Introduction to Sociology

Sociological imagination is basically related to a personal dilemma and puts it into perspective of the larger social world. Paying for college tuition is a personal problem which can be connected with the social dilemma of a weak economy and, therefore, the need to increase the level of tuition fees for students.
The dominant culture in the U.S. is the culture and life style of the Christian majority. The typical traits or norms of this dominant culture include shaking hands, calling people by first names, both men and women, and sharing duties in the workplace.
Hinduism is an example of subculture in the US as it is a minority. A key value or norm for American Hindus is to take care of their parents in their old age by living with them and not necessarily move out at the age of 18 or 21. The other cultural norms include arranged marriages and getting the parent’s approval for a prospective spouse.
Language helps us learn and adapt a certain framework to comprehend our personal and social realities and the environment in which the social events are taking place. This means that when we learn a certain language, our thinking pattern is developing in a specific manner. The basic purpose of language is to communicate with other people, but it is deeply connected with the way we use the language according to our mindset.
The film Ethnic Notions depicts white civilization which continuously finds excuses to separate the black community in order to justify their slavery. By making derogatory images and showing the black man as less than human and a mere joke item, the white man is able to influence people’s mind and brainwash it into laughing along with him at the joke that has become a racial reality.
In the film Killing Us Softly 4, there is an explanation that through false advertising women are dehumanized and turned into objects. In such a way violence used against them seems to be justified. Also, the media woman is unrealistic, which causes a controversial notion, that you must become like the ideal woman, but there is no way to do so.
When the media is concentrated in the hands of a few large corporations, their main goal becomes to attract attention and finances to their profits at any cost. This makes them lie to the public in order to force them buy the products and ideas which media is brainwashing.
Survey research which involves interviews and questionnaires would be a useful method for studying a large number of people, whereas observational research would be more suitable for a smaller group; the latter requires lab observations and tests, and it contains detailed study components.
Gender socialization deals with society expectations from each gender and the roles to be carried out. In the film Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, black male artists are pressurized by the white community into presenting music about sex and violence. They are at the same time condemned for their actions by restricting to continuous stereotypical imagery.

In a society where economy is based on industrialism the main workplaces include factories, business offices and other corporate organizations. It affects gender in a very specific way. For instance, women are more involved in the corporate world in contrast to those living as housewives in the suburbs, even though they are paid less than men. The social issues in an industrial society affect women differently than in another area, and the inequalities are related more to the workplace bias.
Body language is the form of nonverbal communication which highly influences and shapes social interactions. For instance, in a society where personal space is appreciated (as in America), a person from Mexico (where it is accepted to be much closer to each other) might be considered as someone with bad manners if he continues to lean on strangers during public conversations.
The show True Colors suggests that race is socially constructed in order to turn race into the tool which is used to restrict certain races and make other races dominant. The use of interracial marriage showed these social issues. Both white and black dominance is depicted at certain times.
According to the Stanford Prison Experiment, hierarchy has significant effects on individual behavior. The prisoners are ranked according to their crimes, which mean that criminals and thieves are at the top, since they are considered smart. and pedophiles and rapists are at the bottom. Therefore, those at the top usually take advantage of others, feeling superior to them. This leads to physical abuse and prejudice.
The Corporation suggests that there is a conflict in the corporate world with unequal distribution of power and resources in the society. Elite deviance is linked to this conflict theory, as it deals with heightened injustices and unlawful practices like money laundering to other countries.
Grass suggests that deviance is defined by the dominant culture in a society when the assumed norms are violated. The deviance is a result of judgment about the practice and usually has consequences.
The social class system is complicated, as Americans are shy to speak about belonging to a certain class or coming under a label. There are many factors which are responsible for placing people in a certain class such as family background, the size of a house, the area one lives in, and the way one dresses.

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