Culture and Sociology

Question #1 – We know that culture is simply a way of life practiced by a society, therefore society creates culture and such culture as passed on from generation to generation. However there are many reason a culture may change. Changes come in the way of environment, inventions, innovation, technology and contact with other cultures. Material culture is an element of culture. A few examples of material culture are clothing, toys, and housing. These are continually changing elements of culture. When I was young, everyone wore big, baggy jeans. Today, the style is “skinny jeans.” These are literally skin-tight, sometimes brightly-colored jeans. Beliefs and language are also elements of culture. These are reinforced through knowledge in social institutions. For those of us who believe in God, we must reinforce our beliefs through gaining more knowledge in church. Language must be reinforced through education. Norms are also an element of culture that is ever-changing. Gay marriage was once considered a mores. In recent years it has become a norm that society is beginning to accept. I believe America has become a bit more tolerant in regards to cultural changes. In the mid-1960s the hippie counterculture was created. Now we have a modern day hippies that could be considered a subculture rather than a counterculture. They are a slightly modified version of the original hippies. They have adapted and their beliefs to our current culture and current events happening. Their clothing is a modified version of what was worn by the original hippies. The 1960s hippies may suggest that modern day hippy’s behavior could be called real culture. Some modern day hippies may look the part, but may not actually practice the culture entirely.
Question #2 – Between the ages of six and thirteen I grew up with a devout Christian mother and far less religious father. My mother was a homemaker and the disciplinarian of the household while my father was the bread winner. Working six days a week, his presence was scarce. Because of this, my mother had the most influence on how we spent our time. Most of my socialization was done at our evangelistic church and our Christian private school. Here, I learned social norms and mores- how to make friends, obey rules, what it means to be polite, and what to believe religiously. Due to my strict religious upbringing, there was very little room for mistakes and living what most would consider a normal childhood. Most cartoons and movies were viewed as satanic and banned from our home. And being that I was at an age where socialization was still being learned and perfected, I made many mistakes and punishment did not come lightly. My mother was a harsh disciplinarian and lacked motherly sympathy. Around the age of thirteen, my family fell apart. My father’s four-year long affair surfaced, my mother began to drink heavily, and eventually my parents’ divorced. My mother left the family which in turn left us with our nonreligious father. At this point, our values and beliefs changed. My mother lost all her faith, my father’s immortality affected us greatly, and their incessant fighting took its toll. My parents’ roles in my life diminished. I no longer had a mother in my life and my father continued working six days a week. I went from harsh discipline to zero discipline. I no longer attended private school. Instead I was enrolled in a public school. My peer group completely changed at this point. My circle of friends was less than desirable at this age. They were my agent of socialization. They had a huge influence over everything I did- the way I dressed, my attitude, and my lack of desire to do well in school. I was a part of a subculture – the grunge subculture- flannel shirts, loud alternative music, and an overall attitude carelessness. Much of my adolescence was spent rebelling. While school is an agent of socialization, this was not the case for me. Despite the values I learned as a youngster i.e.: respecting my elders, absolutely no adult could tell me what to do. I lost all faith in what I previously learned. Eventually, the values that I previously learned as a young child resurfaced. I wanted to live a successful life. I began working and by some miracle, I graduated high school. This was my first rites of passage- I became an adult! In the workplace, I learned a different kind of socialization. Without respect for my boss and colleagues there was an obvious risk of unemployment, this was something I really cared about. I had to work hard and prove myself as a valuable employee. This gave me purpose in life and I wanted more. Work and the joy of independence shaped who I was. After that, I wanted more- a husband, a family, a house. I met and married my husband within a year of turning twenty-two. This was my second rites of passage - I was a married woman! This put me in the middle class society. I married a hard-working, educated man. We own a lovely home and earn a substantial net income. After a few years of marriage, we decided it was time to start a family. Here comes in my third rites of passage. I am now a mother of two rambunctiously adorable children! My social status went from wife to a mother. This also changed my position of power. I now have a substantial amount of control over two human beings- something I have never experienced before. Taking my social status as a youngster has shaped my role as a mother. I have a drastically different approach to parenting than my mother did. Which, in turn, comes off as too lenient, however, I work on that daily. While it sounds so cliché, having children is what has given me purpose in life. They are the reason I am back in school earning an education. And perhaps going back to school and earning a new social status of student has changed my life. My sense of self is more apparent and that is something I never would have thought about if I had not continued my education, or more specifically enrolled in Sociology. I am a wife, a mother, a student, daughter, and sister. I think of myself as crafty, smart, and funny. And if I use my sociological imagination I can consider myself a product of a couple of imperfect human beings who made mistakes and I certainly am trying to play the cards I have been dealt right.
Question #3 – When we think of a common, legal marriage we typically think of a heterosexual relationship. In recent years, homosexual marriage has become legal in many countries, as well as a number of states in America. While many folks do not condone this type of marriage, support is on the up rise, and will likely continue to gain support. A much less common and far less supported type of marriage has been a hot topic in the news over recent years. I am talking about polygamy. Polygamy is a marriage with more than two spouses, generally one man and multiple wives. This is a type of marriage that is typically practiced by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) and not tolerated in many countries. However, there are some countries where polygamy is accepted and normal. Almost all western countries prohibit polygamy. Specifically, in the United States, all 50 states consider polygamy illegal and punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both. However, in the year 1900 there were many people practicing polygamy until the federal government put a halt on this practice. Being that marriage is a symbol of unity, this could be considered under the symbolic interactionist theory. What once was considered a relatively normal, somewhat traditional way of living, as many people did in Utah, is now considered illegal and immoral. Polygamy is still taking place despite its social backlash and government threats. Perhaps this is where the conflict theory becomes appropriate. Polygamy is frowned upon today because it is unprotected by the Constitution simply because the Supreme Court does not like it. Over 100 years ago, the Supreme Court upheld that polygamy was “an offense against society.” The Supreme Court compared polygamy to murders exalted by religious belief, such as human sacrifice and even the burning of women on their husbands’ funeral fire. In addition to the Federal Government’s disapproval, society has some serious opinions against it. Many folks see it as demeaning to woman, a source of child abuse for children involved, adultery, and even prostitution. Some even see it as a tax and healthcare nightmare. It would seem to me that some disapproving folks may be swayed by what recently came out in the news about Warren Jeffs, a polygamist who abused his authority in his community. Perhaps this is an example of people having a skewed vision of a different culture after only knowing the single story. Many polygamists do not care if the lifestyle is legal, they just want it decriminalized. They want the government out of their marriage and more acceptance from society.