Sociology - A Down To Earth Approach

Cover......Page 1
Title page
......Page 2
Copyright Page
......Page 3
Brief Contents
......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
To the Student . . . from the Author......Page 20
To the Instructor . . . from the Author......Page 21
About the Author......Page 32
Chapter 1 The Sociological Perspective......Page 34
Seeing the Broader Social Context......Page 36
The Global Context—and the Local......Page 37
The Social Sciences......Page 38
Sociology
......Page 39
The Goals of Science......Page 40
Tradition versus Science......Page 41
Herbert Spencer and Social Darwinism......Page 42
Karl Marx and Class Conflict......Page 43
Emile Durkheim and Social Integration......Page 44
Applying Durkheim......Page 45
Values in Sociological Research......Page 46
Weber and Verstehen......Page 47
How Social Facts and Verstehen Fit Together......Page 48
Sexism at the Time: Women in Early Sociology......Page 49
Racism at the Time: W. E. B. Du Bois......Page 51
Talcott Parsons and C. Wright Mills: Theory versus Reform......Page 53
Public Sociology
......Page 54
Social Reform Is Risky......Page 55
Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology......Page 56
Applying Symbolic Interactionism
......Page 57
Applying Functional Analysis......Page 59
Feminists and Conflict Theory
......Page 61
Levels of Analysis: Macro and Micro......Page 62
Diversity of Orientations
......Page 63
Summary and Review......Page 64
Thinking Critically about Chapter 1......Page 66
Chapter 2 Culture......Page 67
Culture and Taken-for-Granted Orientations to Life......Page 69
Practicing Cultural Relativism......Page 71
Gestures......Page 75
Computers in Education
......Page 0
Language......Page 76
Language Allows Shared Perspectives
......Page 77
Language Allows Shared, Goal-Directed Behavior......Page 78
Values, Norms, and Sanctions......Page 79
Folkways, Mores, and Taboos......Page 81
Subcultures......Page 82
An Overview of U.S. Values......Page 85
Value Contradictions......Page 86
An Emerging Value Cluster......Page 87
“Ideal” versus “Real” Culture......Page 88
Cultural Universals......Page 89
Sociobiology and Human Behavior......Page 90
Cultural Lag and Cultural Change......Page 91
Technology and Cultural Leveling......Page 93
Summary and Review......Page 94
Thinking Critically about Chapter 2......Page 95
Chapter 3 Socialization......Page 96
Feral Children......Page 98
Isolated Children......Page 99
The Orphanage Experiment in the United States
......Page 100
Timing and Human Development......Page 101
Deprived Animals......Page 102
Mead and Role Taking......Page 103
Piaget and the Development of Reasoning......Page 105
Freud and the Development of Personality......Page 106
Kohlberg’s Theory
......Page 107
Expressing Emotions: “Gender Rules”
......Page 108
Research Needed
......Page 109
Parents
......Page 110
Toys and Play
......Page 111
Gender Messages in the Mass Media......Page 113
Advertising
......Page 114
Social Class and Play......Page 116
Day Care......Page 117
Peer Groups......Page 118
Total Institutions......Page 121
Childhood (from birth to about age 12)......Page 123
Transitional Adulthood (ages 18–29)......Page 124
The Older Years (about age 65 on)......Page 125
Are We Prisoners of Socialization?......Page 126
Summary and Review......Page 127
Thinking Critically about Chapter 3......Page 128
Chapter 4 Social Structure and Social Interaction......Page 129
Macrosociology and Microsociology......Page 131
The Sociological Significance of Social Structure......Page 132
Social Status......Page 134
Status Inconsistency......Page 135
Groups......Page 136
Social Institutions......Page 137
Comparing Functionalist and Conflict Perspectives......Page 138
What Holds Society Together?......Page 139
How Relevant Are These Concepts Today?......Page 140
Symbolic Interaction......Page 142
Dramaturgy: The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life......Page 147
Applying Impression Management......Page 151
Ethnomethodology: Uncovering Background Assumptions......Page 152
Gynecological Examinations
......Page 153
The Need for both Macrosociology and Microsociology......Page 155
Summary and Review......Page 158
Thinking Critically about Chapter 4......Page 159
Chapter 5 How Sociologists Do Research......Page 160
A Research Model......Page 162
6. Collecting the Data......Page 163
Research Methods (Designs)......Page 164
Surveys......Page 166
Participant Observation (Fieldwork)......Page 169
Analysis of Documents......Page 170
Experiments......Page 172
Controversy in Sociological Research......Page 174
Ethics in Sociological Research......Page 176
Misleading the Subjects: The Humphreys Research......Page 177
The Real World: When the Ideal Meets the Real......Page 178
Thinking Critically about Chapter 5......Page 180
Chapter 6 Societies to Social Networks......Page 181
Hunting and Gathering Societies......Page 183
Agricultural Societies......Page 185
Industrial Societies......Page 186
Biotech Societies: Is a New Type of Society Emerging?......Page 187
Groups within Society......Page 189
In-Groups and Out-Groups......Page 191
Reference Groups......Page 192
Social Networks......Page 193
Group Dynamics......Page 195
Effects of Group Size on Stability and Intimacy......Page 196
Effects of Group Size on Attitudes and Behavior......Page 197
Laboratory Findings and the Real World......Page 198
Leadership......Page 200
Leadership Styles in Changing Situations......Page 201
The Power of Peer Pressure: The Asch Experiment......Page 202
The Power of Authority: The Milgram Experiment......Page 203
Global Consequences of Group Dynamics: Groupthink......Page 204
Summary and Review......Page 205
Thinking Critically about Chapter 6......Page 206
Chapter 7 Bureaucracy and Formal Organizations......Page 207
The Shift to Rationality AS SOCIETIES Industrialized......Page 209
The Two Views Today......Page 211
The Characteristics of Bureaucracies......Page 212
“Ideal” versus “Real” Bureaucracy......Page 214
Goal Displacement and the Perpetuation of Bureaucracies......Page 216

Bureaucratic Incompetence......Page 217
Alienation of Workers......Page 218
Resisting Alienation......Page 219
Functions of Voluntary Associations......Page 220
The Iron Law of Oligarchy......Page 221
Humanizing the Work Setting......Page 222
Fads in Corporate Culture......Page 223
Diversity in the Workplace......Page 225
Technology and the Maximum-Security Society......Page 226
Thinking Critically about Chapter 7......Page 228
Chapter 8 Deviance and Social Control......Page 229
What Is Deviance?......Page 231
How Norms Make Social Life Possible......Page 232
Competing Explanations of Deviance: Sociobiology, Psychology, and Sociology
......Page 233
The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective......Page 234
Differential Association Theory......Page 235
Control Theory......Page 236
Labeling Theory......Page 237
Can Deviance Really Be Functional for Society?......Page 241
Strain Theory: How Mainstream Values Produce Deviance......Page 242
Four Deviant Paths......Page 243
Illegitimate Opportunity Structures: Social Class and Crime......Page 244
Gender and Crime......Page 246
The Criminal Justice System as an Instrument of Oppression......Page 247
Street Crime and Prisons......Page 249
The Decline in Violent Crime......Page 251
Recidivism......Page 252
The Death Penalty and Bias......Page 253
Race–Ethnicity......Page 255
The Trouble with Official Statistics......Page 256
The Medicalization of Deviance: Mental Illness......Page 257
The Homeless Mentally Ill......Page 258
Summary and Review......Page 259
Thinking Critically about Chapter 8......Page 260
Chapter 9 Global Stratification......Page 261
Systems of Social Stratification......Page 263
Slavery......Page 264
Slavery Today......Page 265
Caste......Page 266
A U.S. Racial Caste System......Page 268
Class......Page 269
The Global Superclass......Page 270
Karl Marx: The Means of Production......Page 271
Max Weber: Property, Power, and Prestige......Page 272
Tumin’s Critique of Davis and Moore......Page 273
Mosca’s Argument
......Page 274
Lenski’s Synthesis
......Page 275
Soft Control versus Force......Page 276
Big Brother Technology
......Page 277
Social Stratification in the Former Soviet Union......Page 278
Global Stratification: Three Worlds......Page 279
The Most Industrialized Nations......Page 280
The Industrializing Nations......Page 283
Modifying the Model......Page 284
World System Theory......Page 287
Evaluating the Theories......Page 289
Multinational Corporations......Page 290
Technology and Global Domination......Page 291
Summary and Review......Page 292
Thinking Critically about Chapter 9
......Page 293
Chapter 10 Social Class in the United States......Page 294
Distinguishing Between Wealth and Income
......Page 296
Distribution of Income
......Page 297
The Power Elite
......Page 299
Displaying Prestige......Page 301
Status Inconsistency......Page 302
Updating Marx......Page 303
Updating Weber......Page 305
Consequences of Social Class......Page 308
Family Life......Page 309
Religion......Page 310
Crime and Criminal Justice......Page 311
Three Types of Social Mobility......Page 312
The Pain of Social Mobility......Page 313
Drawing the Poverty Line......Page 316
The Geography of Poverty......Page 317
The Dynamics of Poverty versus the Culture of Poverty......Page 320
Deferred Gratification......Page 322
Where Is Horatio Alger? The Social Functions of a Myth......Page 323
Peering into the Future: Will We Live in a Three-Tier Society?......Page 324
Summary and Review......Page 325
Thinking Critically about Chapter 10......Page 326
Chapter 11 Sex and Gender......Page 327
Gender Differences in Behavior: Biology or Culture?......Page 329
Opening the Door to Biology......Page 331
More Research on Humans
......Page 332
Gender Inequality in Global Perspective......Page 333
How Did Females Become a Minority Group?......Page 334
Sex Typing of Work......Page 336
Other Areas of Global Discrimination......Page 337
Global Violence against Women......Page 340
Fighting Back: The Rise of Feminism......Page 341
Gender Inequality in Health Care......Page 344
Gender Inequality in Education......Page 346
Graduate School and Beyond
......Page 347
The Pay Gap......Page 349
And the Future?......Page 353
Violence against Women......Page 354
The Changing Face of Politics......Page 356
Summary and Review......Page 357
Thinking Critically about Chapter 11......Page 358
Chapter 12 Race and Ethnicity......Page 359
Race: Myth and Reality......Page 361
Ethnic Groups......Page 364
Ethnic Work: Constructing Our Racial–Ethnic Identity......Page 365
Learning Prejudice......Page 366
Internalizing Dominant Norms......Page 369
Health Care......Page 371
Psychological Perspectives......Page 372
Sociological Perspectives......Page 373
Labels and Self-Fulfilling Stereotypes
......Page 375
Genocide......Page 376
Population Transfer......Page 377
Assimilation......Page 378
European Americans......Page 379
Latinos (Hispanics)......Page 381
Politics......Page 384
African Americans......Page 385
Asian Americans......Page 388
A Background of Discrimination
......Page 389
Diversity
......Page 11
Native Americans......Page 390
Looking toward the Future......Page 392
The Affirmative Action Controversy......Page 393
Toward a True Multicultural Society......Page 395
Summary and Review......Page 396
Thinking Critically about Chapter 12......Page 397
Chapter 13 The Elderly......Page 398
The Social Construction of Aging......Page 400
Industrialization and the Graying of the Globe......Page 401
The Graying of America......Page 402
The Life Span......Page 404
Four Factors in Our Decision......Page 405
Shifting Meanings......Page 406
The Influence of the Mass Media......Page 408
Evaluation of the Theory......Page 409
Evaluation of the Theory......Page 410
Fighting for Resources: Social Security Legislation......Page 411
Intergenerational Competition and Conflict......Page 413
Fighting Back......Page 415
Nursing Homes......Page 416
Understaffing, Dehumanization, and Death......Page 417
Gender and Poverty......Page 419
Death as a Process......Page 420
Hospices......Page 421
Adjusting to Death: The Importance of “Closure”......Page 422
Creative Aging......Page 423
The Impact of Technology......Page 424
Summary and Review......Page 425
Thinking Critically about Chapter 13......Page 426
Chapter 14 The Economy......Page 427
Industrial Societies: The Birth of the Machine......Page 429
Implications for Your Life......Page 430
The Transformation of the Medium of Exchange......Page 431
Medium of Exchange in Industrial Societies......Page 432
Capitalism......Page 434
The Development of State Capitalism......Page 435
Socialism......Page 436
Criticisms of Capitalism and Socialism......Page 437
The Convergence of Capitalism and Socialism......Page 438
The New Global Division of Labor......Page 440
Separation of Ownership and Management......Page 441
Making Capitalism Flourish: Profits and Self-Interests......Page 443
The Global Superclass......Page 446
Global Investing......Page 447
Women and Work......Page 450
FEMALE-MALE Work Styles......Page 451
The Underground Economy......Page 452
Patterns of Work and Leisure......Page 454
Global Capitalism and Our Future......Page 456
The New Economic System and the Old Divisions of Wealth......Page 457
Summary and Review......Page 458
Thinking Critically about Chapter 14......Page 459
Chapter 15 Politics......Page 460
Power, Authority, and Violence......Page 462
The Collapse of Authority......Page 463
Rational–Legal Authority......Page 464
Authority as Ideal Type......Page 465
Monarchies: The Rise of the State......Page 466
Democracies: Citizenship as a Revolutionary Idea......Page 467
Political Parties and Elections......Page 469
Third Parties......Page 470
Voting Patterns......Page 471
Lobbyists and Special-Interest Groups......Page 474
The Money......Page 475
The Functionalist Perspective: Pluralism......Page 476
Which View Is Right?......Page 477
How Common Is War?......Page 479
Costs of War......Page 480
Success and Failure of Dehumanization......Page 482
Terrorism......Page 484
Targeted Killings......Page 487
Alignments and Disalignments......Page 488
Inevitable Changes......Page 489
Summary and Review......Page 490
Thinking Critically about Chapter 15......Page 491
Chapter 16 Marriage and Family......Page 492
What Is a Family?......Page 494
Common Cultural Themes......Page 495
Marriage and Family in Theoretical Perspective......Page 496
The Functionalist Perspective: Functions and Dysfunctions......Page 497
The Conflict Perspective: Struggles between Husbands and Wives......Page 498
The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective: Gender, Housework, and Child Care......Page 499
Love and Courtship in Global Perspective......Page 500
The Social Channels of Love and Marriage......Page 502
Childbirth......Page 503
Marital Satisfaction......Page 504
Child Rearing......Page 505
Social Class......Page 507
Widowhood
......Page 508
African American Families......Page 509
Latino Families......Page 510
Native American Families......Page 511
Blended Families......Page 512
Adoption by Gay and Lesbian Couples
......Page 513
Cohabitation......Page 514
Does Cohabitation Make Marriage Stronger?......Page 515
Ways of Measuring Divorce......Page 516
Divorce and Mixed Racial–Ethnic Marriages......Page 518
Children of Divorce......Page 519
The Ex-Spouses......Page 520
The Dark Side of Family Life: Battering, Child Abuse, Marital Rape, and Incest......Page 521
Incest......Page 522
Symbolic Interactionism and the Misuse of Statistics......Page 523
Summary and Review......Page 524
Thinking Critically about Chapter 16......Page 525
Chapter 17 Education......Page 526
Industrialization and Universal Education......Page 528
The Expansion of Education......Page 529
Education in the Most Industrialized Nations: Japan......Page 531
Education in the Industrializing Nations: Russia......Page 532
Education in the Least Industrialized Nations: Egypt......Page 533
Teaching Knowledge and Skills......Page 534
Integrating People with Disabilities......Page 535
Other Functions......Page 536
The Hidden Curriculum: Reproducing the Social Class Structure......Page 538
Tilting the Tests: Discrimination by IQ......Page 539
Stacking the Deck: Unequal Funding......Page 540
Reproducing the Racial–Ethnic Structure......Page 541
The Rist Research......Page 542
The Rosenthal–Jacobson Experiment......Page 543
Self-Expectations......Page 544
Problems in U.S. Education—and Their Solutions......Page 545
Mediocrity......Page 546
A Warning about Higher Standards......Page 547
The Solution to Cheating......Page 548
Violence......Page 549
Technology and Education......Page 550
Summary and Review......Page 551
Thinking Critically about Chapter 17......Page 552
Chapter 18 Religion......Page 553
What Is Religion?......Page 555
Functions of Religion......Page 556
Functional Equivalents of Religion......Page 558
War and Terrorism......Page 559
Religious Symbols......Page 561
Community......Page 562
Legitimating Social Inequalities......Page 565
Religion and the Spirit of Capitalism......Page 566
Judaism......Page 567
Islam......Page 569
Hinduism......Page 571
Confucianism......Page 572
Types of Religious Groups......Page 573
Cult......Page 574
Church......Page 575
When Religion and Culture Conflict......Page 576
Characteristics of Members......Page 577
Characteristics of Religious Groups......Page 578
The Electronic Church......Page 580
Secularization of Religion and Culture......Page 582
The Secularization of Culture......Page 583
The Future of Religion......Page 584
Summary and Review......Page 585
Thinking Critically about Chapter 18......Page 587
Chapter 19 Medicine and Health......Page 588
The Role of Culture in Defining Health and Illness......Page 590
The Sick Role......Page 591
Global Stratification and Health Care......Page 592
Establishing a Monopoly on U.S. Health Care......Page 593
The Monopoly of Medicine......Page 595
Physical Health......Page 596
Issues in Health Care......Page 597
Social Inequality......Page 598
Malpractice Lawsuits and Defensive Medicine......Page 599
Medical Incompetence......Page 600
Depersonalization: The Medical Cash Machine......Page 601
Medical Fraud......Page 602
Medically Assisted Suicide......Page 603
Reducing the Costs of Medical Care......Page 604
Rationing Medical Care......Page 606
HIV/AIDS......Page 607
Is There a Cure for AIDS?
......Page 609
Alcohol and Nicotine......Page 610
Nicotine
......Page 611
Medical Experiments: Callous and Harmful......Page 613
Chicken Bones and the Globalization of Disease......Page 614
The Future of Medicine......Page 615
Alternative Medicine......Page 616
Digital Medicine......Page 617
Summary and Review......Page 618
Thinking Critically about Chapter 19......Page 619
Chapter 20 Population and Urbanization......Page 620
The New Malthusians......Page 622
The Anti-Malthusians......Page 624
Who Is Correct?......Page 625
Why Are People Starving?......Page 626
Population Growth......Page 628
Why the Least Industrialized Nations Have So Many Children......Page 629
Consequences of Rapid Population Growth......Page 630
The Three Demographic Variables......Page 631
Migration......Page 632
Problems in Forecasting Population Growth......Page 633
Urbanization......Page 637
The Appeal of Cities
......Page 638
From Country to City
......Page 641
From City to City
......Page 642
Within the City
......Page 643
The Sector Model......Page 645
The Peripheral Model......Page 646
Critique of the Models......Page 647
Alienation in the City......Page 648
The Ethnic Villagers
......Page 649
Tuning Out: The Norm of Noninvolvement......Page 650
Suburbanization......Page 651
The Potential of Urban Revitalization......Page 652
Summary and Review......Page 653
Thinking Critically about Chapter 20......Page 654
Chapter 21 Collective Behavior and Social Movements......Page 655
How Crowds Change People......Page 657
The Acting Crowd......Page 658
Emergent Norms......Page 659
Riots......Page 660
Participants in Riots......Page 661
Rumors......Page 662
The Classic Panic......Page 663
Moral Panics......Page 665
Fads and Fashions......Page 667
Urban Legends......Page 668
Social Movements......Page 669
Types of Social Movements......Page 670
Tactics of Social Movements......Page 671
Propaganda and the Mass Media......Page 672
Relative Deprivation Theory: Improving Status and Power......Page 674
Moral Issues and Ideological Commitment......Page 675
The Rocky Road to Success......Page 676
The Stages of Social Movements......Page 677
Resurgence......Page 678
Summary and Review......Page 679
Thinking Critically about Chapter 21......Page 680
Chapter 22 Social Change and the Environment......Page 681
From Gemeinschaft to Gesellschaft......Page 683
The Industrial Revolution and Capitalism......Page 684
Conflict, Power, and Global Politics......Page 685
Four Threats to This Coalition of ­Powers
......Page 686
Evolution from Lower to Higher......Page 687
Conflict over Power and Resources......Page 688
Ogburn’s Theory......Page 689
Evaluation of Ogburn’s Theory......Page 690
Extending Human Abilities......Page 691
The Sociological Significance of Technology: How Technology Changes Social Life......Page 692
Effects on Cities
......Page 693
Effects on Women’s Roles......Page 694
The New Technology: The Microchip and Social Life......Page 695
Computers in International Conflict......Page 696
Cyberspace and Social Inequality......Page 697
The Growth Machine versus the Earth......Page 698
Toxic Wastes
......Page 699
The Environmental Movement......Page 702
Environmental Sociology......Page 705
Technology and the Environment: The Goal of Harmony......Page 706
Summary and Review......Page 707
Thinking Critically about Chapter 22......Page 708
Epilogue: Why Major in Sociology?......Page 709
Glossary......Page 711
References......Page 721
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Credits......Page 777