SOCI203 (SOCI203)

This discusses how elite power has shifted from Mills' traditional pyramid structure to fluid, transnational networks. Modern elites wield power through mobility, financial leverage, and technology, bypassing public visibility. Instead of holding top positions in national institutions, power now comes from connecting sectors and moving capital across borders, often hidden from public view. This challenges Mills' view of centralized, hierarchical elite power.

Professor de Medeiros argues that middle-aged perspectives shape societal views of aging, portraying old age as a decline in productivity, independence, and health. This creates stereotypes of older adults as frail and dependent. Chronological age oversimplifies aging, ignoring individual differences. Hazan and Raz add that middle-aged language reinforces this authority, framing older people as vulnerable and needing protection, which reduces their autonomy and self-worth. This approach underval...

The text discusses digital surveillance and privacy, highlighting the challenges posed by the permanence of online behavior. It explores two issues: whether individuals should be held accountable for past actions, especially as teens, and the reality that digital footprints are permanent and can be exploited. The concept of the Panopticon, which represents constant surveillance, is used to understand how digital platforms and spaces exert control over behavior. Social media companies collect dat...

Addictions are shaped by social norms, identity, and power. Historically, substances like alcohol shifted from being a safe alternative to water to being tied to social order, productivity, and moral judgment. In modernity, identity is linked to consumption choices, framed by autonomy, freedom, and responsibility. The governmentality approach examines how various authorities manage addiction through control and discourse, often pathologizing consumption and blaming individuals rather than add...

The text explores several sociological themes, focusing on surveillance, risk, and social justice. It discusses how surveillance systems, such as molecular HIV surveillance, can stigmatize and criminalize individuals, particularly those with HIV. It also highlights the need for informed consent in such surveillance practices. The text ties these issues to the work of Harriet Martineau, emphasizing her activism and critique of medical authority, especially in the context of women’s health. Mart...