TOPIC 1 - SESSION 1 - SOCIAL AND CULTURAL PROBLEMS IN GUATEMALA

TOPIC:

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL PROBLEMS IN GUATEMALA

Class # 1 (9th grade) - 2023

SESSION 1

A) Pre actividad (5 minutos)

 Create a Brainstorm:

1- What is a Social Problem and what is a Cultural Problem

2- Make a list in your notebook of at least 5 cultural and Social problems

FORMA DE CALIFICACION :

Ver la Lista de Cotejo y cada alumno debe Imprimirla y PEGAR en Su cuaderno o COPIAR el formato

con los criterios a EVALUAR:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DIMlz1MOvw7l_kjeofSLR1b1GSrPtP6B/view?usp=sharing

Punteo:  5 pts (Actividades Completas SESSION # 1 - Vence 18-01-2022)

B) During class activity:

1- Analyze the following articles

C) Post activity:

1- WRITE ON YOUR NOTEBOOKS - 5 main IDEAS of each TOPIC and SHARE in CLASS with your Teacher and Classmates

2- ILLUSTRATE the ideas.

3-VOCABULARY: Individually Create your own NEW WORDS LIST for each SESSION - with definitions in English-

There is no limit on the Number of Words.

SOCIAL PROBLEMS - definition

A social problem is any condition or behavior that has negative consequences for large numbers of people and that is generally recognized as a condition or behavior that needs to be addressed. This definition has both an objective component and a subjective component.

The objective component is this: For any condition or behavior to be considered a social problem, it must have negative consequences for large numbers of people. How do we know if a social problem has negative consequences? Reasonable people can and do disagree on whether such consequences exist and, if so, on their extent and seriousness, but ordinarily a body of data accumulates—from work by academic researchers, government agencies, and other sources—that strongly points to extensive and serious consequences. The reasons for these consequences are often hotly debated, and sometimes, as we shall see in certain chapters in this book, sometimes the very existence of these consequences is disputed. 

The subjective component of the definition of social problems: There must be a perception that a condition or behavior needs to be addressed for it to be considered a social problem. This component lies at the heart of the social constructionist view of social problems (Rubington & Weinberg, 2010). In this view, many types of negative conditions and behaviors exist. Many of these are considered sufficiently negative to acquire the status of a social problem; some do not receive this consideration and thus do not become a social problem; and some become considered a social problem only if citizens, policymakers, or other parties call attention to the condition or behavior.

The history of attention given to rape and sexual assault in the United States before and after the 1970s provides an example of this latter situation. These acts of sexual violence against women have probably occurred from the beginning of humanity and certainly were very common in the United States before the 1970s. Although men were sometimes arrested and prosecuted for rape and sexual assault, sexual violence was otherwise ignored by legal policymakers and received little attention in college textbooks and the news media, and many people thought that rape and sexual assault were just something that happened (Allison & Wrightsman, 1993). Thus although sexual violence existed, it was not considered a social problem. When the contemporary women’s movement began in the late 1970s, it soon focused on rape and sexual assault as serious crimes and as manifestations of women’s inequality. Thanks to this focus, rape and sexual assault eventually entered the public consciousness, views of these crimes began to change, and legal policymakers began to give them more attention. In short, sexual violence against women became a social problem.

The social constructionist view raises an interesting question: When is a social problem a social problem? According to some sociologists who adopt this view, negative conditions and behaviors are not a social problem unless they are recognized as such by policymakers, large numbers of lay citizens, or other segments of our society; these sociologists would thus say that rape and sexual assault before the 1970s were not a social problem because our society as a whole paid them little attention. Other sociologists say that negative conditions and behaviors should be considered a social problem even if they receive little or no attention; these sociologists would thus say that rape and sexual assault before the 1970s were a social problem.

Social constructionism’s emphasis on perception has a provocative implication: Just as a condition or behavior may not be considered a social problem even if there is strong basis for this perception, so may a condition or behavior be considered a social problem even if there is little or no basis for this perception. The “issue” of women in college provides a historical example of this latter possibility. In the late 1800s, leading physicians and medical researchers in the United States wrote journal articles, textbooks, and newspaper columns in which they warned women not to go to college. The reason? They feared that the stress of college would disrupt women’s menstrual cycles, and they also feared that women would not do well in exams during “that time of the month” (Ehrenreich & English, 2005)! We now know better, of course, but the sexist beliefs of these writers turned the idea of women going to college into a social problem and helped to reinforce restrictions by colleges and universities on the admission of women.

Key Takeaways

• The definition of a social problem has both an objective component and a subjective component. The objective component involves empirical evidence of the negative consequences of a social condition or behavior, while the subjective component involves the perception that the condition or behavior is indeed a problem that needs to be addressed.
• The social constructionist view emphasizes that a condition or behavior does not become a social problem unless there is a perception that it should be considered a social problem.
• The natural history of a social problem consists of four stages: emergence and claims making, legitimacy, renewed claims making, and alternative strategies.

For Your Review

1. What do you think is the most important social problem facing our nation right now? Explain your answer.
2. Do you agree with the social constructionist view that a negative social condition or behavior is not a social problem unless there is a perception that it should be considered a social problem? Why or why not?

References

Allison, J. A., & Wrightsman, L. S. (1993). Rape: The misunderstood crime. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Ehrenreich, B., & English, D. (2005). For her own good: Two centuries of the experts’ advice to women (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Anchor Books.

Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., & Smith, N. (2011). Climate change in the American mind: Americans’ global warming beliefs and attitudes in May 2011. New Haven, CT: Yale Project on Climate Change Communication.

CULTURAL PROBLEMS

Top 5 Cultural Issues In Workplace Environments: Identify And Prevent Them

There are many benefits of cultural diversity in the workplace, including increased ability to solve problems, higher productivity, and innovative ideas. But an organization can only enjoy these benefits when culture-related conflicts are identified, eradicated, and prevented.

The first step is to understand the challenges of diversity and the factors that often produce cultural issues in the workplace and then implement strategies to prevent them. Keep in mind, cultural diversity management is a process that needs constant monitoring, evaluation, and regular adjustments.

These are some of the most common cultural differences that can cause issues in the workplace.

Religion

Religion is a core cultural characteristic of many people's identity and it can affect perceptions, intentions as well as work behavior. Different beliefs and ethical principles can cause conflict among co-workers or even lead to religious discrimination.

Your organization needs to have policies and religious accommodations to ensure everyone is respectful of each others' beliefs while still providing a fair standard of conduct for customers and clients.

Ethnicity

The term "ethnicity" refers to belonging to a social group who identify with each other based on their shared attributes like common heritage, language, identity, and origin. Common examples of ethnicity include: Hispanic, Irish, Cambodian, or Jewish. Each has its unique behavior patterns, mannerisms, and communication styles.

Depending on their ethnicity, people behave in ways that may seem ordinary or unremarkable for them but can come across as rude, odd, or inappropriate to their co-workers. It's important to address the issue respectfully and make sure everyone's boundaries are taken into consideration.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Workplace issues due to sexual orientation are very common. LGBTQ communities are often subject to harassment, hostility, biased jokes, or inappropriate questionsº that lead to employee disengagement. In fact, many workers hide their identities for fear of discrimination.

Many U.S states have laws in place to protect employees from discrimination based on their sexual orientation. However, organizations should still prioritize implementing additional preventive measures to provide a safe and positive work environment for members of LGBTQ communities.

Education

The educational level is also part of people's background and affects how they fit into workplace environments. Differences in educational experiences mean different approaches to problems and situations in the workplace. This can cause conflicts among employees working on the same projects but implementing certain methodologies based on their own education.

Generation

Depending on their generation, employees may also have different outlooks, values, and ideas about business and professionalism. For example, older generations tend to have long-term career expectations, making them more loyal to an employer.

On the other hand, Millennials tend to have a higher value of work-life balance and consistently seek growth opportunities, so they are most likely to move on to another company or higher positions.

What Are Some Cultural Issues In The Workplace?

Let's better understand what type of issues may arise within an organization and among co-workers because of their cultural differences. Here are a couple of examples.

Cultural Behavior

Chloe, who recently migrated from Singapore, is starting a new job as a newspaper editor in New York. After a couple of weeks, she notices her co-workers are not approaching her much and she feels like she doesn't fit in. She decides to bring it up with her manager to see if he has any feedback for her.

Her colleagues think she is not friendly or doesn't like them because she avoids eye contact when speaking with them. That makes it uncomfortable for everyone else to have a conversation with Chloe. So she does this because direct eye contact can be considered aggressive or rude in Singaporean culture (especially Muslim or Hindu).

Once employees are educated about her culture, they understand her behavior and feel more comfortable with their differences.

Educational Clash

Omar, who recently graduated in marketing, just started a new job at a local agency. He starts working on a new project, along with two other employees who have been part of the agency for a couple of years.

He quickly finds that his observations and ideas are not being taken into consideration, and when he brings it up with his colleagues, he's told "that's just not how we do it here". He knows that marketing strategies change constantly and he could bring new and fresh ideas to the table, but he keeps on being shut down.

 

Omar will soon lose motivation and could start looking for other job opportunities where he feels like he can contribute more.

Key Takeaways-

-The Cultural issues are problems that occur when culture conflicts with systems, goals or other cultures. Culture emerges with the shared experiences of groups and isn't centrally controlled or designed

-Some of the most common cultural Issues are: Religion, Ethnicity, sexual orientation, Gender identity, education, Generation, cultural behavious, and Education Clash.

-There are many benefits of cultural diversity in the workplace, including increased ability to solve problems, higher productivity, and innovative ideas

For Your Review

-What are Cultural Problems?

-What are some of the most common cultural issues?

-What are 3 benefits of the cultural diversity ?

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