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I designed the title image on wordart.com.

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Sociology studies more than just the similarities that comprise a community; it also studies the differences that make it more complex and complete. In this project, I focused on sociological concepts that illustrate some kind of contrast.

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My rainbow pride T-shirt hanging against my closet door - the flower stem reads "love is love" in cursive

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One prevalent source of contrast in society is the existence of counterculture (chapter 3).  Counterculture is defined as a group whose qualities and values clash with accepted norms in a society.  An example is the LGBTQ community, which often faces prejudice and discrimination because of its conflict with a heteronormative system.  People who belong to this counterculture often express their pride and identity through symbols such as the T-shirt above that depicts a flower in rainbow colors with the words "Love is love."  This is a message that challenges the dominant culture groups of cisgender, heterosexual people.

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The exterior of an e-cigarette store in downtown Plymouth, MA

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When I was in downtown Plymouth last week, I went past a store that never would have existed twenty years ago.  E-cigarettes started to become popular around the 2010s, but as public attention began to center around the health concerns (especially towards teenagers and young children), their use became more stigmatized.  Now, though readily accessible in many locations, vaping is still largely considered an act of deviance (chapter 6) as it is a behavior that evokes a generally negative reaction from the community. All deviant actions illustrate social contrast, as they highlight the differences between accepted behaviors and ones viewed as a violation of norms.

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A poor-quality image of a roadside Christian memorial taken from the passenger side of a car on the highway

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On the side of the highway, I saw a religious memorial on a large rock beside the forest.  At first I thought nothing of it, but the more I considered its public nature, the more I realized that it is a symbol of invisible privilege (Power, Privilege, and Difference lecture).  The cross reveals that this memorial is Christian—but if the symbols here belonged to another religion, many passersby would react less indifferently, or even possibly view it as terrorist imagery. While privileged groups are often unaware of the impact their identities have on their experiences, they highlight a key difference between cultural and, in this case, religious groups.

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A sign outside the South Attleboro MBTA station, cropped to exclude bystanders

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I found this sign just outside of a train station and thought that, in addition to being a public advertisement designed to spread awareness of a global issue, this perfectly depicts Goffman's theory of dramaturgy (chapter 4).  This approach to the self suggests that people have multiple roles that they choose to present to others at will, a practice he referred to as impression management.  In this case, the sign indicates that a person suffering from hunger and poverty often goes unnoticed by those around them, in part due to the many forms and impressions it may take. This differs from most people's idea of what hunger looks like, and encapsulates the theory of dramaturgy and its multiple different stages in which one makes impressions for an audience.

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A wall decoration in my house with a Bible verse reflecting shared family and cultural values

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Though I’m not religious, my family is to varying degrees, so I’m familiar with many  physical objects that represent bigger ideas in Christianity.  These illustrate the concept of material culture (chapter 3), and these tangible representations play a key role in developing the values of a group.  In the case of religion, material culture helps people diversify their methods of worship and pass down stories from one generation to the next.  The wall decor in the picture above involves a favorite Bible verse of a few people in my household.  For our circumstances, the words are religious for those who believe it but also indicative of the family environment that we try to maintain, connecting our shared values in spite of our different applications of them.

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Various stones and minerals scattered across a surface, symbolizing numerous emotional and spiritual meanings

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Two of my relatives believe in the power of stones and crystals—not as a substitute for scientifically proven healthcare, but as a hobby and as a complement to their other routines or accessories.  I contemplated whether to include this as a separate entry, as the stones are tangible objects that could constitute material culture, but I eventually decided that the meaning assigned to them is more significant than their physical form.  I would consider these stones (to the people who believe in their effects) to be part of a symbolic culture (chapter 3), because their meaning is more abstract and relies on collective belief of the group in question. The difference between material and symbolic cultures can sometimes be blurred, but ultimately helps define the key characteristics of many social groups.

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An empty Amazon package on a wooden floor

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About a week ago, I unexpectedly ran out of Command hook hanging supplies and couldn't find the kind I needed in any nearby stores.  I ordered more on Amazon and realized that my reasons for doing it fit the principles of McDonaldization:  efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control (McDonaldization Sociology Live video).  The supplies were cheaper online than they would be in stores, and I would be able to receive exactly what I needed in a short amount of time instead of having to check multiple different stores to see if they were in stock.  These factors of McDonaldization lead to the growth of businesses like Amazon as well as the decline of smaller businesses (Frontline Amazon documentary), which furthers a societal discrepancy in terms of economy as well as culture.

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Distinct roles are not unique to larger communities or society as a whole.  They are also present in smaller households and the structural unit of family (chapter 12).  It's generally recognized that there are two types of tasks that must be performed regularly to maintain stability in a family:  instrumental (practical chores such as washing dishes, as pictured above) and expressive (emotional work that strengthens family connections).  Traditionally, these tasks were assigned according to prevalent gender roles (chapter 9), with women handling childcare and most chores and men responsible for physical labor.  In an increasing number of households, people of all genders are assuming a more equal responsibility for the tasks required to keep a family functioning.  In my family, it is expected that everyone contributes to the chores and errands that need doing along with the different but no less important expressive work of showing care for one another.

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A multigenerational household in a relatively comfortable middle-class neighborhood

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Since the growth of the suburban movement in the 1950s, one of the pillars of the American Dream has been homeownership.  The reality, however, is that this dream is a luxury many Americans cannot afford.  The ability to attain these goals is often determined by social class (Social Identities lecture), which can enable or, conversely, prevent families or individuals from having the financial stability needed to own their home.  My family is fortunate enough to be in the middle class, and our multigenerational household is a multifaceted family unit (chapter 12) that contributes more income than a typical nuclear family with one or two breadwinners. Differences in social and economic prospects can be subliminal, like a family’s private finances, or overt, like the house or neighborhood in which they live.

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Assorted pairs of shoes on my closet floor

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Someone once told me that I was the most stereotypically feminine queer girl they had ever met.  I feel that this isn't a very accurate reflection of the LGBTQ community as a whole, but it got me to thinking about my gender and the way I express myself through my appearance and hobbies.  I took a picture of some of the shoes in my closet to elaborate on the conclusion I reached about gender presentation (Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation lecture).  I'm sure most people are familiar with the stereotype that women love buying shoes, and I do have a fair amount of them, so I suppose I do fit the stereotype in that respect.  I also love nail polish, jewelry, and handbags, which are traditionally feminine things as well.  In spite of societal connotations, however, these are merely part of a person's presentation of self, and do not necessarily reflect on their gender identity.  This is the source of much conflict in pop culture, but also the source of much liberation for people who celebrate the difference.

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This is just a picture of myself wearing a mask, part of a mass global behavior to combat the pandemic

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I have focused primarily on contrast and the distinctions between various principles, but it is worth noting that most sociological  progress is born from unity.  Mass behavior, a form of social change, occurs when a large amount of people participate in the same progressive action from different locations (chapter 16).  A recent and ongoing example is the COVID pandemic, in which people all over the world took steps to limit the spread of the virus and protect themselves and their loved ones as well as the community as a whole.  I know I am not alone in having sometimes felt like the actions of one person were unlikely to make a difference.  It is in times like this that a mindset of sociological mindfulness is most important.  Alone, we can change our own behavior and hope it extends to those around us. Together, we can change our community and advance a future of social change.

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The Real World:  An Introduction to Sociology by Kerry Ferris and Jill Stein—chapters 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, and 16

Video Lectures—Social Identities; Power, Privilege, and Difference; and Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

"McDonaldization"—Sociology Live video

The Amazon Empire:  The Rise and Fall of Jeff Bezos—Frontline documentary

Sociological Mindfulness by Michael Schwalbe