RSS Feed of What is Sociology

On Strike

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:32:49 GMT

When union workers don't get what they want or are being treated unfairly by their employers, they go on strike.  Striking means all the workers agree to stop working until the employer decides to meet their demands.  This usually involves picketing and trying to garner support from the community.  It's a matter of who will break first.

History of American Unions

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:32:49 GMT

Unions have been around for about a century.  They have a long history that has included many important events in the United States.  This video will talk about the history of labor unions up to today.

Union Wages

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:32:49 GMT

In addition to getting better benefits, union workers also get paid more when compared to their non-union counterparts.  This is because they can negotiate higher wages and threaten to strike when they don't get a fair deal.  Maybe everyone should go into unions.

Union Worker Benefits

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:32:49 GMT

Workers that are part of a union generally have more or better benefits than those that are not members or a labor union.  These benefits include health insurance, retirement benefits, paid time off and more.  This chart shows the higher percentages of benefits for union workers compared to those of non-union employees.

Modern Unions

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:32:49 GMT

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Unions have not gone anywhere since their inception at the early part of the 20th century.  While a lot of things have changed, the core purpose of unions remains the same.  Many workers are part of unions and they have the opportunity to benefit from them.  This video talks more about unions today.

The Wagner Act

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:32:49 GMT

The Wagner Act, or National Labor Relations Act of 1935 was signed into law as a way to limit the things that employers can do in reaction to private workers that form labor unions.  This means that employers could not react harshly to workers that were involved with collective bargaining or that went on strike.  This is a big deal for union workers as it gives them more rights when it comes to dealing with employers.

Union Busting

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:32:49 GMT

Union busting means that employers are trying to limit the rights of public employees.  Workers do not enjoy having their rights limited, which is why unions were formed in the first place.  Union members often go on strike to get what they want, and it usually works.  Some of us wish we could go on strike.

Employer Stalling

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:32:49 GMT

When labor unions and employers can't come to an agreement on a deal, then the workers will usually go on strike until they get what they want.  One tactic that employers use is stalling when it comes to negotiations.  The plan is to make the union wait as long as possible in the hopes that they will cave in and agree to a deal.  This doesn't always work and depends on how strong the union is.

Unions and Violence

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:32:49 GMT

Labor unions have a history of violence.  In the time of their inception, labor unions were met with hostility from employers.  Things got out of hand at times and violence erupted.  Sometimes there must be sacrifice for the greater good.  Union workers wanted more rights and employers didn't want to provide them.  That's when things can go bad.

Union Workers

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:32:49 GMT

Unions were set up to protect the rights of workers and to make sure they are treated fairly by employers.  Some employers or business owners will do everything they can to exploit their employees, but unions are in place to stop all that.  Unions are typically found in companies that specialize in factory work or manual labor.  Members must pay union dues in order to benefit from the union.  It's one way that workers form bonds in the name of fair treatment.

Urban VS Rural

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:32:49 GMT

Sociology can look at the differences between social life and the interaction of people in both urban areas and rural areas.  A lot of this is done to provide advice for how to plan an area and make policies for it.  Urban sociology looks at how cities are run and how the people there interact with one another.  The same goes for rural areas that tend to have people that are more spread out.  In the city, thousands of people are crammed into a small amount of space, meaning that city folk might be viewed as less friendly and more in a rush.  Urban citizens are also referred to as "city slickers" for their dependence on modernization to help them get through the day.  On the other hand, rural people are viewed as more hands-on in their work and friendlier to one another, as they share more traditional values.  Rural people may also have the stereotype of being out of touch with the modern world and its technology.  Sociology examines these aspects and compares the two social societies to one another to see what the differences are in how the people socially interact.

Modern Communication

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:32:49 GMT

Experts have been studying the changes in how people in a society communicate with each other.  Technology has played the biggest role in these changes as people are able to communicate with one another instantly in a variety of ways.  Over the last 20 years, devices like email, cell phones and instant messaging have made it so we can get a hold of someone in an instant, no matter where they are.  Before, people could call someone on a regular phone, write them a letter or talk to them in person.  Now, there are many different ways to communicate with people, including complete strangers over the Internet. The way people communicate has also changed, not just the means to do it.  Communication is becoming less personal and young people are not learning how to properly interact with society since they are always texting one another.  This could end up leading to a sort of social ineptitude.  It's not uncommon to see young people texting each other when they are sitting right next to one another.  These communication tools have made it hard for people to carry a single conversation since they are always distracted by an incoming text or email.  If this trend continues.  We could really have a problem with the future of actual communication.

Family and Gender Roles

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:32:49 GMT

Sociology and things like gender, family and sexuality go hand in hand.  These areas are widely studies in the sociology subfields.  Studies are conducted to observe the way genders are perceived in our society and how social structures are set up around these theories.  For example, the typical gender roles of the past involved men working and women being the stay at home moms that cooked, cleaned and did all the work around the house.  While these gender roles have changed somewhat over the last decades, it was not until wartime that society started to see women doing jobs normally occupied by men.  "Rosie the Riveter" is one such example.  Now, more and more women work in jobs just as men.

Sociology also looks at how sexuality affects social behavior.  One example cited men that had their sexuality questioned lean more toward war and big SUVs.  They were also more strongly opposed to gay marriage, all perhaps behaviors to prove that they were straight men.

Family life affects how social structure are designed.  Some women that have children may be viewed as inferior when compared to those that are not mothers in the workplace.  The list goes on and on.

Sociology and Sports

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:32:49 GMT

Sports are a big part of human culture in all parts of the world.  It is truly something that transcends all races, ages and social constructs.  Sociology or sport is a subfield of sociology that is very important to understanding more about how people behave in certain social environments.  Sports and gender have a lot to do with sociology in this case.

As it stands and has stood for a long time, sports are often enjoyed by men.  Researchers study this in social groups of men that enjoy participating and watching sports.  Then there are women that engage in sports as well as watching.  There are instances where men that do not enjoy sports are viewed as less manly or feminine while women that enjoy sports may be viewed either positively or negatively depending on the social network they are a part of.  Some classes of society might view women and sports as two things that don't go together while other cultures may embrace it.  These are all the things that are studied when it comes to sports and sociology.  Why, just going to a football game can provide a lot on insight to a person researching this topic as they observe the behaviors or the different people in the crowd.

Social Psychology

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:32:49 GMT

This aspect of sociology focuses on social actions on small scales.  It manages to examine how a whole society works by investigating the emotions and thought processes of small groups and how they behave.  It seeks to explain how different cultures, social facts and demographics affect how humans socially interact with each other.  Topics pertaining to social psychology include group dynamics, social inequality, group behavior, social change, leadership, conformity, social identity and much more.  All parts of society and the psychology of that society are studied.  There are a number of experiments that are conducted by researchers in order to better understand why people in groups behave certain ways.  What are the differences in social behaviors from those in non-social settings?

People and groups in our society do a lot of things.  Some of these things are good and some of these things are not so good, while others are just plain stupid.  Understanding the stupid parts is just as much a part of social psychology as understanding the good parts.  In order to solve problems and correct improper actions and behaviors, it is important to understand why people and groups do them.

Social Networking

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:32:49 GMT

We hear a lot about social networks these days.  The kinds we hear about in modern times refer to those mostly online.  While social networks exist on a variety of levels, online social networking sites have really taken over in the last few years.  People are now connected in a virtual space where they otherwise would not be socially connected without such technology.  Today, people that once knew each other many years ago can connect online.  In the past, they would probably never even hear from each other again.  This also leads to a social disconnect since people are so used to being social online that they almost forget how to do it in person.  This is definitely a new aspect of sociology that will be heavily studied in the years to come.

Social networks exist on the smallest and the largest levels.  A group of two children can be considered a social network as can two entire countries.  Social networks are often used to solve problems and share knowledge.  They can also play a role in the success of an individual.  Social networks are about more than just groups as they have a profound affect on people individually.