Sociology

1. Sociology Scientific study of societies and how societies interact with individuals

2. Microsociology: The study of the behavior of face to face interactions Impression mgmt: the way you act to elicit a certain image with others. Social Identity: the traits that others ascribe to you. Social Self: the way you view yourself based on peoples reactions to you.

3. Thin Slice observation a brief observation of others often provides a surprisingly consistent view of a person. Students who observe a teacher, without sound, for a couple of minutes rate them about the same 9 months later, after being in their class. #1stimpressionsmatter

4. Evolutionary Psychology: study of psychological traits passed on through evolution. Evolution presupposes that traits that aid survival are passed on and those traits that harm us die out. Traits that aid survival of the individual or the group are passed on, those that don’t die out.

5. Humans evolved to be social Not being particularly strong or fast, organizing into societies helped protect us. Our societies tend to be aggressive in the search for resources and hierarchical in social structure.(what Freud referred to as the Id, ego and superego). These fundamental needs help explain why humans tend to be obedient and conforming.

6. Evolved Society Having evolved from small tribal groups, we tend to like those like ourselves and perceive strangers or strange situations to be possible threats. This tendency explains the human need to conform and obey those in authority.

7. Sociobiology: Societal behaviors common to all societies that are passed on biological (genes) Sports Laws Government Government Religion (creation stories) Potty Training Dancing Tool making Family eating (meat) Incest taboos Funeral ceremonies Personal Names Gift Giving Medicines Music Property rights

8. In Group and out Group bias Humans tend to feel their own groups are better than other people’s groups. Humans tend to suspicious of people who are different than them.

9. Attribution theory Humans tend to assume members of out-groups to be the same in their traits and dispositions, while their own “in”-group are made up of many unique individuals, with varying dispositions, which change depending on the situation.

10. Fundamental Attribution Error Think about when your friends speak of other groups, do you assume they’re all alike, but believe your group members are all different reacting to specific circumstances? The tendency to assume people in “other” groups are all alike in their traits/dispositions is committing a fundemental attribution error.

11. Just World Phenomenon Human’s tend to think the world makes sense. When innocents die with think there must have be a “plan” a reason. We think bad guys will be caught. RANDOMNESS scares us. Think of 911 or the Snipers, incontroled events. This tendency leads us to victim blaming: assuming victims caused their own victimization: -Girls with short skirts caused her rape or harassment. -Marginilized minorities created their situation.

12. Self-fulfilling prophecies Often just labeling someone with a trait, will create the very thing they are labeled, which they may not have had been before. If you lable someone an angry person, it may cause them to be frustrated and angry,when they weren’t angry before.

13. Stereotype threat and self fulfilling prophecies. Stereotype threat is a well-documented and studied phenomenon. Those who are marginalized in a society and then are reminded of their group status (social identity), perform worse or better when reminded of their status.

14. Attitudes and behavior: the Confirmation Bias. If we assume members of out-groups have one trait or another (greedy, laziness, aggressiveness, snobbery, whatever), we look for that trait when we encounter a member of that group, we seek to confirm our bias: Confirmation Bias

15. Belief perseverance Once we have a belief (attitude) we cling to it, partially because we seek confirming evidence and ignore evidence contrary to our viewpoint. This dynamic leads to beliefs persisting, even irrational beliefs.

16. Group Polarization After a group with similar beliefs forms, the member’s attitudes tend to become more extreme, as they continually reinforce each other views. # Group of environmentalist with moderate views become a group, their views on the environment tend to grown more extreme.

17. Heuristics: mental shortcuts for making decisions RAPIDLY Based on my attitudes and experiences, I make immediate assumptions about new people I encounter. Remember: this “system” evolved to make us safe, not fair. Therefore, the less I know the more likely I am to make an unfair judgement or fundamental attribution errors.

18. Owner of 85 M. Spelling Manor, daughter of Russian Oligarch

19. Heuristics can be any shortcut Can be as simple as i before e except after c, it works mostly or I got burned by fire once, so I won’t touch this fire As to people, stereotypes may be used to make that Heuristical decision.

20. Heuristic decisions are largely based on visual information and preexisting attitudes. So If I see a mean pitbull, I’m far more likely to associate the pitbull look with meanness. Reinforces stereotyping as biases are confirmed, contrary evidence ignored.

21. So if I say______, you think_____ So, if a Ferguson, Missouri policeman sees a big African Amerian male, walking down the street, he thinks.... If I’m an African American male and I see a white policeman roll up on me, I think….. ----But what do either REALLY know about each other.

22. Heuristic happen in the blink of an eye Psychs call it thin slice decision making and it can be very accurate, but never totally accurate: remember its to make you safe, not fair. Essential to navigate a complex, fast moving world, imagine if you always had to wait for ‘evidence’ before deciding about a new person you you encounter and whether or not they’re safe or friendly or whatever.

23. Middle East Timeline Circa 2000 B.C. Judaism established 0-33 Jesus Born crucified in Jerusalem 70 Romans expel Jews from Palestine, diaspora begins. Christinaity gets a foothold in Roman Empire. 300 Constantine makes Christianity ok, Roman moves to Constantinople 400 Theodius makes Christianity of Roman/Byzantium empire 300-600 Syria “heart” of Christian M.E.

24. 600 Islam established in Mecca • 680 Battle of Karbala, Sunni/Shiite split • Shiites (15%, dominent in Iran, Ayatollahs blood descendents) followed Hussein, married to Mohammed’s cousins husband, Sunnis the Caliphs (85%) • 610-700 Islam Spread from Spain to C. Asia

25. Differences Because of the direct lineage of Ayatollahs to Mohammed Shiites will worship at shrines to various martyrs and Imams who have died. Conservative Sunnis see that as sacrilege as they believe only God should be worshiped, therefore Shiites and Alawhites are HERETICS.

26. Shiites have Ayatollahs who are descendants of Ali Therefore their Koranic interpretations are divine through Mohammed. Sunnis have mullahs who are just learned layman. Ayatollah are religious and political authorities, . Ayatollah Sistani in Iraq is probably the most, at least one of the most, revered of the Ayatollahs and may be keeping Shiites from responding to Sunni mosque attacks in Iraq.

27. Animosity Between the different sects have existed throughout history, with Sunnis believing that Shiites were responsible for allowing Mongols to invade the Arab world, and being co-conspirators with the U.S. in occupying the holy places of Islam Shiites have been the subject of persecution in the Muslim world. The idea of conservative Sunnis connecting with Shiites (Iran) is unlikely.

28. Followers of Fatimah (Mohammed’s daughter) and Ali Shiites (Shia) about 15% of all Muslims, predominately in Iran and Iraq where they are a majority population. Alawiites: small sect, makes up 12% of Syrian population. They are the ethnic/religious power in Syria, Assad’s power base .

29. Jerusalem; the Center of the Universe

30. Assura commemerotes battle of Karbala

31. Mosque at Karbala

32. Hezbollah: armed to the teeth with Iranian missles, on Israel’s northern border and Syria’s Eastern border

33. The Arab world is not one group

35. 1000 Christian Kings try to retake Jerusalem. Al Aqsa Massacre of Muslims by Christian Crusaders 1300-1900 Ottoman Turks (capture) capture entire Middle East rule from Istanbul (Constantinople) 1800 Britain begins the domination of entire world after invention of the Steam Engine. 1800s Wahabbi uprising against Ottomans in Saudi Arabi, still dominant sect there. 1880 Capitulations: Britain begin takeover Ottoman Middle East. Suez Canal built

37. Topkapi Palace: Ottomans Palace in Istanbul

46. Things to remember about WWI Britain promises Palestine to both Arabs (Damascus Protocals, Mcmahon Letters) and Zionists (Balfour declaration) 1918 Britain renegs on promises, France and Britain divide up Middle East. (Sykes Picot agreement) BP develops Iranian Oil fields, proceeds all go to British companies.

47. Losses of Ottoman Empire to Europeans, notice no nation states

48. After WWII, previously colonial possessions gain independence 1948 “Independence” of Middle East begins, Israel established (Britain again renegs on promises), dictators inserted 1952 U.S. and Britain orchestrates coup in Iran, deposes democratically elected Prime Minister, inserts Shah and his abusive regime

49. Europeans draw up the M.E.

50. Middle East Reimagined