Introduction to Sociology
Assignment #2
by Therese Hair
Fall 2014
Education
Homeschooling
Homeschooling is when a children are taught at home by their parent(s) due to religious, academic or other beliefs that lead parents to believe children are better taught in the home. Homeschooling has grown greatly over the passed decade and continues to do so as more and more parents are becoming dissatisfied with the American public school system. This picture shows a group of young kids being taught geography by a homeschooling mother.
Standardized Testing
Standardized tests are the easiest and most often form of testing in schools. They test students' ability in critical thinking and problem solving. How well students do on these kinds of tests dictates how well the school as a whole is doing in it's teaching and where kids need improvement. This is a picture of a portion of the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) which permits students to get into college based on the score they receive.
Marriage and Family
Single-Parent Families
This picture is an example of a single-parent family. It shows a mother and her two daughters. The family arrangements of yesterday are changing to include single-parents and other forms of the family unit. Single-parent families are generally caused by death, divorce, or child-bearing out of wedlock.
Romantic Love
Depicted in this picture is a couple newly married and very much in love. This shows how our culture is different than those of other countries because we expect romantic love from the relationship. Americans stand strongly by the belief that spouses should be emotionally connected to one another and thus many of us believe in love at first sight, based on their feelings towards another person.
Religion
Protestantism
Here in this picture is a group of girls in a Bible study. The US is a majorly Protestant country but the numbers of those who claim to be protestants is dropping. Christianity can be broken up into different denominations but Christians as a whole have come to represent the Protestant group as all non-Catholic Christians.
Catholicism
This is a picture I took of a stained glass image of Jesus in a Catholic Church. Catholicism is the largest single religious denomination in the US. Many Catholics are minorities who live in urban communities in the Northeast and Midwest. Historically, they have larger families than Protestants due to their opposition to birth control. Unlike other Christian denominations, they have a hierarchy within the church among the bishops and priests.
Culture
Rites of Passage
This is a photograph of girls in their dresses, taken at a Sweet 16 party. In America, many teen girls celebrate their sixteenth birthday on a large scale, often with formal parties, as it is an age of maturity and privilege in our society. Sixteen, eighteen, and twenty-one are rites of passage in the US as well as weddings and graduations. Other cultures have different rites of passage such as the age thirteen in Jewish culture when children become adults.
Material Culture
Technology such as phones, computer and the Internet are a large part of our material culture in the United States. This is a picture of a cell phone, taken to represent the strides we as Americans have taken in this kind of technology in the passed few decades. These material items help us cope with reality and help us function in the world around us.
Socialization and Development
Peer Groups
This is a group of two girls socializing together in a casual atmosphere. Relationships within a peer group are very important to socialization and help to mold children into who they are. Peers have the most influence on a youth's lifestyle such as style and social activities. Peer groups can be positive or negative depending on what kind of an influence they have on the child. The pull to peer groups is sometimes stronger in those who do not have parents who establish rules or provide love and support at home.
Parenthood
A mother is tucking her daughter in bed for the night in this picture. There are many responsibilities that come with parenthood such as the physical and emotional well being of the child at all times, especially when the child is young. There are many stresses that come with parenthood and many couples try to prepare for such things by getting support and reading material on raising kids. Some parents view their roles as a second chance to do things better for their children then when they were growing up.
Social Interaction
Roles
These two women in the picture are at a function for senior citizens. Their roles in society as the older generation is to guide and nurture the younger people in their lives. People have many different roles in society that help the world function and serve to show who's job is who's. One may hold many different roles at once such as mother, wife, sister, daughter, and teacher. Usually, one has different roles in different places that they go, like work, home, church, or volunteer groups.
Fads and Fashions
Fads change quickly while fashions are dictated by the era in society. The picture shows a group of girls trying on different styles of dresses in a public dressing room. Fads are not limited to clothing but to anything that goes in and out of style quickly, like the yo-yo or the iPhone or the Twist. Fashions on the other hand change more slowly. If you look at what the pioneers wore to what we wear today, you'll see a vast difference, but if you look at the years that have passed you'll see it took a long time for our clothing to evolve into what it is now.
Social Groups and Organizations
Primary Groups
This picture shows a family of four going camping. The family unit is an example of a primary group and one of the most important one a person can have. In a primary group people get emotional support and guidance; they feel they belong. People are most likely to stick to the rules set up by the authority in the primary group (usually parents) because they don't want to risk losing their status within the group; though in most cases it is usually hard to be removed from a primary group.
Secondary Group
In this picture, a group of Girl Scouts gather together to receive an award. Secondary groups are groups such as organizations and clubs usually with one or two leaders that run the group. Members get recreational and civic fulfilment in this sorts of groups but rarely do they provide the emotional support as a primary group does. Because of this, members who break rules risk reprimand or expulsion rather than loving correction.
Deviant Behavior and Social Control
Deviant Behavior
This photo shows a child playing in an unconventional manner. This type of behavior swerves away from the social norm. Not all deviant behavior is bad, like in the case of this child playing or a group of people standing up for something they believe in or setting a new fashion trend, but some deviant behavior is bad is it crosses the line of legal norms and breaks laws. Deviant behavior can lead to criminal activity or it can set you apart as an individual.
The Police
In the US, the police functions on three levels: Federal, state, and local. The police work for the people in keeping society safe by patrolling streets, regulating traffic and pursuing criminals. Officers have certain jurisdictions in which they can enforce the law that keeps the law enforcement agencies from stepping on each others toes. The police force is a competent system of officers who are sometimes bogged down with crime.
Social Class in the United States
Income Distribution
Income distribution in the US is vastly unequal demographics, population, and education. This picture shows the dollars in which we make and spend that all adds up to the distribution of income in individual households as well as America has a whole. Income does not make up the whole picture; if you add stocks, bonds and real estate, the figures change to show that the wealth is even more unequally distributed.
The Middle-Middle Class
This picture shows a nice, new, family car that has been purchased by members of the middle-middle class. People in this class are usually well educated members of society with well paying respectable jobs. They hold savings accounts and are generally politically and economically conservative. They are most well represented by the Protestant denomination.
Global Stratification
Gender Preferences
Around the world, people prefer different genders when thinking of having children because of the difference roles they play in society. Girls are thought to be feminine and delicate, like the little girls in this photo. Boys are thought to be manly and strong, able to help their fathers and work hard. Some countries prefer to have sons because they are of economic worth and they will stay and care for their parents in their old age. However, girls will produce children and they have a much higher survival rate than boys.
Maternal Health
This is a picture of a baby announcement for a little girl. The survival of babies and their mothers, especially in less developed countries, depends greatly on the health of the mother. Mothers who are ill or suffering from malnutrition, are much more likely to have a baby with a low birth weight. Newborns who weight less than five pounds at birth are more likely to die. If they survive, they are more susceptible to illness and disabilities.
Introduction to Sociology by Henry L. Tischler, Framingham State University, 11th edition (2014)
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