Untitled

Written by Sahar Zainab, Dian Choi

The Orientalism and Power: When Will We Stop Stereotyping People? (BBC Ideas, 2019) The video reflects Critical Race Theory (CRT) by showing how racism is embedded in systems of power. CRT argues that racism is rooted in social, political, and legal structures, while Edward Said’s concept of Orientalism explains how the West distorts images of the East to justify its dominance. The video describes Orientalism as a form of "knowledge" produced by those in power, such as governments, religious leaders, and the media, to portray the East as inferior, exotic, or threatening. This supports Critical Race Theory's claim that dominant groups control narratives to maintain superiority. 

In the video “Judith Butler: Your Behaviour Creates Your Gender,” Butler argues that gender is not something we are inherently born with, but rather something continuously produced through our actions, behaviours, and interactions with societal norms. She distinguishes between gender being "performed," like playing a role, and "performative," meaning that repeated behaviours create the illusion of a stable gender identity. This idea aligns with sociological theories that view identity as socially constructed rather than biologically determined. Butler emphasizes how institutions such as psychiatry, along with informal practices like bullying, work to enforce gender norms and marginalize those who do not conform. At the same time, she stresses that gender is also a space for agency—individuals can resist and challenge these norms. Ultimately, Butler presents gender as a dynamic and ongoing process shaped by culture, power, and personal expression, rather than a fixed or innate truth.

Both Orientalism and gender inequality have been considered ongoing social problems. While many solutions have been proposed for these issues, they target different forms of discrimination. As discussed earlier, Orientalism has contributed to racial discrimination, particularly against Asian and Middle Eastern backgrounds. On the other hand, gender inequality is still affecting individuals across all societies. These two concepts have led to issues rooted in systematic bias, however, they contribute in distinctive ways and require different strategies for solutions.

The concepts of Orientalism and Gender performance illustrate different types of societal confinement based on discrimination. In the case of Orientalism, the concept is based on stereotypes of people from the East. It focuses on how 'superior' the people of the West are in comparison to the people of the East. 

A few examples include: The feminization of East Asian men - In the West, white men who are traditionally masculine are treated with more respect. By feminizing East Asian men and treating their femininity as inferior, White men can assert their 'superiority'. The masculinization of South Asian women - In the West, white women who are traditionally feminine are considered the standard that other groups of women should assimilate to. By masculinizing South Asian women and treating their masculinity as undesirable, White women can continue to stay close to the top of the Western social ladder. These comparisons confine the large and diverse groups of the East into stereotypes.

April 17, 2025

References

Big Think. (2011, June 6). Judith Butler: Your behavior creates your gender | Big Think YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo7o2LYATDc

Written by:

Dian Choi, Anaya Goslyn, Alessia Occhiuto, Cassandra Ruscica, Sahar Zainab

Module 5, the second shift video underlines the “stalled revolution” which is how women now have more participation in the workforce however with the fact that society still has not adapted the change. Due to this, Dr. Hochschild is still expected from women to handle various domestic tasks on top of their paid jobs/careers. The excessive workload on working women who also work at home creates stress. The video critiques how slow changing social institutions may create personal strain, and it ultimately suggests gender equality within household tasks. It supports the idea of balance between household tasks. Module 6, the Muppets parody of phenomenology humorously engages with sociological concepts by illustrating how meaning is constructed through interaction, much like symbolic interactionism. The clip mimics how people interpret symbols in daily life by repurposing meaningless lyrics to express philosophical concepts. This is in line with phenomenology's emphasis on subjective experience and perception, which highlights how human awareness shapes reality. 

Both analyses apply sociological theories to understand societal patterns. Module 5 discusses gender roles and social institutions, while Module 6 applies phenomenology to explain meaning-making in everyday life. Moreover, both illustrate how individuals construct reality via social interpretation, how social structures shape human experiences. However, the theoretical focus is different. The Module 5 analysis is based on structural issues, how women had experienced discrimination historically. Module 6 is based on phenomenology, the meaning of trying to make sense of it via language, abstract thoughts, even though it's unknowable chaos. Also, Module 5 is focusing on institutional change, how women's life has changed while Module 6 highlights the individual meaning of construction. 

SOCIOL 2LL3 Group Activity #2

Written by:

Dian Choi, Anaya Goslyn, Alessia Occhiuto, Cassandra Ruscica, Sahar Zainab

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MODULE 5

"The Second Shift: Arlie Hochschild”

Cassandra Ruscica

Question 1: 

How do the sociological concepts/claims/ideas highlighted in the chosen multimedia materials/videos "speak to" one another—i.e., where does the theory in one overlap with and/or directly respond to the other(s)?

This video underlines the “stalled revolution” which is how women now have more participation in the workforce, however society still has not adapted. Due to this, it is still expected from women to handle various domestic tasks on top of their paid jobs/careers. The excessive workload on working women who also work at home creates stress (Stanford Centre on Poverty and Inequality, 2016). The video critiques how slow changing social institutions may create personal strain, and it ultimately suggests  gender equality within household tasks. It supports the idea of balance between household tasks (Stanford Centre on Poverty and Inequality, 2016).

Sahar Zainab

Question 2: 

How can the theoretical concepts/ideas highlighted in the chosen multimedia materials and the connections between them help us understand an important issue/event in the contemporary social world?

The Second shift captures the nature of gendered labor in the private sphere. Heterosexual, Married women who end up with the second shift (Stanford Centre on Poverty and Inequality, 2016) take on larger amounts of labor than their partners. They are expected to stay on top of the tasks assigned at their workplace while maintaining the conditions of their living space (this includes Dishes, l aundry, and general cleaning). The unfair distribution of chores creates a psychological and physical negative impact - Burnout, lower rates of life-satisfaction, strain on interpersonal relationships, are a few examples of what afflicts those burdened with the second shift. These circumstances can create serious mental health issues, especially for the women who have lower SES statuses. 

MODULE 6

The Muppets Explain Phenomenology” – Watch the Muppets’ short film about the existential philosophy of phenomenology. An extraordinary achievement!

Alessia Occhiuto 

Question 1: 

How do the sociological concepts/claims/ideas highlighted in the chosen multimedia materials/videos "speak to" one another—i.e., where does the theory in one overlap with and/or directly respond to the other(s)?

The Muppets parody of phenomenology humorously engages with sociological concepts by illustrating how meaning is constructed through interaction, much like symbolic interactionism. The clip mimics how people interpret symbols in daily life by repurposing meaningless lyrics to express philosophical concepts. This is in line with phenomenology's emphasis on subjective experience and perception, which highlights how human awareness shapes reality. The film also subtly addresses social constructionism by showing how abstract ideas such as philosophy can be reinterpreted and given new meanings in various cultural situations. The video addresses more general sociological debates concerning the production, dissemination, and comprehension of knowledge in society by fusing philosophy and comedy. Ultimately, it highlights how both phenomenology and sociology examine the ways in which individuals make sense of their world through experience and interpretation.

Anaya Goslyn

Question 2: 

How can the theoretical concepts/ideas highlighted in the chosen multimedia materials and the connections between them help us understand an important issue/event in the contemporary social world?

This video introduces phenomenology using the song Mah Na Mah Na (MuppetsStudio, 2010). Phenomenology is the idea that we constantly experience the world but we never fully understand it. Our brains try to make sense of everything using abstract thought, but there’s always more happening than we realize.This concept is relevant to contemporary social issues, particularly in how people interpret news and media. While individuals may be exposed to the same events, such as climate change, protests, or political debates, their understanding is shaped by their background, beliefs, and media consumption. As a result, the same phenomenon can be perceived in different ways, contributing to ideological divides and the spread of misinformation. This video repeats “phenomena” over and over, almost like a reminder that we’re always trying to process what’s happening, even if we never fully grasp it. It’s a funny but meaningful way showing that no one has a perfect understanding of reality and that’s part of how humans experience the world. 

Bibliography

Stanford Centre on Poverty and Inequality. (2016, December 5). The Second Shift: Arlie Hochschild. www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvzE6zYkEQY&ab_channel=StanfordCenteronPovertyandInequality