Brands Matter

Brands matter. Now this isn't a term, it's just a statement. It is important to understand that brands matter. Brands give off a sense of authenticity and they give the product status. People are more likely to buy something name brand because they think that the product is better. The brands we buy send off a certain message about what we want other people to think about us. 

Interaction Approach

Interaction approach shows the power of informal process like talking can affect the cultural market. Imagine I have a conversation about an amazing product I bought with Branden and he buys the same product and then he tells his friends and they buy it and the cycle continues. Hearing the product is cool and wanted by others makes other people want to go and buy it. We base a lot of what we buy based upon who are surrounded by.

Taste

Taste is affected by culture. Taste refers to a persons preference of music, fashion, cinema, or other types of culture. Social class also plays a part in taste. Someone in a high social class can buy expensive clothing and material goods thus they would have a different taste because they access to different things. 

Culture Industry

(not my photo)

Culture industry refers to a factory producing standardized cultural goods. It uses things such as film, internet, tv, radio, and radio to manipulate society. It happens through our phones, our computers, our televisions and it makes our society passive and inactive. 

Popular Culture

 (not my photos)

Popular Culture is profit seeking products being sold globally. Pop culture is meant to be bought and sold. If it's not profitable it's not pop culture. Pop culture is recognized all over the world. Pop culture tells us what's in and what's out. It's ideas, perspectives, attitudes and images. Pop culture is usually fed to us by mass media.

Expressive Tasks

Expressive tasks are the emotional tasks needed to support a family. These are the emotional tasks unlike instrumental tasks. Celebrating birthdays, tucking and kissing your kids in at night, and spending time and bonding as a family are examples of expressive tasks. 

Instrumental Tasks

Instrumental tasks are the physical tasks needed to keep a household running. This includes washing dishes, mowing the lawn, making an income, and making dinner. These tasks have no emotional purpose.

Monogamy

Monogamy is when you are married or in a relationship with only one person at a time. Monogamous marriages are the only legal marriages in the United States. 

Other forms of marriage include polygamy which is being married to or in a relationship with three or more other people. Many people do not see polygamy as a valid form of marriage. 

Exogamy

Exogamy is the marriage between two people from different social groups. Social groups can include religion, race, education, class, or ethnicity. This is a photo of my married parents. My mother is Mexican and she is Catholic. My father is white and he does not share the same religion as her. My mother is from Arizona and grew up there while my father grew up in Nebraska. They are an example of exogamy.

Family

Family is the most important group we possess. Family according to the U.S Census is two or more people related by blood, marriage, or adoption living in the same home. Sociologists describe family as a social group whose members are bound by legal, emotional, or biological ties. The top photo is of my family. I live with them but I am not related to them by blood, marriage, or adoption. The bottom photo is my family. I share the same blood as them however I do not live with them. I am emotionally bound to both. Some people might argue the family I live with is not really my family because we are not biologically related. Different cultures and people have different ideas of what a family is.

Sexual Orientation

Sexual orientation is a person's identity in regards to the gender(s) they are attracted. Some examples are heterosexual (liking the opposite gender), homosexual (liking the same gender), bisexual (liking either sex), or a sexual (being sexually attracted to nobody). Sexuality is typically very fluid.

Doing Gender

Doing Gender is the idea that gender, instead of being a natural or inborn person, is psychologically ingrained into everyday human interaction. When asked to pose for a photo a male might stand tall, usually with arms crossed or at the sides, and might not even smile. When he does this it will completely normal because it is accepted for his gender to do that. When a female poses for a photo she will probably try to look beautiful, more thin, and smile. If a woman were to frown with her arms to her side, it would seem strange for her gender. Other examples include women not speaking loudly, men fishing, women sewing, men being brave, women being caretakers, men being smart and women being obsessed with their beauty.

Gender Inequality

Gender inequality is the unequal treatment of individuals based upon their gender. The wage gap is an example of gender inequality. In some countries women are denied many rights such as voting, abortion, and or divorce just because they are women. Conflict theorists would argue that men have held most privileges and benefit from gender inequality thus try to keep it alive to maintain their power. 

Gender

Gender is the physical, behavioral, and personality traits that society considers normal for being female or male. Gender is a socially learn expectation. GENDER IS NOT BIOLOGICAL. As you can see in first photo as a woman, according to society, I should enjoy cute feminine things (look she's even wearing pink!) and men should enjoy engaging and athletic things such as sports. As a female my gender is often told that we need to smile while men can frown as much as they please. Gender expects men to be rugged and strong while it expects women to be soft and weak. Gender is associated with gender roles. Gender roles are roles that society seems fitting for that gender. An example of gender roles would be the wife cleans the house while the husband makes the money. 

Sex

(not my photo)

Sex refers to a persons belonging to one of two BIOLOGICALLY distinct categories. Sex is biological. Sex is in your genetic makeup. You can be male, female, or intersex. Sex does not always correspond with the implied gender. SEX AND GENDER ARE NOT THE SAME. In the cartoon above you can see two biologically different people. They are being fed their socially accepted gender and gender roles. They were not born with these ideas or personality traits because they are not biological. 

Segregation

 (not my photo)

Segregation is the legal separation of groups by race or ethnicity. It is the action of setting things apart. Segregation can  be an example of inequality. When something is segregated usually one group benefits while the other suffers. Segregation limits the opportunities and and limits the freedom of everyone not in the dominant group. 

Prejudice

Prejudice is an incorrect attitude towards an individual based upon their social group. Prejudices are usually negative but not always. You can be prejudice to people of different races and genders. Some typical prejudice beliefs are women can't drive, Asians are good at math, and even racism. Prejudices are applied to all members of the group. Prejudices are unlikely to change even if there is evidence that it is false.

Racism

Racism is a set of beliefs based upon the superiority of one ethnic group over another. It is only an ideology. Racism is used to justify inequality. When someone has little power they have someone over them with more power. The people holding the power will often do and justify it so that they can keep their place of superiority. Race is a social construction and is not genetic, however racism is based on the notion that it is genetic. Again, it is not genetically possible for an entire ethnic group to be less superior than another. 

Symbolic Ethnicity

Symbolic ethnicity refers to an allegiance, love, or appreciation for a cultural tradition that can be lived and felt without having it incorporated in daily life. It is only relevant on specific occasions. A good example is St. Patrick's Day. Some people will identify as Irish for a day but usually do not engage in typical Irish traditions or join Irish-American organizations. There is no real social cost in symbolic ethnicity. 

Race

Race is a social construction. It does not exist biologically. It exists because society created it. Race is a social category based on biological differences between groups of people. Race is based on a group of people who are thought to have the same characteristics such as skin color or facial features. Race is thought to be biologically inherited. IT IS NOT.