SOC145: Global Sociology - Urban Subcultures - Essay Writing Assessment Answer

Global Sociology Assignment

Assignment Task

Choose one (1) of the following questions:

1. How does ‘cultural globalisation’ lead to increased interconnectedness of societies’ food,fashion, and/or music?
2. What role does the media play in ‘moral panics’? (Use a contemporary Australian example ofa ‘moral panic’ and ‘folk devil’).
3. How does ‘social epidemiology’ help researchers understand inequalities of health of specificsocial groups? Choose one (1) international example of a ‘social group’.
4. How does ‘absolute poverty’ impact the most vulnerable globally, that is, children, women,refugees, and the elderly?
5. Factories and environmental hazards are often located near the socially disadvantaged, suchas the poor and racial minorities. Discuss.
6. Critically assess the interrelationship between the physical and social dimensions of cities.
7. According to Durkheim, our lives are separated into the ‘profane’ and the ‘sacred’. Discuss.
8. Macionis and Plummer suggest that ‘black feminism’ critiques the ‘white and middle-classwomen’s movement’ (2012, p. 410). Discuss.
9. Critically assess the claim that queer theory possesses ‘a radical stance around sexuality andgender that denies any fixed categories’ (Macionis & Plummer 2012, p. 418)
10. The racial identity/ies of Canada’s First Nations have been ‘constructed’ differently to theracial identity/ies of New Zealand’s Maori. Discuss.
11. Critically assess whether the ‘Occupy Movement’ meets the criteria of the ‘new socialmovements

Urban Subcultures Question: What is ‘urban ecology’ and which school of sociology developed it?

Answer: Urban ecology is the study of community or society structure and organization as apparent in cities and additional fairly dense human settlements. Amid its key topics, concern of urban ecology is patterns of urban community arrangement and changes due to socioeconomic status, civilization and life cycle with patterns of associations across structures of cities. The analysis of urban ecology also provides a framework for exploring integrated human natural systems. It is a discipline that seeks to study the problems, process and changes of an urban area. The foundation theories were further expanded and developed by the Chicago School of Sociology.

Religion

Question: What are Glock’s five dimensions of ‘religiosity’?

Answer: Glock’s five dimensions of ‘Religiosity’ are Experiential i.e. it can be defined as religious feelings, mind-sets and emotions. It centers the personal faith. Ritualistic i.e. the evident behavior which was initially defined as religious. It centers the experiences due to worship that involves community as a whole. Ideological i.e. the belief, it is formed due to the certain beliefs that the religious expectation holds and believes to be true. Intellectual i.e. the knowledge, it is the informed expectations of a religious person or the knowledge that a religious person is expected to hold and Consequential i.e. the effects of four other mentioned dimensions. It is the effects of religion on individuals and their daily life.

Globalised Gender

Question: How do sociologists distinguish between the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’?

Answer: Sociology has a conceptually different view of sex and gender. Sex is referred as difference between males and females in terms of physiological or physical form. The biological distinction between male and female is thus referred to as sex. It is usually has six major components like external genitals, internal genitals, chromosome, reproductive organ, hormonal state and secondary characteristics like muscularity or height etc. Gender on the other hand is referred as the social and cultural differences associated between the male and female. It is evident throughout the social world. The society defines and encourages how the two sexes have different ways of socializing. Therefore the terms are not interchangeable.

Globalised Sexuality

Question: What are the differences between ‘heterosexism’ and ‘homophobia’?

Answer: Heterosexism and homophobia exist along side. Heterosexism can be defined as a system of power that empowers heterosexual people on the basis of their sexual orientation. It is the inherent belief of superiority and right to dominance. Heterosexism also holds an assumption that everyone being heterosexual whom one meets. Homophobia can be defined as discrimination or violence against transgender, gay, lesbian, caste etc. It can be intentional or unintentional where people are unaware of the consequences. It can also be personal, interpersonal, institutional or cultural. Both heterosexism and homophobia shares a common root like social domination due to social difference.

Indigenous Politics

Question: What is the difference between the terms ‘ethnicity’ and ‘race’?

Answer: Ethnicity is a matter of shared cultural heritage and is not biological. In case of ethnicity the population group identifies each other on the basis of factors like nationality, language, cultural tradition etc. It is about traditions and customs that determine their country of origin. It also gives scope to change by accepting or rejecting the existing beliefs or customs. On the other hand race is a supposed group of biological traits. It can also be explained as human belonging to same species but are genetically distinct. It is the notion of division on the basis of various physical characteristics like skin color. It is something that cannot be changed.

Social Movements

Question: What are the common features of ‘new social movements’?

Answer: In politics things always change. Combining the variables like who is changed? , how much change? And superficial change or radical transformations of society four types of social movements can be identified for example:- Alternative social movement – it is least threatening to set up and seeks limited change, Reformative social movement- it mains for limited change but targets everyone, Redemptive social movement- though have selective focus but induces change in those they connect and Revolutionary social movement- it strives for basic transformation by far reaching and sever consequences. One of the most common features of new social movement is that they are primarily as social and cultural and secondarily as political.