Blogging through Invitation to Sociology (2024)

What did I learn from this class? I learnt a lot in this class. For the first time, I learned about sociology, and not only did I learn the basics of sociology, but I also gained some understanding of the information as well. Sociology covers a wide range of topics, but every area I have learnt from this semester has given me a new perspective on sociology. Initially, I had a very limited understanding of sociology, thinking that it had very little to do with everyday life. However, through this course I have learned that sociology is not just the study of society, but it is also the study of human society, social behaviour, social relations, social structure and social change, etc. It is a large discipline that studies human society, social behaviour, social relations, social structure and social change. It focuses more on human interaction in groups and societies, exploring how social order is formed and maintained, and how society influences individual behaviour and thought. Throu

1.Summary  This article is about the concepts and importance of demography . Demography is the study of how many people there are, what those people are like, and where they live. The article talks about how demographic data is important in many aspects of society, such as how cities are planned, how schools are organised, how hospitals provide services, and so on. It then describes the history and current state of population growth, especially in the last two centuries when the world's population has grown very fast because of advances in medical and agricultural technology following the Industrial Revolution. Population pyramids and population transition models are also described as tools that can help us understand population structure and trends in different places. Finally, migration has had a great impact. Migration can change the demographic composition and culture of a place, bringing new opportunities and challenges. 2. Interesting Point At the beginning of the article a

1.Summary  A relatively new area of research in the social sciences has focused on technology, including cellphones, video games, virtual worlds, social networking services, and digital media. Mobile phones have become a necessity in our lives. They are more than just communication tools, they are our navigational, camera, alarm clock and many more functions in one. With mobile phones, we can connect with others anytime and anywhere. Social networks have made it easier to connect with others. Through social networks, we can easily keep in touch with our friends and family who are far away and share our life moments. However, social networks also have problems such as privacy leakage. Video games have had a significant impact on both entertainment and cognition. Some studies have shown that playing certain types of video games can improve our concentration and reaction time, but over-indulgence in games may lead to health and behavioural problems. 2. Interesting Point I think the inter

1.Summary   This article is about the complexity of race and ethnicity and also about two aspects of this them: social and biological. Race is not biologically fixed but shaped by social and historical factors. For example:The way in which different countries categorise race varies according to cultural background. Although there may be some genetic differences between races, there is greater genetic variation within the same race. This shows that race is not a single biological concept, but a combination of social and biological factors. Finally, racial discrimination, although much less frequent nowadays, is still manifested in various ways, and the impact of these concepts on society is described. 2. Interesting Point There is a story at the beginning of this essay in which the author recounts examples of the different labels he has been given in different countries, illustrating the prevalence of this phenomenon. The issue of his son's identity is also mentioned, as well as th

1.Summary   This article is about gender as a socially constructed role and the difference between sex and biological sex. Gender is not just a biological difference between male or female, it is shaped by society and culture. Different societies have different expectations and roles for men and women, such as the traditional belief that men should be strong and women should be gentle. And the article also talks about the various manifestations of gender inequality, e.g.: women are discriminated against in the workplace because of these social expectations and stereotypes. Gender identity and gender expression then is how individuals view themselves and express their gender, for example: some people identify psychologically as female even though they are physically male. There are also, different perspectives of gender theories including functionalism, conflict theory and symbolic interactionism to name a few. These theories explain how gender affects individuals and social structures,

1.Summary   Social inequality is the difference in wealth, income, education, opportunities and power, etc., between different people or groups in a society, some of whom have more resources and better living conditions than others. This inequality is not only economic, but also political, legal and cultural. Inequality is most evident in the economy, for example: some people have high incomes and others have low incomes. There is also inequality in education, where there are differences in access to and quality of education for different groups of people. Some people can go to good schools and others can only go to under-resourced or bad schools. Political inequality is when some people or a certain group of people have more voice and influence in decision-making and policy-making (e.g. celebrities), while others find it difficult to have a voice or influence policy (e.g. ordinary people). There are many reasons for social inequality, such as: historical legacy, economic structure, go

1.Summary   Social stratification refers to the fact that different people and groups in a society differ in terms of wealth, power and prestige, and that these differences lead to inequality. In simple terms, it means that some people have more money, power and social status than others.  Classical sociologists such as Marx and Weber provided an important theoretical framework for the study of social stratification. Marx focused on the economic basis of class division, while Weber introduced multidimensional analysis such as power and prestige.  In traditional societies, social stratification is usually based on blood, religion, or other hereditary factors. For example: the caste system in India is a strict social stratification system where people's social status and occupation are determined by birth and are difficult to change. What about modern societies, where wealth and economic status become the main basis for stratification, especially in capitalist societies. Society is u

1.Summary   Dramaturgical theory is an important theory in sociology, a theory proposed by Erving Goffman. Dramaturgy theory is like a stage play in society where everyone is an actor and the social situation is the stage. This theory tells us that we play different roles in different situations. In this theory, Goffman proposes several core concepts such as: frontstage and backstage behaviors, face work, and psychological adjustment. These “behaviors” refer to the “front stage behaviors” that we display in public, as if we were performing a role on a stage, and the “back stage behaviors” that we display in private, as if we were preparing behind the stage. In private, we display “backstage behavior,” as if we were preparing behind the stage. We spend energy to maintain our “face”, just as actors need to maintain their image on stage. And in response to different situations, we may adjust our mental state, just as actors adjust their performance state. This theory helps us to understan

1.Summary   Symbolic Interactionism is a sociological theory that focuses on how humans construct and understand social reality through symbols and social interaction. The theory was developed by American sociologist George Herbert Mead and his student Herbert Blumer. Later in 1937, Herbert Blumer proposed the term “symbolic interactionism” and also established three core principles of the theory. 1. Meaning： People respond to the world by the meanings they assign to things and events. These meanings are not inherent, but are constantly generated and changed through social interaction. 2.Language：Language is the primary tool we humans use to communicate and make sense of meaning. Language will enable individuals to share and negotiate the meaning of things, thus contributing to the complexity and depth of social interaction. 3.Thought：Thinking is the process by which individuals process symbols and meanings through internal dialog. Through thinking we humans can be able to reflect on a

1.Summary  This post talks about theoretical concepts used in social and behavioral sciences. There is also the concept and history of social networks and their application in social and behavioral sciences. A social network is a social structure consisting of a set of social participants and the interactions between them.  The historical origins of the analysis of social networks are the early sociological structural theories, such as the theory of group relational networks proposed by Georg Simmel and the social graph developed by Jacob Moreno. It became popular in the 1980s as one of the main paradigms of contemporary sociology and has been applied in many other social and formal sciences.  The levels of analysis are divided into a variety of  Although levels of analysis are not necessarily mutually exclusive, there are three general levels into which networks may fall: micro-level, meso-level, and macro-level.  At the meso-level researchers have begun to focus on larger scale netwo

1.Summary     Social structure refers to the enduring relationships or bonds between individuals or groups, including defined relationships between entities or groups, relatively enduring patterns of behavior and relationships, and the shaping of the social system by social institutions and norms. These reflect the hierarchical stratification of society and the interrelationships between various institutions and many factors, such as culture and economy. The concept of embeddedness in the article emphasizes the complexity of individual behavior as influenced by social structures. There is also the fact that from history to modern times, the study of social structure has provided important information for understanding social institutions, culture and individual behavior. However, it is not only the relationship of social structure that is described in the article, but it also influences the behavior of individuals and the evolution of social systems. 2. Interesting Point "actors

1.Summary   Deviance is any behavior that violates cultural norms. Norms are social expectations that guide human behavior. Deviance is often divided into two types of deviant activities. Next, the importance of crime statistics in shedding light on social issues and policymaking was also presented. First, crime statistics are more than simple reports on incidents of criminal activity and reflect the complexity of society and the criminal justice system. They reveal the extent of criminal activity, but also point out the limitations of the statistics, as they only show crimes that have been reported to the authorities and do not cover the full range of criminal activity. The relationship between incarceration rates and the population was subsequently emphasized, in particular the characteristics of the prison system in the United States, including high rates of incarceration and high rates of recidivism. Reference was also made to innovative criminal justice policies, such as drug cour

Q1：How does media (TV, Internet) teach us how to act and where we fit in the society?  A1：The media, especially television and the Internet, play an important role in teaching us how to behave and adapt to society. They shape our values and norms of behavior by presenting desirable models of behavior, ethical standards and social expectations. For example, the study of media violence(Effects of violence in mass media) also means television violence. It refers to the violent content that appears in television programs, including action violence and verbal violence. Such content may negatively affect the psychological and socio-behavioral development of viewers, especially children and adolescents. Studies by psychologists have shown that prolonged viewing of television violence may lead to mood swings among viewers, affect their self-perception, self-esteem and trust, and may even increase their aggressiveness and irritability.However, the media is also one of the main ways for us to o

1.Summary  This article focuses on the concept of socialization and its role in individual development and society.  Socialization is the process by which an individual adapts and develops in society, including goals such as impulse control, role preparation, and value development. Primary socialization occurs during childhood and adolescence, while secondary socialization occurs at other stages in the individual's life cycle to adapt to new social groups and situations. Socialization involves distinctions in content, context, and response, including the ability to regulate and adapt behavioral potential at different stages. Socialization is the result of the interaction of multiple social forces, including family, school, and peer groups, each with its own unique culture and norms. In the broad sense socialization promotes individualism and self-expression, while in the narrow sense socialization places more emphasis on obedience and conformity. Institutionalized socialization may

1.Summary   This article focuses on the definition, history, modern forms of government, and the complexities of categorizing government. This article states that government is central to the management of organized communities and has historically evolved with the development of society. And it mentions that the agricultural revolution was an important reason for the emergence of government because it created food surpluses and the need for an external authority to run the society. Over time, governments have become more complex, becoming large ruling institutions that manage large social groups and complex social interactions. In terms of modern forms of government, the prevalence of republics, as mentioned in the article, and liberal democracy have become more common forms of government, especially since the communist government of the Soviet Union. However, the categorization and complexity of government is a challenge because forms of government are influenced by socio-economic mo

1.Summary   Politics is the process by which groups of people make social economic decisions.     Part I describes the relationship between Power, Authority, and Violence.Authority is the ability to influence the behavior of others, and political power allows groups to manage resources. Authority is the assertion of legality and legitimacy, and there are three types: rational law, traditional and charismatic. Violence is usually exercised by governments to maintain their authority. The paper also suggests that there is controversy as to whether government authority derives from the use of violence and explores issues of political philosophy.  The second part is a description of the different types of government: Monarchy,supreme power rests in the hands of a personal head of state and may be absolute or nominal. Monarchies may include hereditary rule or elected monarchies. Democracy,  the power to govern is held by a majority of citizens, and democracy includes the principles of equal

1.Summary   Socioeconomics is a discipline that explores in depth the interaction of economic activities and social processes.  This article introduces key concepts and research directions in the field of socioeconomics, focusing on how economic activity affects social processes and how social processes shape economic activity. We were first introduced to the concepts of socio-economics and social economy, which analyzes the development of modern societies in the context of the local or global economy.  After that it was also said in detail about the impact of environmental changes on socio-economic systems. Various factors such as deforestation, pollution, natural disasters and changes in family structure have had a significant impact on socio-economic systems. For example: 1. Deforestation has led to the destruction of ecosystems and scarcity of resources, affecting the economic development and human life of local communities.2. Water pollution has affected marine life and fishing co

1.Summary   <Good Faith Collaboration is a book by Joseph M. Reagle Jr. about how Wikipedia, the world's largest online encyclopaedia, works through "good faith collaboration". The book explains how Wikipedia's editors resolve conflicts and disagreements, co-create content, and more by assuming goodwill towards each other. The authors analyse Wikipedia's culture of community and open collaboration, showing how editors from all over the world and from all backgrounds rely on common rules and technological tools to successfully manage and maintain this vast information platform. There are also many of the challenges that Wikipedia faces, such as ensuring the quality of content, community management, and keeping editors motivated to participate. 2. Interesting Point I found the background section of this one the most interesting. Because it's the story of how Wikipedia came to be and why it attracted so many volunteers from around the globe to edit the conten

1.Summary  I've done a rough overview of the content based on the table of contents, below:  The first part starts with a brief introduction to what the economy is.   Part II presents Introduction to Sociology/Economy's historical progression of economic development. Economic development has progressed since antiquity, from subsistence agriculture to the advent of money, the establishment of legal systems, the formation of colonial systems, through mercantilism to Adam Smith's concept of free trade, and ultimately into the era of the Industrial Revolution. Part III presents the history of capitalism and how capitalism works, as well as criticisms of capitalism. The history of capitalism is the evolution of capitalism from its beginnings in the Ancient Roman Empire, the Islamic Golden Age, and the Muslim Agrarian Revolution, to the formation of the market economy and commercial capitalism in the Middle Ages, and the shift from mercantilism to industrial capitalism. The econo

Q:Can we think of any other examples of religious glocalization? A:In China, there is not only the well-known Buddhism, but also a religious sect called "Taoism". Taoism originated in ancient China, and although it has a relatively small global presence, it still has some influence in the Chinese community in some countries. The following is the introduction of Wikipedia about "Taoism" , if you are interested, you can click to view.