SOCIOLOGY
The Architecture of Us // Structure, Agency, and Interaction.
Schelling's Segregation
This model demonstrates Micro-Motives vs. Macro-Behavior. Even if individual agents have a very mild preference (e.g., "I want just 30% of my neighbors to look like me"), the entire system will eventually segregate completely.
Theoretical Frameworks
Structural Functionalism
Society is a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. Just like organs in a body.
Conflict Theory
Society is in a state of perpetual conflict because of competition for limited resources. Order is maintained by domination, not consensus.
Symbolic Interactionism
A micro-level theory that focuses on the relationships among individuals within a society and how they create meaning through symbols.
Socialization
The lifelong process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs, and ideologies.
Social Stratification
A society's categorization of its people into rankings based on socioeconomic tiers like wealth, income, race, education, and power.