...Symbolic Interactionist Media Paper Renee Abreu SOC/100 March 12, 2012 University of Phoenix Symbolic Interactionist Media Paper Family Guy, an American animated sitcom created in 1999, is a fictional television show that centers around a dysfunctional family called the Griffins and their talking dog. The show takes place in a fictional city known as the city of Quahog and illustrates much of its humor from jokes on American culture. The show has an animated cast of predominantly white characters with two African-American characters, which we see consistently throughout the program. Although the show exhibits many different forms of social inequality the most frequent of which that I have seen has been racism between whites and blacks. Many of the jokes centered around this theme play on a vast majority of stereotypes between the two races, which is essentially how viewers seem to relate to the show. Scenes of racism between whites and blacks on family guy are shown from a non-black perspective touching on historical events such as slavery, welfare, and police brutality to name a few. Overall the scenes that I saw implied a sort of white supremacy over black characters. One of the scenes in the show is set at a track meet with white and black runners. The man who starts the race lets the white men start first and a few seconds later allows the black runners follow who sprint past the white runners with ease. Upon being passed by the black men the white runners...
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...Symbolic interactionist explains how people make choices about their interactions with another’s in the community. People’s body language, their dressing code, and how they carry themselves are symbolic interactionists. Max Weber who is one the sociologist, emphasized on individual action and stratification. Symbolic interactionist has explained how the rich and the poor have been interacting. ("Three Major Perspectives in Sociology",...
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...This paper provides a film analysis using the three theoretical perspectives; Symbolic Interactionist, Functionalist and Conflict Theorist. Additionally, this exploration is organized by each theoretical view. Furthermore, this review includes the opinion of this writer’s strongest theoretical perspective, as well as considering additional questions relating to the correlation of micro and macro sociology within the film. Thus, the film chosen for this analysis is “Mean Girls”, the 2004 comedy with a moral plot which is written by Tina Fey and directed by Mark Waters. Indeed, this film relates to the sociological area of gender and by watching this film through different lenses, this writer ascertains the intricacies of each role and function...
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... A. In Sociology, there are many perspectives or theories each with their own view on issues. The perspectives or theories that are more popular are functionalism, conflict, and symbolic interactionism. Each analyzes a topic with different approaches and has different outcomes. In this paper I will examine the views, approach, and societal effects that functionalism, conflict, and symbolic interactionism have about the family structure. II. Sociological Perspectives: A. Functionalism B. Conflict C. Symbolic Interactionism III. Family: A. Functionalist perspective B. Conflict perspective C. Symbolic Interaction perspective D. Similarities and differences IV. Types of Families A. Nuclear Family B. Single hood- Mother or Father C. Step-families D. Societal effects V. Conclusion: A. Family is any group of individuals connected either biologically, emotionally, or legally. Family is not a social organization to dominate one group by the other. To functionalist, family is a component of society performing a key role in the socialization of children and many other tasks. However, conflict theorist view family not as a functional part of society but as a smaller class in society where one group oppresses the other. From a symbolic interactionist standpoint, family is a social group that allows individuals to develop both a concept of self and their identities through social interactions. Although each perspective has certain...
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...Research Paper 1 Introduction to Sociology Richard Fields SOC 101: Research Paper Jeremy Baker December 2, 2013 Research Paper 2 Research Paper This outline paper contains the importance of three Sociological theories, Functionalism, Conflict and Interaction of the sociological institution of economics. It discusses five different elements; (1) how each theory that applies to the sociological institution, (2) what is the same and differences, (3) how each theory affects the views of the individual who is part of the institution, (4) the approach to social change within the institution, and lastly (5) how each theory affects the views of society. Along with how does each theory apply to the sociological institution or economics. The functionalism theory in regards to economics does certainly affect the world which we live in. This change is noted by Hegelian dialectics, functionalism and structuralism, (Karsten, 2005). There are economies becoming intertwined within the increasing internet of the global economy. Enterprises have developed a global idea by internationalizing their products and services, encouraging labor and capital to move quickly among industrialized countries, affecting social, fiscal, and monetary policies. Additional developments have increased awareness on a global scale, human rights, the environment, demographics, and natural...
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...Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Media Analysis SOC/100 September 1, 2014 Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Media Analysis In this assignment, the writer of this essay was to view a film of his or her own choice in silent mode. The objective was to describe social themes that were seen throughout the movie, identify types of behavior, explain the behavior, summarize why it is important in sociological understanding, suggest why it might be generalized to society, and conclude the key points. The content in this paper is pulled from scenes from the movie, “The Blind Side”. Introduction “The Blind Side” is a film John Lee Hancock produced that shows social inequality. The movie is about a poor African American male who is trying to fit into an all-white community when he is taken in by the Tuohy family, who are very wealthy. He later becomes a sought-after football player, but not without having first felt discriminated against because of his race and indifferences. Throughout the film, social themes of racism, lifestyle, and upcoming recognition can be depicted in nonverbal and symbolic behaviors. Social Theme Scenes Highlighting on a few social themes from the film—starting with racism, Michael is stereo-typed while he walks through the school, or is playing football because of his race. Another example of social theme is Leigh Anne’s lifestyle. Her well-dressed appearance, her beautiful home, her involvement with Michael’s well-being inside and outside of school...
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...Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Media Analysis SOC/100 Introduction to Sociology 06/07/2012 Mrs. Christina Oberste Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Media Analysis In today’s society, all human beings have their very own distinctive, customizable features such as body composition, hair length, attire, and style. At the same token, they all have genetic-based features such as color, height, facial features, and gender. While these features are quite commonly used to identify all human beings, they also give way to categorizing, mislabeling, and stereotyping another individual. Categorizing society by means of race, social class, and gender, is very common in today’s society; almost too common as it may seem. In this paper, the Academy Award-winning picture “Crash,” will be used to display some of the social injustices in today’s society. Crash, Oscar-winner for best picture, best original screenplay, and best editing at the 2005 Academy Awards, was co-written, produced, and directed by Paul Higgins in 2004. Crash was inspired by a real-life event in which Higgins’ Porsche was hi-jacked outside a video store in Los Angeles California. Crash touches up on a lot of different topics such as stereotyping, racism, classism, sexism, and exposure to different forms of racial discrimination such as racial stereotyping and racial profiling all from the non-verbal, symbolic perspective of an outsider. The first scene of the movie takes the viewers on-scene of a motor vehicle...
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...Symbolic Interactionism as Implicated in Rehabilitation Johanna Jefferies Psy 350 Deliverable #1, prompt #3 15 October 2014 Symbolic Interactionism as Implicated in Rehabilitation Symbolic Interactionism, derived from the work of George Herbert Mead, is a sociological perspective that is important to social psychology. The framework of symbolic interactionism has its strengths and weaknesses in terms of its ability to explain behavior. I will attempt to utilize this theory to explain the social problem of recidivism and then explore the ways in which it can be used to alleviate this social problem. Symbolic interactionism is a distinctive approach to the study of human life and human conduct in which reality is formed as a result of the interactions between individuals. According to this theory, people do not respond directly to reality, they respond to the social understanding of reality. This means that humans exist not in the physical space composed of realities but in the "world" composed only of "objects." The concept of object is a fundamental piece of Mead’s analysis. Human beings live in a world or environment of objects, and their activities are formed around objects. According to Mead, objects are human constructs and not selfexisting entities with intrinsic nature (Blumer, 1966). According to the symbolic interactionism ...
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...CURRENT EVENTS PAPER Ashley Rivers Liberty University SOCI 200 May 20, 2015 “Theories are based on a set of assumptions and self-evident truths; they include definitions and describe the conditions in which the phenomenon exists” (Basirico, Cashion, & Eshleman, 2014, p. 39). For example, when a person sees a blue tag hanging from a car’s rearview mirror, portraying the image of a wheelchair the first description that would often come to mind is an individual with a disability or handicap. Even if there appears to be no blue tag in the car, and yet the car is parked in a designated handicap parking spot, the presupposition would remain the same. The logical mind would further assume that the individual in the car and parked in that designated spot would be somehow disabled. Such expectations are learned only through social experiences and interactions. Human beings learn through experience how to attach specific meanings to words or symbols, and thus act on their own interpretation of that language or symbol in a given situation, and not the situation in and of itself” (Basirico et al., 2014 p. 45). This theory, known as symbolic interaction, is an approach to understanding the relationship between humans and society…the basic notion of symbolic interactionism is that human action and interaction are understandable only through the exchange of meaningful communication or symbols (Boundless, 2015). Such an example of this theory was demonstrated...
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...Self Presentation through Appearance: A Manipulative vs. a Dramaturgical Approach Author(s): Efrat Tseëlon Source: Symbolic Interaction, Vol. 15, No. 4 (Winter 1992), pp. 501-514 Published by: Wiley on behalf of the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/si.1992.15.4.501 . Accessed: 14/02/2014 01:39 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. . Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction and Wiley are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Symbolic Interaction. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 137.158.153.205 on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 01:39:42 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Self Presentation through Appearance: A Manipulative vs. a Dramaturgical Approach The sincerity of self presentation through personal appearance was examined through contrasting an interac- Efrat Tseeion* tionist interpretation o Coffman’s dramaturgy with an The University of Sussex f “impression management” approach. “Impression...
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...Employee and employer relationships Intro Sociology100 Employee and employer relationships Whether it’s a small business or a big corporation all three sociological theatrical perspectives see the employee /employer relations differently. Structural functionalism focuses on order and stability were as conflict theory perspective focuses on power and last but not least is Interactionists focuses on interactions with one another on a daily basis. I am hoping by the time I’m done with this paper I will have a better perspective on this issue. The functionalist’s perspective views employee/employer relationships as each person plays a role at there job. From the manager down to the cleaning crew agrees as a whole what goes on and they all work together to have a productive and cohesive work place. Like ( Durkheim) he views the elements of society in terms of there functions. The conflict theory perspective views employee/employer relations as who is in control with the power. Karl Marx was interested in who posed the power in society and who exercises that power over the ones with less power. Such as when a problem arises between employees it should be dealt with immediately so that it does not affect the rest of the establishment. Also so you can show your employees you care about working in a healthy environment. Sometimes this could lead to conflict between employee/employer being a power struggle especially if there is more to there employee/employer...
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...Essay: Evaluate the role of education in society. Consider issue of gender in your response. Also, consider how such factors may impact on a person’s life chances. This essay will examine the role of education in society and an analysis of inequality in relation to Gender. It will discuss briefly education and examine the different theoretical approaches to education followed by an analysis of inequality using information on statistics of inequality in British education in relation to gender and attainment. This essay will Identify and evaluate key policy developments in education provision designed to bridge the gap of gender inequality in British education. The role of education in society has been among the major issues in contemporary sociological and political debate. According to Iannelli and Paterson (2005) education is a major factor that helps determine the jobs and social class positions of individuals in society. As an institution of sociology, education plays a dominant role in transmitting prevalent ideologies of society by providing pupils with the curriculum and hidden curriculum as well as the skills that will prepare them physically, mentally and socially for their life chances (Clark 2005). Educational institutions play a very important role in reducing social inequalities. Over the last century British schools experienced very important changes and moved from a selective system to a comprehensive one in the 1960s and 70s. Much research has shown that the...
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...constantly bombarded by it. We're consuming larger portion sizes and more calories than ever before…” (Moore, CDCTV, 2010). This quote aptly encapsulates the area of my interest – obesity. In my research paper I will discuss some of the causes of obesity, its effects and the health concerns related to obesity and finally offer suggestions as to how obesity can be treated or prevented. Obesity can be defined as “having excess body fat” whereas being overweight is defined as “having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). Obesity is the result of eating too many calories without sufficient physical exercise to offset the intake. Children today are exposed to many deterrents to eating healthy foods. Factors in the environment home, school, social circles, neighborhood and community all contribute, in different ways, to eating unhealthy, often more affordable, supersized foods. It is difficult for children to make healthy choices and be physically active when exposed to many unhealthy options which are easily available to them. Although overeating and lack of activity are the major factors causing obesity, genetics also plays an important role in obesity. In this paper, I will discuss some of these factors including environmental and socioeconomic conditions that affect obesity. In addition, the consequences of obesity and some actions to combat obesity will be discussed...
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...Research Paper Gay Parenting and Assisted Reproductive Techniques: A Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Introduction Gay rights have become a prevalent issue within the last decade. In the United States, gay marriage has been legalized in five states. With this has come a flurry of accompanying issues that must be addressed, this includes gay and lesbian fertility rights. Many gay and lesbian couples undergo assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs) in order to have children. In the United States, fertility clinics are privatized, this means, among other things, that doctors have the right to pick and choose whom they take on as patients. There is no guarantee for gay couples seeking fertility treatment; many couples trying to have a baby are turned away based on how a doctor feels about same sex families. As it stands, no physician or hospital receiving government funding can discriminate against a patient based on his or her race, color, religion or national origin (Appel, 2006). It goes against the human rights of the potential patient to discriminate against them based on their sexual orientation. How do anti gay legislation further conceptualize the idea the nuclear family? Using a Symbolic Interactionist perspective, this paper looks at how gay and lesbian families use family symbols and rituals as strategies to negotiate family identity in interactions with families of origin, social network members, and community institutions, as well as challenge hetero-normative...
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...Sociology of Gender Gender is defined as the social distinctions between masculinity and femininity. People often use the terms gender and sex interchangeably. The former is defined above, whereas the latter is defined as a determination of male or female on the basis of a set of socially agreed-upon biological criteria. Music Videos such as Stupid Girls and If I Were A Boy by singers Pink and Beyonce respectively demonstrate clearly the assumptions or categorizations we evoke simply by using the terms girl or boy. Although the topic of gender in sociology is vast, this paper focuses on how gender is reproduced and how the gendered body is displayed in society. There are three ways in which gender is reproduced in society. It is reproduced through the family, education and the media. From birth begins gendered expectations. According to the social norm, the color pink is mainly associated as a feminine color and the color blue masculine. Family and friends who go to see the birth of a baby girl fill the hospital room with pink balloons, teddy bears with pink ribbons and if a boy was born the room would be filled with presents which are blue in color. Growing up, girls receive presents such dollhouses and kitchen sets which reinforce their femininity. Parents raise their boys and girls differently. Even though research shows that boys at an early age (around 2 years) are just as interested in playing with the same toys girls play...
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