Introduction to Sociology

Transcription

1 INSTRUCTOR S MANUAL Introduction to Sociology SEVENTH EDITION

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3 INSTRUCTOR S MANUAL for Anthony Giddens, Mitchell Duneier, Richard P. Appelbaum, and Deborah Carr s Introduction to Sociology SEVENTH EDITION JOSEPH CONTI UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA MICHAEL FLOTA DAYTONA BEACH COMMUNITY COLLEGE DANA M. GREENE WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HUEI-HSIA WU BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY B W W NORTON & COMPANY NEW YORK LONDON

4 Copyright 2009 by W. W. Norton & Company. Composition by Matrix Publishing Services Manufacturing by Courier, Westford Book design by Brad Walrod Production manager: Ben Reynolds ISBN: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y W. W. Norton & Company Ltd., Castle House, 75/76 Wells Street, London W1T 3QT

5 CONTENTS Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? 1 Chapter 2 Asking and Answering Sociological Questions 20 Chapter 3 Culture and Society 34 Chapter 4 Socialization and the Life Cycle 50 Chapter 5 Social Interaction and Everyday Life 64 Chapter 6 Groups, Networks, and Organizations 82 Chapter 7 Conformity, Deviance, and Crime 103 Chapter 8 Stratification, Class, and Inequality 122 Chapter 9 Global Inequality 152 Chapter 10 Gender Inequality 171 Chapter 11 Ethnicity and Race 185 Chapter 12 Aging 205 Chapter 13 Government, Political Power, and Social 218 Movements Chapter 14 Work and Economic Life 243 Chapter 15 Families and Intimate Relationships 258 Chapter 16 Education and the Mass Media 271 Chapter 17 Religion in Modern Society 287 Chapter 18 The Sociology of the Body: Health and Illness 303 and Sexuality Chapter 19 Urbanization, Population, and the Environment 320 Chapter 20 Globalization in a Changing World 341 v

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7 CHAPTER 1 What Is Sociology? I. OVERVIEW Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, and Carr begin this seventh edition of their Introduction to Sociology text with a basic historical overview of the field. After being introduced to the explanatory and predictive powers that sociology offers, students want to understand how the theories offered by the founding fathers (AKA dead white sociologists) can explain current events. In essence, this chapter is a Pandora s Box, of sorts. Once they open it, students will want to become veritable detectives in an attempt to determine and understand how the various theories can help them critically analyze social events occurring around them. In Chapter 1, students are introduced to the sociological canon the works of Auguste Comte, Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Émile Durkheim as well as to the reality that sociology does not exist in a vacuum. Instead, students learn that sociology draws on numerous other disciplines (including political science, psychology, economics, and cultural anthropology) to gain its broad ability to examine both the microsociological and macrosociological events occurring in modern social life. Several themes are begun in Chapter 1 and remain pervasive through the text: the focus on symbolic interactionism, conflict theory (Marx), and functionalism (Durkheim) is particularly noteworthy, as is a strong emphasis on the effects of industrialization and globalization. Each chapter makes reference to these theorists and issues, thereby providing a consistent orientation for students. II. LECTURE OUTLINE I. Definition: Sociology is the scientific study of human social life, groups, and societies. II. Developing a Sociological Perspective A. Looking beyond the surface level or personal perspective of events to the deeper, wider social context 1

8 2 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? B. Ability to identify general patterns of behavior and the systematic social influences that cause them C. The Sociological Imagination: making linkages between private issues and social problems D. Requires students to think themselves away from the familiar routines of daily life E. Studying Sociology: The sociological imagination allows us to see that many events that seem to concern only the individual actually reflect larger social issues. 1. Like our perception of the world, who we are is partially determined by our choices and by the social context in which we find ourselves. a. As individuals, we both make and are made by the society we live in. 2. Social Structure: the underlying regularities or patterns in how people behave and in their relationships to one another 3. Structuration: the two-way process by which we shape our world through our individual actions and are in turn reshaped by society F. Developing a Global Perspective: communication can now take on a truly global nature, requiring us to think globally about sociological phenomena. 1. Advances in communications, transportation, and information technology have linked the local to the global. Also known as: 2. Globalization: the growth of world interdependence 3. We are connected to other societies and other societies to us; our actions have consequences for others and their actions have consequences for us. 4. Local problems can become global problems; global problems are local problems. G. Understanding Social Change is a major concern of sociological analysis and a major theme of this book/class. 1. The early sociological thinkers tried to understand the process of social change taking place between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. 2. Early theorists struggled to understand the shift from societies in the West based on agriculture to societies based on industrialization. III. The Development of Sociological Thinking: A. Theories and Theoretical Approaches

9 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? 3 1. Theories: abstract interpretations that can explain a wide variety of situations a. The complexity of human societies means that factual research must always be assisted in explanation by theoretical frameworks. 2. Theoretical Approach: a perspective on social life derived from a particular theoretical tradition B. Early Theorists: 1. August Comte: coined the term sociology, regarded sociology as the last science to be developed, and thought social scientists would be able to predict and control social behavior through scientific knowledge. 2. Émile Durkheim: first of three major sociological thinkers a. Social Facts: aspects of social life that shape our actions as individuals, such as the state of the economy or the influence of religion. b. Organic Solidarity: modern societies are held together by specialized systems all working in harmony just as in a living organism. i. Requires cooperation and consensus on basic values and customs c. Social Constraint: social structure is more than the sum of individual parts; constrains and directs human action as if an external force. d. Anomie: a feeling of aimlessness or despair provoked by modern social life i. Study of suicide rates demonstrated this principle ii. Social and cultural change cannot keep pace with the rapid and intense changes of modern life (i.e., technology), causing breakdown in the values and meaning of many individuals daily lives. 3. Karl Marx: second major sociological theorist a. Materialist Conception of History: material or economic factors have a prime role in determining historical change. b. Class conflict under capitalism has become the most important social relationship. c. Owners become a ruling class while workers are exploited for their labor. i. Eventually the workers would overthrow this system and replace capitalism with a system of greater equality and communal ownership of the means of production.

10 4 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? 4. Max Weber: the last of the three major theorists. a. Although heavily influenced by Marx ( debating with the ghost of Marx ), Weber differed in important ways: notably his insistence that values, ideas, and meaning played at least as important roles in society as economic factors. b. Rise of capitalism in Western societies: i. Religion: Protestant ethic of hard work, frugality, and sacrifice led to economic expansion. c. Bureaucracy: a large organization divided into jobs based on specific functions and staffed by officials ranked according to a hierarchy i. Bureaucracies would grow and expand in the modern era due to their efficiency, but they would also make effective democratic governance more difficult. d. Weber was more cautious than Marx or Durkheim in claiming sociology is a science that can use the same techniques as those used in studying the physical world. C. Neglected Founders: 1. Harriet Martineau a. Argued researchers must look at all aspects of a society, including political, religious, and social institutions b. Emphasized that the analysis of women s lives must also be a central feature of social research c. First to turn a sociological eye toward many ignored issues such as marriage, children, race relations, and religion d. Argued sociologists must make society better, and advocated women s rights and the emancipation of slaves 2. W. E. B. Du Bois a. Double Consciousness: the split consciousness that African Americans feel about being both American and black, and that the black self-concept is allowed to be seen only through the eyes of others, namely whites b. Sophisticated analysis of race relations still holds true as he delved into the social and economic underpinnings of race and poverty that sociologists widely accept today c. Du Bois argued that social analysis should be connected to social reform. He was one of the founding members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and a long-time advocate for the collective struggle of African Americans.

11 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? 5 D. Modern Theoretical Approaches 1. Symbolic Interactionism: theoretical approach that emphasizes the symbolic nature of interaction, especially through language a. Language allows us to become self-conscious beings b. Symbol: something that stands for something else, allows symbolic thought. c. Interaction consists of the exchange of symbols i. What is appropriate, what is not? d. The theory directs our attention to the details of interpersonal interactions and how we use that detail to make sense of what others say and do. e. Weakness: May focus too much on small-scale activity 2. Functionalism: theoretical perspective based on the notion that social events can best be explained in terms of the functions they perform; things exist because they serve a function a. Society is like the human body: diverse systems working together to ensure the survival of the organism. b. Society tends toward order and stability. This is achieved through the maintenance of a moral consensus. c. Manifest Functions: functions known to and intended by the participants in a social activity d. Latent Functions: consequences of a social activity of which the participants are unaware e. Weakness: often unduly stresses the factors leading to cohesion and order at the expense of those causing division and conflict, as well as sometimes unjustifiably attributing individual human qualities such as needs and purposes to societies 3. Marxism and Class Conflict: society is characterized by division and class conflict over scarce or valued material resources a. Associated closely with the radical political movement of Karl Marx b. Power: the capability of groups or individuals to make their own concerns or interests count, even when others resist c. Ideology: the ideas of the powerful are used to justify the actions of the powerful in the minds of those they exploit i. If ideology fails, the use of force is always an option.

12 6 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? 4. Feminism and Feminist Theory: contemporary perspective notable for placing the issues of gender and women in particular at the forefront of sociological analysis. a. Argues for the link between social analysis and social action b. Sees gender relations and inequality as key social life in institutions such at the family, workplaces, the educational system, etc. c. Gender patterns are not natural, they are socially constructed systems of power. d. Increasingly focuses on the intersection of gender, race, and class 5. Rational Choice Theory a. Draws on one of Weber s four categories of behavior: i. That which is oriented toward higher values ii. That which is oriented toward habits iii. That which is oriented toward emotion iv. That which is oriented toward self-interest b. The Rational Choice Approach focuses on the last of these. i. Self-interest is the best single variable to explain society. A popular example is that of marriage markets. c. Irrational behavior among humans is very rare and should normally be discounted in social analysis. 6. Postmodernism and Postmodern Theory: states that society is no longer governed by history or progress. Postmodern society is highly pluralistic and diverse with no grand narrative guiding its development. a. Contemporary society is dominated by the new media, virtual realities of film, videos, commercialism, and the Internet. b. Baudrillard: electronic media have destroyed our relationship to the past and created a chaotic, empty world. i. Economic forces no longer shape society as Marx argued, but instead life is influenced by signs, images, and symbols. ii. Much of our world has become a make-believe universe in which we are responding to media images rather than real persons or places. E. Theoretical Thinking in Sociology 1. In sociology, a distinction is made between theoretical approaches and theories themselves.

13 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? 7 a. Theoretical Approaches refer to overall orientations to the subject matter of sociology. b. Theories are more narrowly focused and represent attempts to explain particular social conditions or types of events. i. Example: Durkheim s theory of suicide 2. Following Merton, many sociologists argue that theories of the middle range should be pursued rather than the grand narratives of the founders such as Marx or Durkheim. a. Middle Range Theories are specific enough to be tested empirically, yet sufficiently general to cover range of different phenomena. i. Example: Relative Deprivation theory 3. Although wide-ranging theories are more difficult to test or prove empirically, there seems no reason sociology should be confined to the middle range. 4. The diversity of approaches and theories might seem a weakness, but it is not. It simply reflects the complexities and diversity of the human condition. F. Levels of Analysis: Microsociology and Macrosociology 1. Theoretical approaches occur at two different level of analysis: a. Microsociology is the study of everyday behavior in situations of face-to-face interactions. b. Macrosociology is the analysis of large-scale social systems, such as the political system or the economic order. c. Although these two seem quite distinct from one another, they are in fact closely connected. i. Macroanalysis is essential to understand the institutional background of everyday life. ii. Micro studies are in turn needed to illuminate broad institutional patterns. d. Face-to-face interactions form the basis of all social organization, no matter how large in scale. IV. Is Sociology a Science? A. The founders of sociology thought of it as a science, but is it really? To answer this question we must first discover what we mean by science. B. Science is the use of the systematic methods of empirical investigation, the analysis of data, theoretical thinking, and the

14 8 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? logical assessment of arguments to develop a body of knowledge about a particular subject matter. 1. Sociology is a scientific endeavor according to this definition (it is conducted scientifically). a. Systematic methods of empirical investigation b. Analysis of data c. Assessment of theory in light of evidence and logical argument 2. Studying human beings is different from observing events in the natural world. a. Humans are self-aware, have intentions and free will. They can be influenced simply by knowing they are being scrutinized and may behave differently than they normally would. V. How Can Sociology Help Us in Our Lives? A. Awareness of Cultural Differences: can help us to understand how others live and what they feel their own problems are B. Assessing the Effects of Policies: 1. Why did a policy fail? 2. Why did the policy have unintended consequences? C. Self-Enlightenment: 1. The more we know about why we act as we do, the better we are able to control our own futures. 2. Less powerful groups can gain information on how to respond effectively to government policies or form policy initiatives of their own. D. The Sociologist s Role: 1. Many concern themselves with practical matters as professionals: a. industrial consultants, urban planners, social workers, personnel managers, journalism, law, business, medicine, etc. 2. Sociologists frequently develop a social conscience and advocate for social change. a. A debate exists over the appropriateness of their advocating for change, but most feel it would be strange if sociologists did not take sides on practical issues. 3. Sociology isn t just an abstract intellectual field, but has practical implications for people s lives.

15 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? 9 III. LECTURE NOTES What is sociology? This is the question that every student will have on the very first day of your class. Is this a real science, or is it just common sense? What can I really learn about society and people by studying this topic? Who are sociologists? How do they know that what they see happening in social life is actually what is occurring? What is real and what is perceived? What about bias and values getting in the way? How do we go about studying society and groups of people scientifically? These are all questions that students in an introductory sociology course will have as they embark on the fascinating and thrilling ride of understanding societal dynamics at work! We will often begin our classes with the question, What is sociology? Then we post student responses on the board. Students will often come up with the basic definitions of sociology, like it is the study of society, or it is the study of people and culture. Both these definitions are partially correct. Giddens, Duneier, and Appelbaum define sociology as the scientific study of human social life, groups, and societies. We like to elaborate on this definition for our students to include the following: Sociology is not only the study of human social life, groups, and societies, but it is also the study of people in groups. It gives us the tools to understand the most far-reaching and global phenomena while at the same time letting us understand why we, as individuals, act, react, and interact with our culture and society in the ways we do. In essence, most of us experience society in only a limited way we know our families, we are familiar with some politics (mostly those that affect us or our families in some way), we know the culture in which we were raised, and we are familiar with the idea that people and customs that exist in our society and internationally differ from our own. Sociology challenges us to leave the familiar behind and to delve into the inner workings of our society. Sociology demonstrates that we need to take a broader look at why we are as we are, and why we act as we do. It teaches us that what we often take for granted in society (i.e., that which is natural, good, or even inevitable) is very strongly influenced by historical and social forces. Thus, what Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, and Carr argue is very true: Understanding the subtle yet complex ways in which our individual lives reflect the contents of our social experience is basic to the sociological outlook. Now that we have a working definition of sociology, we can move on to a more difficult question: How can we learn to think sociologically? How do we develop a sociological perspective? We find that some students may think of sociology as simply the affirmation of common sense or common knowledge, as discussed by the authors in the first chapter. But in fact thinking sociologically can be in direct conflict with many of the ways that students, particularly if they were raised in the United States, think about the world and their role

16 10 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? in it. For example, individualism or belief in the United States as a meritocracy often makes it difficult to think about the world sociologically. Thus, sociologists often talk about the art of studying society being largely imaginative. That is, in order to understand the nature of social events, one must actively cultivate his or her sociological imagination. Sociologists must be able to detach from personal circumstances to look at the world around them. C. Wright Mills called the ability to put events into a wider context the sociological imagination. Mills argues that the sociological imagination requires us, above all, to think ourselves away from the familiar routines of our daily lives in order to look at them anew. In this way, we like to demonstrate how we use the sociological imagination and to demonstrate its use through examples. Durkheim s study of suicide is a good example because the students will have read about it in the chapter. Most people tend to think of suicide as the most personal decision an individual can make, but Durkheim s work shows how those decisions are influenced by larger social forces, such as issues of social solidarity and cohesion. We then bring in more examples of contemporary research that may be more immediately interesting to the students and relevant for understanding the contemporary world. Since Hurricane Katrina and other disasters around the globe, sociologists have continued to build on a long tradition of examining the social causes, impacts, and effects of such disasters. The former UN secretary general Kofi Annan stated that there were no such things as natural disasters. This statement is a good place to begin thinking sociologically about events that are sometimes described as natural. Sociologists have studied the impacts of environmental racism, where poor communities of color often feel the greatest impacts of disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. Wildfires in southern California, cyclones in Myanmar, earthquakes in China, floods in Midwestern cities all provide examples in which students can begin to make connections between what are often portrayed as personal tragedies and larger, systemic issues. At this point, we invite students to begin to use their sociological imaginations and connect their own personal experiences or problems with larger social issues. We ask students to write about an event that they feel has shaped their lives, such as divorce or attending college, and ask them to connect that experience to larger social structures or patterns of behavior. If students are comfortable, we ask them to share their first attempts at exercising their sociological imaginations with the rest of the class to begin larger discussions about the many social structures that shape their lives. Thus, we stress to our students that even though we are all influenced by the social contexts in which we find ourselves, none of us are determined in our behavior by those contexts. Instead, we create our own individuality. As sociologists, we are given the task of looking at the interconnectedness of what society makes of us and what we make of ourselves.

17 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? 11 Events (such as September 11) give shape to how we navigate our social worlds; at the same time, we (as social beings) are structured by that world. At this point in the section, we emphasize structuration, or the idea that social structures pattern our behaviors but that those structures are at the same time reconstructed by human action. That is, we emphasize the dialectic relationship between the individual and society. Students often tell us that sociology can make them feel helpless or like simply the product of large social forces, such as globalization, that are outside of their control. It is important to emphasize how people can change social situations, especially those that they consider unjust. Emphasis on social movements and particularly such movements as the civil rights movement that changes systems of racial oppression in the United States can remind students of their own agency in their social worlds. We then emphasize that sociology is about the construction of meaning. Every action is symbolic and every action has meaning. A student s simply electing to take a class has meaning and is symbolic of his or her desire to learn something. The Federal Aviation Administration s revised security guidelines are symbolic of the reality that the perception of safety with which we had lived for so long is false and that actions need to be taken to ensure the safety of all passengers in the air. Therefore, we need to consider that there are intended and unintended consequences of every action. At this point, we ask our students what the terms intended and unintended consequences mean to them. It s pretty clear. Results that are the purpose of actions are intended consequences. Results other than the purpose of the actions are unintended consequences. The intended consequences of the new FAA regulations are that all passengers will have to spend more time getting screened at checkpoints and the airways will be safer. The unintended consequences are that this system causes delays and that people slip through with knives and other weapons. Thus, sociologists examine the balance between social reproduction and social transformation. At this point, we like to delve a bit deeper to ask students to go beyond simply challenging their thought processes and consider the theories that have made sociology the science that it is. Sociology is not just fun and conceptual, it s theoretical. One of the most difficult portions of sociology for students to understand is the theoretical orientation of the discipline. Many introductory students are first-year students who are fresh out of high school and have not had the experience of learning and applying theory to social phenomena. We often like to demystify theory by talking to students about how they use theories in their everyday lives as they are navigating the social world. Theories are abstract interpretations of how things work that are based on empirical observation. We use them when we try to make sense of our dorm mates behavior, when we choose our classes, when we talk to our parents. In this way, students will

18 12 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? not be so intimidated by the mention of the word theory. To combat this problem, we often introduce the sociological canon by telling the students that the founders of sociology are dead white men and that it was these individuals who laid the groundwork for the fascinating work that we will be doing over the course of the term. We then introduce the early theorists August Comte, Émile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber by highlighting their contributions to the field and showing how each of these dead white men can continue to help us understand social phenomena even today. Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, and Carr have also included in this textbook a section on the neglected founders and focus on Harriet Martineau and W. E. B. Du Bois. We find it useful to discuss the social conditions and the condition of women and people of color during the time when Marx, Weber, Durkheim were writing and the inequalities within sociology itself as a discipline that led to these exclusions. It is also important to emphasize the neglected founders unique and ultimately influential contributions to the sociological canon. Because the ideas of Marx, Durkheim, and Weber are foundational to the theoretical discussion in the remainder of the text book, we recommend covering concepts from each theorist in detail during lecture. It is important to contextualize the incredible transformations brought about by industrialization that each theorist attempted to explain. At this point, it might be useful to compare these changes to contemporary changes brought about by globalization. Marx, Weber, and Durkheim emphasized different causes and effects of large-scale social change, ranging from economic to cultural explanations. These emphases are important for students understanding of the theoretical developments that they will learn about in later chapters (i.e. the cultural turn). Comte, Durkheim, Marx, and Weber represent the sociological canon, but theirs are by no means the only theoretical orientations in the discipline. More modern approaches (symbolic interactionism, functionalism, and conflict theory) also lend important contributions to the study of modern social events and interaction. Proponents of each of these theories build on the base created by the canon and reach very interesting conclusions. For example, one of the founders of symbolic interactionism, George Herbert Mead, argued that language is one of the most important keys to understanding social life. Language is perhaps the greatest symbol in our social realms. We communicate through our words, our gestures, and even our nonverbal interaction. We like to emphasize how much of our most mundane interaction involves the interpretation of symbolic action. We often ask a student volunteer or a teaching assistant to have a conversation with us in front of the class. We then ask students to engage in an impromptu analysis of some of the meanings they attached to the actions of the people involved in the conversation, including the words we used, our gestures, our tones of voice, etc. This small exercise demonstrates the incred-

19 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? 13 ible amount of social knowledge it takes to communicate with others and all of the social processes that shape our most mundane of interactions. In many chapters of the textbook, the authors provide functionalist explanations of various topics. Therefore, a strong foundation in the basic tenets of functionalism is important. In lectures and discussions, we emphasize the functionalist comparison of the human body and society. We describe how early proponents of this theoretical perspective emphasized social order and cohesion and the self-regulating capacities of societies. We challenge students to think about how functionalists would think about globalization and global society. Can the analogy of the human body describe the increased interconnectedness of very different societies? How would functionalists explain warfare in contemporary global society? Conflict theory is similarly an important theoretical perspective in the textbook. Again we ask students to think about conflict theory in the context of global society. Many contemporary social theorists have pointed out rising global inequalities due to globalization. (This theme is addressed throughout the textbook.) Do students think that there are global social classes? What sorts of divisions do they see defining the twenty first century? What are the roles of power and ideology, exploitation and alienation in contemporary global society? Can they give examples of sites of global social order and cohesion? Globalization is central to this textbook. Therefore, engaging students in thinking about the implications of these classic theoretical perspectives on global society will set the stage for lively discussions in future sections. Even though students will be grappling with a number of theoretical orientations, we like to stress the importance and even primacy of culture in our lectures. We feel that by stressing culture, we can get a better sense of what motivates individuals and groups to do and act as they do. Instead of simply comparing and contrasting Marx and Durkheim (or the conflict and functionalist perspectives) alone, we recommend challenging students to engage the microsociological and the macrosociological and to engage culture (language, symbols, customs, etc.) in their analyses of social events. IV. DISCUSSION TOPICS AND CLASS ACTIVITIES A. The Three Perspectives This initial chapter is the forum in which the three perspectives (conflict theory, functionalism, and symbolic interactionism) are introduced. The discussion of unintended consequences fits directly into Robert K. Merton s distinction between latent and manifest functions (according to the functionalist perspective). Similarly, the manner in which Giddens, Duneier,

20 14 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? Appelbaum, and Carr show the importance of defining a situation and recognizing the interaction of the various social phenomena that go into the social construction of the situation directly reflects the perspective offered by symbolic interactionists. Last, the discussions of Marx and Marxism trace the development of conflict theory within sociology. B. In Class Durkheim asked the most fundamental question: What holds society together? This led to his concern with the division of labor at the macro level and ritual at the micro level. Marx asked, Why history? This big question led to his investigation of the origin and nature of capitalism, the economic aspect of the historical change in the modern world. Weber asked two questions. First, Why did the modern social order arise in Western Europe rather than somewhere else? This fundamentally comparative historical question led Weber to his investigation of world religions, of medieval cities, and of the role of the state. Looking into this question is a healthy antidote to Eurocentrism since one discovers that a betting person wouldn t have given good odds on the rise of the West had one been wagering in 800 c.e. Weber s second question, Why do people do what they are told? seems less basic, but led him to his analysis of bureaucracy (as a form of domination, remember) and takes us back full circle to the first question, since the development of rational legal authority contributed to the rise of the West. When we introduce our students to the sociological canon, we do so with the intention of introducing them to the history and basic precepts on which each theory was based. In class, we often refer to Marx, Weber, and Durkheim as the dead white founding fathers of sociology so that their work is distinguished not only as the canon but is set apart from more modern theories within the field (which will be presented later in the course) that not only built on their work but expanded it for modern times. We stress that the three men approached the field of sociology from unique perspectives. Karl Marx was primarily interested in socioeconomic class distinctions and struggle. Issues of bureaucracy and rationality intrigued Max Weber. Durkheim was fascinated by the presumed functionality of everyday social experience. Despite their unique orientations, however, all three shared a common goal: they all strove to explain social change and generalized that concern into questions to which we all desire answers. Because the individual acts on society at the same time that society acts on the individual, we recommend that you give strong emphasis to the ideas of culture, structuration, and globalization in class. Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, and Carr aptly portray these themes throughout all twenty chapters in the text, and all three are likely to resonate with your students. Ideas pertaining to the relevance of

21 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? 15 culture abound especially with regard to the emphasis on globalization in the text and an understanding of sociocultural characteristics is likely to be of interest to students. Connected to this is the idea that social beings create culture, and culture acts as an agent of constant redefinition of society (structuration). The growing emphasis on globalization is also important. Students will see that as our society grows more complex and more interdependent with other nations (it is not enough merely to accept the notion that the United States is a major world superpower and just leave it at that), alliances with other nations that are not only political or economic but also social increase in importance. In our first lectures, we give the example of September 11 and ask students to understand how American society was transformed by this event and how it altered the ways they navigate even the simplest act, such as packing a suitcase for a trip home that involves air travel. We implore them to watch the physical, ethnic, and national characteristics of those who get stopped for random searches at airport gates. We ask them to consider the ideas relating to racial profiling. American society, and indeed the world and all global citizens, have been transformed by September 11. As sad as it is, how many in society do a double-take when they hear Arabic being spoken or see someone who might be Muslim? The events of September 11 have reduced us to this. Asking questions about these patterns of behavior will open into a discussion of major concepts in the field: race, religion, culture, globalization, and social structure. V. SUGGESTED FURTHER READING C. Wright Mills maintained that social beings need to develop their own sociological imaginations : the ability to view themselves as the products of socialization, as persons who are constrained by norms and mores, and as people whose personal biography has been shaped by history and social events. This discussion is detailed in C. Wright Mills, The Sociological Imagination (New York: Oxford, 1959). One of the best summaries of a chain of unintended consequences is Douglas S. Massey and Nancy A. Denton, American Apartheid: Segregation and the Making of the Underclass (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1993), A section on dead white sociologists is presented in Mark G. Eckel, Great Dead Sociologists and Felicity s Condition: Fundamental Ideas Is the One and Only Sociology Course, Teaching Sociology 13, no. 1 (October 1985), Easily taught and easy-to-understand definitions of Marxist theory are found in the Dictionary of Marxist Thought (London: Blackwell Publishers, 1991). Key terms relating to social inequality are defined in user-friendly ways.

22 16 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? We recommend using the definitions of social class, alienation, exploitation, and Marxism. If you discuss September 11 in your courses, a fabulous discussion of the events of that day may be found in Noam Chomsky, 9 11 (New York: Seven Stories Press, 2002). Students will benefit greatly from purchasing and referring to Nicholas Abercrombie, Stephen Hill, and Bryan S. Turner s Penguin Dictionary of Sociology (London: Penguin Books, 2000). As they read Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, and Carr s text, they may need or want clarification regarding concepts or ideas. This dictionary of sociology provides concise definitions that are easily understood and applied by students. VI. SUGGESTED FILMS Because students are introduced to the sociological canon in this chapter, we enjoy showing a brief (46-minute) film that defines more clearly the work of Max Weber. The film, entitled Philosophy: The Social Context (distributed by BBCTV, 1997), discusses the radical expansion of scientific knowledge and its dehumanizing effects on society as expressed by Max Weber. We enjoy showing clips of films that have aired in the popular media. In introductory courses, we generally begin with clips from Spike Lee s Jungle Fever (MCA Home Video [Universal Pictures], 1991). This film is helpful because it depicts the interaction of race, class, gender, family dynamics, urbanization, religion, and culture in its depiction of a married African American architect who begins an affair with his working-class Italian American secretary. Their relationship results in their being disowned by their families, shunned by their neighbors, and scrutinized by their acquaintances. Showing clips from this film will open up the discussions of broad sociocultural and global themes that will be more completely discussed throughout the course. Social reality isn t always what it appears to be. Isn t that what we are teaching our students: to evaluate critically what they observe, hear, and feel? If this is the case, as we believe it to be, showing clips from Being John Malkovich (USA Home Entertainment, Gramercy Pictures, 1999) will permit you to do just that. This is an odd film in which a struggling street puppeteer who works as a filing clerk discovers a secret door that enables him to enter the mind of John Malkovich for fifteen minutes prior to being dropped from the sky. His observations and interactions with society immediately following his experience lend credence to the idea that one must not only question authority, but also question everything.

23 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? 17 VII. CLASS ACTIVITY Three Dead White Guys Debate Distribute short news articles to each student on several major current events and ask them to read these articles by the next class period. Good recent candidates might include the Iraq War; Hurricane Katrina; the immigration debate; the celebrity gossip about Madonna, Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson; the wage gap between men and women; government wiretapping, etc. (We wouldn t introduce more than five and no fewer than three). Also tell them to make sure that they read the section on the major theorists of sociology. During the next class period, break the class into three to five groups with each group representing one of the five theorists featured in the chapter (consider leaving out Comte). Tell each group it must interpret each article from the viewpoint of its respective theorist. Float from group to group to make sure each one is reasonably interpreting its theorist, but be sure to let the groups develop their own arguments. When each group has developed an argument for each issue, tell them the class will now have a McLaughlin Group style debate on these issues. You as the instructor will play moderator. Introduce each new issue with the theme of How should we as sociologists explain so and so? I ask you Karl Bad Hair Marx! or whatever variant you are comfortable with. Karl wearing breakfast in his beard Marx works pretty well also. If numbers permit, let all members of the group take turns representing their theorist as the issues come up. If not, everyone gets a turn; that is still better than just one person from each group speaking the whole time, as other group members may lose interest. Many times you may find that most group members get a turn, but a few do not. A humorous option to use during this exercise is secretly to bring in a bell, gong, or whistle. When a group has done a very bad job of explaining its theorists, you might gong them, blow a whistle, or even throw out a yellow penalty flag. When a group has done a particularly good job you might ring the bell or throw confetti from your pocket. (Of course the custodial staff may not appreciate this much, so be ready to ask everyone to help you clean up afterward!) The first time you do any of these it is sure to elicit laughter. Make sure you are light hearted about this practice, though don t scare them to death! The idea is to keep things fun but serious. Use your best judgment and don t go beyond your own comfort level. If the theatrics don t seem your style, just keep the exercise light hearted.

24 18 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? The goal of this project is to get group members talking to one another (team building, if your groups are permanent in the class) and engaged with the material in a thoughtful way. Typically, the first part of the exercise may not involve a great deal of discussion as students peruse the book for clues on how their theorist would respond. However, if they have done their reading, this period of quiet should not last long, as the sections on the theorists are short and easy to read. Once the debate gets going, keep it moving at a constant pace. Try to minimize dead air. Students will perceive this as a high-energy exercise despite the intellectual work that is occurring. When the debate is over, hold a classwide discussion and ask the students which theorist they thought had the best approach to each issue and why, regardless of whom they tried to represent. A final piece of the assignment can be to have the students do an in-class free-write on what they think was the weakest argument any of the theorists tried to make with regard to one of the issues and why. Whose ideas were the worst fit for any given issue? Ask students to turn this writing in for a participation grade. Advice for Large Classes: the best strategy for a very large class is to break the assignment up into several cells, all running the same exercise. If teaching assistants are available, allow them to assist in monitoring the cells and moderating the debates. If simultaneous debates seem a bit chaotic, that can be a good thing in moderation it presents a sense of energy and activity in the class that can present a useful team-building atmosphere. Take care to not let this get out of control, and as with all things in a very large course, the more help you have in monitoring, the more smoothly things are likely to run. Information on Hurricane Katrina: The Iraq War: The Immigration Debate: The Wage Gap: Wiretapping Debate: The Double Standard and Pop Stars:

25 Chapter 1 What Is Sociology? 19 Name: Class: Group Number: Date: Chapter 1 Class Activity Three Dead White Guys Debate Your task in this assignment is to take your assigned theorist and use his ideas to explain the issues before you. Consider yourselves spokespeople for the theorist. How would the theorist explain this event? What would the theorist emphasize about this event? You will develop arguments that your theorist would use to explain each event. At the end of this process, your team will debate the other teams in the class to see which theorist can best explain each issue. Questions to consider when constructing your positions for the debate: 1. After reading the section on your theorist in the text book, what do you think would be the first step your theorist would take in order to understand this problem? 2. What would be the main points of interest that your theorist would take on this issue? What would he try to point out that other theorists might not? 3. How would your theorist incorporate his main issues (terms that are boldface, in italics, or listed in the text, etc.) into the debate over this issue? 4. What are the main weaknesses of your theorist in regard to the present issue? What are things that do not fit his ideas or that he does not address adequately?

26 CHAPTER 2 Asking and Answering Sociological Questions I. OVERVIEW Laud Humphreys s study The Tea Room Trade, which is described at the beginning of this chapter, provides an example of a sociological research approaches and practices. Students are introduced to the types of questions sociologists ask, the processes of conducting research, and the variety of research methods sociologists use. In the process, foundational concepts, such as hypotheses, correlation, and causation, and sampling are defined and discussed. The chapter concludes by considering the ethical dimensions of doing sociological research and how safeguarding the rights of research participants can shape the methodological approaches available to the researcher. Examining the basic types of questions and approaches to sociological research enables your students to become involved in the subject matter on more than just a superficial level. On reading and learning the subject matter presented in this chapter, students will learn that they can study the key themes of the book ethically and systematically. II. LECTURE OUTLINE 20 I. Sociological Questions A. To do research, sociologists must know how to ask different types of questions. These questions are usually framed from a theoretical perspective. B. Sociologists must also know the most useful research methods to apply to answer their questions and how to analyze the results.

27 Chapter 2 Asking and Answering Sociological Questions 21 C. Sociologists ask several different types of questions in their research: 1. Factual Questions: what happened? Can tell us whether we are dealing with an unusual case or a general set of influences. 2. Comparative Questions: did this happen everywhere? Relate one social context within a society to another, or contrasting examples drawn from different societies. 3. Developmental Questions: has this happened over time? Look at previous forms of society and study the main directions that processes of change have taken. 4. Theoretical Questions: what underlies this phenomenon? They above all involve what sociologists call empirical investigations; however, the need to be able to interpret what these facts mean requires the use of theory. II. The Research Process A. Steps in the research process: 1. Define the Problem: select a topic for research. 2. Review the Evidence: familiarize yourself with existing research on a topic. 3. Making the Problem Precise: testable hypotheses are developed. What do you intend to test? What is the relationship among the variables? 4. Working Out a Design: choose one or more research methods: experiment, survey, observation, use of existing sources. 5. Carry Out the Research: collect your data, record your information. 6. Interpret the Results: work out the implications of the data you collect. 7. Report the Research Findings: what is their significance? How do things relate to previous findings? B. In reality, this seemingly neat process rarely goes so smoothly. III. Understanding Cause and Effect: A causal relationship between two events or situations is an association in which one situation produces another. A. Causation and Correlation: Correlation refers to the existence of a consistent relationship between two variables. Causation cannot be inferred directly from correlation. A variable is any dimension along which individuals and groups vary.