#sociological concepts and theory and terminology

[lorelune]

sometimes i am tempted to get into queer discourse on main but i abstain. shut my mouth and keep my goddamn peace <3

[yakultii]

ok I get what all the comments are saying but as someone with a sociology major & a disability I think what this theory is getting at, is different to how it is coming across.. the social model of disability explains;

Impairment = physical/mental condition that affects functioning

Disability = the way in which society treats that impairment

therefore within this theory, even in a perfect world an “impairment” (often referred to in everyday language as “disability”) would never just cease to exist .. BUT in this perfect world, this concept of “disability” (meaning the way in which society treats an impairment differently) would not exist based on the fact everything is perfect/society makes the accommodations everyone needs..

this does not mean people would not struggle at all (bc as we know those with disabilities(impairments) where accomodations ARE met today, the person still endures an impairment(everyday language=disabled) and it also doesn’t mean we could ever reach that point as a society (it’s unlikely imo)

but I think this theory is misunderstood here due to a misunderstanding/ambiguity in terminology..

Idk exactly what I think but when proposed w a question like this I think it is possible to think a little more critically/consider both sides.. though I get that it’s all theoretical atp and sometimes ppl get enraged with the unfairness of the “now” which is totally valid

People sometimes suggest that disability is only a social construct, and in a perfect environment & society, nobody would be considered disabled– disability wouldn't exist because everyone would have all the appropriate accommodations.

If you have both visible and invisible disabilities, select the corresponding "I have at least one visible disability" option.

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[suganya09]

Top Scoring Optional Subjects for IAS Mains and How to Choose One

One of the most important decisions in the preparation for the IAS Mains exam is selecting the right optional subject. Your choice can significantly impact your chances of success. While there are several factors to consider, the right optional subject can help you score high marks and even clear the exam in your first attempt.

Why Choosing the Right Optional is Crucial

In the IAS Mains, the optional subject paper is one of the most scoring components, accounting for 500 marks (two papers of 250 marks each). Given that the General Studies papers and the Essay paper are more challenging to score high in, your optional subject can be the game changer. But with a wide array of subjects to choose from, it’s important to consider various factors to make an informed decision.

Top Scoring Optional Subjects for IAS Mains

Here are some of the most popular and scoring optional subjects for IAS Mains:

Geography Geography is a highly scoring subject because of its systematic nature. The syllabus is vast, but it overlaps with General Studies papers, especially in areas like Indian Geography and Environmental Studies. Candidates who have an aptitude for understanding maps, diagrams, and spatial data tend to do well in this subject.

Public Administration Public Administration is one of the easiest and most scoring subjects for IAS Mains. The syllabus is concise, and there are plenty of sources available for preparation. It also has a high overlap with General Studies, particularly in Governance, Polity, and International Relations, making it an attractive option for aspirants.

Sociology Sociology is a popular choice because of its relatively small syllabus and conceptual clarity. It offers high scoring potential due to its philosophical nature and relevance to General Studies Paper II. Moreover, the subject’s focus on social issues also helps in writing insightful essays and answers in the exam.

Anthropology Anthropology is known for its scoring potential because of its well-defined syllabus and straightforward approach. It is considered one of the easiest optional subjects to tackle, with candidates often reporting high marks. The subject requires less memorization and is more about understanding concepts.

Political Science and International Relations Political Science is another highly scoring subject with a deep overlap with General Studies, particularly in Polity and International Relations. Candidates with an interest in politics and international affairs tend to do well in this subject. The theories and concepts can be applied in both General Studies and the Essay paper.

Anthropology Known for its well-defined syllabus and conceptual clarity, Anthropology is a favorite of many IAS aspirants. The subject requires less memorization and is more about grasping concepts, making it a scoring subject for many.

Agriculture For candidates with a background in agricultural sciences or those with a keen interest in the subject, Agriculture is a good option. It has a practical aspect to it, and scoring is relatively high compared to other subjects due to its focused and concise syllabus.

How to Choose the Right Optional Subject?

Choosing the right optional subject is critical for your success in the IAS Mains exam. Here are some tips to help you select the best subject for you:

Interest and Background Always choose a subject that genuinely interests you. If you have a background in a particular subject, such as Geography, History, or Political Science, it’s best to go for it, as you will have an edge in understanding the concepts and terminology.

Overlapping with General Studies Opt for a subject that has good overlap with the General Studies syllabus. This can help you save time during preparation and allow you to score well in both General Studies and the optional paper.

Availability of Resources Ensure that there are adequate resources available for your chosen subject, including books, coaching material, and online resources. Availability of good study material is crucial for effective preparation.

Syllabus Length Choose a subject whose syllabus is manageable and realistic for your preparation timeline. Some subjects have a vast syllabus, while others are more concise, so assess how much time you can devote.

Scoring Potential Do some research to understand how scoring the subject is based on previous years' trends. While each subject offers scoring potential, some subjects consistently show better results.

Conclusion

Selecting the right optional subject for IAS Mains is a vital decision in your preparation journey. Whether you go with Sociology, Political Science, or Geography, ensure that you choose a subject that aligns with your interests and strengths. With the right preparation, your optional subject can become a crucial part of your success in the IAS Mains.

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Good luck with your IAS preparation, and remember that the right subject, along with consistent effort, will take you closer to your goal!

[phantomtutor]

Instructions: Please read the instructions carefully and contact me if you have any questions prior to submitting your work. After reading the chapter and reviewing the PowerPoint and supplemental readings on the course site, you should complete the following tasks:  Answer the questions below. Your responses should be about one, 5 to 7 sentence, paragraph per question set (meaning numbers 1,2,3, etc should be about one paragraph in length.) Your responses should demonstrate a clear engagement and understanding of the course material, critical application of the sociological concepts/theory and should include clear grammar and sentence structure. Please review the assignment rubric under ‘Course Resources’ for clearer indication of grading distribution and let  me know if you have any questions/concerns.  Questions:  This chapter discusses tensions between ideal culture and real culture in attitudes and practices in society. Things like conventional attractiveness and honesty are often at odds with each other. Can you think of other cases where ideal and real cultures collide in your culture? (Give 5 examples) What is cultural capital? What, according to Bourdieu, is its significance in society? How does one acquire cultural capital and how is it linked to the reproduction of social class? How have you accumulated cultural capital in your life and how have you exchanged it for other forms of capital?  Think of a subculture to which you belong. Remember that subcultures include things like hobbies, religious groups, online groups, ethnic groups, etc. What are the norms, values, and material artifacts that distinguish members of your subculture from those who do not belong to it? Now apply the sapir-whorf hypothesis to your subculture; that is, what language is used in your subculture that is unique to this subculture and how does it shape the way you view/perceive the world. For example, I am part of the vinyl collecting subculture (I started collecting before it was the ‘cool’ thing to do =)) and language is a major part of this subculture in shaping my perceptions of the record itself. We use terminology such as Mint, Near Mint, VG , dead-wax, ’45’s’, needle, etc. to describe different aspects of records, from the quality to the size and shape.  For this question you are to watch the following video of the practice of ‘Takanakuy’ in Peru.  LinkAfter watch the video, you should identify the following cultural elements apparent in this practice and the people of Peru: norms, values/beliefs, language, material culture and symbols. You should identify as many as possible for each (organizing your information in a table would be nice, but not mandatory). After identifying these elements, apply one of the three major sociological paradigms (Functionalism, Symbolic Interaction, Conflict) to this practice; that is, what would one of these theories say about this social phenomenon and it’s purpose and significance?  Please use this link to upload your work.  Assignment is due on Sunday Feb 27 by 11:59 pm.  Worth 20 points.  Late assignment will be accepted, but deducted 2 points for every 24 hours they are late.  Note: Please only submit word docs or pdf files      !!!!DO NOT SUBMIT ANY .PAGES FILES!!!! video link: Chapter Learning Objectives: To read these particular portions of the chapter, please click on the links below and you will be taken to that section of the book.  3.1 What Is Culture? Differentiate between culture and society Explain material versus nonmaterial culture Discuss the concept of cultural universalism as it relates to society Compare and contrast ethnocentrism and xenocentrism 3.2 Elements of Culture Understand how values and beliefs differ from norms Explain the significance of symbols and language to a culture Explain the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis Discuss the role of social control within culture 3.3 Pop Culture, Subculture, and Cultural Change Discuss the roles of both high culture and pop culture within society

Differentiate between subculture and counterculture Explain the role of innovation, invention, and discovery in culture Understand the role of cultural lag and globalization in cultural change 3.4 Theoretical Perspectives on Culture Discuss the major theoretical approaches to cultural interpretation Instructions:  For this week, you should review each section in the chapter reading and complete your chapter recap assignment and/or discussion board. You should also review all supplemental readings and/or videos that are provided for you in the module. Please remember that your responses for the chapter recap assignment should be approximately 5 to 7 sentences in length per question set (not individual questions). You should only upload word or pdf files (please DO NOT upload .pages files). Additionally, your discussion board responses are due on Friday (initial response to the discussion prompt) and Sunday (respond to at least TWO of your classmates posts). Your posts should also be approximately 5 to 7 sentences in length per question set (not individual questions). Please let me know if you have any questions concerns about the assignments.  Help:  Please find the assignments rubric under the ‘Course Resources’ module here: Link You and also find book resources for your textbook here: Link (Links to an external site.) I am always here to help so don’t hesitate to contact me with any concerns you may have. Happy learning!!!  ORDER THIS PAPER NOW. 100% CUSTOM PAPER CategoriesSociology homework help Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Post navigation Previous PostPrevious Managerial Finance IINext PostNext chemistry journal entry

[edwad]

idk if you've seen that person on twitter arguing that the starbucks union is a 'reactionary union of bourgeois service work' and isn't proletarian, but one of the arguments they're making in support of this is to call upon marx's distinction between productive and unproductive labor. would you say the assessment of barista work as unproductive is accurate? and more importantly, does marx's conception of 'proletariat' have anything to do with the distinction between productive and unproductive labor?

ironically, baristas are more straightforwardly productive in a marxian sense than amazon workers are because the former's job is to actually make things for sale whereas amazon employees are simply working for a retailer to move ready-made goods. if you were to dismiss starbucks employees as providing a "service" on these grounds it would necessarily apply just as much to a factory worker from within the pages of marxs capital because at that point labor which produces commodities wouldve been defined that loosely. but this also isn't to say that amazon workers aren't productive for simply moving things around (to appeal to marx, since that's what all of this is about, he even says transportation of goods is a productive labor at the beginning of v2) or that "services" are somehow unimportant.

i always have to repeat this point but it can't be said enough: these are not moral categories. to be a productive labor isn't a "good" thing. to be unproductive does not make you the enemy. this is not what these terms are intended to capture and whenever anyone tries to get you to imagine unproductive workers as the villain while citing the authority of marx they are only showcasing their own ignorance. even worse, if your problem with unproductive labor is that it is parasitic on the social surplus generated by productive labor, you are not even taking the perspective of the productive laborers you cherish so much, you are looking at the system from the perspective of capital itself.

as for marxs conception of the proletariat, he uses it in a couple of different ways so it's not an unambiguous category in his work which we can pluck out of its context and apply anywhere. there's a technical definition of the working/wage-laboring class, there's a kind of sociological notion of the proletariat which is the class of people who have nothing to sell but their labor-power, etc. these things obviously overlap, but they are not the same thing. and where proletarian labor meets productive labor, we'd have to be terminologically careful to know what we're talking about.

in theories of surplus value (and, later, the results manuscript) marx talks about how two people can do the same exact thing but the simple relationship between themselves and a capital determines whether or not what they're doing is productive. to be clear, their commodities are hypothetically the same and even the labor-process itself might as well be identical, but the only difference is that one sells their activity for the enrichment of a capital and the other sells it for personal enrichment. marx gives the example of a "literary proletarian" at a university who is a productive laborer while milton's paradise lost is the result of unproductive because it was written "as a silkworm produces silk, as the activation of his own nature". for another example from the same section:

"A singer who sings like a bird is an unproductive worker. If she sells her song for money, she is to that extent a wage-labourer or merchant. But if the same singer is engaged by an entrepreneur who makes her sing to make money, then she becomes a productive worker, since she produces capital directly." (v1 p1044, penguin)

so here we have singers and university professors as productive laborers, two professions which im sure these people would argue are even more (petit-)bourgeois than a barista. this does not fit their worldview because they don't know what the words mean or why it ought to matter. the university professor is explicitly proletarian, and the singer -- even before she is approached by an entrepreneur -- is potentially understood to be a wage-laborer, which meets at least one of marx's understandings of what it means to be "proletarian" even if she is not productive for capital.

[bigsnorp]

For an easily accessible breakdown of this, Shaun's video breaking down The Bell Curve by Murray et al is genuinely fantastic. I covered that book during my degree in sociology and it's spot on. Covers all the key criticisms.

https://youtu.be/UBc7qBS1Ujo?si=lWDbDy84oL0N_ies

It's 2.5 hours long and pretty dry but it is a very comprehensive look at The Bell Curve and IQ testing and how intelligence ties into racism and eugenics.

Basically, IQ tests are created by the academic elite to reaffirm their own position at the top of the hierarchy. They are deeply embedded in culture, and this is used to exclude and deride those not from that culture. In the case of The Bell Curve, they use apartheid south africa as their case study and SHOCKINGLY white students from reasonably-funded schools who are not being systemically disadvantaged did pretty okay. Black and coloured students (using the terminology of the region/time) did worse. This was attributed to their inherent biology and cultural factors were dismissed.

Charles Murray went on to be a massive inspiration to british conservatives, notably Thatcher, inspiring the concept of the "underclass", a class so far below working class that they were functionally useless and to be eliminated if at all possible. Those with low intelligence were of course included in this.

As far as "gifted kid status", this would tie in with other concepts of racism in education as well. You can get more about this by looking up Howard Becker's book Outsiders, which is about labelling theory, and goes into how black children are disproportionately labelled as disruptive and non-academic by white teachers, regardless of behaviour, leading to them dropping out at higher rates due to lack of support.

But tldr intelligence and IQ are WAY more complicated than you think and they're often used for nefarious ends. Whenever a bunch of academics get together to tell you that academic learning is the pinnacle of human achievement, be suspicious. Whenever anyone claims their group is the best group and should be in charge of the other groups, be suspicious.

so basically “the gifted kid” is a smokescreen for increasing and/or affirming white privilege/white supremacy?

i’m not the right person to explain this at great length, so i won’t, but—intelligence testing has a long and complicated relationship with classism and racism. gifted (and other sped) programs rely on that testing.

that’s as far as i’m willing to explain as a non-expert, lmao. if you want to know more, there’s about 573857 pages of research/opinions/documented personal experiences available for you to sift through, both within and outside of ‘academic’ circles. here’s an excerpt from the abstract of a case study on the topic:

“We show how gifted and talented status meets the criteria of white property interests and is defended by recourse to law and policy. Efforts to improve identification of students for gifted services reveal that the implicit operation of these Interests is an important reason why identification practices favoring white and middle-class children have been resistant to change. Dismantling underlying white property interests in gifted and talented identification is a necessary, though not sufficient step, toward a more just educational system.” [DOI]

i haven’t read this case study in full—i’m just using it to point out that this is a prominent, ongoing discussion. in my opinion, this should be a much larger part of the “former gifted kid” conversation, but alas

[baeddel]

some small objections to this post by @apenitentialprayer & @monstrousgourmandizingcats:

1. i am not sure its justified to call this a problem with “Western secularism.” Nishi Amane for example confronted the same problem when trying to find an equivalent in familiar East Asian discourses for the Western concept of ‘philosophy’ (pg. 18). and in any case, many of the conventional translations we use to translate Asian religious terminology originate from Christian missionaries in the 1600s.

2. it’s not clear to me that there is any problem here. while some terms are prejudicial (Shawn Arthur’s review of the 2-volume Encyclopedia of Taoism includes a strongly-worded objection to their use of the traditional translation of gui as ‘demon’ (pg. 3), a translation which again goes back to Christian missionaries in China), it’s hard to find the harm in translating kami as ‘god’ or calling Quetzalcoatl a ‘deity.’ you can choose to see it as domesticating the foreign concept kami to the familiar concept god, but you can also see it as expanding the sense of the word god to include the sense of the word kami. it is possible to learn and remember the differences.

3. this is not a problem peculiar to religious terminology. it is a problem one encounters when translating essentially any word from one language to another.

basically, @apenitentialprayer writes that “confusing these categories of convenience for real, meaningful classifications limits our ability to learn about them on their own terms.” this statement seems to imply that academic anthropology/sociology/history does confuse these and is therefore limited by it. it has not been my experience that it does.

don’t think i’m defending academia as such. it’s just that this, like many criticisms of academia we see on tumblr, really applies to academia 100 years ago and not academia today. if your frustrations with academia only go as far as its cultural parochialism you’ll make peace with it very quickly. you have to understand that academia has been through the ‘theory takeover’ of the 90s, even the oldest Sinologists today will reference Foucault and Said, student primers for budding classicists and early medievalists contain multiple chapters on queer theory and feminism, etc.

my problems with academia are different ones, chiefly: 1. the commodification of knowledge (in the University of Chicago’s School of Sciences paper wiritng program the lecturer Larry McEnerny quotes Lyotard (!) in saying “the relationship between the suppliers and users of knowledge and the knowledge they supply and use is now tending, and will increasingly tend, to assume the form already taken by the form of commodity-producers and consumers to the commodities they produce and consume, that is, the form of Value.” Larry adds: “your relationship to your own knowledge is the same as the relationship of the farmer to the wheat or the miner to the coal; that relationship is the form of Value.”) and subsequently 2. the control of the distribution of knowledge in the form of the commodity, with respect to both the control of its circulation as speech (by institutions like the university) and in print (by the ‘big five’ academic publishers), cheifly because of what these universities and publishers are 3. accountable to, ie. Capital, and the limits this accountability exerts on thought.

and im just not sure theological sensitivity is going to help much with that.

[adamsvanrhijn]

not to be very annoying, but do you happen to know any good books/resources about lgbt slang/identities in victorian/edwardian/etc england? (i mean, things such as lesbians calling each other "toms" and the like). don't worry if you don't know any, but i just figured i'd ask since this was kinda in your Area Of Interest so you might know some off the top of your head.

the not annoying at all but this is a more complex question than at first glance hahaha

TL;DR: there are many types of queer language / we have way more info about men, who have their own lexicon / this era is widely seen as the era in which the concept of identity is actually coming into play / books list at the end, scroll down til you reach bolded text if you don’t want my commentary.

so when you’re looking at mid 19th - interwar lgbt communities, whether in europe or the uk or the usa it doesn’t really matter bc this is quite universal, you’ve got at least three registers, for lack of an easier word:

how self-identified homosexual, inverted, queer, abnormal etc men (henceforth gay men) speak with each other

how self-identified “” women (henceforth lesbian women) speak with each other

interactions between these groups

these naturally intersect with other socioeconomic class factors.

back to england specifically:

despite legal considerations gay men have the most agency and ability to move around and therefore are more likely to interact with each other and form communities. so now you have additional registers:

upper middle / upper class

middle / lower middle / working class (more registers here but nobody asked me and i promise i will give you recs soon)

again, interactions between them

the latter category has limited applications; most of them have to do with prostitution or casual sex and tend to be about categorizing people in terms of what sex acts they participate in. (this is universally true of most forms of gay slang and/or their origins for obvious reasons) think locker room talk. OR, we’re looking at cross class relationships and how other people view members of cross class relationships. not to generalize bc there are other things than this but what is best documented here is the upper class pov of these interactions

for the first category there is much less slang & unique community language, when you look at letters and works of literature etc etc people are picking and choosing from both medical/psychiatric terminology, which is developing rapidly from the 1860s on, and like, classical works; you get a lot of alluding to things. artistic communities (bloomsbury group, natalie clifford barney’s harem in paris and what have you) meanwhile are sort of all over the map. but bc this isn’t Polite Society talk, most of the sources for this kind of language tend to be limited in scope. which is true for all subculture language really but like in this case, authors of the day who are writing what they know are we think giving a pretty accurate picture of what their actual communities were like... but it’s put through a filter for publication.

by the 20th century urban working class gay men in certain circles are using polari, a subcultural lexicon which came from mid/late 19th century theatre and music hall slang, which came from fairground cant, seafaring , labor slang, Yiddish, cockney, theatre slang, fishmarkets, French, Italian, underground crime rings literally i could go on and there’s lots of debate about this. it’s turn of the century when it comes to be used very widely within the gay community, and while its origins are in london it made it to other uk urban centres fairly quickly. this lasted well into the latter half of the 20th century and is the base for a lot of community slang today, which leads me to

lesbian women, who also used polari, albeit to a lesser extent. these were primarily lesbians who were also in the 3rd camp above - ones who are involved in the community and interacting w/ gay men regularly. (”straight women who work in theatre” is another category of woman polari speakers haha but performance slang went thru many changes and eventually things got p separate so you had fairground & theatre cant and gay subculture slang having similar roots but very distinct in usage)

for lesbian communities the same thing as w gay men applies for the upper classes just to a lesser degree due to the relative lack of a community experienced by women

but a very important point here is that, ESPECIALLY during the victorian period, less so moving into the 20th century, intimate relationships between women are viewed very, very differently than those between men - male relationships have hard and fast boundaries of what is and isnt acceptable, those of women do not. 

the development of identity w/ sexuality for women i think in many ways had a lot more to do with women who expressed their gender differently than women who had intimate exclusive relationships w/ other women 

anyway the point is there unfortunately is no like comprehensive text for All Queer Language at this point in time, nor for the development of sexual identity, and the nature of this field (linguistics + history + sociology about queer stuff) means that a lot of the good work is in academic articles which i do NOT know off the top of my head. :-( but here’s some stuff !!

LIST OF THE ACTUAL BOOKS SORRY ABOUT ALL THAT

ok so these are all nonfiction, mostly academic nonfiction, but i want to stress that contemporary literature is a REALLY good way to get a (often rose tinted but not always) look into subculture and there are many novels that play with and/or poke at the ongoing development of sexual identity, especially in edwardia, especially especially in the 1920s, so if youve got endless time to read on your hands it is absolutely worth poking around there.

i have a list in the works of 1920s literature that has lgbt stuff in it and i realise thats a bit late for you but even so!!

also: compilations of letters, memoirs, etc are like super super invaluable 

anyway ive bolded the most important ones:

Kosofsky Sedgwick, Eve. Epistemology of the Closet. 1990. University of California Press. [required lgbt theory reading, literally the foundation for soooo much]

Marcus, Sharon. Between Women: Friendship, Desire, and Marriage in Victorian England. 2007. Princeton University Press.

Robb, Graham. Strangers: Homosexual Love in the Nineteenth Century. 2003. [this is like, functionally prerequisite reading for any gay male stuff for the 19th century & robb is an excellent popular historian who also has an actual academic background]

Rupp, Leila J. Sapphistries: A Global History of Love between Women. 2008. NYU Press.

Russett, Cynthia. Sexual Science: The Victorian Construction of Womanhood. 1989. Harvard University Press. [touches on things but is not About sexuality/identity]

these are both already on my downton abbey research list but they both discuss language thruout and identity very thoroughly:

Brady, Sean. Masculinity and Male Homosexuality in Britain, 1861-1913. 2005. Palgrave Macmillan.

David, Hugh. On Queer Street: A Social History of British Homosexuality 1895-1995. 1997. HarperCollins.

for polari, see basically everything paul baker’s done. the 2019 might be the most accessible but i havent read it yet:

Baker, Paul. Fantabulosa: A dictionary of Polari & gay slang. 2002. London: Continuum.

Baker, Paul. Polari: The Lost Language of Gay Men (Routledge Studies in Linguistics). 2002. London: Routledge.

Baker, Paul. Fantabulosa! The Story of Polari, Britain’s Secret Gay Language. 2019. London: Reaktion.

while it predates the era youre asking about, this book is good reading that leads up to the changes of the victorian era in sexual morality & how that affects identity and language:

Donoghue, Emma. Passions Between Women: British Lesbian Culture 1668–1801. 1995. HarperCollins.

also i hate to do this but like. foucault lol. obviously not focused on britain but very much focused on the development of identity and sexuality. 

ive been working on this for like three straight hours im gonna go eat lunch now

[socialjusticefail]

I saw a post on Instagram that stressed the importance of accessible language in activism and SO. MANY. COMMENTS. were words to the effect of “I’m not dumbing it down like I’m talking to a six-year-old” or “Google it.” First of all, isn’t there a saying that if you can’t explain something to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it as well as you thought you did? And it’s not about dumbing it down; it’s about reaching people who may be unfamiliar with the concepts you’re presenting.

An example I gave in several comments: I am a fairly intelligent and educated person with a background in writing and journalism. I have a very limited science background. No matter how high my IQ is, if you try to explain a scientific concept I’m not familiar with in long, highfalutin scientific terms I’ve never heard before, I’m not going to understand what you’re talking about and I’m probably not going to care. If you explain it to me in layman’s terms I will probably have an easier time grasping the concept and may even be interested in learning more. In fact, Bill Nye got me into forensic science (the only science I’m terribly interested in) as a child; he didn’t dumb down the concept but he understood that his audience was mainly small children as opposed to educated adults and presented the concepts as such. (I borrowed the tape of the forensics episode from the library so much I probably wore it out, because he actually made it interesting to child-me.)

You have to speak to your audience. You cannot use the same terminology with a Harvard-educated professor of sociology as you would with a factory worker from small-town Ohio with no college degree and not much life experience outside of small-town Ohio. And this isn’t a knock on the factory worker, but they have a different lingo and a different understanding of the world than the college professor. If I’m trying to teach someone like that about, say, LGBT rights, I’m not going to start spouting off queer theory; I’m going to explain what policies affect us in what ways and why they should care and maybe some basic terms like “cisgender” (I can’t tell you how many people I’ve heard say they don’t know what that word means).

You have to meet people where they’re at. Otherwise, not only will they probably not get what you’re saying (which sort of defeats the purpose of activism), but they may end up writing you off as elitist. Like I said, I’m fairly intelligent and educated, and I’m no stranger to big words, but if every other word out of a person’s mouth is an SAT word, my first thought is going to be “This person cares more about sounding smart than about actually teaching people.” Which, honestly, I think a lot of so-called “activists” do these days, and that’s a major hindrance to the social justice movement.

Thank you for submitting this! - mod

[riansaidno]

I recently read an essay regarding how the Bordieus Theoretical Framework shapes pharmacy educators' perceptions of pharmacy knowledge. His field theory is a method for teaching students how experts in that subject think. In addition to several terminology that contributed to the education of pharmacists, the Bourdieus theory notion has been utilized to nursing study. The goal in this research was to explore how people look through the “Bourdieusian Lens”.

i read an article about social transformations in Brazil and the research on social classes. The main idea is that the sociology of classes has been converted into a sociology of the middle class. it talks about how categorizing everything into the middle class can be slightly controversial. the way that Webers theory of social stratification can be problematic as well as they way they are received.

i read an article about Marxism. It talked about a similar concept called meritocracy, which is a system of how people are chosen and moved into positions that may or may not help them, so people are selected on the basis of their ability. the article also gives examples of certain things that reflect marxian logic. the article states that the working class movement was intentional and helped the nationalism form of identity, but in todays society the united states is reaching more for nativism.

[dailyedufacts]

What Is Education Technology?

Education technology relied on research and ethical practice of aiding learning and enhancing performance via the development, utilization, and management of appropriate technological processes and resources is what the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) described as educational technology. The definition of instructional technology in this document was given as “the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and assessment of processes and resources for learning.

As a result, the term “educational technology” is used to describe all dependable and legitimate applied education sciences, including equipment, methods, and procedures that are based on scientific study. However, it should be noted that this term does not necessarily refer to physical technology. The practice of incorporating technology into education in a way that fosters a more diversified learning environment and gives students a chance to learn how to utilize it while also completing their regular assignments is known as educational technology.

What It Entails

Computer hardware, software, educational theory, and practice are all used in conjunction with education technology, also known as Edtech or edtech, to assist learning. The industry of businesses that produce education technology is sometimes referred to by its abbreviation, edtech. Education technology is based on theoretical knowledge from a variety of fields, including communication, education, psychology, sociology, artificial intelligence, and computer science, in addition to the practical educational experience. It includes a number of fields, such as learning theory, computer-based training, online learning, and m-learning, which make use of mobile technologies.

In this article, we’ll discuss Education technology.

1. Education Technology

The term “educational technology” encompasses all physical resources, operational procedures, and theoretical underpinnings used to assist teaching and learning. Anything that improves classroom instruction through the use of blended, face-to-face, or online learning is considered education technology, which is not just high technology. A person with training in educational technology is known as an educational technologist.

To improve learning, educational technologists study, create, develop, implement, and evaluate processes and technologies. Learning technologists are used in the UK, Canada, and other countries as a synonym for educational technologists, which are largely utilized in the United States.

2. Modern Electronic Education Technology

Modern electronic education is an important part of society today. Educational technology encompasses e-learning, instructional technology, information and communication technology (ICT) in education, edtech, learning technology, multimedia learning, technology-enhanced learning (TEL), computer-based instruction (CBI), computer managed instruction, computer-based training (CBT), computer-assisted instruction or computer-aided instruction (CAI). Internet-based training (IBT), flexible learning, web-based training (WBT), online education, digital educational collaboration, distributed learning, computer-mediated communication, cyber-learning, and multi-modal instruction, virtual educational technology, personal learning environments, networked learning, virtual learning environments (VLE) (which are also called learning platforms), m-learning, ubiquitous learning, and digital education.

There are supporters of each of these several labels who point out potential defining characteristics. Many phrases and concepts in educational technology, however, have ambiguous definitions; for instance, Fiedler’s assessment of the literature discovered a total lack of consensus over the elements of a personal learning environment. More so than being essentially different in concept or principle,

3. M-Learning

Moore considered this terminology as highlighting specific qualities like digitalization methodologies, components, or delivery systems. For instance, m-learning places a strong emphasis on mobility, enabling learners to change the schedule, location, accessibility, and context of their learning. Despite this, m-goal learning and basic tenets are still those of education technology.

4. Virtual Learning

In actuality, the specific “narrowly defined” terminological feature that was initially stressed by name has merged into the overall field of educational technology as technology has advanced. When “virtual learning” was first used to treat posttraumatic stress disorder, it meant participating in an environmental simulation that took place in a virtual world (PTSD). In actuality, a “virtual education course” is an educational program in which all or a sizable portion of the content is offered online. In a broader sense, the term “virtual” is used to describe a course that is not delivered face-to-face in a classroom but rather through a substitute mode that is conceptually equivalent to classroom instruction.

This means that students are not required to physically attend a classroom in order to learn. As a result, the term “virtual education” refers to a type of remote learning in which course material is provided via a variety of tools, including videoconferencing, multimedia materials, and course management software. Students have the chance to relate the material they are learning in the classroom to real-world circumstances through virtual education technology and simulated learning activities like games or dissections.

5. Adaptive Learning

The student may not even be aware of the learning process as educational content is pervasively integrated into items. Smart learning is the combination of adaptive learning—using a customized user interface and materials—with ubiquitous access to digital resources and learning opportunities at multiple times and locations. This results in each student receiving personally differentiated education technology. The idea of a smart city includes smart learning.

Bottom Line

The proliferation of edtech tools is transforming classrooms in a number of ways. Edtech robots are making it simple for students to stay engaged through engaging learning activities. IoT devices are praised for their ability to turn any location into a virtual classroom for students. Even machine learning and blockchain tools are helping teachers grade tests and hold students accountable for their homework.

And it appears that technology in the classroom is here to stay; according to 92 percent of teachers, technology will soon have a significant impact on how they teach. It’s crucial to comprehend the advantages that edtech offers in terms of improved communication, teamwork, and educational quality in general.

[dinav01]

Chapter 10 Fieldwork

Bourdieu:

https://www.epi.org/publication/early-education-gaps-by-social-class-and-race-start-u-s-children-out-on-unequal-footing-a-summary-of-the-major-findings-in-inequalities-at-the-starting-gate/ The article I chose to demonstrate Pierre Bourdieu’s was about education gaps and primarily how they begin with early education. Children who attend pre-kindergarten are more likely to succeed in continuing their education. Similar to what Bourdieu was saying about the damage that can come from setting young children on education tracks, the article talks about the importance of setting a child up for success from a young age. Some things that can help with this are home nurse visits, quality child care, and pre-kindergarten. These things are far easier for families with higher incomes to attain than those with lower incomes. It also says that many of the educational gaps that seem to be primarily due to race or ethnicity are actually better explained by the differences between their socioeconomic status and that of the white families. They say that the best way to bridge the educational gap is to face the reality of Bourdieu’s theory of social reproduction and search for a way to bring the children’s families out of poverty.

Weber:

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/sociology/the-impact-of-social-class-on-life-chances-in-the-uk.php

\ One of Weber’s theories that I found interesting was his theory of life chances, which are, as described similarly in both the textbook and in the article I read, essentially the opportunities that can improve one’s life and help them achieve their life goals. This is a very appealing concept. Who doesn’t want to improve their lives? Unfortunately, as enticing as it is, it can be very difficult for some to find any life chances to be made. Some of the things that determine one’s life chances that the article described are class, education, childhood poverty, and more. As the article said, education broadens life choices. However it can take more than just attending any school to broaden your life choices, the quality of the school and level of education are pivotal too. The quality of education is often based off of where one lives, which is frequently determined by socioeconomic status. In addition to all of this, your class greatly impacts how one is treated if they are accused of a crime. The article states that the working class are treated and judged far more harshly than the upper class. All of this agrees with Weber’s idea that life chances are greatly and unfairly impacted by class, among other things.

Marx:

https://medium.com/scale-magazine/the-rise-of-the-proletariat-in-the-21st-century-85076408e966

The article I chose to connect to Marx began by defining proletariat as it was in the textbook: one who only owns their own labor. It also says that despite the fact that we live in a wealthy country that holds capitalism tight, it is not perfect. The proletariat, although no longer by that name, still exist as the lowest class in our society and as the ones struggling to make ends meet. They say that even though we don’t often use Marx’s terminology anymore (bourgeoisie, proletariat, etc) these groups can still be found in our culture today. Much of this article discusses how the “fringe” society members are coming together. Marx predicted that it would be difficult for the marginalized to unite in a way that could really make a difference because many of the proletariat were working so hard just to make ends meet that they had no time to truly connect with those in their class. Today that may be different due to the fact that social media makes making connections with people like oneself a million times easier.

[fxbled]

Greetings,  After reading chapter 1, respond to questions below. In this chapter

Greetings,  After reading chapter 1, respond to questions below. In this chapter

Greetings,  After reading chapter 1, respond to questions below. In this chapter, Freire includes some theories and terminology credited to Marx: historical materialism and false consciousness. Also, he weaves in Marx’s critique of capitalism. If you need a refresher on these concepts, please click on links below. You studied Karl Marx and his theories in SOCI 350: History of Sociological…

[greeen-room]

Greetings,  After reading chapter 1, respond to questions below. In this chapter

Greetings,  After reading chapter 1, respond to questions below. In this chapter

Greetings,  After reading chapter 1, respond to questions below. In this chapter, Freire includes some theories and terminology credited to Marx: historical materialism and false consciousness. Also, he weaves in Marx’s critique of capitalism. If you need a refresher on these concepts, please click on links below. You studied Karl Marx and his theories in SOCI 350: History of Sociological…

[essayrevieweditinglogistic]

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[restoringsanity]

What's your thoughts on poc thinking they can't be racist?

Not sure if you’re going to like what I’m going to say - but, you asked for my thoughts, so you’ll get my thoughts.

First, I need to admit that I’m one of those people who prefer dictionary definitions of terminology. If we want to have conversations, we need to agree on what words mean, and that their definitions apply indiscriminately, following the same logic. We can’t have productive conversations any other way, because everything would get lost in semantics otherwise. Our definitions need to be globally applicable to some extent, as well. If ‘racism’ means something different in North America than it does in South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe - the entire rest of the world essentially - we’re going to keep running into an abundance of obstacles, as well. As far as I (personally) am concerned, racism doesn’t need an updated or more specific definition. It’s plenty specific already.

But,I understand the need to specify the impact racism has on different groups of people.

This is important, so please pay attention.

Definition of Racism

Racism is the belief in the superiority of one race over another, which often results in discrimination and prejudice towards people based on their race or ethnicity. Today, the use of the term “racism” does not easily fall under a single definition.[1]

The ideology underlying racist practices often includes the idea that humans can be subdivided into distinct groups that are different due to their social behavior and their innate capacities as well as the idea that they can be ranked as inferior or superior.[2] The Holocaust is a classic example of institutionalized racism which led to the death of millions of people based on race.

While the concepts of race and ethnicity are considered to be separate in contemporary social science, the two terms have a long history of equivalence in both popular usage and older social science literature. “Ethnicity” is often used in a sense close to one traditionally attributed to “race”: the division of human groups based on qualities assumed to be essential or innate to the group (e.g. shared ancestry or shared behavior). Therefore, racism and racial discrimination are often used to describe discrimination on an ethnic or cultural basis, independent of whether these differences are described as racial. According to a United Nations convention on racial discrimination, there is no distinction between the terms “racial” and “ethnic” discrimination. The UN convention further concludes that superiority based on racial differentiation is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous, and there is no justification for racial discrimination, anywhere, in theory or in practice.[3]

Racist ideology can become manifest in many aspects of social life. Racism can be present in social actions, practices, or political systems (e.g., apartheid) that support the expression of prejudice or aversion in discriminatory practices. Associated social actions may include nativism, xenophobia, otherness, segregation, hierarchical ranking, supremacism, and related social phenomena.

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Stipulative Definition of Racism

Prejudice plus power is a stipulative definition of racism often used by anti-racist educators, including the American pastor Joseph Barndt.[1] The definition was first proposed by Patricia Bidol, who, in a 1970 book, defined it as “prejudice plus institutional power.”[2]According to this definition, two elements are required in order for racism to exist: racial prejudice, and social power to codify and enforce this prejudice into an entire society.[1][3] Reasons cited in support of this definition include that power is responsible for the creation of racial categories, and that people favor their own racial groups over others.[4] The reaction of students to this definition tends to be mixed, with some thinking that it makes sense, and others perceiving it as an unfair redefinition of racism to portray whites in an unfairly negative light.[5] In 2004, Beverly Tatum wrote that many of her white students find it difficult to relate to this definition on a personal level, because they do not perceive themselves either as prejudiced or as having power.[3] The definition has been criticized by some academics for relying on the assumption that power is a zero-sum game, and for not accounting for the lack of uniformity in prejudicial attitudes.[6] Critics have also noted that this definition is belied by the fact that except in absolutist regimes, minorities, however disadvantaged they may be, are not powerless, because power is organized into multiple levels.[7]

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What is a ‘stipulative definition’?

A stipulative definition is a type of definition in which a new or currently-existing term is given a new specific meaning for the purposes of argument or discussion in a given context. When the term already exists, this definition may, but does not necessarily, contradict the dictionary (lexical) definition of the term. Because of this, a stipulative definition cannot be “correct” or “incorrect”; it can only differ from other definitions, but it can be useful for its intended purpose.[1][2]

For example, in the riddle of induction by Nelson Goodman, “grue” was stipulated to be “a property of an object that makes it appear green if observed before some future time t, and blue if observed afterward”. “Grue” has no meaning in standard English; therefore, Goodman created the new term and gave it a stipulative definition.

Stipulative definitions of existing terms are useful in making theoretical arguments, or stating specific cases. For example:

*Suppose we say that to love someone is to be willing to die for that person.

*Take “human” to mean any member of the species Homo sapiens.

*For the purposes of argument, we will define a “student” to be “a person under 18 enrolled in a local school”.

Some of these are also precising definitions, a subtype of stipulative definition that may not contradict but only extend the lexical definition of a term. Theoretical definitions, used extensively in science and philosophy, are similar in some ways to stipulative definitions (although theoretical definitions are somewhat normative, more like persuasive definitions).[2]

Many holders of controversial and highly charged opinions use stipulative definitions in order to attach the emotional or other connotations of a word to the meaning they would like to give it; for example, defining “murder” as “the killing of any living thing for any reason”. The other side of such an argument is likely to use a different stipulative definition for the same term: “the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought” or “the premeditated killing of a human being”. The lexical definition in such a case is likely to fall somewhere in between.

When a stipulative definition is confused with a lexical definition within an argument there is a risk of equivocation.

(source)

Now, what is the purpose of the stipulative definition of racism? I would conclude it’s to highlight the origin and impact of racism in the United States specifically. The stipulative definition of racism benefits the argument that people of color in the United States suffer more (and have suffered more) from racism against their group, than white citizens suffer (and have suffered) from racism against their group.

Personally, I don’t think whether or not people of color can be racist is a necessary question. It’s detrimental to the overall conversations we need to have, and the questions we need to answer. By lexical definition - yes, they can. By stipulative definition - their racism, while not defined as such in this specific instance, has a lesser impact in countries where white citizens are the majority.

The lexical definition of racism describes the act of racism within a sociological and anthropological context.The stipulative definition of racism describes the act of racism against a specific historical background, while highlighting prejudice as a motivator and power imbalances as an enabling force.

“I believe white people are collectively inferior and I hate every single one of them, but I’m not racist.” -> incorrect according to lexical definition-> ‘correct’ according to stipulative definition

We have to acknowledge that the stipulative definition of racism perhaps shouldn’t be abused to excuse unbridled hatred, seeing as how it benefits nothing and no one to do so, other than people who seek to excuse their hatred. I don’t think hate needs an excuse. It speaks for itself, regardless. Do I have empathy for a person of color expressing their frustration in a vitriolic manner? Yes. Without a doubt. Do I have sympathy? To a lesser degree. Do I choose to take their anger personally? No. I don’t have to. (I’m not a white American, anyway. But even if I was, I’m much less interested in getting upset than I am in bettering the world for everyone.)If someone tells you “I’m in pain, and it’s your fault!” the moral thing to do would be to find ways to address their pain first, then deal with their accusations later, if it’s at all necessary. Your methods should be rational, reasonable, and compassionate.The response of some white Americans to certain accusations is, quite frankly, embarrassing. If your response to someone expressing pain is self-flagellation, self-loathing and overabundant expressions of guilt - you’re not helping. Your pain doesn’t lessen the pain of others, it just adds to it. Your response has to be dignified and concise. I find it quite irritating to witness that political/societal discourse has become further obsessed with ‘whiteness’ in their attempt to deconstruct it. Just … focus, for fuck’s sake. Stop getting distracted by masturbatory hyper-wokeness. You can have all kinds of discussion on campus, that’s what it’s for, but outside of that bubble, you have to focus on the issues that many Americans still struggle with. (Yes, this entire post is US-centric, because the initial ask is.)The issues marginalized Americans deal with are issues of racism and classism - which, interestingly, is included in the stipulative definition of racism. It’s a matter of prioritizing according to impact. Poor white Americans have it rough, but poor people of color living in America are just profoundly fucked. You can, and you should address both. If your goal is 1, and you have two lesser instances, one at 0.75 and one at 0.25 you need and want to elevate both to 1. It just takes more effort to elevate one instance. Of course, either instance might elevate themselves by reducing one another to 0, but the total sum would be lesser. Or maybe I’m just bad at math, and this example sucks. Who knows.

There’s really no point in pushing each other down in our attempt at finding equal standing. Same as it’s useless to point fingers. It doesn’t really matter who is racist, or sexist, or anything like that - it’s about addressing the issues stemming from racism, sexism, etc. If a patient arrives in critical condition, your approach is symptomatic initially. As soon as their condition isn‘t critical anymore, then you can address the core problems.

Continuing on with the US-centrism - the American body still isn’t in stable condition. A festering infection has broken out recently (cough white supremacy cough), which is going to slow down the process of healing to a considerable degree. It can’t just be cut out, either. Whatever it has infected is part of the system, too. That’s why all of this is so fucking complicated.

Anyway, at this point I’m just rambling. It’s just very frustrating to observe, and while I have lived it to a certain degree, I certainly haven’t experienced it the exact same way. These are my thoughts on the issue.

To boil it down to a simple statement: What are my thoughts on people of color (in the U.S.) thinking they can’t be racist? Who cares? That’s not the issue. It’s a petty question, it’s a petty issue, it benefits no one.