Martha wants to get a highly competitive internship with a state legislator. She has talked to her family members and friends, b
ut no one seems to have any useful contacts. One day she runs into a former classmate she has not seen for several years and learns that the classmate has a cousin who worked as the assistant campaign manager for a state senator in the most recent election. The classmate then offers to put Martha in touch with his cousin. This is an example of what concept?
In sociology, we can think of strong and weak ties. Our strong ties are the people whom we know well and meet often. The weak ties are our acquaintances and people we rarely meet or communicate with. The strength of weak ties lies in their power to function as a bridge between social groups. Weak ties, such as the one described in the question, may have important information and work as a link between people and groups. Therefore, maintaining weak ties proves to be of great help.
Generally in Brazil, the biggest factor influencing racial categorization is directly linked to economic rather than physical characteristics. Brazil was the last country to abolish slavery in 1888, the country still has a strong racial problem, as most black people live in slums and suburbs. Despite being a racially mixed country, black people are still marginalized.
