Assignment 1 Sociology
Socio-Economic-Political Perspectives
- Conservative, Liberal, Radical Thought
Change
Human nature
Individual behavior
Family
Society
Role of govt.
Conservative Thought
- Change not desirable
- People selfish, need to be controlled
- Free will, individuals responsible
- Traditional family best
- Society fair, functions well
- Govt. role small, private then public solutions
- Personal attribution
(responsibility)
More on Free Will vs. Determinism
- Free Will – individuals have a choice in deciding their behavior
- Determinism – individuals don’t have a choice because of biology or social forces that create or affect ability to choose (i.e., defective brain or physical/sexual abuse, neglect affecting us)
Liberal Thought
- Moderate change good
- People good, need structure
- Free will and determinism
- Diverse family good, needs govt. support
- Society needs regulation to ensure fairness
- Role of govt. larger, public then private solutions
- Systemic attribution first,
then personal attribution
Radical Thought
Radical Thought
- Change necessary
- People good, corrupted by social institutions
- Determinism
- Traditional family oppressive, must have govt. support
- Society not fair, those w/ power and resources abuse those w/out
- Even larger role of govt., public solutions
- System attribution
POLITICAL PARTY ALIGNMENT
- Republicans – usually conservative - right
- Democrats – usually liberal - left
- Independents – usually moderate
- Better see it as a continuum
AGENDA OF BOTH PARTIES
Historically…
- Republicans – big business (trickle down theory), military
- Democrats – education, social services
Red: Conservative, Blue: Liberal
Biological Basis for Political Ideology?
- Genetic Studies
- Brain Chemistry Studies
Genetic Studies
- Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, and Harvard University identified a "liberal gene" — a variant called DRD4-7R, which affects the neurotransmitter dopamine — that has been linked with a personality type driven to seek out new experiences.
Another Genetic Study
- Genetic Personality Trait study from the University of Nebraska found that:
- Liberals were more likely to be more empathetic
- Conservatives are more likely to be less trusting of others
University of London Study
MRI Brain Differences Between
Liberals and Conservatives
Methodology
- Researchers scanned the brains of nearly 120 adults who ranked their political views on a scale of one to five from very liberal to very conservative.
What’s Larger in Liberals and Conservatives
- Liberals generally had a larger anterior cingulate cortex — a comma-shaped region near the front of the brain that is involved in decision-making.
- Conservatives had larger amygdalas — almond-shaped structures that are linked with emotional learning and the processing of fear.
What it Means
- Liberals tend to be better at managing conflicting information
- Conservatives are thought to be better at recognizing threats, researchers said
Pres. Donald Trump – Conservative
Speaker Nancy Pelosi - Liberal