W3: Aspects of Culture

• Omnipotence - the quality of having unlimited or very great power
• Omniscience - the state of knowing everything
• Omnipresence - the state of being widespread or constantly encountered
• Social Awareness - the ability to take the perspective of and empathize with other, including those from diverse backgrounds an cultures.
• Social Awareness - ability to understand social and ethical norms for behavior.
• 3 Sociological Theories:

  Structural Functionalism

  Conflict Theory

  Symbolic Interactionism
• Structural Functionalism - a macro theory that looks at how all structures or institutions in society work together.
• Functional - elements of society are functional if they contribute to social stability

  Dysfunctional - if they disrupt social stability
• Manifest function - intended social functions of a social institution

  Latent function - unintended social functions that are good and useful, however not the reason the institution exists.
• Conflict theory - focuses on forces in society that promote competition and change
• Symbolic Interactionism - focuses on how individuals interact and influence the behavior of one another
• Rules - essential in the everyday conduct of the members of the society

  It can be

  Written: easily seen and hence are easily observed and obeyed

  Unwritten: not written but we follow on a day to day basis