Sociology - Ch 1 Flashcards
How does Bergen describe the sociological perspective? What does this mean?
Seeking the general in the particular
Sociologists seek out general patterns on the behavior of particular people
Sociology
Systematic study of human society
How do you begin to think sociologically?
By realizing the society that we live in - as well as the general categories into which we fall within that society - shape our particular life experiences
Looking sociologically means
Challenging the familiar idea that we live in terms of what we decide
Why is attending college not simply a matter of personal choice? (2)
Social forces (age - typical U.S. college student is 18-24)
Cost
Compare the suicide rates for African American men to that of white men in the U.S.
African men - 9.8
White men - 19.1
What did Durkheim conclude about the suicide rates:
Social integration - categories of people with strong social ties had low suicide rates, whereas more individualistic categories of people had high suicide rates
Global perspective
The study of the larger world and our society’s place in it
What % of the world’s wealth is controlled by 20/1000 (2%) of the population?
80%
What is the biggest problem for the majority of the people?
Getting enough food and water
Half of the people…
Cannot read or write
High income countries
Nations with very productive economic systems in which most people have relatively high incomes
Middle-income countries
Nations with moderately productive economic systems in which people’s income are about global average
Low-income countries
Nations with less productive economic systems in which most people are poor
Why does the text highlight life outside of the U.S. In every chapter?
- Where we live makes a great difference in shaping our lives
- Societies throughout the world are increasingly interconnected
- Many problems that we face in the U.S. Are far more serious elsewhere
- Thinking globally in a good way to learn more about ourselves
