Ten Questions: A Sociological Perspective

Front Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 2
Copyright......Page 3
Contents......Page 4
Preface......Page 9
Introduction......Page 16
Sociology......Page 17
Five Thinkers......Page 19
The Importance of Rational Proof......Page 21
Empirical Proof......Page 23
Observation in Sociology......Page 28
Objectivity in Science......Page 30
Natural Law in Science and Sociology......Page 31
Natural Cause in Science and Sociology......Page 32
Summary and Conclusion......Page 34
References......Page 36
Concepts, Themes, and Key Individuals......Page 43
Survival......Page 45
Learning How to Survive......Page 46
Individual Qualities......Page 47
Basic Human Qualities......Page 49
A Life of Interaction within Society......Page 53
Human Beings Are Cultural Beings......Page 54
The Importance of It All......Page 56
Questions to Consider......Page 57
References......Page 58
Concepts, Themes, and Key Individuals......Page 61
Society Is a Social Organization......Page 62
Society Is Possible through Social Interaction......Page 64
Society Depends on Social Patterns......Page 68
Culture......Page 69
Social Structure......Page 71
Social Institutions......Page 73
Society Is Made Possible through Feelings of Loyalty......Page 76
Conflict and Change Help Preserve Society......Page 80
Summary and Conclusion......Page 81
Questions to Consider......Page 82
References......Page 83
Concepts, Themes, and Key Individuals......Page 89
The Economic Division of Labor and the Rise of Social Inequality......Page 92
The Organizational Division of Labor and the Rise of Social Inequality......Page 93
The Intentional Division of Labor and the Rise of Social Inequality......Page 94
Social Conflict, the Emergence of Winners and Losers, and the Rise of Social Inequality......Page 95
The Social Institution of Private Property, the Unequal Distribution of Privilege, and the Rise of Social Inequality......Page 98
The Interplay of Power, Privilege, and Prestige......Page 99
Summary......Page 100
Efforts of the Powerful......Page 101
Prevailing Social Institutions......Page 103
Culture: The Acceptance of Inequality......Page 105
Socialization: The Acceptance of Place......Page 109
Society’s Instruments of Force......Page 110
Summary and Conclusion......Page 111
Questions to Consider......Page 112
References......Page 113
Concepts, Themes, and Key Individuals......Page 123
Freedom: Control, Understanding, and Choice......Page 125
Freedom: The Sociological View......Page 126
Freedom: Free Thought and Free Action......Page 128
Reality Is Socially Constructed......Page 129
Culture Becomes Our Reality......Page 131
Language and the Control of Thought......Page 134
Social Structure and the Control of Thought......Page 136
Social Power and the Control of Thought......Page 139
The Control of Thought: Limited Understanding......Page 140
The Control of Thought: A Summary......Page 141
Freedom and the Control of Thought......Page 142
Control of Thinking and the Control of Action......Page 143
Social Institutions and the Control of Action......Page 144
Socialization and the Control of Action......Page 145
Social Positions and the Control of Action......Page 147
Social Controls and the Control of Action......Page 148
Is Any Freedom Possible?......Page 149
Summary and Conclusion......Page 152
Questions to Consider......Page 153
References......Page 154
Concepts, Themes, and Key Individuals......Page 163
The Meaning of Values......Page 164
Values and Making Value Judgments......Page 166
Meaning of Ethnocentrism......Page 168
Loyalty to an Organization Encourages Ethnocentrism......Page 170
The Creation of Deviance Encourages Ethnocentrism......Page 171
Dominance and Oppression Create Ethnocentrism......Page 172
Social Conflict Encourages Ethnocentrism......Page 173
Social Interaction and Human Differences......Page 175
Social History and Human Differences......Page 176
Problems and Social Patterns......Page 178
Summary and Conclusion......Page 180
Questions to Consider......Page 181
References......Page 182
Concepts, Themes, and Key Individuals......Page 189
The First Cause of Misery: Social Inequality......Page 194
Consequences of Inequality: Poverty......Page 195
Consequences of Inequality: Crime......Page 196
Consequences of Inequality: Bad Jobs......Page 198
Consequences of Inequality: Exploitation......Page 199
Consequences of Inequality: Lack of Self-Worth......Page 200
Consequences of Inequality: Stress......Page 201
Consequences of Inequality: Institutions That Produce and Maintain Misery......Page 202
The Second Cause of Misery: Destructive Social Conflict......Page 203
The Causes of Destructive Conflict......Page 204
Destructive Conflict as a Cause of Misery......Page 206
Inadequate Socialization: Problems of Self-Love and Self-Control......Page 207
Socialization into Directions That Bring Misery......Page 208
Socialization into Impossible or Confusing Expectations......Page 210
The Fourth Cause of Misery: Alienation......Page 211
Alienation from One Another......Page 212
Alienation from Meaningful Work......Page 213
Summary and Conclusion......Page 215
References......Page 218
Concepts, Themes, and Key Individuals......Page 229
The Problem of Measuring Influence......Page 231
The Larger Social Context and Individual Influence......Page 234
The Individual versus Social Organization......Page 235
The Individual Confronts Social Patterns......Page 236
Some Individuals Do Impact Social Patterns......Page 238
The Role of Social Power......Page 240
Social Change: A Sociological View......Page 241
Principle 1: Change Is Inherent in All Social Organization......Page 242
Principle 2: Change Stems More from Social Conflict than from Individual Acts......Page 243
Principle 3: Change Is Most Likely When the Social Situation Favors It......Page 245
Principle 4: Most Lasting Change Results from Social Trends......Page 247
Principle 5: Social Patterns Persist......Page 249
Some Implications for Living......Page 250
Summary and Conclusion......Page 252
References......Page 253
Concepts, Themes, and Key Individuals......Page 262
Defining Religion......Page 263
Émile Durkheim’s View of Religion......Page 264
Max Weber’s View of Religion......Page 265
Peter Berger’s View of Religion......Page 267
The Definition of Religion: A Beginning......Page 268
The Social Functions of Religion......Page 269
Social Solidarity: The First Social Function......Page 271
Protecting Group Identity: The Second Social Function......Page 272
Control over the Individual: The Third Social Function......Page 273
Defending Democracy from Tyranny: The Fourth Social Function......Page 277
Understanding and Finding Meaning in the Universe: The Fifth Social Function......Page 278
The Defense of Social Patterns: The Sixth Social Function......Page 279
The Criticism of Social Patterns: The Seventh Social Function......Page 280
The Social Functions of Organized Religion: A Summary......Page 281
Is Organized Religion Still Necessary?......Page 282
Religion in Traditional and Modern Societies......Page 283
The Meaning of Secularization......Page 288
The Rise of Fundamentalism......Page 293
Summary and Conclusion......Page 295
References......Page 297
Concepts, Themes, and Key Individuals......Page 303
Three Views of Globalization......Page 305
Technology, Communication, and Globalization......Page 308
Capitalism and Globalization......Page 310
Economic ‘‘Freedom’’ and Globalization......Page 311
The World as an Economic System......Page 314
Summary: Economic Globalization......Page 316
Society, the Nation, and the World......Page 317
Is Social Interaction Worldwide?......Page 318
Is There a Worldwide Social Structure?......Page 320
Is There a Worldwide Culture?......Page 322
Are There Worldwide Social Institutions?......Page 324
Is There Commitment to a World Society?......Page 327
Summary: Is There a World Society?......Page 328
A Positive Picture......Page 329
A Critical View......Page 330
Conclusion: Globalization and a World Society......Page 334
Questions to Consider......Page 335
References......Page 336
Concepts, Themes, and Key Individuals......Page 339
The Meaning of Democracy......Page 340
Sociology: An Approach to Understanding Democratic Society......Page 343
Sociology Is More than the Study of Democracy......Page 348
Summary and Conclusion......Page 354
References......Page 355
Concepts, Themes, and Key Individuals......Page 362
The Importance of Categories and Generalizations to Human Beings......Page 363
The Meaning of Categorization......Page 365
The Meaning of Generalization......Page 367
The Stereotype......Page 368
Social Science: A Reaction to Stereotypes......Page 370
Summary and Conclusion......Page 375
References......Page 377
Glossary......Page 382
Index......Page 396