can the claim not recognize by society as necessary be transformed into right?
Answers
Explanation:
Figure 4.1. Sociologists study how societies interact with the environment and how they use technology. This Maasai village in Tanzania looks very different from a rural Canadian town. (Photo courtesy of Guillaume Baviere/Wikimedia Commons)
Learning Objectives
4.1. Types of Societies
Describe the difference between preindustrial, industrial, and postindustrial societies
Understand the role of environment on preindustrial societies
Understand how technology impacts societal development
4.2. Theoretical Perspectives on Society
Describe Durkheim’s functionalist view of modern society
Understand the critical sociology view of modern society
Explain the difference between Marx’s concept of alienation and Weber’s concept of rationalization
Identify how feminists analyze the development of society
4.3. Social Constructions of Reality
Understand the sociological concept of reality as a social construct
Define roles and describe their place in people’s daily interactions
Explain how individuals present themselves and perceive themselves in a social context
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIETY AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
Early in the morning, a group of male warriors creeps out of the village and heads for the savannah. They must be careful not to wake the other members of the tribe, lest they be accosted by the women or elders. Once they have regrouped on the plains, the warriors begin preparing for the hunt. The eldest members of the group choose the most qualified hunters, known as ilmeluaya, meaning men who are not afraid of death. Warriors who are not selected are sent home in shame.
Once the select group has been chosen, the warriors begin the hunt. They scour the plains for footprints or droppings, and search for dense bushes or tall termite mounds that might conceal their resting prey. The search can take ten minutes to ten hours, but once a lion is found, the warriors quickly move into place.
Selected hunters ring bells and rattle the brush, forcing the lion away from its protected hiding spot. The goal is to face the beast one-on-one on the open savannah. There will be no tricks or cheating, simply warrior against warrior. If all goes as planned, the lion will be brought down with a single spear.
When the warriors return to the village with their trophy, it is the beginning of a weeklong celebration. Although the hunt must be planned in secret, news of the warriors’ success spreads quickly, and all village members come to congratulate the victors. The warrior who wounded the lion first is honoured and given a nickname based on his accomplishment. Songs are sung about the warrior, and from then on he will be remembered and acknowledged throughout the community, even among other tribes.
To the Maasai, lion hunting is about more than food and security. It is a way to strengthen the bonds of community and the hierarchy among the hunters. Disputes over power are settled before the hunt, and roles are reinforced at the end, with the bravest warrior receiving the lion’s tail as a trophy (Maasai Association 2011). Although Maasai society is very different from contemporary Canada, both can be seen as different ways of expressing the human need to cooperate and live together in order to survive.
4.1. TYPES OF SOCIETIES
FIgure_04_01_01a
Figure 4.2. Maasai men are hunting with shepherd’s staves and spears. How does technology influence a society’s daily occupations? (Photo courtesy of Abir Anwar/flickr)
Maasai villagers, Iranians, Canadians—each is a society. But what does this mean? Exactly what is a society? In sociological terms, society refers to a group of people who live in a definable territory and share the same culture. On a broader scale, society consists of the people and institutions around us, our shared beliefs, and our cu