References

Andersen, M., & Taylor, H. (2009). Sociology: The Essentials. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Barzilai, Shuli. (n.d.). [Quotation]. Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show_tag?id=deviant

Birkbeck, C., LaFree, G. (1993, January 1). The Situational Analysis of Crime and Deviance. Annual Review of Sociology. Retrieved from http://uidaho.worldcat.org/title/the-situational-analysis-of-crime-and-deviance/oclc/481350754&referer=brief_results

Brill, E.J. (1999). Terrorism as deviance or social control: suggestions for future research. Retrieved from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-134680686.html

Camus, Albert. (n.d.). [Quotation]. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-is-culture.html

Hilarious Social Norms Project: Violating Personal Space. (2009, April 3). [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lau9KhemwI&feature=player_embedded

Jang, S.J. (2002, December 1). Race, Ethnicity, and Deviance: A Study of Asian and Non-Asian Adolescents in America. Sociological Forum. Retrieved from http://uidaho.worldcat.org/title/race-ethnicity-and-deviance-a-study-of-asian-and-non-asian-adolescents-in-america/oclc/486813385&referer=brief_results

Keel, R.O. (2005, July 14). Deviance and Social Control. Retrieved from http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/200/socialcontrol.htm

O'Neil, Dennis. (2006, July 5). Ethnicity and Race: Overview. Retrieved from http://anthro.palomar.edu/ethnicity/ethnic_1.htm#return_from_ethnic_identity_question

O'Neil, Dennis. (2006, May 26). What is Culture?. Retrieved from http://anthro.palomar.edu/culture/culture_1.htm

Rachels, James. (1999). The Challenge of Cultural Relativism. Retrieved from http://faculty.uca.edu/rnovy/Rachels--Cultural%20Relativism.htm

Rigoglioso, M. (2008, January 1). Racial Stereotypes Can Be Unconscious but Reversible. Retrieved from http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/research/hr_racialstereotypes.shtml

Rogers, V.R. (1967). Ethnocentrism and the Social Studies. The Phi Delta Kappan. Retrieved from http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3860/stable/20372020?&Search=yes&searchText=ethnocentrism&searchText=behavior&searchText=attitudes&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dethnocentrism%2B-%2Battitudes%2Bbehavior%26gw%3Djtx%26acc%3Don%26prq%3Dethnocentrism%2Battitudes%2Bbehavior%26Search%3DSearch%26hp%3D25%26wc%3Don&prevSearch=&item=11&ttl=2172&returnArticleService=showFullText&

Shopping While Black. (2009, May 22). [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAkDHuimJRc&feature=related

Unknown. (n.d.). [Quotation]. Retrieved from http://multiracialfamily.org/2011/09/02/quote-stereotypes/

What is Culture?. (2011, February 13). [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57KW6RO8Rcs

Sociology Today

Sociology is in a sense the study of our very own humanity.  Human culture is perhaps one of the most complex systems in existence with nearly limitless possibilities for study and understanding.  This is in part because society and culture are constantly changing throughout time.  And if we wish to make progress in sociological issues, or in other words, the issues that affect humankind, then we must understand and learn from our own social system.  Social problems are one of the greatest factors in American politics, making it extremely important to us to gain an understanding of how these issues affect our lives.

Sociology shares its roots with the anthropology of today in understanding culture in an empirical and scientific method.  While the hard sciences have brought us advancements in technology that allow greater interaction between individuals and societies at home and abroad, being able to understand how that technology affects social continuity and communication becomes increasingly important.  The cultural interactions between groups within society lend itself to gaining a better understanding of the current formulation of human nature and the possible path of social interaction in the future.

Race & Ethnicity

Chapter 10 in Sociology The Essentials (Anderson and Taylor, 2009) covers race and ethnicity.  The reason I chose this chapter for discussion is because of how closely these two concepts are often tied with my past two posts on deviance, crime, and culture.  Although I also personally chose this subject because of how relative the topics of racial stereotyping and racism are in the world today.  I believe it is important to first understand the meaning of these two terms.  Our textbook describes an ethnic group as, "a social category of people who share a common culture, for example, a common language or dialect; a common nationality; a common religion; and common norms, practices, customs, and history" (Anderson and Taylor, 2009).  While it terms race as, "a group treated as distinct in society based on certain characteristics, some of which are biological, that have been assigned social importance. . . . a race is often singled out for differential or unfair treatment" (Anderson and Taylor, 2009).


I found this video the other day and I thought that it would be relative to a discussion.  It depicts an experiment to see how people would react to colored women being racially stereotyped while shopping in a upscale clothing store.  I think it effectively puts in perspective some the same thought processes that are unfortunately common in our society.

(Shopping While Black, 2009)

One of most common problems today is racial profiling.  The same kind of profiling that can be seen depicted in the video shown above.  The following link will lead you to a journal article of a study that correlates relationships between ethnicity, race, and deviance between Asian and non-Asian adolescents in America.  Ideas that reflect our own judgments of racial and ethnic groups.

http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3860/stable/pdfplus/3070363.pdf?acceptTC=true

(Jang, 2002)

Understanding the nature of racial stereotyping is the first step in preventing future cultural misunderstandings and ethnocentric views of racial or ethnic groups.  The following site gives some insights into understanding how people in society identify and judge others based on racial conceptions of a particular group.

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/research/hr_racialstereotypes.shtml

(Rigoglioso, 2008)

I thought it might help the reader to understand the different concepts of ethnicity of race better by providing some more outside information of the matter.  This site describes ideas and concepts regarding group identification of both ourselves and of other groups.

http://anthro.palomar.edu/ethnicity/ethnic_1.htm#return_from_ethnic_identity_question

(O'Neil, 2006)

I'd like to leave on that thought with a very sad and yet true quote:

"Stereotypes are devices for saving a biased person the trouble of learning."

-Unknown

Deviance & Crime

Chapter 7 in Sociology The Essentials (Anderson and Taylor, 2009) covers deviance and crime.  Although these ideas are often associated with criminal behavior, they also include actions that in general unrecognized as being normal.  Our textbook terms deviance as, "behavior that is recognized as violating expected rules and norms.  Deviance is more than simple nonconformity; it is behavior that departs significantly from social expectations" (Anderson and Taylor, 2009).  I chose this chapter on deviance due to my own personal interest in the functions of deviant behavior in our society and societies around the globe.


This video may be a little crude at points, but it does exhibit some instances where deviance is expressed both in the action itself and a social reaction to the deviant behavior.  Enjoy!

(Hilarious Social Norms Project: Violating Personal Space, 2009)

For the purposes of sociological research, I dug up a journal exhibiting a few of the social theories regarding crime and deviation in society.  It also pulls out some experimental studies on the subject of crime and deviance.  Hopefully you find some of the information as informative as I did.

http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3860/stable/pdfplus/2083383.pdf

(Birkbeck and LaFree, 1993)

Deviance in itself serves a social function to provide means to which social control can be expressed.  Understanding that deviance is a universal and that society partakes in certain functions to control the cultural norms is important across the social sciences.  Here is a sight exhibiting some examples of social norms and forms of control.

http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/200/socialcontrol.htm

(Keel, 2005)

Along that same line of thought, some more radical forms of deviance tend to have a greater sense of social control that is pressed upon them.  In this instance I'm talking about terrorism, which throughout history has been one of the most destructive (and sometimes influential) forms of deviance that we have seen.  The following site gives more information regarding terrorism as a form of deviance and means by which social control is exerted.

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-134680686.html

(Brill, 1999)

Here is a quote I found on deviance for you to think about.  And don't forget, the American revolutionists were both deviants and terrorists!

"Deviants are those who simply do not have enough power to prevent others from defining them as such."

- Shuli Barzilai

Culture

Chapter 2 in Sociology The Essentials (Anderson and Taylor, 2009) covers culture and the media, ideas that make up identity and describe societies around the world.  The reason I chose this chapter for discussion is because of the topic of culture and the connections that exist between sociology and anthropology on that topic.  I believe it is important for everyone to truly understand the meaning of culture.  Our textbook terms culture as, "the complex system of meaning and behavior that defines the way of life for a given group or society.  It includes beliefs, values, knowledge, art, morals, laws, customs, habits, language, and dress" (Anderson and Taylor, 2009).


The other day I came across this video that illustrates a conversation that took place on an online international community.  I found their descriptions of culture to be very accurate and informative.

(What is Culture?, 2011)

In my opinion as an anthropologist one of the most important aspects of understanding culture is defining and then finding ways to avoid being ethnocentric in our perspective.  Therefore it is probably a good idea to understand how we are being ethnocentric by viewing its different forms.  The following journal article helps to cover those such bases.

http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3860/stable/pdfplus/20372020.pdf

(Rogers, 1967)

It is also very important to understand the concept of culture that frees itself from ethnocentric ideas.  In anthropology and sociology we call this cultural relativism or in other words, the practice of understanding culture on its own terms.  The purpose of the following site is to help aid in the understanding of this concept.

http://faculty.uca.edu/rnovy/Rachels--Cultural%20Relativism.htm

(Rachels, 1999)

I also thought it would be a good idea to leave you with a little more information regarding the purposes of culture.  As well as provide some of the universals that make up the learned behaviors shared by all of humanity.  The following site should provide some good insights into this topic.

http://anthro.palomar.edu/culture/culture_1.htm

(O'Neil, 2006)

On the topic of culture's importance to society, I'd like to wrap up with a quick quote from the French author and philosopher Albert Camus:

"Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle.  This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future."

-Albert Camus

Me

Hello, my name is Evan Lantzy and I'm currently a sophomore at the University of Idaho. I'm majoring in Anthropology with a focus on archaeological studies as well as a minor in both history and geology.  I hold a passion for the study of history, specifically the history of Europe and Asia from ancient times up through the Cold War.

Due to my anthropological studies I have had the opportunity to learn many of the aspects that it shares with the study of sociology.  Taking my Sociology 101 course has been great for my own learning experience not only in being able to compare differences and similarities between anthropology and sociology, but also to share and receive feedback from other students from all walks of life.  The cultural focus between members of society is, to me, an amazing learning tool.


I look forward to learn more from my peers and to share my own ideas through this critical insight blog.
Hope you enjoy!