Upon arriving in new surroundings, people with higher status backgrounds are likely to regain higher-status positions.  A group’s average status in a new society will reflect their average status in the old society.

Reference Groups And Italian Traditionalism  The reference group for large numbers of Italian Americans was the inhabitants of rural villages in southern Italy.  As the reference groups began to change, and Italian Americans began to adapt to the culture and conditions around them.  In a few years, Italians achieved rapid upward mobility.