Blogging through Invitation to Sociology (2024)

  1. summary Some scholars argue that human populations expand and contract based on food availability, with abundance leading to growth and scarcity to decline. However, this idea is flawed as it suggests that increased food production triggers even more population growth. Critics point out that birth rates are lowest in developed nations with abundant food, citing factors like contraception access and women pursuing careers. While this theory may seem plausible to some, it's debated whether human populations behave like animal populations. Regardless, discussions on population should consider food supply, with research suggesting that careful agricultural management can sustain a peak population of 9 billion. Overpopulation not only leads to famine but also energy and resource shortages, diseases, and conflicts over land. Other effects include child poverty, high birth rates, and environmental degradation. Virginia Abernethy argues that addressing population growth requires empow...

  1. summary Video games generally do not have a negative impact on most high school students. For boys, gaming is associated with a reduced likelihood of smoking. However, gaming can also be addictive and may be associated with smoking, drug use, depression, and serious conflicts. The effect of video games on aggression is debated, with some studies suggesting a link while others do not. Video games can enhance visual attention, but excessive gaming can be harmful to health. Thus, the impact of video games is complex and can affect users' behavior and health.   2. interesting points An interesting point is that video games can help enhance visual attention. Particularly, action games that emphasize quick responses to visual information can improve players' ability to focus on relevant visual cues. This ability to focus on important information amid a barrage of sensory input is valuable in today's information-rich environment. Moreover, individuals who play these games ten...

  1. summary Racism encompasses beliefs and behaviors attributing superiority or inferiority to certain races, leading to prejudice, bias, discrimination, and unequal treatment. It violates human dignity and rights, condemned by mainstream voices and international treaties. Racism manifests at individual, structural, cultural, and historical levels. Individual-level racism involves biased interactions, such as stereotypes affecting children's behavior. Structural racism embeds inequalities into systems, seen in workplace discrimination and lending practices. Cultural racism is ingrained in societal culture, affecting acceptance of academic achievement. Historical racism persists through intergenerational disparities, perpetuated by whitewashed narratives that downplay past injustices. These forms of racism contribute to systemic inequalities and hinder progress toward social justice.   2. interesting points The interesting point in this article is that racism can manifest in v...

  1. summary Theories of gender differences emphasize social disparities through gender socialization, while structural functionalism regards gender as complementary roles. Social conflict theory interprets gender within power dynamics, and symbolic interactionism investigates the meanings and constructions of gender over time and space. Feminist theory criticizes class relations embedded within existing gender structures and cultures, while patriarchy defines a male-centric social system with male dominance. Intersectionality theory highlights the interrelation of oppression and privilege across multiple systems, advocating for social justice by examining and addressing existing systems of oppression and privilege to pursue social equality and justice.   2. interesting points Examining various theories of gender differences, it's intriguing to observe how gender is understood and interpreted from different perspectives. Particularly interesting is how social conflict theory e...

  1. summary Women still face discrimination and prejudice in society, especially in the realms of economics, politics, and education, often leading to gender-based violence and institutionalized barriers. The phenomenon of the glass ceiling impedes women's advancement, while sexual violence isolates them socially. According to Raewyn Connell's research, dangerous masculinity contributes to sexual violence and social exclusion. Moreover, patriarchal institutions perpetuate the lack of power among women, revealing a gap between formal citizenship and full social membership. Addressing these structural issues is essential to achieving practical gender equality and social justice.   2. interesting points Gender inequality affects all areas of society, with significant disparities remaining in women's political participation and economic opportunities. It's intriguing how gender intersects with other social factors such as race and ethnicity, creating complex issues. Cultur...

  1. summary Social stratification is shaped by social perceptions and attitudes. Economic inequality is a key variable explaining social stratification, with income and wealth distribution being important indicators of group welfare. Social variables like gender, race, and ethnicity impact social status and stratification, along with factors such as occupation, education level, and geographic location. The global economy comprises core, semi-peripheral, and peripheral countries, which interact to form social stratification. However, significant disparities in wealth and poverty persist both between nations and within them.   2. interesting points One interesting aspect was the recognition that social stratification is influenced not only by economic factors but also by social variables such as gender, race, and ethnicity. It was fascinating to explore how these diverse variables combine to shape stratification within a particular society and to identify mathematical models th...

  1. summary   The dramaturgical theory categorizes social interactions into three domains: the "front stage," the "backstage," and the "offstage." The front stage represents situations where individuals conform to social expectations, performing roles dictated by societal norms. Backstage refers to the space where individuals can relax and behave authentically, away from the scrutiny of the front stage. Offstage encompasses places where individuals not directly involved in the performance interact, engaging in personal interactions. This framework aids in understanding the multifaceted nature of social interactions, shedding light on social roles and norms. Moreover, behaviors and interactions within each domain offer insights into understanding social structures and relationships.   2. interesting points One of the most intriguing aspects of the dramaturgical theory is its interpretation of social interactions as theatrical performances. This theory view...

1. summary Symbolic interactionism is a sociological theory that explains how people interact and create meanings. Through repeated interactions, individuals shape and sustain society. The interpretive process during interactions helps create and reproduce meanings. People act based on shared meanings and live in both natural and symbolic environments. This theory developed in the mid-20th century and is significant in microsociology and social psychology. It originated from American pragmatism, particularly the ideas of George Herbert Mead. Collins views it as the study of how social worlds are created through interactions between individuals and their environments.   2. interesting points 'What makes this statement interesting is that symbolic interactionism is a frame of reference for better understanding how individuals interact with each other to create symbolic worlds, and how the world in turn shapes their behavior.' This is because it takes a broad view of understanding...

1. summary The advantages of bridging structural holes in a network play a crucial role in organizational dynamics and individual career development. In many organizations, members tend to focus their activities within their own groups, which limits creativity and opportunities. A "player" who bridges structural holes is in a favorable position to detect and develop rewarding opportunities. Structural holes exist when there is no direct link between two separate clusters within a network. Individuals who bridge these gaps act as brokers, connecting otherwise unconnected groups and facilitating the flow of information between them. John Stuart Mill emphasized that exposure to diverse perspectives is a significant source of progress. Therefore, individuals in these broker positions can introduce innovative ideas and opportunities to their organizations, enhancing organizational value and promoting their own career development.   2. interesting points The massive scale and volat...

 1.Summary  Social structure refers to institutionalized norms or cognitive frameworks that have clear relationships between entities or groups, sustain patterns of behavior among social system participants in relation to each other, and structure the behavior of actors. This social structure can be divided into micro-structure and macro-structure. Microstructure is a pattern of relationships between basic elements of social life and has the characteristic of not having its own social structure. Therefore, we can see that the there structure is a kind of second-level structure, that is, a relationship pattern between objects with their own unique structure. 2. Interesting points I came to understand that if you understand the concept of social structure, it will be easy to identify hidden systematic prejudices. In general, it was interesting to learn about other variables hidden behind problems that can easily be dismissed as social structural prejudice. 3. discussion It is sa...

 1.Summary Deviance refers to any behavior that violates cultural norms. In addition to violating officially established laws, unofficial actions that go against society are also a part of deviance. (burping loudly, urinating in the bathroom and not flushing) such deviant behavior can be approached through structural-functionalism. This means that deviant behavior has an important function in society. First, it plays an important role in distinguishing between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. It is necessary to clarify moral boundaries. It is also considered a means for social change. Deviant behavior also occurs in the process of restoring social balance. For example, protests are also a deviant act, and they are one of the means to act against any injustice. Deviant behavior can also be explained by Ragelling theory. To explain this theory, an understanding of stigma is necessary. Stigma is easy to understand when you think of it as a label that cannot be easily removed. Thi...

 1.Summary This Wikipedia article addresses the need for socialization and the importance of human interaction. Socialization is generally divided into two parts. Primary socialization occurs during childhood and adolescence. Secondary socialization refers to socialization that occurs when a person interacts with a new group that requires additional socialization. In primary socialization, an individual's core identity is formed, and through secondary socialization, specific changes occur in response to the acquisition of context. To explain the importance of socialization, we can look at several cases in which socialization did not occur due to neglect or abuse. A representative example would be the neglect of Genie and Oksana. They can also be said to have been placed in the wild. Children in the wild lack the basic social skills they learn during socialization. They don't know how to have a conversation or public etiquette. Socialization is essential and culturally very rela...

 1.Summary The term government is used in various ways. It can refer to the governing body of a country, which includes all organs such as the executive branch, legislative branch, and judiciary. It can also refer to only the executive branch excluding the legislative branch and the judicial branch. It also refers only to the president of the Republic of Korea, who has actual administrative power in the country. In countries where the separation of powers between the three branches of the executive branch, legislature, and judiciary was mentioned above, the form of government is differentiated depending on how the powers are separated. However, it is a common issue in all countries that the judiciary must be kept as independent as possible. Conversely, the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches varies greatly between countries. Let's look at the cases of the United States and the United Kingdom. The difference is that the US has a presidential system an...

 1.Summary Politics is the process by which people make social and economic decisions. Politics can also be applied to individual behavior. It can also be applied to companies and governments. Types of government are divided into monarchy, democracy, totalitarianism, oligarchy, communism, and theocracy. A monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is vested in the head of state. An example is Queen Elizabeth II, the British monarch. Since the monarch has limited political power, she does not have unlimited political power in the country. Democracy is a form of government in which the right to rule or sovereignty is maintained by citizens within a nation or state. An example of this is the Republic of Korea. It has two principles: that all citizens in society have equal access to power, and that all citizens can enjoy freedom and liberation. Totalitarianism is a political system that seeks to regulate all aspects of public and private life. Group interests are emphasize...

 1.Summary 1) Socioeconomics Socioeconomics, a discipline that studies how economic activities that occur in the market affect society and how formation processes occur, analyzes the development and decline of modern society due to the global economy and local economy. These socioeconomic markets are affected by environmental factors such as deforestation, natural disasters, and marine pollution, and are also affected by changes in households. Deforestation is a result of land expansion due to population growth, which causes serious damage to the natural environment. The impacts of marine pollution include damaging fisheries and negatively impacting surrounding communities. Household changes also affected the social environment. In the past, nuclear families consisted mainly of two parents and children living in the same house, but now the number of single-person households has increased. This means increased direct energy consumption and takes up more land space. Through this, we ...

1. summary   This Wikipedia article covers two economic ways in which people use the environment to meet their material needs. Capitalism Capitalism is an economic and social system in which capital and non-labor factors or means of production are privately controlled. At this time, products and capital are traded in the market and society is formed. The economics of capitalism developed from the interaction of five items: commodities, capital, labor power, means of production, and production. Society is made up of individuals and businesses. Here, individuals can be consumers, workers, or investors, and they participate in the economy and provide money and labor. Companies produce products and supply them. As a group that operates for profit by purchasing capital goods and participating in the market to convert these consumer goods, efforts are made to promote consumer purchases through marketing and creation of improved products. Price competition is very important in a market de...

 1.Summary   This Wikipedia article deals with the sociology of religion. Sociology of religion is a study that deals with the interrelationship between religion and society from various perspectives. It explores the role, universal themes, historical background, and functions of religion in society. Sociology of religion studies how social functions are applied to religion. Also, the sociology of religion differs greatly from theology in that it denies the supernatural. Here, theology is traditionally a discipline that studies God itself directly through reason or studies doctrines and methods related to God. However, it is difficult to say that the sociology of religion denies the existence of God. 2. Interesting points Sociology of religion seeks to understand religious phenomena in terms of human experience, so it was interesting to study the social background of human faith and the interaction within religious groups. This is because when I first saw the word sociology of...

 1.Summary   This article deals with a detailed investigation of religion as sociologists study social phenomena. Understanding religion aims to predict what religion affects or how it will change in the future. The conceptual definition of religion can be divided into three categories. First, the definition of religion depends on the distinction between what is sacred and what is profane. Another definition sees religion as an attempt to answer existential questions. It is often criticized as being broad and overly inclusive. Lastly, religion is defined as the collective beliefs and rituals of a group related to the supernatural. There are many types of religion. Among them, the church is the most inclusive of religious expression in society. The Church claims universality and is very closely allied with the state and secular powers. It is thus broadly organized into bureaucratic institutions with a complex division of labor. Religions also have denominations. A denomination ...

 1. Summary     The free culture movement refers to a movement that encourages and supports various forms of cultural activities and freedom of expression. This means that personal creations created by individuals are distributed as free content through the Internet and online media, allowing others to modify and use them. This is not an act of copyright infringement, but rather respects individual creativity and diversity and seeks liberation from socially oppressed or restricted cultural expressions. Therefore, opponents of excessive copyright laws argue that some restrictive copyright laws hinder creative activity and call this a 'permissive culture'. A representative organization that makes this claim is an organization called Creative Commons. The website provided by this organization provides a glimpse into the copyright law system they pursue. To them, freedom does not mean freedom such as ‘free beer’, but ‘freedom’ such as ‘freedom of speech’. 2. Interesting point...

  1.Summary   The early culture is a high culture and sees culture as the development of civilization. This concept reflects the inequality within European society and colonies around the world and equates culture with civilization, thus holding the opposite concept of nature and non-civilization. This is understood to mean that the meaning of high culture is that people who use the culture (such as those who claim that jazz, a classical music, is more sophisticated than indigenous musical traditions) are considered sophisticated. This concept of culture has changed to include a more diverse society, eliminating the evaluation element of the concept of culture and giving priority to distinctions between different cultures. Now, high culture simply refers to the objects, symbols, norms, values and beliefs of a specific group, which can also be called popular culture.   -Subculture can be said to be a culture that a small number of people share and actively participate in w...