Views of Canadian society

1. HSB4U – chapter 3 – part 3 Views of Canadian society

2. The Unconscious and Drives - Instinct • From an evolutionary perspective we change over time in order to meet the needs of our environments • We rely less on instinct today than in the past • We possess the ability to higher order thinking, meaning we can rationalize a situation and construct hypothetical outcomes • We are able to think before we act • http://www.todaysparent.com/baby/baby-development/reflexes-5-instincts-your-baby-is-born-with/ • http://listverse.com/2012/01/28/top-10-human-reflexes-and-natural-instincts/

3. Fight or Flight • Somewhere between birth and early adolescence humans learn to control their primitive urges • Stress can trigger emotional, or more primitive reactions from us • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2GywoS77qc

4. Paul Maclean’s Triune Brain Theory • Believes the human brain has 3 layers: • Reptilian system: • Responsible for instinctual behaviours like aggression, dominance, territoriality, ritual displays • Paleomammalian brain: • Controls the production of hormones and chemicals in the body necessary for survival and development • Neomammalian complex: • Allows for creative thinking, language, abstraction and perception

5. The Social Construct of Ideas • Jobs – identification and Priorities • Social research can help us understand our behaviour • Max Weber looked at identity as it is formed by the work we do • Paid work leads to the paid worker feeling accomplished and successful • People strive for more and more wealth • Today’s families struggle to find a balance between earning enough money to afford nice things and having enough time to spend with family members

6. Ideal Types • People create ideal types of how we should behave at funerals, grocery stores or how we should address people who are authority figures • We then compare our own behaviour to that of others based on the preconceived ideals for that particular situation • Different ideals become popular such as a focus on individual wealth accumulation or an environmental focused society over time

7. Rationalization In order for Weber’s idealism to achieve a sustainable outcome, to keep society in an organized and civil state, decisions must be guided by applying practical knowledge to a desired end These social structures provide authority and give power to make changes, because people feel comfortable with social norms and rules any change to them must be very gradual

8. Example • When smoking was phased out of businesses it was a very gradual process • Cigarettes were once advertised by cartoons and celebrities • Advertising bans • Fear based messages on cigarette packages • Not being able to display cigarettes on shelves in stores • Checking for identification • No smoking in restaurants/public places • No smoking on patio’s • No smoking in parks or on sidewalks

9. Feminism • Feminism is a social perspective devoted to equality and equal rights between sexes • Certain social situations create a difference in power between men and women • 1700’s no power imbalance, men and women had very different roles but both were respected equally • 19th/20th centuries families moved from country to cities, men were the sole wage earners while women cooked, cleaned and raised. The money associated with working outside the home began to earn a higher status and so the division of males an females began • More rights were given to men because they were running the social systems outside of the house

10. Power and Proportionate Representation • Power discrepancies can still be seen in today’s society • One example of this can be seen on page 117 of your text book • There are far fewer female federal judges appointed to the bench in Canada, since half of the population is women, this number should show 50% representation of women • It is unclear as to why this is happening but it is being questioned because these judges impact laws and government policy at the highest level in Canada

11. Gender Studies • Nature vs. Nurture • Using the inquiry model (as used before from page 4 of your text) set out to prove that gender (that is being male or female) is either a result of nature (born tendencies) or nurture (how people and the environment around an infant results in identifying with being female or male) or is a combination of both • RESEARCH QUESTION: Is gender a product of nature or nurture or a combination of both? • You will need to find studies to back up your thoughts and ideas on this topic • Also relate your topic to (in exploring alternative perspectives section): • Ideal types (text book) • Unconscious drives and instincts (google: male instincts; female instincts) • Feminism (text book) • Hypothesis: This is where you state what you believe to be true • Data Collection: Prove you are right using several (3-4) studies that prove your hypothesis is correct

12. APA style reference for your text book/Internet site: TEXT: De Coeur, T., Rawes C. & Warecki P. (2012). Challenge and Change: Patterns, Trends and Shifts in Society, Canada: Mcgraw-Hill Ryerson. WEBPAGE: American Heart Association.  (2009).  Learn you levels.  Retrieved from http://www.americanheart.org/presenter .jhtml?identifier=513

13. Length • For a good mark this should end up being at least 2 pages to have enough detail and explanation in it, the same marking guide will be used for this one • Explain the studies you find and link them to what you are trying to prove

14. What to Do: • Follow the Inquiry steps on page 4 of your text book • We will complete step 1 and 2 today in class together • We will complete steps 3 and 4 in class tomorrow • We will complete steps 5 and 6 on Friday • You can have the weekend to fine tune it and will hand it in to me on Monday with APA references for all sources used