Numerous sociologists have contributed to research society and social interactions. In other words, society has been studied through how humans interact and shape their environment. There are many developed theories and different approaches for these findings, and sociologists have helped us understand the ways society functions. Amongst their many findings is that we construct reality through our interactions with others. This is also known as the social construction of reality, which is defined as different social behaviors, patterns and rules, influencing the human perception of reality. Social behaviors, like ethnocentrism and cultural relativism, plays a role in human behavior. Understanding, significance, and meaning are developed not …show more content…
When a conflict arises it would be handled differently because of the many generation gaps. Families consist of generations growing up either in the same or different setting or era. Generations only know their ways of living and are not accustomed to the changings of everyday life. Some may think that their own culture is superior to others and may not accept other cultural characteristics. This is also defined as ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is the “right” way which our ancestors used and handed down from generation to generation whereas, cultural relativism challenges our ordinary belief and goes against the traditions. For example, the film Namesake, is about an American-born named Gogol, the son of Indian immigrants. He wants to fit in among his fellow New Yorkers, despite his family 's unwillingness to let go of their traditional ways. Gogol’s parents had to soon automatically “assimilate” or convert from India’s culture to the national primary culture, the United States. People who are forced to assimilate tend to lose their own cultural pride and traditions. The mother was in a different culture and it took her some time to blend into the United States customs while still trying to preserve her own traditions. She and her husband made sure their kids learned their Indian traditions so it can be passed on for generations to come. Humans do this in order to make their families not forget where they come from. Wherever you go you will not get where you want to go if you first do not know where you are from. Therefore, Gogol is an example of cultural relativism whole his parents are seen as more ethnocentristic. We live in a diverse world with different habits and
Sociology is the study of society and the interactions that occur within society itself. There are numerous methods of analyzing societies and the way the function, nonetheless, most methods fall in micro and macro level theories. Micro level theories allow sociologist to study smaller relationships such as individual or compact groups of people. On the other hand, macro level studies permit for larger scale investigations to take place. With both of these theories there are three theoretical perspectives used in sociology. Micro level theories include symbolic interactionism which focuses in interactions done with language and gestures and the means which allow such interactions to take place. Macro level theories include structural functionalism
Each culture has a certain level of ethnocentrism which can have positive and negative consequences. Ethnocentrism provides a feeling of unwillingness to change one’s culture or specific institution by placing them in a box. They can only see things through their specific lens and when something differs from what they know, they believe that it is a violation of the ways things should be. They become ignorant of the cultures that they may be right in the middle of by comparing them to the culture that they are familiar with and grading it on a scale. This causes a level of unwillingness to change institutions within a society because they are the standard. This makes it exceedingly difficult to relate to other people and the world as a whole because when someone is always trying to look at something while envisioning it as something else; they will never fully see the beauty of what they are observing. They limit their own experience for the sake of comfort and security, for the safety found within the familiar. Ethnocentrism is the safety blanket for many people yet the enervation that prevents them from fully experiencing the world and all of its different
While studying sociology, it is necessary to develop a sociological imagination. It is helpful to learn the views and perspectives of sociology in order to better understand how social forces, social institutions, and social structures impact someone’s life. By having a better understanding of how these things contribute to our lives, we also have a better understanding of why certain events occur.
The problems of ethnocentrism tend to manifest themselves in the philosophy of history, when philosophers attempt to interpret empirical history in teleological terms. Ethnocentrism arises whenever the researcher attempts to universalize the Western subject-position. In sociological terms that have been widely popularized since Sumner, ethnocentrism involves one first identifying with an in-group, with whom one shares certain observable characteristics (culture, language, physical features, or customs, for example).[1] The belief in shared characteristics leads to an assertion of identity, and this belief in turn influences attitudes. Our attitude toward the in-group is one of favouritism, whereas our attitude toward the out-group is one of
Webster’s dictionary defines ethnocentrism as “The tendency to evaluate other groups according to the values and standards of one's own ethnic group, especially with the conviction that one's own ethnic group is superior to the other groups.” When first reading this definition, one would naturally agree that ethnocentrism does exist in our world and society, often confusing it with patriotism. However, many do not realize that ethnocentrism is, has been, and continues to be a leading cause for violence in America. Different ethnic groups such as African Americans and Native Americans have suffered through years of violent crimes against them because of the white man’s ethnocentric views of themselves when compared with other races and cultures.
After reviewing the article titles given for this first assignment, I believe they indicate that Sociology, generally speaking, is not only a study of diversity or commonality in traits among people; it is also a science about factors in a person’s life and how these factors culminate responses. Interestingly enough, its topics of concern seem to be directly determined by current and common events of the world. Through the invention and expansion of new ideas, popular trends and fashions through time, Sociology adapts to responsibly to service the very subjects of interest it studies; for, even the slightest change of a person’s daily experience can have an insurmountable impact on attitude, personal growth, family dynamics and basic group behavior.
Some subtle way it affects us is simple manners and traditions. It is polite to open the door for someone and to eat with your mouth closed. Culture is different all around the world and why you may feel a little strange in another country. They are brought up differently and look at things from a different perspective. I think that is a very useful skill to have is to be able to see things from a different perspective. Not all cultures are the same and some things may seem weird to you but may be completely normal to someone else. It goes back to my statement of how we tend to want to be around people that are like us and if we aren’t we feel out of place. But who determines our morals and beliefs? I think your family have a lot to deal with
Social Construction of reality basically states that individual perception of reality is based upon individual belief, background, and experiences. Many sociologists believe that what an individual perceive to be reality is based upon the culture norms that individual was raised with and what is considered acceptable by society. For instance, in the more developed/central parts of our country it is considered socially acceptable for women to be out in the work force. However, in certain cultures it is not considered acceptable for a woman to work outside of the home. One woman’s reality might that it is important to get an education and have a good job, while from the other woman’s point of view that is a man’s responsibility. These two constructions of reality are acceptable to society, thus social construction of reality
The five questions I have chosen to answer are the contributions of C. Wright Mills to sociology. As I explain his contributions, I will identify major ideas he had as well as how they were used in study, and provide an example. The next question I will answer is demonstrating my understanding of how individuals respond to cultural difference by explaining both ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. This one I will address how each have positive and negative characteristics and the impact they have on social relationships. The third question is the deviance question. By explaining how researchers can ensure objectivity in studying the social reaction to a particular behavior. The fourth question answered in this midterm will
The problems of ethnocentrism tend to manifest themselves in the philosophy of history, when philosophers attempt to interpret empirical history in teleological terms. Ethnocentrism arises whenever the researcher attempts to universalize the Western subject-position. In sociological terms that have been widely popularized since Sumner, ethnocentrism involves one first identifying with an in-group, with whom one shares certain observable characteristics (culture, language, physical features, or customs, for example).[1] The belief in shared characteristics leads to an assertion of identity, and this belief in turn influences attitudes. Our attitude toward the in-group is one of favouritism, whereas our attitude toward the out-group is one of
Ethnocentrism is when someone judges other peoples cultures, values, or ideas for their own culture. Ethnocentrism is found everywhere, all around us. We are surrounded by people who judge others by their race, religion, and culture which leads to hatred. A negative effect of ethnocentrism is when someone just wants to keep judging others for their beliefs or religion not caring how others might feel about his judging, they are egocentric.
Ethnocentrism, group identification, and labeling are all counterproductive to creating a positive culture of diversity in the United States. Group identification and labeling promote discrimination and prejudice. Ethnocentrism prevents us from growing as a nation. The United States is a diverse melting pot of cultures, and we need to practice pluralism if we are to prosper.
To Quote Anthony Giddens: "Sociology is the study of human social life, groups and societies. It is a dazzling and compelling enterprise, having as its subject matter our own behaviour as social beings. The scope of sociology is extremely wide, ranging from the analysis of passing encounters between individuals in the street up to the investigation of world-wide social processes“(1989). Gidden’s statement describes sociology as a study that helps us understand our own behaviour as human beings in a social word. Sociologist study everything from the interaction between people in the street to the interaction between different countries. Sociologists aim to study how societies have changed over, how societies are structured and organized, the norms of society. It’s also important to understand that not all sociologists agree with each other, Sociologists often debate with one another to prove/disprove certain theories and concepts. By studying Sociology is it helps us analyze social conflicts on a micro and macro scope. Through a macro level, we can study large-scale social organization and large social categories it also examinees social processes and patterns society as a whole. We can analyze individuals much deeper on a micro level. This way we study a human by face-to face interactions. Its important as humans to understand the way our society came together and the reasons to how elements work and function together. Sociology gives us a deeper
Norms are by definition general society guidelines and expectations of appropriate behavioral conduct in a particular environment or society. These guidelines could be formal and written such as laws that prohibit stealing or they could be implicit such as behavioral conduct or dress code. Every society has its own way of endorsing and enforcing certain norms and standards of proper behavior while renouncing and sanctioning improper behavior. In general, norms are of a significant importance because they guide our behavior and maintain order in society by providing conformity. Furthermore, norms render behavior predictable rather than random, thus allowing us to predict and understand other people’s actions and behaviors in different situations. On the other hand, divergence from norms is termed “deviance” and can lead to chaos and instability. It is noteworthy to mention, that the culture background and context play an important role as each culture processes its own norms, values, standards and expectations. For instance, in certain cultures shaking hands between opposite sexes is inappropriate, and this is the case in Yemen. Thus our perception of norms in different culture is critical: either we choose to understand an individual’s behavior according to his own culture context and set of norms (cultural relativity) or we choose to understand an individual’s behavior according to our own culture which we believe to be more superior (ethnocentrism). An example of ethnocentrism where norms and values of a certain culture have been imposed on another is the banning of the veil worn by muslim women in France. In contrast, cultural relativism appears in Lebanon where muslim women are perceived in terms of their own culture and are a...
Human existence, behavior, and knowledge are the foundational queries to the understanding of the perception of society, or lack thereof, in the world today. Ontology, epistemology, and human nature create the discursive facts, fallacies, and surrealistic conceptualization of the natural world, the things that exist, the complex social construction of knowledge, and the impact on society. These notions can be reduced to simply reaching for the answers of why, how, and what creates a being, why they exist, what is meant by existence, the barring of knowledge, and its influence on "natural" existence. The equation in which forces the complex breakdown of human nature derives from the theories of ontology and epistemology. The science of sociology