Sociology 03/04

UNIT 1. Culture Part A. Modern, Traditional, and Unusual Cultures 1. Modernization's Challenge to Traditional Values: Who's Afraid of Ronald McDonald?, Ronald Inglehart and Wayne E. Baker, The Futurist , March/April 2001 The authors report on a major survey, the World Values Survey, which documents strong differences between the worldviews of the peoples of rich and poor societies. The two major dimensions of cross-cultural variation are traditional versus secular/rational values and survival versus self-expression values. 2. The Mountain People, Colin M. Turnbull, Intellectual Digest , April 1973 Colin Turnbull's study of the Ik tribe shows what happens to social relationships in a culture when certain elements in the environment threaten its existence. Part B. American Culture and Cultural Change 3. More Moral, David Whitman, The New Republic , February 22, 1999 According to David Whitman, the much-discussed "moral decline of America" thesis turns out to be false, since numerous indicators of moral trends have been positive for a decade or two. 4. American Culture Goes Global, or Does It?, Richard Pells, The Chronicle of Higher Education , April 12, 2002 Richard Pells challenges the thesis that the culture of America is Americanizing the world. He points out that much of American culture is imported. "American culture has spread throughout the world because it has incorporated foreign styles and ideas." 5. What's so Great About America?, Dinesh D'Souza, The American Enterprise , April/May 2002 As an immigrant Dinesh D'Souza can see the United States both as an outsider and an insider. He is able, therefore, to identify many wonderful aspects of America that amaze and attract foreigners. D'Souza emphasizes, in addition to the wealth, the sense of equality and the freedom of choice that even the poor, who live comparatively well, have. UNIT 2. Socialization and Social Control Part A. Childhood and Influences on Personality and Behavior 6. Boys Will Be Boys, Barbara Kantrowitz and Claudia Kalb, Newsweek , May 11, 1998 The authors review new research on child development comparing boys and girls, with a special emphasis on understanding the behavior of boys and the model of maleness that they aspire to and require of each other. 7. Born to Be Good?, Celia Kitzinger, New Internationalist , April 1997 What makes people behave in moral and even altruistic ways? Empathy, moral reasoning, and the rewards of goodness may be part of the answer, but this overemphasizes individual factors when moral behavior is, in fact, a social issue. Celia Kitzinger argues that social pressure spurs people to both altruistic and cruel behavior. Part B. Crime, Law Enforcement, and Social Control 8. Preventing Crime: The Promising Road Ahead, Gene Stephens, The Futurist , November 1999 Gene Stephens reports the results of research on over 500 crime prevention programs in an effort to find out what works and what does not work. There are many surprising results, especially in what does not work. 9. Pedophilia, John Cloud, Time , April 29, 2002 Why do people sexually molest children? John Cloud canvasses the psychological community to find out. Pedophilia, sexually desiring children, is a psychiatric illness that is estimated to afflict 4 percent of the population, but not all pedophiles act on their urges, and many children are sexually abused by nonpedophiles. Fortunately, treatment programs tend to be very successful when used. UNIT 3. Groups and Roles in Transition Part A. Family, Marriage and Divorce 10. The American Family, Stephanie Coontz, Life , November 1999 Stephanie Coontz explains that modern families are better than the way the media portray them and that families of the past were probably worse. She corrects many myths about the modern family with many underreported facts. 11. Divorce and Cohabitation: Why We Don't Marry, James Q. Wilson, Current , June 2002 Despite its title, this article focuses on the shocking increase in the proportion of mothers who are unmarried. In explaining this phenomenon, James Wilson examines the role of welfare, which he argues is small. The big cause is cultural change, which removes the stigma of welfare and of unmarried motherhood and weakens the moral underpinnings of marriage. He also shows how children suffer from these changes. 12. Should You Stay Together for the Kids?, Walter Kirn, Time , September 25, 2000 Walter Kirn reviews the hot debate over whether parents who are in bad marriages should stay together for the sake of the children. Clearly the children suffer from the divorce of their parents, and in many cases, the damage lasts for a long time; but incompatible marriages can also be harmful. Part B. Sex, Gender, and Gender Roles 13. Now for the Truth About Americans and Sex, Philip Elmer-Dewitt, Time , October 17, 1994 The author reviews the findings of the only reliable large-scale survey of American sexual attitudes and practices. This study corrects a number of myths with substantial data, including evidence that Americans are sexually less active and more faithful than is commonly supposed. 14. Shades of Gay, John Leland, Newsweek , March 20, 2000 John Leland reports on a new survey on public attitudes toward gays. The new survey shows that prejudice toward them has declined, and they are more accepted by straights, but that they continue to run into roadblocks on some key issues. 15. When Careers Collide, Susan Caminiti, Working Woman , February 2001 Gender equality in marriages has increased greatly, but if the husband's career does not automatically come before the wife's, how do egalitarian couples work out extremely difficult career conflicts? Susan Caminiti discusses this question largely by telling stories about how numerous couples have dealt with conflicting issues. Part C. City and Community 16. Where Everyone's a Minority, Ron Stodghill and Amanda Bower, Time , September 2, 2002 Within a half century, no group will be a majority in the United States; today this is true of Sacramento, California. The authors examine how this situation works out in America's most integrated city. Twenty percent of babies are multiracial, and though racial tensions exist, they are relatively minor. UNIT 4. Stratification and Social Inequalities Part A. Income Inequalities 17. Still the Land of Opportunity?, Isabel V. Sawhill, The Public Interest , Spring 1999 Isabel Sawhill reports on the current state of the American stratification system with particular eFinsterbusch, Kurt is the author of 'Sociology 03/04' with ISBN 9780072838671 and ISBN 0072838671.