SumBlog 11

http://faculty.maxwell.syr.edu

Dorothy Smith 

Smith’s sociological theory is composed of three main points: Standpoint theory, Bifurcated Consciousness, and Alternative Sociology.

The first being Standpoint theory, is fully emerging yourself into a culture to gain a better understanding of the beliefs shared within it. This meaning that we as observers should not observe from the outside of a culture but to truly understand another ones culture you must place yourself within it and do your observing within. With the hopes of becoming more knowledgeable about each others cultures. This standpoint theory can be looked at in two ways: experiences and perspectives. Experiences being the ones that you speak of and perspectives being the hands-on learning and experiences you put in.

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Missionary. Is one example that I can think of when talking about the standpoint theory. Most missionary emerge themselves with in the culture they are trying to serve. They become familiar with the culture and become comfortable around the people of that culture familiar with their beliefs. Until they feel comfortable enough to share their with them.

The second being Bifurcated Consciousness. Bifurcation: distinction between the world as we experience it and the world as we come to know it through the conceptual frameworks that science invents” ( Dorothy Smith, 1926). Bifurcated: to divide into two branches or parts (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2013). Dorothy explains Bifurcated Consciousness to be the identity of a women and as a women sociologist. Meaning that sociology is traditionally made up of a male dominated career and most of the studies and books written and done about sociology are going to be in a male point-of-view (standpoint). Dorothy see and deal with the Bifurcated Consciousness herself because she has the division in which she is a female and is involved in a male dominated career. Her tools: books, case studies are done from a males point-of-view and her experiences being different form what her tools are saying because she is female and is looked at through her point-of-view. This having the barrier of the Bifurcated Consciousness.

The third being Alternative Sociology.

“An alternative sociology would be a means of anyone of understanding

how the world comes about for us and how it is organized so that it

happens to us as it does in our experience. An alternative sociology, from

the standpoint of women, makes the everyday world problematic” (

Lemert, 2013).

The meaning that we are to learn and explore by using our own knowledge to better understand and unfold what is going on around us. 

SumBlog 10

                Clifford Geertz 

Culture. 

Looked at Culture. He defined culture as a system of inherited conception expressed in symbol forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate & develop their knowledge about attitudes towards life. Meaning that culture or society is developed and made up of symbols.

Geertz looks at symbols in two different ways:

Thick description:

Rich and full of detail. Looking and understand details with in a picture.

Thin description:

Superficial. Looking at the whole picture and not looking at the details it with holds.

Verizon Commercial

This Verizon commercial helps explain thin and thick description. They see the whole picture as the USA and not the thick description being the coverage that Verizon service offers.

Us as a society decide whether we view them as sacred or profound.

Sacred-have large value

Profound-have little to no value

These can differ from culture to culture.

Example being gestures. Gesture and greeting differ from culture to culture. From hand shakes to kissing.

Some symbols that maybe found in society are:

• American Flag
• Wedding Ring
• Cross

We often overlook or forget what the symbolize is behind things that we see everyday. 

Overall Clifford Geertz main focus was looking looking at different symbols throughout society and looking at how society ascribes meaning to them. It is crazy to think of how we ascribed to different symbols throughout society and we may not even know it. Very interesting way to look at things throughout our society and others. 

SumBlog 9

Erving Goffman

Status and Roles

Goffman focused on status and roles with in a society and how it interacts with an individual. Goffman looks at status and roles as two different things: status being a particular social position that an individual may hold and roles being the behavior that is expected of a particular status.

For Example:

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Status: Doctor

Role: we would expect doctors to be caring, helpful, knowledgeable, and accountable, honest, etc. We don’t expected doctors to be dishonest, harmful because society gives them expectations because of their high ranking.

These two terms are so linked together that in if they don’t flow are follow the pattern of one another it will result in an act of deviance or embarrassment.

Goffman also looks as self-labeling and the power of audience on these statuses and roles.

Self-labeling: is an identity that one presents to others in an attempt to manage their impression of him or herself.

Power of Audience: the reaction of the audience (community, peers, and coworkers) can reflect or direct how one may act or finish presenting themselves.

For Example: Stand-up Comedian

 

 

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A Stand-up-Comedian relies on his audience as a part of his act. If his audience reacts negatively to something he or she will steer clear of that topic and begin on a new one. If he or she get a good reaction (laughter) out of the audience then they may continue with that topic. There act is revolved all around the power of the audience.

The audience members are expectation of what they want to hear or see and if the comedian does not meet their expectations than the audience will fill in the rest with what they want (reaction).

If the comedian fails to meet the expectations of the audience this results in power of audience. The comedian did not fit his status and therefore did not fulfill his role expectations the audience had resulting in embarrassment.

 

SumBlog 8

                                              Self and Identity  

                              William Edward Burghardt.

W.E.B. Du Bios main focus was looking at self and identity and how it was present within different ethnic groups. Du Bios was a black man that lived and wrote during the Great Depression. His two key concepts were:

• Veil

The literal definition given of veil in Merriam-Webster dictionary is, something that covers or hides something else.

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When thinking of a veil you think of a women on her wedding day. Du Bios uses the word veil in that concept but in the sense that there is not literally something over your face disrupting your view but in the sense that there is something holding you back from your full potential. Such as race, society and morals. 

• Double-Consciousness  

 

The literal definition given of double-consciousness in Merriam-Webster dictionary is, the presence of two apparently unconnected streams of consciousness in one individual.

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Du Bios uses the word double-consciousness in that concept that there is a stereotype that belongs with that certain person because of their skin color or hair-do, or something to have to do with themselves or family. With this Du bios is saying that a person may have double-consciousness because they maybe trying to break the stereotype of their race, or family. Breaking it down father and to understand the double to the concept is looking at the two identities that maybe carried.

1.  Stereotype
2. The things that the person is trying to do to beat the stereotype 

Overall Du Bois' concepts are great and I believe are accurate and still are present in today's society. People are trying to fight stereotypes and break them every day