Exploring Architecture in Sociology

Posted: March 26th, 2020

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Exploring Architecture in Sociology

Question 1

Social class, race, and gender all have an effect on the individual’s social identity in that they shape an individual’s thinking, attitudes, and behavior. Social class standings determine access to economic opportunities that in turn result in higher living standards. Gender differences and race are accompanied with a psychological connotation. Women from minority races such as Hispanics and African Americans possess a poor social identity due to historical economic and social injustices. The main difference between gender and sex is that gender typifies the features embodies by a society as either masculine or feminine. Conversely, sex refers to the biological differences that separate a man from a woman. Gender socialization starts at birth when children are treated differently in terms of expectations, duties, and social advantages.

Question 2

Horton Cooley argued that that an individual’s self originates from the relationships among different people in society as well as other people’s perceptions. In such a way, human beings behave in a manner that is closely determined by the attitudes and benchmarks placed by those in their surroundings. The looking glass self-concept has a significant effect on individual’s self-esteem. At a personal level, I experienced the looking glass self when I first enrolled in the university. The very presence of strangers in the class was enough to give me a sense of tension and uneasiness. I was not clear of what the other students thought of me and as such, I was engrossed in self-doubt and uncertainty about everything.

Question 3

Girls’ and boys’ toys have been used over the years as powerful tools of gender socialization and for perpetuating stereotypes. Even in the modern world, toys are still being used for the same purpose. Gender-specific toys are indirectly responsible for creating gender inequality and this translates into dangerous social behavior such as domestic violence and economic inequality. The main features of these toys such as color, symbols, and labels are considered harmless during manufacture but designing toys according to gender acts as a predictor of traits, behavior, and interests. For instance, branding a doll as a girl’s toy makes girls understand that they are meant to be beautiful, elegant, and superfluous. Even in instances where overlaps have been recognized, toys have still been sharply divided according to gender.

Question 4

An advantage of living in a rich house is that Teresa saw a different view of the world. She was able to attend good private schools, enjoy prestigious job opportunities and lived an excellent life. The disadvantage is that she experienced the gross economic and social injustices between the social classes. She also placed her mother in a difficult situation as she felt she was unable to provide for her daughter. I think that if Teresa were born a boy, she would have had a very different experience. She would definitely have had more access to education, healthcare, and other ordinary benefits such as a normal lifestyle. In the event that she was white instead of Latina, Teresa would have been treated as part of the family.

Question 5

Education is an important socialization agent in that it teaches individuals about their culture as well as foreign ones. Teachers have the opportunity to impart expectations, social standards, norms, and other aspects that make a society unique. Consequently, as they grow up, children learn certain aspects that they transfer to the future generations. Religion influences morality and this determines a society’s ability to choose right and wrong. Religion also has an effect on the manner of dressing, behavior, and language. Mass media has the effect of exposing individuals to foreign cultures as well as increasing appeal of different behaviors.

Question 6

Physical appearance helps in impressing people in social situations. Physical appearance also improves overall mood in that if a person looks good, they can feel good about themselves. Physical appearance boosts self-confidence since everyone prefers to admire appealing things. Physical appearance has the ability to change people’s perception about someone or something. Lastly, physical appearance is important as it sets a good mood and sets people at ease.

Question 7

Newman proposed making new and positive messages and eliminating the old negative ones. For example, instead of saying that your body is ugly, try saying you are unique. Another strategy involves making the messages tangible. By repeating a certain concept, it becomes a fact.

Question 8

Competitive kid capital refers to the skills and capabilities acquired by children in the process of engaging in co-curricular activities such as sports or hobbies. The study “From elite female athletes to exceptional leaders” by EYGM revealed that most of the powerful women across the world including politicians, CEOs and activists once played sports professionally. Girls in the lower class are less exposed to situations that demand them to be competitive. Most of their environments are very passive. Conversely, girls in upper-middle class were pushed to be competitive in all their after school activities.

Question 9

Nikki Jones uses a combination of one-on-one interviews and secondary data from local authorities. The code of the street refers to a combination of respect, status, and revenge. One similarity is that both city boys and girls experienced the same amount of violence. A major difference is that girls deal with violence through avoidance while boys preferred retaliation.

Question 10

Opinion conformity and flattery were two main strategies used by African Americans in “Streetwise” to ensure that the rest of the group members complied with the leadership. In the article by Karyn Lacy, it is clear that middle-class blacks still struggle to achieve recognition among their peers and members of the same race. In Anderson’s work, the African-Americans use fear and coercion to achieve an image while in Lucy’s publication, the African-Americans preferred admiration, and equality.