Custom Definition in the Study of Sociology

A custom is defined as a cultural idea that describes a regular, patterned behavior that is considered characteristic of life in a social system. Shaking hands, bowing, and kissing—all customs—are methods of greeting people. The method most commonly used in a given society helps distinguish one culture from another. Key Takeaways A custom is a pattern of behavior that is followed by members of a particular culture, for example, shaking hands upon meeting someone.Customs foster social harmony and unity within a group.If a law goes against an established social custom, the law may be difficult to uphold. The loss of cultural norms, such as customs, can cause a grief reaction that leads to mourning. The Origins of Customs Customs can persist for generations, as new members of a society learn about existing customs through a process of socialization. Generally, as a member of society, most people adhere to customs without any real understanding of why they exist or how they got started.   Societal customs often begin out of habit. A man clasps the hand of another upon first greeting him. The other man—and perhaps still others who are observing— take note. When they meet someone on the street later, they extend a hand. After a while, the handshaking action becomes habitual and takes on a life of its own. The Importance of Customs   Over time, customs become the laws of social life, and because customs are so important to social harmony, breaking them can theoretically result in an upheaval that has little or nothing to do with the custom itself—particularly when the reasons perceived for breaking it have no bearing in fact.  For example, after handshaking becomes a norm, an individual who declines to offer his hand upon meeting another may be looked down upon and or perceived as being suspicious. Why wont he shake hands? Whats wrong with him? Assuming that a handshake is a very important custom, consider what might happen if an entire segment of a population suddenly decided to stop shaking hands. Animosity might grow between those who continued to shake hands and those who did not. This anger and unease might even escalate. Those who continue to shake hands might assume the non-shakers refuse to participate because theyre unwashed or dirty. Or perhaps, those who no longer shake hands have come to believe theyre superior and dont want to sully themselves by touching an inferior person. Its for reasons such as these that conservative forces often warn that breaking customs can result in the decline of society. While this may be true in some instances, more progressive voices argue that in order for society to evolve, certain customs must be left behind. When Custom Meets Law   Sometimes a political group seizes on a particular societal custom and, for one reason or another, works to legislate it. An example of this would be Prohibition. When temperance forces in the United States came into a position of prominence, they lobbied to make the manufacture, transport, and sale of alcohol illegal. Congress passed the 18th Amendment to the Constitution in January 1919 and the law was enacted a year later.   While a popular concept, temperance  was never accepted as a custom by American society as a whole. Consuming alcohol was never declared illegal or unconstitutional, and plenty of citizens continued to find ways to make, move, and buy alcohol despite the laws contravening those actions. The failure of Prohibition demonstrates that when customs and laws promote similar thinking and values, the law is more likely to be successful, while aws that are not backed by custom and acceptance are more likely to fail. Congress repealed the 18th Amendment in 1933.   Customs Across Cultures Different cultures, of course, have different customs, which means that something that may be an established tradition in one society may not be in another. For example, in the United States, cereal is considered a traditional breakfast food, but in other cultures, breakfast might include dishes such as soup or vegetables. While customs tend to be more entrenched in less industrialized societies, they exist in all types of societies, regardless of how industrialized they are or to what level of literacy the populace has risen. Some customs are so strongly entrenched in a society (i.e. circumcision, both male and female) that they continue to flourish regardless of outside influences or attempts at intervention. When Customs Migrate While you cant pack them up neatly in a suitcase, customs are one of the most important things people take with them when they leave their native societies–for whatever reason—to immigrate and settle elsewhere. Immigration has a huge impact on cultural diversity and on the whole, many of the customs immigrants bring with them serve to enrich and broaden the cultures of their new homes. Customs that center on music, the arts, and culinary traditions are often the first to be accepted and assimilated into a new culture. On the other hand, customs that focus on religious beliefs, the traditional roles of men and women, and languages that are perceived to be foreign, are often met with resistance. Mourning the Loss of Customs According to the World Psychiatry Association (WPA) the impact of moving from one society to another can have deep psychological implications. Individuals who migrate experience multiple stresses that can impact their mental well being, including the loss of cultural norms, religious customs, and social support systems, report Dinesh Bhugra and Matthew Becker, authors of a study on the phenomenon who go on to explain that such cultural adjustments speak to the very concept of self. As a result of the trauma many refugees experience, the rate of mental illness in that population segment is on the rise. The loss of ones social structure and culture can cause a grief reaction, Bhugra and Becker note. Migration involves the loss of the familiar, including language (especially colloquial and dialect), attitudes, values, social structures, and support networks. Sources Bhugra, Dinesh; Becker, Matthew A. â€Å"Migration, Cultural Bereavement and Cultural Identity.† World Psychiatry, February 2004

The French Military Leader Of The Revolutionary War

Marie – Joseph Paul Yves Roch Guilbert du Motier, Maquis de Lafayette (1757 – 1834) was a French military leader who played a large role in America’s victory in the Revolutionary War. He was a tall fiery man with high status and a large adoration for American liberty (Boy’s Life). He devoted everything in his life at the time to join the rebels as well as risked being imprisoned for disobedience. His connections through his wealth and his own personal excitement for the rebel leaders’ beliefs gave America a large boost that lead to their victory (UXL). Lafayette was born on the 6th of September 1757 in Chavanic, France. He never got to see his father who died at the Battle of Minden in the Seven Year’s War when Lafayette was only a year old. His mother was not usually around before her death when Lafayette was thirteen but he had his grandmother and aunts. He had a Jesuit priest as a tutor and later attended College du Plesssis for three years. With a family tradition of military service, he decided to go to a military academy in Vesailles. Lafayette became one of the king’s Musketeers in 1777. By the age of sixteen he was married to Marie Adienne Francoise de Noailles (UXL). In August of 1775, Lafayette attended a dinner party hosted by the Duke of Gloucester. The Duke spoke very greatly of the rebel leaders in America. This made Lafayette very amazed at what was going on in the thirteen colonies and decided to go to America to join the rebels. He was not however grantedShow MoreRelated Napoleon Betrayed the Revolution Essay1320 Words   |  6 Pagesrevolution’, it has to be determined what is the French revolution? And what are the revolutionary ideals that Napoleon allegedly betrayed? If Napoleon betrayed the Revolution then he betrayed the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity. However if Napoleon did not betray the revolution, he consolidated the revolutionary ideals. 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Breast Cancer Essay free essay sample

Breast Cancer Breast Cancer is a cancer that forms in tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk). It occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare. Anyone women could be at risk for breast cancer but, there are factors that make some women more susceptible to breast cancer than others. A risk factor is anything that affects your chances of getting a particular disease. Some can be controlled and some can’t. The ones you can control are genetics or family history, and environmental exposures or behaviors that might have happened in the past. The current and future behaviors can be controlled like exercise and a good diet. You also need to watch other exposures like tobacco use and high alcohol use because these are all things that could cause breast cancer. There are things you can do to reduce the risk of breast cancer and they are listed below: †¢Limit alcohol-The more alcohol you drink the greater the risk of getting breast cancer. We will write a custom essay sample on Breast Cancer Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page †¢Control your weight-Being overweight increases your chances for breast cancer. †¢Plenty of exercise-keeping yourself active will help maintain weight and that will make your risk lower. †¢Breast feeding Discontinue hormone therapy-Long term hormone therapy can cause you to be higher risk for breast cancer. †¢Avoid exposure to environmental pollutions These listed above is what needs to be avoided to make your risk at getting breast cancer lower. If you have a family history of breast cancer and you smoke or drink often then you are at way higher risk than those that doesn’t drink or smoke. I think that smoking and drinking is harmful to our bodies but I do drink a drink every now and then but I don’t smoke anymore so I believe that I am getting healthier than I used to be and this should help in the risk factors of breast cancer. Things we can do to prevent breast cancer is eat more leafy vegetables and grains and also blueberries have been known to even kill bad cells. Are women the only ones susceptible to breast cancer? Absolutely not! There have been cases were a man will get breast cancer and it is rare but it has happened. Men do need to check the same areas women do just to make sure that if they would get it that it could be caught soon enough. Exercise will help prevent the chances of getting breast cancer as well, studies show that exercising about 2 hours er week (swimming, walking, jogging, hiking, and riding a bicycle will reduce a women’s chance of getting breast cancer by 20%. Early detection is the key to beating or fighting a chronic disease like breast cancer and any other cancer or disease out there. Finding it early enough makes it easy for your body to fight it off and beat it and it also makes it easier for the doctors to help you beat it. There are also ways to make sure that you keep an eye on things yourself and that is by self-examination and the doctors say that every woman needs to do this at least 2 a month. If there is ever any doubt and you think that something is wrong then make a doctor’s appointment right away. In conclusion, besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. Just fewer than 30% of cancers in women are breast cancers. That is why it is important to do self-examinations and always go to doctors’ visits to make sure you are healthy. We’ve all heard the saying â€Å"your life depends on it† well this is very true for women when it comes to breast cancer.

Statistics Final free essay sample

For females was 7. 11 with a standard deviation of 1. 13 For males was 11. 29 with a standard deviation of 3. 25. It seems that there is a significant difference between the average shoe sizes for females and for males. To find out a more correct answer, let’s conduct an independent sample t-test in the following. Denote by the average shoe sizes for males and females, respectively. Here are the two hypotheses: Null hypothesis H0: Alternative hypothesis Ha: We conduct an independent sample t-test using Excel, and obtain the following output (see sheet T-TEST) -Test: Two-Sample Assuming Unequal Variances| | | | | shoe size(female)| shoe size (male)| Mean| 7. 111111111| 11. 29411765| Variance| 1. 281045752| 3. 251838235| Observations| 18| 17| Hypothesized Mean Difference| 0| Â  | df| 27| Â  | t Stat| -8. 165111165| Â  | P(Tlt;=t) one-tail| 4. 52926E-09| Â  | t Critical one-tail| 1. 703288423| Â  | P(Tlt;=t) two-tail| 9. 05852E-09| Â  | t Critical two-tail| 2. 051830493| Â  | From the above output, we can see that the p-value is 9. 05852E-09, which is smaller than 0. 05 (if we select a 0. 05 significance level). We will write a custom essay sample on Statistics Final or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page So, we should reject the null hypothesis H0. At a 0. 5 level of significance level, we conclude that there is a significant difference between the average shoe size for females and the average shoe size for the males. We can also test if there is a significant difference between the average height for females and the average height for the males. Denote by the average heights for males and females, respectively. Here are the two hypotheses: Null hypothesis H0: Alternative hypothesis Ha: We conduct an independent sample t-test using Excel, and obtain the following output (see t-test-height) t-Test: Two-Sample Assuming Unequal Variances| | | | | height (F)| height(M)| Mean| 66. 66666667| 71. 5294118| Variance| 11. 88235294| 9. 867647059| Observations| 18| 17| Hypothesized Mean Difference| 0| | df| 33| | t Stat| -4. 207413941| | P(Tlt;=t) one-tail| 9. 30285E-05| | t Critical one-tail| 1. 692360258| | P(Tlt;=t) two-tail| 0. 000186057| | t Critical two-tail| 2. 034515287| | From the abov e output, we can see that the p-value is 0. 000186, which is smaller than 0. 05 (if we select a 0. 05 significance level). So, we should reject the null hypothesis H0. At a 0. 05 level of significance level, we conclude that there is a significant difference between the average height for females and the average height for the males. Conclusion: According to above analysis, we have found that there is a strong positive correlation between the shoe sizes and heights. We also found that there is a significant difference between the average shoe size for males and the average shoe size for the females, and there is a significant difference between the average height for females and the average height for the males. So, it would not be good if they would change their business model to include only one size of shoes – regardless of height or gender of the wearer. Some other information to review: The Size Difference * According to the Brannock Device, the most common sizing device, in the United States mens shoe sizes are one size larger than womens. That is to say, if a man wears a size 9, it is a size 10 in womens shoes. Other Differences * Aside from the most obvious difference in length, womens shoes are also made narrower than mens shoes. This is because mens feet are wider than womens, because women generally have higher arches than men. Read more: The Difference Between Mens and Womens Shoe Sizes in the United States | eHow. om http://www. ehow. com/about_6553389_difference-shoe-sizes-united-states. html#ixzz2I3g2pyrS By allowing Nyke shoe factory to change their business model to only manufacturing ONE shoe size, regardless of height or gender can be a catastrophic financial problem for their business, which could lead and result into a total loss and shut down of the company. I would STRONGLY DISAGREE to allow the NYKE SHOE COMPANY to change their model from what the y have now to only allowing one sized shoe to be manufactured.