Transcript Social 30 Curriculum Concept 1.5

What is your utopia?
Read the newspaper article on
pg. 21.
As you read the story, try to
decide whether or not you
could be a member of this
group. Does your decision
indicate something about you?
What is identity?
• Identity has a wide range of meanings. In a very
broad sense, identity is who or what one is.
• Two types of identity frequently discussed in
sociology are personal and collective identity.
Personal identity is the idea you have of
yourself as a unique individual. It is the
collection of traits that you think of as
distinguishing you from others. Collective
identity is one that you share with other ppl as
a member of a larger social group, such as a
linguistic, faith, cultural, or ethnic group.
Beliefs & Values
• Beliefs and values are important aspects of
identity. Although they are abstract ideas, they
can have real effects on our lives.
• They influence our behaviour and choices, and
guide us in our interactions with others and how
we view the world.
What is an ideology?
Introduction to Ideologies: Lesson 1
Williams Social (a ‘by-the-book’ introduction)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWckfC3j941 (3:25)
Full video= 5:09 – you will want to watch this all as review.
Ideology & Identity
• Ideology can also influence a person’s identity.
Ideology: a set of principles or ideas that
explain our world and our place within it which
ppl accept to be true.
• An individual might embrace a particular
ideology because it mirrors certain beliefs and
values about the world that the individual
already has. Once ppl consciously embrace an
ideology, it may cause them to re-examine and
reinterpret their own lives according to the
principles of that ideology.
• Pg. 27-28
For Homework
• Read the 3 “Ethical Statements for Exploration
and Response” on pg. 29. Tell me what each
statement means, and whether you agree or
disagree and why.
• Answer questions 1, 2, & 4 on pg. 30 for
“Explore the Issues.”
• Pg. 31
• Figure 1-8
What Are We
Learning Today?
1.3 Explore factors that may
influence individual and collective
beliefs and values.
“No one is born hating another
person because of the colour
of his skin, or his background,
or his religion. People must
learn to hate…”
Family Influences
• Families often have a strong influence on their
children’s identities. For most people, the earliest
influence on their personal beliefs and values is their
family.
• In his book Family, Socialisation, and Interaction
Process (1955), Talcott Parsons argues:
– “it is because the human personality is not ‘born’
but must be ‘made’ through the socialization
process that in the first instance families are
necessary. They are factories which produce
human personalities.”
Questions to Explore…
• Do you agree with Parson’s idea that families
are “factories which produce human
personalities”?
• Pg. 32
• How can you explain how 2 individuals from the
same family (Bart & Lisa) would have such
different points of view? How much influence do
you think your parents’ ideas have had on your
own beliefs and values?
Gender
• The way ppl understand gender is affected by
their experiences- personal, social, cultural- as
well as their beliefs and values.
• The specific qualities or behaviors that make up
a gender role vary from one society to another.
Different societies may have different ideas for
what is gender “appropriate.” This can include
what career choices are acceptable for a man
or woman or what kind of behaviour is expected
from a mother or father when raising a child.
Quotes on Gender Roles
• The following quotes deal with gender roles
assigned in western society. What quote, if any,
seems to be most representative of your
experience with gender?
Man is the hunter; woman is his game…
Man for the field and woman for the hearth:
Man for the sword and for the needle she:
Man with the head and woman with the heart:
Man to command and woman to obey…
- Alfred Tennyson
Gender Quotes Cont’d
Woman is determined not by her hormones or
by mysterious instincts, but by the manner in
which her body and her relation to the world are
modified through the action of others than
herself. The abyss that separates the
adolescent boy and girl has been deliberately
widened between them since early childhood…
- Simone de Beauvoir,
French author & philosopher
Gender Quotes Cont’d
Modern invention has banished the spinning
wheel, and the same law of progress makes the
woman of today a different woman from her
grandmother.
- Susan B. Anthony,
women’s rights activist
Are religion and spirituality the
same thing?
Religion & Spirituality
• Religion and spirituality can take on many
forms. Each plays a role in shaping a person’s
ideology. Religious or spiritual faith can give
meaning to ppl’s lives and provide them with a
moral system that informs their actions.
• Spirituality can be expressed both individually &
collectively. For some, it’s a private thing that’s
pursued through self-reflection, meditation, and
prayer. For others, their spirituality provides
them with a sense of community.
Religion & Ideology
• There is no question religion can influence
particular ideologies. Christian Democracy, for
example, incorporates many of the principles of
Christianity into its political values. Islamism
uses the tenets of Islam and Islamic law as the
basis for a political system.
• However, many other ideologies are secular,
but still support religious freedom. Other
ideologies, such as forms of Communism, are
opposed to the practice of religion altogether.
Karl Marx famously called religion the “opiate of
the masses,” claiming that the spiritual comfort
of religion prevented oppressed peoples from
seeking political change.
Environment
• Most scientists now agree that human activities
are having a negative impact on the env’t.
• Concern for the environment is not new.
Greenpeace was founded in 1971 in
Vancouver.
• Increasing environmental awareness has had
an enormous influence on the lives of many
individuals. It has changed their daily habits,
with practices such as reuse and recycling
becoming more commonplace. It has influenced
behaviour as consumers & how some ppl vote.
Green Politics
• Though most ppl realize the importance of our
relationship with the environment there is little
consensus among countries on how to best go
about achieving this.
• Environmentalism has also spawned the
political ideology known as “Green politics”.
There are numerous Green parties across the
world, including Canada. Generally, “Green
politics” approach many political issues from an
environmental perspective and stress
environmentalism, ecology, and sustainable
economics.
http://www.greenparty.ca/
Relationship to Land
• The relationship you have to the land you
inhabit is another factor that influences your
beliefs & values. For example, if your livelihood
is connected to land or natural resources, this
might exert a strong influence on your identity.
• Do you think a farmer would have the same
kind of relationship with the land as a city
journalist would?
• Events such as the Calgary Stampede, or
smaller-town fairs and rodeos, celebrate our
economic and cultural connection to our land.
• Quote pg. 40-41
For Homework
• Complete the “Beliefs and Values Inventory” on
pg. 30. (Don’t do the small group part).
• Answer question 5 on pg. 30 for “Explore the
Issues.” (Don’t do the small group part for 5).
Language
• Language is one way in which ppl communicate
beliefs and values, worldview, cultural and
societal understandings, and sense of self.
• People often don’t realize the impact language
has on their identity until you are in a place
where your language is in the minority.
Suddenly, it can become a lot more important if
its not shared with everyone.
Francophones & Language
• Francophones in Canada have fought to have
their official language rights under the Canadian
Charter of Rights and Freedoms respected.
Many argue the French language is an integral
part of Canada’s national identity and that we
need to do all we can to overcome the forces of
linguistic assimilation.
• In 2008, Francophones in Alberta numbered
65,990, or 2.2% of the population. The struggle
to maintain their language remains an important
part of the values and beliefs of many FrancoAlbertans. (Figure 1-13)
Media
• First cartoon pg. 44
• Canadian theorist Marshall McLuhan claimed
that the “medium is the message.” What do you
think he meant by that?
• That the form of the communication was more
important than the actual content!
• Some critics of McLuhan disagree with his
dismissal of the role of content in media’s
influence on its audience.
How much influence do you think
the media have on people’s
opinions? Do you think people are
fully conscious of the impact of
media? Can you think of specific
examples of the media’s influence
on the beliefs and values of you and
your peers?
http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=xmtd9o6ZWZM
Media Hegemony
• Like McLuhan, many media theorists focus on
the potential of media for the establishment of
hegemony: the political control exerted by one
group over others.
• Many claim that the content of mainstream
media sources reflects the commercial and
political interests of the corporations that own
them.
• First quote pg. 45
For Homework
• Read the italics on pg. 48.
• Answer the first 2 out of the 3 bullets under
“Pause and Reflect.” (A page double spaced.)
• Bottom pg. 48
What Are We
Learning Today?
1.5 Examine the characteristics of
ideology.
Characteristics of Ideology
• All ideologies contain a set of beliefs and values
about similar things. They are all concerned
with essential questions of life, such as:
– What are humans like, and why do they act
as they do?
– How should society be organized?
– How has the world worked in the past?
– How should it work in the future?
• The answers an ideology provides to these
questions form the characteristics of that
ideology.
Nature of Human Beings
• Beliefs about human
nature – about
whether ppl are
essentially good or
bad, for example –
are fundamental to
any ideology. Pg. 49
• How might such a
view of human
nature influence
your choice of
ideology?
Structure of Society
• Social structures:
– bind us together as a society
– help the society to function in
an orderly fashion.
– reflects the beliefs and values
of that society.
• There are also informal social
structures (i.e. norms):
– unwritten rules about
acceptable social behavior and
actions.
– Pg. 49-50
List of Minimum Wages in Canada
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minimum_w
ages_in_Canada
Interpretations of History
• The events of the past tend to influence the
beliefs and values that we hold, in turn affecting
our identities and the way we interpret the
world.
• Ex:
– an individual whose life has been difficult may have
a pessimistic view of life and consider that life is a
struggle against the odds.
– Other individuals may grow up believing that it is
their duty in life to help people who are
disadvantaged because they themselves have been
privileged. Pg. 50
Visions of the Future
• Every ideology has
some sort of vision of
what the world should
look like in the future (a
certain utopia).
• Our personal vision of
what we think the world
should be will likely cause
us to embrace an ideology
that shares that same
futuristic viewpoint.
• Pg. 50
What Are We
Learning Today?
1.6 Explore themes of ideologies.
The Themes of Ideology
• Typical themes of concern to ideologies include
nation, class, race, environment and
relationship to the land, gender, and religion,
among others. Most ideologies talk about, or
are concerned with, these themes.
• In some cases, it may seem as though one or
two themes predominate in an ideology. For
example, Marxists (communists) concentrate
heavily on the theme of class, and capitalists
emphasize the theme of freedom. Table pg. 51
• Milton Friedman: pgs 54-55.
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_oZpP1cjKg
– (What’s More Greedy? Capitalism, or Government? 2:24 – Bryan
Binkholder)
For Homework
• Read the speech by Tommy Douglas on pg. 5253.
• Compose a retrieval chart:
– identify and explain as many characteristics and
themes of ideology as you can find in his message.
• Interpretation of history, structure of society, human
nature, vision of future (min. 1 each)
Progressivism
• umbrella term for various ideologies that
advocate moderate political and social reform
(change) through gov’t action.
– Support social justice and rights of workers.
• Ex: using anti-trust laws to prevent corporations
from establishing monopolies in the
marketplace (Microsoft).
What Are We
Learning Today?
1.4 Examine historic and
contemporary expressions of
individualism and collectivism.
When we examine ideologies,
we can see that each of them
is based on either
individualism or collectivism,
or a mixture of the two.
WilliamsSocial Lesson 2: Individualism vs Collectivism
(6:18)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGmhQnpUlgQ
Individualism
• Individualist ideologies tend to advocate
(promote) individual rights, and freedom from
gov’t and from collective controls and
restrictions.
• They promote principles such as:
- autonomy: a state of individual freedom
from outside authority
- self-interest: one’s personal interest or
advantage
- personal achievement
- self-reliance: the quality of being solely
responsible for one’s own well-being
Collectivism
• working cooperatively to solve problems and
manage economic and social issues.
• collective enterprises, unions, and teamwork
can accomplish more than individuals and
competition can.
• stress social harmony and cohesion over
competitiveness.
• emphasize the common good: (the good of a
community; something that benefits the public
health, safety, and/or well-being of society as a
whole) over individual goals or gain.
Individualism, Collectivism, & the
Role of Gov’t
• Collectivist ideologies see a positive role for
gov’t assistance and control in regard to the
economy and social issues.
• Individualist ideologies usually see the gov’t as
interfering and counterproductive.
Collectivism…
to government.
Individualism…
to government.
Varying Individualistic Ideologies
• There are many different individualistic
ideologies that are based on varying degrees of
individualism:
– they do not necessarily all agree on the best means
of organizing society.
• most individualistic ideologies have a similar
understanding of the individual’s place in
society
– stress the importance of ideas such as personal
autonomy and self-reliance.
Varying Collectivist Ideologies
• collectivism is not a single ideology:
– many different ideologies are based on collectivist
ideas, and these various ideologies may differ in
their methods and ultimate goals.
• All stress human interdependence and the
importance of a collective, regardless of size,
rather than the importance of the individual.
• They all emphasize group goals and the
common good.
Scoring Beliefs & Values Inventory
• For statements 2, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18,
and 19 give yourself a “5” if you answered
often, a “3” if you answered sometimes, and a
“1” if you answered rarely. These statements
are more associated with individualism.
• For statements 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 13, 15, and 20
give yourself a “1” if you answered often, a “3” if
you answered sometimes, and a “5” if you
answered rarely. These statements are more
associated with collectivism.
• If you scored 60 – 100 you associate yourself
more with the concept of individualism. If you
scored 20 – 60 you align more with the concept
of collectivism.
For Homework
• Analyze the bumper stickers on pg. 62.
• For all 8, tell me whether they are conveying an
individualist message, a collectivist one, or
both. How can you tell?
Individualism in Ancient Greece
• The concept of self-interest was discussed in
the 4th century BCE (400 BCE to 301 BCE) by
the Greek philosopher Aristotle. In his book
Politics he wrote: “That which is common to the
greatest number has the least care bestowed
upon it. Every one thinks chiefly on his own,
hardly at all of the common interest; and only
when he is himself concerned as an individual.”
• What do you think he meant by this?
Anthropological studies tell us
that most, if not all, the earliest
human societies were
collectivist. Why might that
be?
Collectivism in the New Testament
• Collectivism was also practiced 2000 years ago
by early Christians, as mentioned in the New
Testament of the Bible.
– Acts 2:44-45 states, “And all those who had
believed were together, and they began selling their
property and possessions, and were sharing them
with all, as anyone might have need.”
• Compare the last part of this sentence with the
collectivist maxim (rule) popularized by Karl
Marx: “From each according to his abilities, to
each according to his needs.” Are the two
similar?
Aboriginal Understandings of Collectivism
• Indigenous peoples such as the Aboriginal peoples in
Canada describe their traditional cultures as having a
strong sense of the collective.
• In matters such as land-holding, decision making, and
educating and raising children, many Aboriginal cultures
emphasize thinking and acting collectively to achieve what is
best for the common good. Many of these collectivist traditions
are still practiced in some Aboriginal communities.
• Interview excerpt pg. 66-67
• (Re-)read “Relationships to Land” pgs. 39-40 in your
text. Then read “American Indian Collectivism”
(handout). Answer the attached questions – for
discussion.
The Medieval Period (circa 476 to
the Renaissance)
• Pax Romana, the “Peace of Rome,” had
provided structure and security throughout the
Roman Empire.
• With the collapse of the Empire in the year 476,
Europe was thrown into chaos.
– Over time, order was restored in small areas under
the guidance of local warlords.
– Small areas of structure grew into larger ones as
warlords joined together
• an aristocracy (nobility) was established.
A Worthless Life
• Common people were
provided structure and
physical security in
exchange for loyalty and
service to their lords.
• But the individual had very
little worth. They were
worth little more than a
cow!
The Catholic Church’s Influence
• By 800, most of Europe had converted to
Christianity under the Roman Catholic Church.
– The Church held immense power at this time
because it was seen as the gatekeeper of heaven.
– It taught people to focus less on the material world
and more on the afterlife.
• If life on earth was miserable, this was ok
because life after death promised to be
glorious.
– Therefore developments in art, science, commerce,
and progress in general were not emphasized
(individual life on earth barely mattered).
Social Classes in Medieval Europe
• most people in Europe fit into distinct social
classes:
– peasants, traders, craftsmen, clergy (priests,
monks, and other people who performed duties in
the Roman Catholic Church) and nobles.
• What mattered was how you fit into your group,
not your individual identity.
– Therefore, Medieval Europe is a great example of
collectivism in history.
• Middle of pg. 68
• Hierarchy Visual
Divine Right of Kings
• This was justified by
saints Augustine of
Hippo (354-430) and
Thomas Aquinas (12251274) who argued that
authority was derived
from God and that a king
held power through the
will of God.
– individualism rarely
mattered in political
matters.
The Renaissance (circa 1450-1600)
• comes from the French; means “rebirth.”
• a very different time than the medieval period
• characterized by:
– renewed interest in classical Greek and Roman
culture.
– European scholars revived classical ideas about
• the central importance of life in this world,
• man’s central role in the world,
• appreciation of the worth of the individual.
Reviving Ancient Greek Ideas
• A lot of the Renaissance involved reviving some
of the ideas of Ancient Greece.
– Ancient Greek culture had been very humanistic
and individualistic.
• Greek mythology:
– gods on Mount Olympus were anthropomorphic
(behaved like humans and sometimes interacted
with them).
– In these myths, humans occasionally challenged
the gods, and were sometimes seen to be on equal
terms with them.
Ancient Greece & Human Potential
• This ‘human potential’ led
the ancient Greeks and later
the people of the
Renaissance to focus on:
– capabilities, strength, beauty,
and reason of individual
humans.
• Humans could be like gods:
– they could remake their
worlds and be the authors of
their own fates.
A Change in Thinking
• ancient Greek ideas took hold in the city-states of Italy
– changed the thinking and focus of influential people in
Europe.
• Painters began to study nature and the world around
them.
– use of perspective, creating more 3-dimensional depictions
of the real world and of humans, started.
• Other works of art portrayed real individuals instead of
stylized and archetypical (model) religious subjects.
• Works also showed the growing importance of books,
education, study of nature, etc.
Sculptures such Michelangelo’s Pieta, which depicts Mary
cradling Jesus after his crucifixion, celebrated the individual
human form.
The Protestant Reformation (circa
1500-1650)
• The Protestant Reformation
– partially a product of the growing influence of the
Renaissance
– focused on the individual
– contributed to the growth of individualism by
challenging the authority of the dominant Roman
Catholic Church.
• The Catholic Church interpreted religion for
people through Church tradition and the Bible
– many Protestant Churches claimed to rely on the
Bible alone.
The Printing Press
• (Johannes Gutenberg c.1439)
• the Bible could be
translated into many
languages and be made
available to a large
number of people.
• Now, people who could
read could explore,
consider, and interpret
their faith on a more
personal level.
Emergence of Individualism in
European Society
• The emergence of individualism in European
societies
– took several centuries.
– while individualism eventually came to predominate
in many societies, it has never replaced collectivism
entirely.
• The two tendencies have existed side by side in
a sometimes uneasy relationship that has
shaped societies in the past and continues to
shape societies today.
What Are We
Learning Today?
1.9 Analyze the dynamic between
individualism and common good in
contemporary societies.
Contemporary Individualism &
Collectivism
• Pg. 87
• In what ways do you think Jeff Skoll is an
example of individualism? In what ways do his
actions demonstrate collectivism?
Can Individualism & Collectivism
Co-exist?
• In speaking about ideologies and the ideas of
individualism and collectivism, people
sometimes try to suggest that the 2 viewpoints
are incompatible.
– They argue that the respective values of these 2
viewpoints are so different that you must choose
between them.
• While it is true that the values of individualism
and collectivism are sometimes at odds, there
are aspects of the 2 sets of ideas that can
complement each other. They can sometimes
work together for the common good of society.
American Individualism
• Americans are well-known for their emphasis
on individualism.
• Some think American individualism consists of
an attitude of tough-mindedness toward the
claims of others for assistance
– (not an absolute refusal to help but rather that
individuals should first do everything possible
before asking others for assistance).
• Quote pg. 88
Are Canadians So Different?
• 2004 study by the Pew Research Center:
Canadians and Americans have more than a few values in
common.
• 65% of Americans & 63% of Canadians think
people determine their own success in life.
– Most Western Europeans, believe people have “little control
over their own destinies.”
• 77% of Canadians and 73% of Americans think
gov’t should provide a social safety net (social
services, i.e. employment insurance and health care)
– 91% of Western Europeans believe this
Can We Be Collectivist &
Individualist?
• What is interesting:
– although North American’s first viewpoint is that
people are in charge of their own success,
(individualist),
– their other viewpoint that gov’ts should provide help
to those who need it is collectivist.
• This suggests that many people, (in many cases,
the majority) embrace BOTH individualist and
collectivist ideals.
Does money buy you
happiness?
Does the Old Adage “Money Can’t
Buy You Happiness” Ring True?
• Another study that examined levels of
consumer spending & happiness found:
– rich countries, where individualism was more
prevalent and consumption was higher, had higher
overall levels of subjective well-being (a person’s
perception of their own happiness).
• However, when ppl at different income levels
within the same country were compared, it was
found that:
– beyond the level at which a person’s basic needs
can be met, there was little correlation between
subjective well-being and income.
What conclusions can you
draw from these studies?
First quote pg. 89
It’s Not the Money, But the
Freedom!
• In other words, it does not follow that the more
money you have the happier you will be. More
important is the freedom to pursue your own
personal fulfillment. This freedom is what
makes you happier.
Individualism & Social Capital
• Other researchers have claimed that increased
individualism in a society leads to an increased
sense of commitment to the collective.
• In a study that examined levels of social
capital (the strength of social relationships
between individuals) and individualism, the
authors argued…
• Second quote pg. 89
Are Individualists Anti-Human?
• These studies seem to indicate that
individualism and collectivism are not
diametrically opposed concepts and can coexist.
• Perhaps it’s the freedom to “do what you want”
that individualists most identify with and not the
selfishness and “me first” part that we often
associate them with?