welcome to introduction to sociology. how many of you honestly believe the us is the greatest nation...
TRANSCRIPT
WELCOMETO
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
“First of all,,” he said, “if you can learn a simple trick,
Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of
folks. You never really understand a person until you
consider things from his point of view…”
“Sir?”
“…Until you climb into his skin and walk around in
it.” Lee Harper, To Kill a Mockingbird
HOW MANY OF YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE THE
US IS THE GREATEST NATION IN THE WORLD –
A COUNTRY THAT PROVIDES THE REST OF THE WORLD A “GOOD
MODEL”?
QUESTIONS
• How does the US rank in per-capita giving? (Are we the top “giver” in the world? 3rd? 10th?)
• What per cent of the US budget goes toward foreign aid?
ANSWERS• While the US gives the greatest
amount of money, it ranks 22nd out of the top 22 major foreign aid donor nations in per capita giving. Yet, we think of ourselves as “magnanimous,” yes?
• Most Americans think 24% of our budget goes to foreign aid – 24 times the actual amount!
FAMILY FEUD:
What do you think the top 100 answers were?
LIST THE EIGHT “HIPPEST” CITIES IN
THE WORLD
(Family Feud, Summer, 2006)
• New York• Los Angeles• Chicago• New Orleans• Atlantic City• Seattle• Las Vegas• Miami
SOCIAL INEQUALITY
POVERTY IN THE US
• Who’s most likely to experience poverty in the US?
• How does the “social structure” strengthen social class placement?
POVERTY IN THE US
• Why do other Most Industrialized Nations have lower poverty rates than the US?
• What does the “Welfare State” look like?
SOCIAL INEQUALITY
• View video “Holding Ground”:
Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative
Performance Assessment
Website Analysis:Social Justice
SHIFT FROM
U.S. STRATIFICATION
TO
GLOBAL STRATIFICATION
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
• GLOBALIZATION OF THE WORLD’S CORPORATION S
“A CRIMINAL IS A PERSON WITH
PREDATORY INSTINCTS WHO HAS NOT
SUFFICIENT CAPITAL TO FORM A
CORPORATION.”
HOWARD SCOTT, 1920
GLOBAL INEQUALITY
Consider:
Why are food shortages growing if there’s enough food in the
world to feed everyone?
GLOBAL INEQUALITY
Why is there so much illegal immigration from Mexico and the “Global South”?
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
Immigration Project
SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
(p. 86)
WHY STUDY REMOTE COUNTRIES SUCH AS THOSE IN AFRICA?
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
Develop “Creative” Activity to Teach about
Institutional Development in Southern Africa
HISTORICSOCIAL CHANGE
Historic Social ChangeDrawings:
Sociocultural Evolution
• Hunting and Gathering• Pastoral/Horticultural• Agricultural• Industrial• Post-Industrial
NORWAY
MODERN SOCIAL
CHANGES
MODERN SOCIAL CHANGES
• Population
• Urbanization
• Environment
• Technology
• Social Movements
Population Growth / Corporate Dominance / Urbanization
Increased Increased Needs Consumption
Environmental Declining Destruction Resources
Scarcity and Poverty
Discrimination / Migration / Conflict
STUFF
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
Map the Consequences of Increased
Globalization, Population Growth and
Urbanization
CULTURE
A human being is a part of the whole called by us “universe,” a part limited in time and space. You experience yourself, your thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of your consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Albert Einstein
COMPARISONS: GERMANY, JAPAN
AND US
IMMIGRATION
• History of immigration to US
• Examine influx of newest immigrants to WI: Mexicans, Hmongs, Arabs, East Indians
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
Develop
Immigrant
“Web
Quests”
CONFORMANCE OR DEVIANCE?
• Japanese Case Study
“First of all,,” he said, “if you can learn a simple trick,
Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of
folks. You never really understand a person until you
consider things from his point of view…”
“Sir?”
“…Until you climb into his skin and walk around in
it.” Lee Harper, To Kill a Mockingbird
International Focus