'Clip of the day' Poll

The choices for this week's clip of the day are:

1. Dove Evolution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

2. Top 10 Sports

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kga0eKfeeTE&feature=related

3. White and Forest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uij6BSxx1P0

4. Crazy Stunt Man

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1llLXY/www.youtube.com/watch%253Fv%253DPY5rUNnYFq8

Great suggestions as always, and keep them coming!

Please submit suggestions onto this blog post! Suggestions on other blog posts will not be considered. Thanks!

Project description

Like water to fish.

We all live in society. We are all parts of our culture, and are involved in groups, organizations, and sub-cultures. We learn and respond to social norms, we recognize different social roles, and are embedded in different social structures. These concepts, and many more besides, refer to aspects of our social world that can help us understand how and why things happen the way that they do.

Although norms, roles, social structure, and sub-cultures are parts of our lives everyday, most of the time, most people don't think about them one bit. However, it is often the case that a little reflection can go a long way towards making sense of everyday events. A central aim of this course is to help people see and understand aspects of the social world in ways that are helpful and interesting.

We all become teachers.

This quarter students will work in groups of 3-5 to create projects that teach about sociological concepts in ways that are effective, interesting, and entertaining.  Student projects will be publicly in class and online, and through whatever publication medium is standard for the project (youtube,blogger, facebook, etc.).  Details about the project assignment are posted on this blog.   

See the initial assignment description here.

Check out the two videos listed below.  They are from a couple years ago, but they still good examples in terms of ideas and interests:

http://projectsinsocandsocialchange.blogspot.com/2010/01/intro-to-student-projects.html


Some other successful examples are linked from the end of last year's class:

http://projectsinsocandsocialchange.blogspot.com/2010/04/excellent-projects.html

Stratification Theories

We have already talked about stratification being the unequal distribution of valued goods or holdings in a population (ex: income). Today we focused on the stratification theories.

Conflict Theory of Stratification

Those in dominant positions will attempt to use power to advance their own interests

Marx's Class Conflict: Pimps and Hoes!

There are 2 classes:

1. Owners- those who own the means of production (pimps)

2. Workers (hoes)

False Consciousness: The workers become more concerned with the dominant interests (that are not their own interests!), and thus become mindless servants more or less.

Marx advocated for a classless society: Eliminate the means of production --> Utopia

Weber's multidimensional stratification theory:

The 3 P's:

1. Property (class)- control and ownership

2. Prestige (status)- position that accords merit and rewards

3. Power (party)- influence, relations, positions used to gain advantages

Mid term questions

Mmmm.  Doughnuts.

Complete and turn in your exam BEFORE noon on Monday. 


You are free to use your notes and discuss questions with your classmates.  However, you must write your own answers.  srsly!

Type your answers on Google Docs or Microsoft word before you submit them. 

Once they are all written, then open the quiz and copy and paste them into the following Google Form. SUBMIT ONLY ONCE. 

The ideal answers are logically complete but short and succinct.  Make sure you use your own examples (not the ones from lecture).



Click the link at the bottom of this post when you are ready to upload your answers. 

1.    Symbolic interactionism compared to exchange theory,  10 points

What are the roles of the self and the mind in Symbolic Interaction theory?   Explain how this approach is different from exchange theory.

2.   Creation of norms, 10 points

How are norms created?  Explain how externalities and sanctions give rise to norms.

3.   Beer pong, 10 points

Pretend that you are talking with some friends at a party.  You point out that they might catch a cold or worse from playing beer pong.   Use your understanding social networks, concurrency and social science research to explain the potential role of beer pong in the spread of communicable diseases.  

4.   Surveys,  10 points

How did Moot's success at becoming the most influential person of the year illustrate problems in many online surveys?  How do stratified random samples overcome these problems?

moot example:

http://techcrunch.com/2009/04/27/time-magazine-throws-up-its-hands-as-it-gets-pwned-by-4chan/

5.   Social production:   25 points.   This question has three parts

a.Explain what Shirky means by “social production” and use some of Ostrom’s arguments to explain when/where people will help and share for free.  [see page 112 in Shirky]

b.Explain Chris Anderson’s argument about how and why internet video “changes the game” for the evolution of culture.

http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_how_web_video_powers_global_innovation.html

c.Use new and interesting examples to shed new light on how these two arguments help us understand the world.

6.    Conflict, Political Power and Social protest.  25 points.   This question has three parts

Consider the recent and current events in Egypt.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Egyptian_protests

Refer to this resource and others to gain greater insight into the situation.  Many of the concepts we discussed in class apply to different aspects of the protest situation in Egypt and more broadly to Northern Africa and the Middle East.

a.  Use conflict theory to identify groups, their interests, their resources, and to explain some of their actions.

b.  Use ideas from the sections on political sociology to help us understand the situation.  This can include any of the concepts from weeks 4 and 5.

c.  Use the concepts of culture, social structure, and stratification to help us understand why people are protesting now in places like Egypt.

Link to the form for entering your answers.

 https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGxYeUdYRDJ4eEQ4YUpUdXdnWFg0UGc6MQ

New Poll For Clip of the Day!

All of your clip suggestions are very interesting!

Please continue to make suggestions, and when you do, please post them on this blog post.

Suggestions made on other posts will not be considered.

Also, you can re-suggest clips if your video hasn't made the blog post yet!

Here are this week's choices:

1. John Butler Trio- Ocean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VAkOhXIsI0

2. Daft Bodies- Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLYD_-A_X5E&feature=related

3. We No Speak Americano

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iANRO3I30nM

4. Epic Pool Basketball Trick Dunks

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1940237

5. Super Sprayer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY1Lr-yGtd8

FAIL.

In class Tuesday we discussed social production and the price of failure.

Failure is normally very expensive.

Now we can produce things quickly and share them with others to improve quality. We can produce things like blogs or videos and share them with others, using collaborative resources to improve them.

Failure for free has little consequence: If you make a bad blog, no one will see it (probably), and you can just make a new one. If you make a bad YouTube video, you can upload many many more. Failure for free is a luxury not commonly experienced.

Boss!

Exam questions

Dont worry, we can help! Think about the info from this slide.

•Social production (Shirky book)

•When do people help for free?

+

•Social light of the internet (Anderson talk)

http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_how_web_video_powers_global_innovation.html

•How does audience size alter the game?

=

?

Social and cultural changes. Interesting ones.

The below 3 part Shirky question will be on the exam this weekend!

1.Explain what Shirky means by “social production” and use some of Ostrom’s arguments to explain when/where people will help and share for free.

2.Explain Anderson’s argument about how and why internet video “changes the game” for the evolution of culture.

3.Use new and interesting examples to shed new light on how these two arguments help us understand the world.