Pictures of Society

Hello everyone, my name is Kimberly Palma. 

I am twenty years old currently attending Moorpark College in Moorpark, Ca. 

I'm enrolled in an intro to sociology class
and here is where you can get a glimpse into what I have learned.  

And all photos were captured by film with a few exceptions of my Iphone.  

Depictions of Society

What is Sociology?

Social Structure

Social structure explains how a person is seen as in our society,

 for example their position or status in a specific role. 

While being in the Simi Valley hospital, I never noticed there were so many people 

who take important roles to keep the hospital going strong. Here is a picture of 

multiple people who have different roles and statuses to offer us in the hospital.

Social Construction

Social construction defines meanings to obvious or simple things 

that have our society giving in or accepting it even if it doesn't really represent it's reality. 

So by us giving something a meaning doesn't necessarily in the end mean anything.

By showing this picture of the United States of America flag I took in Simi Valley, we can't physically say we hold the United States in our hand in Simi Valley. 

  

Sociological Imagination: Homelessness 

By using Sociological imagination, we can get an understanding on how our relationship with our particular situation is compared to the social level. And rather then focusing on the social problems, like homelessness, we focus on why those social problems were created. 

This a picture of a homeless man in Downtown Los Angeles. Society's first thoughts are, " he or she is lazy." or "they are using drugs." 

We shouldn't focus on how they are viewed as but rather on ways to end homelessness. 

Institution

Institution can be seen as different sets of social structures that help guide society 

into survival needs and build their behavior into positives. 

By showing you a picture of a school and a church, 

you can build an education and involve yourself into learning about religion. 

Society

Society is a group of people who come together and shape themselves into a group 

for a particular purpose. When I was in high school i entered the renaissance program, 

where I entered a group to help with school relations. Here is a picture of a group of my renaissance members of an event we helped with. 

Theories and Theorists

Symbolic Interaction 

Symbolic Interaction is a meaning of how interaction and meaning is created by our society, but not inherently. For example, I took a picture of my dining table where everyday my family and I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner where we create interactions between each other. And this may look like any other table but it's different from a desk or a kitchen counter simply because we eat multiple meals there everyday. 

Structural Functionalist

Structural Functionalist describes a society is seen as a whole, who is kept together 

by the help of specific structures. I chose to take pictures of the DMV, City Hall, and the fire station since all of them help the city of Simi Valley be safe and organized. 

Conflict Theory

Conflict theory is shown through perspectives of sociology from emphasizing on 

material, social, and political inequality of any social group. When I thought about conflict theory, i immediately thought of dominant groups versus minority groups in gender. So i took

a picture of my mother holding a dollar bill and my brother holding up a five dollar bill. This simply describes how men usually get paid more then women for doing the same job.  

Mechanical Solidarity

Mechanical solidarity is described as a social bond where we create beliefs and traditions 

to share with others in our society. I am Mormon and once we turn 18 we are encouraged to attend a mission. Here are a group of men who were part of mission from my church. They are

sent out to share our beliefs with others and help others all around the world. 

Organic Solidarity

Organic solidarity is a social bond of modern industrial society focusing on a division of labor that requires all groups and individuals of the society to create interdependence and individual rights.

Here is a picture of skyscrapers and buildings I took when i visited New York City. 

Research Methods

Survey

Surveys are ways to examine, get a general view, or description of someone or something. For this particular picture I took, I ate at a Carls Jr. and i noticed there was a little survey on the table. It asked simple questions like how was the service and food. 

Literature Review

Literature review is the second step in the research process where you review what others have already discovered on your topic. I decided to take pictures of my anthropology and government books. This shows you what was discovered in the past and even explains current questions. 

Interview  

Interviews are face to face interaction while recieving great amount of information or data.  

Here is a picture of myself with my mother and two stars of a reality show on bravo called Shah's of Sunset. I wouldn't call it a real interview but i did ask them many questions about them working on the show.

Ethnography

Ethnography is studying a group of people in an environment they are used to so you can understand there meaning to their activities. I took a picture of a group of adults and children who are always at the library studying, trying to find books, or interacting with others. 

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research is having the social world being translated through numbers 

then seen mathematically. This is a picture of my stats. book that show ways of how numbers can be translated through quantitative research.

Culture

Culture in Food

Food can be described through culture by a representation from where you are from. I am half Mexican and half Guatemalan, so eating food from each country can describe where i am from, for instance, tacos. This is a picture of tacos my mother made. Tacos are one of the known dish for Hispanic culture.  

Material Culture: Artwork

Material culture are objects that have to do with cultural groups. Here is a picture of  myself with one of Frida Khalo's paintings at the MOMA in New York City.  

Signs and Symbols

Signs and symbols are used to meaningfully represent something else, for example this sign I took a picture of in Downtown LA.

Gesture

Gestures are signs we make with our body to give off meaning. Here is a picture of my father giving me a thumbs up because he is enjoying his pupusa. (A Salvadorian dish.)

Material Culture: Buildings

Material culture in buildings show us objects that describe us where a group is from or describe who they are. This picture was part of a display on a building in San Diego where everyone was celebrating day of the dead. This is a tradition many Hispanics involve themselves with. 

Self and Social Interaction

Family

Family is the most important agent of socialization in every society 

that helps us build our values and norms to create our identity. This is a picture of my family, they have helped me become the person I am today as cheesy as it sounds, but its true. 

School

School is part of the agents of socialization that provide us an education and help our socialization skills that will benefit us later in our future. This is a picture of my high school, this is where I learned a lot about who I am and what kind of choices I should make.

Peers

Peers provide different kinds of social skills then school or family since we grow from children to adults with our friends and those around us with the same age. This is a picture of my group of friends I've been with since 9th grade. They taught me a lot and helped me grow over the years. 

Roles

Roles are behaviors and actions that are expected from a specific person. I decided to take a picture of my co-workers working. One thing they are expected to do is clean, size, and straighten up the hangers on the racks.

Role-taking Emotions

Role-taking emotions are negative emotions that are being required that we take into perspective of another person and to then respond from that person's vision. This picture shows my brother feeling embarrassed and my mother trying to understand what is going through his head. 

Life in Groups

Crowd

Crowd is a large number of people gathered in a public place just temporarily. Here is a picture of a Best Coast concert I went to last Summer that was over crowded, mainly because it was a free show,. 

Primary Group

A primary group is a group where there is great amount of face-to-face interaction and deepest feeling of belonging. An example would be family and friends, which is what I took a picture of. This is a picture of my closest family, friends. 

Dyad

Dyad is the smallest social group that only consist of two people. This is a picture of one of my best friend at the time. We were inseparable until she had to move up north for school which is why having only two members in a social group is unstable. 

Triad

Triad is simply a three member social group. This seems to be more stable since if one person leaves the group then there will still be two members left in the group. Here is a picture of two of my closest friends in high school. 

Paradox

Paradox defined by being next to someone so close to you yet you are acting like you are physically so far away. I took this photo of a group of people sitting down next to each other at a salon, They were all physically close to one another yet no one decided to talk to each other and were acting like there was no one next to them.

Deviance and Conformity

Merton's Adaptation: Ritualist

A ritualist is one of the many concepts of Merton and it can be described 

by knowing someone who has an inability to reach cultural goals. So an example could be someone who works as a checker at a supermarket. I chose to take a picture of a man checking out customers at a local wholesale market. Some may choose this position as a sense of security rather then using it to go beyond and be successful.   

Stigma

Stigma is explained through Erving Goffman, where he explains how any person or a group can have any physical or social attribute that lowers themselves down from their identity or social interaction. Three main types that describe stigma is physical, as mentioned before, moral, and tribal. 

Here I took a picture of a close family friend's daughter, her name is Allie, which I would describe a physical stigma since she's diagnosed with  down-syndrome. In her case, she is very social and friendly which causes her not to feel out of place especially in school where she was the most popular. 

Deterrence

Deterrence is where punishment is used as a threat to restrain someone from doing something bad. The way I see it is shown through this picture I took of a group of police cars. Many times police men are trying to help the society from making dangerous decisions or bad ones so they often are out giving warnings and tickets so they can let them know what they are doing is wrong and they will now know not to do it again. 

Retribution

Retribution is known as a way of punishing someone for doing a wrong criminal act. Working at a retail store, there is almost always someone who is shoplifting especially doing that act in the fitting room. As i was cleaning out the stalls in the fitting room, I saw a message on the wall that basically said if you shoplift, you will be prosecuted. And that is what the picture I took is explaining. 

Deviance

Deviance is any type of behavior or trait that violates a norm then causes a bad reaction. I chose to take a picture of my boyfriend who is picking his nose. This is obviously a bad trait that causes anyone to freak out and give a bad reaction. We see this as not being polite and we aren't use to seeing many people violating this type of norm. 

Social Class

Social Class

Social class is a division of a society that is based on social and economic status. Where you live, where you shop, what kind of car you drive, and many other things can show people where you are in the social class. I took pictures of different houses and neighborhoods that can show you who is upper, middle, or lower class. 

   

Upper Class

Upper class is described as the capitalist class and known to be the wealthiest. Here i took a picture of a couple of nice cars that are know to be driven by upper class people. For instance, a range rover

Middle Class

Middle class are seen as white collar workers and and make up 30% population in the United States. 

This pictures explains how someone in the middle class would shop for food and products at a costco but some lower class can buy groceries at a downtown market. . 

Culture of Poverty

Poverty is described to be extremely poor or have shortage. Here are pictures of alleys and washes that are know for homeless people to be living in. They have accepted that they poor and decided not to do anything to change it. 

Social Stratification

Social stratification is a division of groups society is arranged in according to wealth and power. An example would be clothes and fashion. If you own a Michael Kors purse then you are known to be wealthy but if you own a no brand purse you are lower in class. Here is a picture of a Michael Kors purse vs. a no brand purse.

Race and Ethnicity

   

Symbolic Ethnicity

Symbolic ethnicity is seen as a once a year celebration or for special occasions that impacts an ethnic identity. For example, St. Patricks day for the Irish or Cinco de Mayo for Hispanics. I chose to take a picture of when I celebrated Cinco de mayo at my house. 

Race

Race is described in groups of people who either have differences or similarities in biological traits deemed by society which is socially significant. Here is a picture of some of my co workers at a work event. We show diversity in our races, from Chinese, Hispanic, and to Armenian. 

Ethnicity

Ethnicity is described to be belonging to a social group 

that share common national or cultural traditions. Here is a picture of my family, the Palma's and my sister's husband and his dad, the Sackett family. Both of these families share common cultural factor in religion. 

Minority Group

A minority group is a sociological category within a demographic. Members of this social group can be denied same access to power available to those in dominant social groups. When I think of a minority group, I automatically think of Hispanics so that i s why I took a group picture of some of my Hispanic friends and family. 

Discrimination

Discrimination is giving off unequal treatment to individuals because of their social groups. 

Discrimination can be caused from where you're from, how you look like, how old you are, and many more reasons. So i decided to take this picture of Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch. Both stores were discriminating size and age, where they would only sell small sizes and not help those over a certain age. 

Gender and Sexuality

Sex

Sex refers to biological differences like chromosomes, hormonal profiles, internal and external sex organs. Otherwise referring someone as a female or make, Here is a picture of my niece Josie, she was born as a female. 

Gender

Gender is describing characteristics that society and culture name as someone being masculine or feminine. So those with behavioral, physical, and personality traits that refer to being normal for male and female individuals. This is a picture of my niece at 11 months dressed as a girl with a dress and a flower crown. 

Expressive Role

Expressive roles are when someone  in the family, usually a female, 

is providing emotional support and showing nurture as well. 

Here is a picture of my mother trying to help me get through a tough day by hugging me and giving me emotional support.

Gender Role

Gender role is a process where you learn the social expectations and attitudes that have to do with one's sex. For example boys learn how to cut grass or take out the garbage but as for girls, we learn to clean and cook. Boys and girls will first learn from either school, families, or their peers.

Here is a picture I took of my friends soccer team. They learned from each other how to improve their feminism in different ways. 

Sexual Orientation 

Sexual orientation can be seen as being attracted to the same sex, opposite sex, or even both sexes. 

This is a picture of my close friend who is in a relationship with the same sex as her, so you can say she is homosexual. 

Life at Home

Extended Family

Extended family is when a large group of family members, with at least three generations, are living close in proximity. These are a few pictures of my grandparents, uncle, and aunts. Even though some have passed or live in another state, I still consider them to live close by my heart. 

Nuclear Family

Nuclear family are a family with a mother and father with their biological children. 

This is a picture of my family, which is being shown my father, mother, brother and sister. 

Exogamy

Exogamy is a marriage with someone from a different social group. This is a picture of my sister and her husband. They are seen to be different since my sister is from a Hispanic culture and her husband doesn't share the same. 

Expressive Task

Expressive task is when you give off emotional work to support family members, for example playing with children or you family members. Here is a picture of my brother and my sister playing with her daughter, Josie. 

Instrumental Task

Instrumental task is when physical tasks are being done to maintain your families life. Anything domestic like washing dishes can help your family keep a clean lifestyle. This a picture of my mother washing the dishes so they won't pile up and cause a unsanitary space. 

Popular Culture

Collective Effervescence

Collective effervescence is a sociological concept by Emile Durkheim. She explained it to be a community or society to come together to talk about the same thoughts that are going through their heads and participate in the same actions. So here is an example in a picture i took of myself at an event. We are all here for the same thing, to listen to good music and have fun. 

Taste

Taste is having a specific preference for either fashion, music, shows, or movies. One of my favorite shows is Entourage on HBO. Here is a picture of majority of all the seasons there are. 

Culture Industry

Culture industry is seen as businesses that make, distribute, market or sell the products. Some examples can be a store that sell clothes, shoes, cds, or even jewelry. I took a picture of this plaza that have multiple stores that sell clothes, toys, and food. 

Cultural Hegemony

Cultural Hegemony are ideas that are propelled by the culture industry. It gives an inordinate influence into how other cultures should conduct themselves. I understood this concept by thinking of make-up, where our culture have us believe that if you where make-up you will look more approachable and showcase beauty. So this is why I took a picture of make-up.

Consumerism

Consumerism can be explained by thinking of how we want and need things that are not really necessary but we still buy those products we want. And in the end we feel like we will be happier if we have those products. Here is a picture of my mother holding bags to different stores of clothes she bought that she doesn't really need more of.