An Introduction to the Social Sciences: Chapter Four
Society, Culture, and Cultural Change
(pg 78 - 100)
I: Culture and Multiculturalism
-Multiculturalism
-The shared beliefs in culture
II: Culture and the Nature of Society
-Culture and its role in Human Societies
-The Elements of Culture
-Social
Norms: Conventions, Mores, and Laws.
-Social
Institutions
-Material
Products
-Language
-Social
Values
III: Cultural Integration
IV: Culture, Society, and Social Change
-Popular Theories of Social Change
-Factors Causing Cultural Change
-Technological
Development
-Cultural
Diffusion
-Ideas
and Ideologies
-Collective
Action
-Geography
and Climate
-Language and Cultural Change
-Factors Stabilizing Culture
-Stability
of Social Norms
-Habit
-Value
Attachment
-Social Change verses Social Stability
IV: Social Change and Social Problems
-Cultural Lag and Social Problems
-Limitations of the Cultural Lag Theory
V: Contrasts among Cultures
-The Interaction of Humans and Society
-Cultural Relativism
-Approach to the Study of Society
An Introduction to the Social Sciences: Chapter Five
Geography, Demography, Ecology and Society
(pg 101 - 119)
Looking at culture through three physical effects; Geography, Demography and Ecology…
I: Geography
Geography in the past was very
important:
Climate,
Resources
Today, important for your
neighbors
Thailand
and China
France
and Germany
Mexico
and America
The importance of Geography has declined significantly, though, as we have learned to control our environment
Geography defines where cities are, how houses are built, etc.
Geography of the World….
II: Demography
The study of Populations, how many
people, what are they like, and the future…
-Population Estimates
China:
1.3 billion, USA 300 million, Thailand 60 (EU 450)
Russia
150, Japan 127, Australia 20, Indonesia 250, Pakistan 166
-Determinants of Population Growth
Birth
Rates
Age
of Marriage, Contraceptive Use, Premarital Sex, etc.
Education
of women….
Death
Rates
The
four horsemen (Pestilence, War, Famine and Death)
Advances
in Medical Care
Nutrition
and Vaccination
Changes
in Birth and Death Rates over time
Demographic
Transitions
Western
Countries
Asia
Africa/ME
-The Growth of Population Over Time
-Why
Population has Grown Rapidly Since the 1800s
The
Industrial Revolution
-Unequal
Population Growth since the Late 1800s
Europe,
Colonialism and Imperialism
Disease
through history
-Population
Growth in the Future
Declining,
unequal at times
Demographic
Transitions
Below
Replacement Rate Fertility
The
baby crises…
-The Problem of Counting
Early
estimates of Population
Sampling
Counting
(under and over counting)
The
Census and the U.S. Congress
Nigeria
-The Malthusian Theory
Population
grows geometrically, food grows arithmetically
So
any advance leads to wealth, more babies, back to subsistence level
-Population and Means of Subsistence
Why? The law of
diminishing returns
You
can’t grow a garden in a flowerpot
Malthus
did not believe population control was possible or desirable
Digression:
Normative vs. Positive science; “free love”
-The Concept of Optimal Population
What
level of Population maximizes welfare?
Mass
Transit as a necessary good?
Julius
Simon vs. Paul Ehrlich
-The
Question of Population Quality
Are
we getting dumber and weaker?
Does
medical science and the welfare state prevent natural selection?
Do
the wealthy (smart) self select out of the gene pool?
Red
State/Blue State demographic Comparisons…
What
about sex selection of children?
Where
will china get its girls from?
Other
sorts of selection criteria, genetic testing (manipulation) advances
The
Singapore Example…
III: Ecology; the Interaction of Geography,
Demography, and Environment
The
Natural Environment
The
Social Environment
Example:
Bangkok Traffic
-The Ecological Balance
Ecology;
how organisms respond to the natural environment
Normally,
a balance is achieved, that is stable for long periods
Humans
are not normal – they can change the balance
DDT,
Acid Rain, Norway Rats, Rabbits, Chilis, Air Conditioners
-Pollution
Pollution
over time…
Pollution
as a superior good
Global
Warming
Human
activity, a cause/the cause
Four
Questions about Global Warming
Do
we cause it? Does it matter? Can we stop it? Should we?
If
Global Warming is natural, should we do something to stop it?
Bangkok
Puppies
-Conservation and the High Price of Gasoline
High
prices are bad, but lead to the conservation that brings them down
How
much gas is there?
IV: Conclusion
Demographic problems decline with
wealth
Ecological problems sometimes
grow with wealth
These are often Political problems,
and thus need to be solved Politically
An Introduction to the Social Sciences: Chapter Six
Technology and Society
(pg 120 - 140)
Technology is the basis for Long Run Human
Advancement
Is
advancement good? Doctrine of Revealed Preferences
Chapter
7, Japan vs. China
Example: Canning food
Example: Refrigeration
I: The Industrial Revolution
The
growth of technological innovation after 1750
Critical
Mass of Information?
Linkage
of Science to Technology?
-The Development of Industrialism in the United States
Due
to High Wages? Tariffs? Raw Materials?
-Standardization, Interchangeability, and Mass Production
Technology
change not just machines, but also techniques
Standardization
and the Colt Revolver (John Hall)
Interchangeability
and the Car Tire
Henry
Ford and the Model T
-Social and Economic Effects of Interchangeability
Decline
of artisans, rise of workers
Mass
production, mass markets, economies of scale
The
Car and the 1920s
Today;
cell phones
Social
Changes
Decline
of the importance of Strength
Internet
P***
II: Technology and Globalization
There has always been trade in
goods
Now trade in services as well
Selling
a car overseas
Checking
an X-Ray overseas
-Modern Technology and the Need for Skilled Workers
Traditionally,
artisans a small part of the population
Now,
skilled workers a much larger part, but always a drive to replace them
McJobs
-Machines and Unemployment
Change
jobs, but wages adjust
III: Technology and Social Change
A
fairly recent notion, only two great changes in history;
Agricultural
Revolution, the Industrial Revolution
-Problems Created by Technology
Changes
to society over time have been vast
Marxist
views of technological changes
Classes
and modes of production
Criticisms
of Marxism
Classes
pre-existed
Empirical
failure of Marxism
-Technology and Crime
Technology
helps in both committing, and fighting, Crime
Crime
as an individual vs. a state concern
IV: Natural Resources, Economics, and Technology
Economics;
how people deal with scarcity
People
have wants, how to satisfy them?
Technology
shows how to turn resources into products
Something
is only a resource if you can use it.
-Natural Resources and the Limits of Economic Growth
The
Earth’s carrying capacity
Oil,
food, space, etc.
The
price effect – as price goes up, production rises and consumption falls
Change
happens, and is rarely costless
-Global Warming
2,000
scientists say it is happening
Man
made vs. Natural Phenomena
V: Technology of the Past
Teeth,
Thumbs, Brains
Fire,
Wooden Shelter, Spears then Bows
VI: Technology of the Future
Predicting
the future of technology
Most
predictions tend to be extrapolations of today’s trends
-The Social Basis for Technological Progress
Not
all societies throughout history have embraced technological progress
What
causes, or allows, technological progress?
Causality
question – does technology change society, or the opposite?
-Future Shock?
Is
change coming to fast? Can it be controlled?
The
Pendulum Clock, and Admiral Xiang
An Introduction to the Social Sciences: Chapter Seven
Psychology, Society, and Culture
(pg 141 - 167)
Society and the Individual
Personality: the total organization of the inherited and acquired characteristics of an individual, as evidenced by behavior
Does
culture cause personality, or the other way?
Individuals
do create culture; but rarely can it be seen
Mechai
Viravaidya, Cabbages and Condoms
Culture
usually allow some flexibility, especially as they get more complex
Cultural
binds are hard to spot
Learning
Thai….
I: Socialization of the Individual
Begins
at a very early age
Piaget’s
theories of development – Children are different
-Significance of the Early Years of Childhood
0-2;
concern with physical objects
2-6;
concern with symbolism and fantasy
6-12;
concern with abstract concepts
12-15;
concern with logical thought and irony
Children
constantly widen their thought patterns, and sources of stimuli
Charles
Murray: try and create two identical children….
-Significance of Differences in Individual Environment
Environment
always differs; no two oldest sons, “the princess”
-Effects of Extreme Isolation on children
Feral
Children (usually either legend, or the result of family dysfunction)
Dangers
of extrapolating extreme behavior
Threshold
effects – eggs
Anna
and Isabelle (differences and similarities)
Genie
II: Personality and Is Development
Four Determinants:
Inherited
potential (Genetics)
Natural
Environment
Societies
Culture
Unique
Personal Experiences
-The Nature/Nurture Debate
Nurture……………………….
Humans seem to have fewer instincts then other animals
B.F.
Skinner and the Behavioralists
Skinner
box
Believed
Nurture was the most important factor
Reinforcement (encourages, strengthens) and Punishment
(deters, weakens)
Positive (good things result) and Negative (bad things
result
Examples of each:
Skinner’s work with animals
Rats
and Birds, Bars and Food
Adjarn
Kennedy and Exams, Quizzes, and Cheating
Nature…………………………….
Hereditary factors are also important; Why is Tom
Brady a better QB then Me?
Is
obesity an environmental or hereditary phenomena?
Why
are the poor more obese in America, and less so in Cambodia?
Identical
Twins who have been adopted out
The
Gay Gene, the Criminal Gene, the Jerk Gene
The Interaction of Nature and Nurture
Why
does IQ norm out over time?
Most recent trends in Research – Peer Groups
-Explanations of Behavior
The Cognitive Approach – we do things because of chemical
stimuli in the brain
The Psychoanalytic approach – we do things because of
Symbols in the brain
The Behavioralist approach – We do things based on our
bodies training
The Humanist approach – We do things based on a totality,
our interaction with world
Two More Examples: Maslow and Freud
-The Well-adjusted individual
The
Hierarchy of needs
Basic
Needs
Safety and
Security Needs
Love and Belonging
Needs
Self-Esteem Needs
Self-Actualization
Needs
Japanese vs. Chinese Happiness
Identical Twin Happiness
Miserable People
Illusions and the Good Life
-Adjustment and Normality
Freud and Psycho-Analysis
-Freudean Concept of Personality
Began
studying the Brain, then the Mind
Disturbed
Patients, Dreams, and the Hidden World
-The Id, Ego and Super-Ego
Pleasure,
Reality, and Morality (Restraint)
-Defense Mechanisms
Displacement
– damn Bushitler
Reaction
Formation – the Bible/Koran is ALWAYS right
Projection
– Everybody cheats
Rationalization
– I never liked her anyway
Fantasy
– I am going to buy a BMW after the next test… ahhh, beamers…
Sublimation
– I want to become a Buddhist (doc said don’t eat meat)
-The Oedipus Complex
The
Thanatos Complex
Pop Psychologies
II: Intelligence, Personal Adjustment, and
Normality
Limitations
of tests – Life is the only valid test
Testing
General Ability vs. Specific Achievement
Lek
and the Ditches
Role
of tests
Ulysses
and the Plow
-Testing for Intelligence
-Mental Age and IQ
Many
questions, so should give good results
How
to deal with linguistic and educational differences
Bell
Curve Test
-Limitations of IQ and Other Tests
Testing limitations; and many types
of Intelligence
-Intelligence is Far More Than Mental Manipulation
BAS and BE Professors….
-Intelligence and Personal Adjustment
Intelligence
seems determinative only at the extremes
III: Deviance
To
be Deviant, you must deviate from something….
Crime
and Morality
Male
Jerks toward Women
-Major Theories on Deviance
-Psychological and biological Explanations of Deviance
Deviance
due to Nature or Nurture?
-Genetic and Biological Predisposition to Deviance
Children
are Cute (too cute?)
Wilson
and Herrnstein – Time preferences of xxxx
-Sociological Explanations of Deviance
-Differential Association Theory
Norms
are different; why I wear a tie
-Labeling Theory
The
Saints and the Roughnecks
-Control Theory
Why
don’t we deviate more than we do? Paying for Taxis…
-Strain Theory
Society
creates discontents, that cause a strain
-Illegitimate Opportunity Theory
We
are all criminal, but detection ability varies for the crime
-Economic Explanations of Deviant Behavior
Cost
benefit analysis
Will
Jerome Bettis find out?
-Summary of Various Perspectives on Deviance
IV: Conclusion
Very
complicated questions
Very
unsettled, quite possibly unsettle-able
Shakespeare
and Dostoyevsky, the Humanities
Last Modified; November 16, 2007