Chapter 5

Social Interaction and Social Structure:  This chapter breaks down the different types of societies and their interactions with each other.  Also it covers the effect of social networking and other technological advances that have altered the way society communicates.  Chapter 5 really helps you to become more aware of the inner workings of a society.

This link looks into the always growing trend of social networking through various sites on the internet.  It does not so much look into the effects of this on society as much as how society seems to function when using these types of resources.  One observation I have noticed about people is they are preferring to interact more over the internet rather than in person.
http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3304/ehost/detail?vid=10&hid=19&sid=49010750-5226-4a69-93c2-5d314174a167%40sessionmgr11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=73777587

This image below many silhouettes of people interacting with on another which in a way is representative of society in itself.  

The following article discusses physically activity and the role that social structure along with other factors can play.  I liked this article because it did not just look into the role of income, (though it is covered) it included many different social factors that come into play.

http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3304/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=49010750-5226-4a69-93c2-5d314174a167%40sessionmgr11&vid=13&hid=19






“Society does not consist of individuals, but expresses the 
sum of interrelations, the relations within which these 
individuals stand.” 
― Karl Marx,

The following link looks at the relation of social interaction and health.  This is really cool because it places importance on the idea of social interaction and ties it into our quality of life. Many times people can become reserved from society which in turn may not be the most healthy option.
http://www.traumaregister.co.uk/Articles/Human_Health_Contact.htm




This video is a little long but shows how social interaction happens and over time how big it can get.  It was a cool older video that I felt covered some of the topics from the chapter.  
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2844089114143853295

Importance of Sociology

Sociology is important because it looks at us as a society and they way we function together as a unit as well as individuals.  I believe that it can helps, if not to understand, to accept why people are different.  There are so many people in the world with a ton of backgrounds so interaction can be a learning experience for us all.  Through sociology people can gain understanding which can help to alleviate problems in society.  Sociology will always be important as long as there are multiple cultures living in the  same areas.

Sociology can help answer a lot of different questions.  It can help us to understand and identify with the people around us.  This in turn can help us to become more involved in society around us and enhance life.  Sociology can also help you to understand yourself and where you come from.  It can answer questions about race and gender.  Sociology is really important and can help us to function within society in the world today.

Home Page

About Me:

My name is Ty Medley.  I' am a senior here at the University of Idaho.  I will graduate this in the fall with a BS in Exercise Science and minors in both Coaching and Sport Science.  I feel that sociology can help to understand others around us which is an asset in any career or job choice.  There are many different personalties and people so have a sociology back ground can help you to communicate with others on a more efficient level.

Chapter 8

Social Class and Stratification: This chapter is very interesting to me for multiple reasons.  As in every population there are different social classes that seem to break us up into more valuable, rich, poor, or in the middle.  Many times people feel the pressures of being in certain classes which impact their lives in a big way.  I feel that being able to understand the difference in social classes can help anyone who works with the public in which there are many different reasons for peoples actions.

The following link discusses an interesting study on the effect of social class on college students and their involvement in extra curriculum.  This is a great article that shows how students approach and motivation are influenced by their social class and standing.  It goes into how many older students have different motivation and are part of a different social class.   They are motivated to get their studies done and be more successful.  Many of the younger students get wrapped up in activities that do not help with their schooling.  This article brings all these aspects together and analyzes them in a social class and cultural way.
http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3304/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=e13c9bf8-a347-4f00-875a-d9bd02d40a8f%40sessionmgr4&vid=4&hid=17

This image shows the breakdown of social classes and different levels of careers and salaries.  To me this picture is very accurate putting the majority of people in the middle class and lower category.  

This link looks at the effects of social class on the obesity of children.  It looks into a couple of different aspects such as parents education and poverty.  Both can contribute, but this study looks into what has a greater influence.  I chose this article because in the future I plan on working in the health and fitness field.  Obesity has been and still is a huge problem in the United States and the easiest way to fix a problem is to understand it.  A big contributor to the obesity problem can stem the less education which is paired a lot of times with poverty.
http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:2104/science/article/pii/S0277953611007167


The horror of class stratification, racism, and prejudice is that some people begin to believe that the security of their families and communities depends on the oppression of others, that for some to have good lives there must be others whose lives are truncated and brutal.

~ Dorothy Allison

There is a lot of questions toward the relevance of class analysis.  This paper looks into the validity of these claims and looks at ways in which this information is still useful today.
http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3304/ehost/detail?sid=44904cb5-54c6-4f47-b70e-e3b29a240269%40sessionmgr11&vid=4&hid=18&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=6677420

This video is an actual lecture that helps us to break down the social classes and see the differences in each.  Very educational, but is kind of lengthly.  

Chapter 13

Families and Religion:  This chapter discusses the role and interactions within the family unit.  It looks at the different ways in which family operates and communicates in order to function or not function.  It explains Extended Family (which is a whole series of parents, children, and other relatives who form a family unit) and Nuclear Family (this is the immediate parents and their children making up the family unit.  In the chapter it also talks about many different theories on family and their function.


The following study takes a look at families in relation to work and the environment around them.  I picked this article because I feel that work in a lot of cases is overshadowing the aspect of family.  This being more so in the lower social classes do to trying to make ends meet.  Though this study is relatively broad, it touches on the aspect of working less hours and its effect on the family.
http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3304/ehost/detail?vid=6&hid=18&sid=44904cb5-54c6-4f47-b70e-e3b29a240269%40sessionmgr11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=71456992

This picture to me shows a nuclear family unit. I think that it gives of the feeling of a very healthy and cohesive family. 

The following article discusses the effect of religion on at risk youth from two viewpoints.  One is as individual religion and the other being family religiousness.  It looks at the effect of religion on stress levels in these youth.
http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3304/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=44904cb5-54c6-4f47-b70e-e3b29a240269%40sessionmgr11&vid=10&hid=18

" The family is both the fundamental unit of society as well as the root of culture. It ... is a perpetual source of encouragement, advocacy, assurance, and emotional refueling that empowers a child to venture with confidence into the greater world and to become all that he can be."

MARIANNE E. NEIFERT, Dr. Mom's Parenting Guide

This video is a breakdown of family and religion.  It shows the difference between many aspects of the family unit. 

This link is another in depth look at the family unit.  It goes more in depth and breaks it down. very interesting read.  Family is a society all its own and is many are very different in the way they function and operate.  Looking at it this way helps me to see why the people around us are so different and diverse.
http://www.appliedsoc.org/family/

Works Cited

• Stuber, Jenny M. "Class, Culture, And Participation In The Collegiate Extra-Curriculum." Sociological Forum 24.4 (2009): 877-900. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Apr. 2012.

• Martin, Molley A., Michelle L. Frisco, Claudia Nau, and Kristin Burnett. "Social Stratification and Adolescent Overweight in the United States: How Income and Educational Resources Matter across Families and Schools." Science Direct. Social Science and Medicine. Web. <http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:2104/science/article/pii/S0277953611007167>.

• Scott, John. "Social Class And Stratification In Late Modernity." Acta Sociologica (Taylor & Francis Ltd)45.1 (2002): 23-35. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 Apr. 2012.

• SociologyReloaded. "Unit 2: The Four Social Classes." YouTube. YouTube, 02 June 2010. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwV102qQNKA>.

• Phyllis Moen, et al. "Marital And Family Satisfaction As A Function Of Work–Family Demands And Community Resources: Individual- And Couple-Level Analyses." Journal Of Family Issues 33.3 (2012): 316-340. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 Apr. 2012.

• http://www.google.com/imgres?q=family+and+religion&hl=en&client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=1175&bih=620&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=J7KZ6CPTt_wrdM:&imgrefurl=http://www.thesocialleader.com/2009/12/7-major-societal-institutions-roles/&docid=OoDdZOvBk8qe7M&imgurl=http://www.thesocialleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/familyonbeach.jpg&w=425&h=282&ei=f2CQT-PLA4rciAKb_JTLAw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=301&vpy=154&dur=1085&hovh=183&hovw=276&tx=150&ty=90&sig=106755283973941591873&page=1&tbnh=133&tbnw=180&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:71

• Ahmed, Sawssan R., Patrick J. Fowler, and Paul A. Toro. "Family, Public And Private Religiousness And Psychological Well-Being Over Time In At-Risk Adolescents." Mental Health, Religion & Culture 14.4 (2011): 393-408. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 Apr. 2012.

• ProfRiley. "Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 13." YouTube. YouTube, 04 Dec. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj55c3B04z4>.

• "Applying Applied Sociology in the Family." Sociology and Your Family. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://www.appliedsoc.org/family/>.
• Virgílio Almeida, et al. "Characterizing User Navigation And Interactions In Online Social Networks."Information Sciences 195.(2012): 1-24. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Apr. 2012.
• Bertrand Nolin, et al. "Social Structure, Social Cognition, And Physical Activity: A Test Of Four Models." British Journal Of Health Psychology 15.1 (2010): 79-95. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Apr. 2012.
• Marx, Karl. "Quotes About Social Structure." (2 Quotes). Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show_tag?id=social-structure>.
• "The Importance of Social Interaction to Human Health." Register of Trauma Specialists. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://www.traumaregister.co.uk/Articles/Human_Health_Contact.htm>.
• "From Social Interaction to Social Structure." 301 Moved. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2844089114143853295>.