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Table of Contents
AE Sociology, 09/10
Preface
Correlation Guide
Topic Guide
Internet References
Unit 1: Culture
Unit Overview
Part A. American Culture and Cultural Change
1. Understanding American Worldview, J. LaVelle Ingram, Life in the USA, 2007
J. LaVelle Ingram created this article to explain to immigrants the peculiar worldview they are adopting of the country. It is contrasted with other worldviews and explains some important cultural differences between societies.
2. The Denial of Virtue, Amitai Etzioni, Society, 2008
Many economists and social commentators deny that people act virtuously. The infinite episodes of virtuous behavior are interpreted as rational, self interested behavior, or due to genetical wiring. Amitai Etzioni argues that moral values do affect human behavior, so life involves more than self interest, and that sociology is a valid social science.
3. The Atrophy of Social Life, D. Stanley Eitzen, Society, September/October 2004
Social interaction “is the building block of intimate relationships, small groups, formal organizations, communities, and societies.” Therefore, Stanley Eitzen is concerned about the numerous social trends, which he reports “that hinder or even eliminate social interaction, and that indicate a growing isolation as individuals become increasingly separated from their neighbors, their co-workers, and even their family members.”
4. The Myth of the “Culture of Poverty”, Paul Gorski, Educational Leadership, April 2008
The culture of poverty myth accuses the poor of having beliefs, values, and behaviors that prevent them from achieving. Thus, their failure is their fault. This myth must be challenged. Most poor people do have the work ethic, value education, and other characteristics that contradict the culture of poverty myth. The availability of opportunities plays a big role in poverty.
Part B. Value Issues
5. Diversity within Unity: A New Approach to Immigrants and Minorities, The Communitarian Reader: Beyond the Essentials, Amitai Etzioni, Andrew Volmert, and Elanit Rothschild, Rowan and Littlefield, 2004
This statement signed by many communitarians seeks to assuage the increasing fear of the impacts of immigration. It favors diversity of cultures with unity based on shared core values.
6. The Dubious Value of Value-Neutrality, Stephen H. Balch, The Chronicle of Higher Education, June 16, 2006
Stephen Balch questions whether we should be value-neutral. Since education serves many purposes besides imparting information, it can not be and should not be value-neutral. Universities should be open to all points of view, promote critical thinking, and favor views that are best supported by data and logical arguments.
Unit 2: Socialization and Social Control
Unit Overview
Part A. Influences on Personality and Behavior
7. The Social Construction of Gender, Margaret L. Andersen and Dana Hysock, Thinking about Women, 8/e (Allyn and Bacon, 2009)
Socialization by parents, teachers, peers, public figures, and many others contribute greatly to what we are. The authors focus on the role of socialization in the formation of gender identity, which helps explain why men and women are different.
8. Worth Every Penny: Can Cash Incentives Create Model Citizens?, Jim Giles, New Scientist Magazine, November 24, 2007
Jim Giles proposes a very sensible idea, which many consider radical. He proposes that people be rewarded for doing what is beneficial to society. He would pay people for doing good. Believe it or not, this is a revolutionary idea.
9. The New Sex Scorecard, Hara Estroff Marano, Psychology Today, July/August 2003
As everyone knows, men and women are different. Recent research has greatly -increased our understanding of these differences, and Hara Estroff Marano reviews these differences that include mental, sexual, health, emotional, and psychological factors.
Part B. Crime, Law Enforcement, and Social Control
10. Fighting Crime: An Economists View, John J. Donohue, Milken Institute Review, First Quarter, 2005
It is amazing what conclusions we would come to about crime and punishment if we used economic logic as John J. Donohue shows in this article. We would stop building prisons, abolish the death penalty, expand the police force, adopt sensible gun controls, and legalize drugs among other things.
11. The Prison Boom and the Decline of American Citizenship, Bruce Western, Society, August/September 2007
Why did the imprisonment rate increase fivefold in the past three decades? Bruce Western argues that the rise of the punitive purpose and the decline of the rehabilitative purpose plays a major role. Unfortunately, the high incarceration rate of blacks has several unintended consequences, which are likely to increase criminal activity among blacks.
12. The Aggregate Burden of Crime, David A. Anderson, Journal of Law and Economics, October 1999
David A. Anderson makes a valiant effort to compute the annual costs of major types of crime and the net annual total costs of all crimes, which he claims exceeds $1 trillion or over $4000 per capita. Fraud and cheating on taxes costs Americans over 20 times the costs of theft, burglary, and robbery.
Unit 3: Groups and Roles in Transition
Unit Overview
Part A. Marriage and the Family
13. Can Marriage Be Saved?, Frank Furstenberg, Dissent, Summer 2005
Frank Furstenberg assures his readers that the institution of marriage is not on the rocks. There are family issues to be concerned about, especially the welfare of children, but the focus should be on resources. The often cited unhealthy marriage and family trends occur only among the most socially disadvantaged.
14. The Opt-Out Myth, E. J. Graff, Columbia Journalism Review, March/April 2007
E. J. Graff explains why the media reports that a number of upper class women are opting out of the labor market to raise children is a myth. The proportion of women, even mothers, in the labor force is increasing, not decreasing. The consequences and policy implications of this fact are immense.
15. Peer Marriage, Pepper Schwartz, The Communitarian Reader: Beyond the Essentials, Amitai Etzioni, Andrew Volmert, and Elanit Rothschild, Rowan and Littlefield, 2004
Pepper Schwartz celebrates the concept of peer marriages in which -spouses regard each other as full social equals, both have careers, share family decision making and child rearing responsibilities. He argues that peer marriages generally result in stronger families and greater satisfaction.
Part B. Gender and Gender Roles
16. Feminists and Fundamentalists, Kavita Ramdas, Current History, March 2006
Womens rights have increased greatly throughout the world, but these rights are being threatened by the growth of fundamentalism in many countries. The worldwide womens movement is working hard to advance womens rights against these reactionary forces.
17. All Happy Families: The Looming Battle over Gay Parenting, Julian Sanchez, Reason, August 2005
Julian Sanchez advocates adoptions by gay couples of children in the foster care system. Regardless of the public attitude toward gay families, Sanchez shows that the children will be better off in gay families than in foster care.
Part C. City and Community
18. An Age of Transformation, The Economist, May 31, 2008
The transformation that The Economist assesses is the transformation of America from urban and rural life to suburban life. More people live in the suburbs than in cities and rural areas put together. In the past, cities excelled in jobs and heterogeneity. Now, these characterize the suburbs.
19. Why Arent U.S. Cities Burning?, Michael B. Katz, Dissent, Summer 2007
Sociologists should be surprised that American cities are peaceful. Most of the conditions that produced nearly 150 riots in 1967 have continued and some like racial segregation have worsened. Michael B. Katz tries to solve this paradox.
Unit 4: Stratification and Social Inequalities
Unit Overview
Part A. Income Inequalities
20. Goodbye, Horatio Alger: Moving Up Economically Is Now Impossible for Many, If Not Most, Americans, Jeff Madrick, The Nation, February 5, 2007
One of the prized characteristics of America has been the opportunity to go from rags to riches. Unfortunately, moving up economically is now impossible for most Americans. Income mobility has declined dramatically in the last three decades in America, and now several European countries have more income mobility than the United States.
21. Connecting the Dots, David K. Shipler, from Ending Poverty in America, John Edwards et al., The New Press, 2007
Poverty is a complicated subject. The obvious aspects are the lack of good jobs, lack of skills, and lack of opportunities. Less obvious are the reasons why the steps to eliminate poverty are not taken. David K. Shipler explains how multiple problems intersect and make it nearly impossible for many of the poor to get out and stay out of poverty.
Part B. Welfare and Welfare Reform
22. A Work in Progress, Ann Pomeroy, HR Magazine, February 2008
The welfare reform of 1996 moved many people from welfare to work. Ann Pomeroy tells the stories of several women who made this transition and identifies some of the difficulties and perverse incentives that remain, limiting the benefits of the program.
Part C. Racial and Ethnic Issues and Inequalities
23. Nearer to Overcoming, The Economist, May 10, 2008
The Economist uses the nomination of Barak Obama as an indicator of the advance of blacks in the United States and an occasion for a discussion of how far Blacks have come and how far they still have to go. The half full or half empty glass analogy applies here.
24. Whites Swim in Racial Preference, Tim Wise, Poverty and Race in America, edited by Chester Hartman, 2006
According to Chester Hartman, America has had a strong affirmative action program from its founding. It was a white affirmative action program and though it has been cut back, some say that it is still in existence. Whites, however, are ignorant of its presence because they have come to assume that they have earned all that they have.
25. Why We Hate, Margo Monteith and Jeffrey Winters, Psychology Today, May/June 2002
The authors demonstrate the prevalence of prejudice and hatred in America and -explain this in terms of social identity theory. Whenever people are divided into groups, negative attitudes develop toward the out-group.
Part D. Sex Inequalities and Issues
26. Great Expectations, Judith M. Havemann, The Wilson Quarterly, Summer 2007
Women have taken tremendous strides toward equality in the corporate world. They now hold half of all managerial and professional jobs, and their leadership style is -superior to that of a man. Women rarely, however, hold top management positions. Why? Several explanations are discussed.
27. Scaling the Ivory Towers, Caryn McTighe Musil, Ms Magazine, Fall 2007
Title IX has played a major part in improving the role and position of women in the United States. Before, Title IX undergraduates included 60% of men, now they include almost 60% of women. Women have made other spectacular gains. These gains, however, must not be taken for granted.
28. Human Rights, Sex Trafficking, and Prostitution, Alice Leuchtag, The Humanist, January/February 2003
One of the evil plagues haunting the world today is sex slavery, and it is getting worse. It is the product of extreme poverty and the considerable profits involved in this trade. The exploitation involved is horrendous. Human rights groups are trying to stop the practice. Alice Leuchtag covers many aspects of this issue.
Unit 5: Social Institutions: Issues, Crises, and Changes
Unit Overview
Part A. The Political Sphere: Power, Politics, and Administration
29. Who Rules America?: Power, Politics, and Social Change, 5th ed., G. William Domhoff, The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2006
G. William Domhoff is the leading proponent of the power elite view of American politics, which is explained in this article as it applies to political influence in America today.
30. Inside the Hidden World of Earmarks, Eamon Javers, BusinessWeek, September 17, 2007
The main criticism of the American government is that it is not fair. The rich and large corporations get much of what they want and the general public gets little of what it wants. One of the processes that achieve these results is earmarks. Eamon Javers explains this process and its impacts, and calls for its reform.
31. Foresight for Government, David M. Walker, The Futurist, March/April 2007
Todays governments must govern keeping in view the long-term challenges. They must prepare for the future. David M. Walker, the comptroller general of the United States, is responsible for making the Government Accountability Office an anticipatory agency and discusses some of the greatest future challenges that our government must face.
Part B. The Economic Sphere: Changing Consumption, Workplaces, Workforce
32. Reversal of Fortune, Bill McKibben, Mother Jones, March 2007
Bill McKibben raises the age old question, “Does money buy happiness?” in a new way, i.e., “Is more better?” The data indicate that economic “growth no longer makes us happier.” In fact, the things that contribute most to happiness are under stress in modern life.
33. The Future of Outsourcing: How Its Transforming Whole Industries and Changing the Way We Work, Pete Engardio, BusinessWeek, January 30, 2006
Much of American manufacturing has been shifted abroad in the past several decades. Now, more and more service jobs are being outsourced abroad. Pete Engardio argues that outsourcing is benefiting American business, the American economy, and even the American worker.
Part C. The Social Sphere: Education, Health, and Religion
34. Can the Center Find a Solution That Will Hold?: The High School Experience: Proposals for Improvement, Chester E. Finn, Jr., Education Next, Winter 2006
American high schools are failing, and Washington is not going to fix them. Chester E. Finn, Jr. describes six major problems and proposes six solutions.
35. Medical Guesswork, John Carey, BusinessWeek, May 29, 2006
John Cary reports that most doctors medical decisions are based on very little empirical evidence. His report features medical crusader, Dr. David Eddy, who is championing evidence-based medicine.
36. Pandemic Pandemonium, Josh N. Ruxin, National Journal, July/August 2008
Josh N. Ruxin warns that the worst health problem today is the eminent danger of a pandemic. Pandemic threats include AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and influenza. Developed countries are not too concerned about these diseases, but their vitality in poor countries can threaten a large part of the world.
37. In Search of the Spiritual, Jerry Adler, Newsweek, August 29/September 5, 2005
Jerry Adler presents a full and rich report on spirituality and religion in America which covers both statistics and practices.
Unit 6: Social Change and the Future
Unit Overview
Part A. Population Issues
38. Enough Already, Paul Ehrlich and Anne Ehrlich, New Scientist Magazine, September 30, 2006
Paul and Anne Ehrlich counter those who fear negative consequences from stable or declining population. The worriers fail to notice the benefits of stable population and the population decline thesis is overblown. Developed countries with healthy economies are likely to grow through immigration. Stable or declining population countries will have to change some of their retirement policies and make other adaptations, but adjustments need not be very severe.
39. Putting a Stop to Slave Labor: A Moral Solution to Illegal Immigration, Bryan Welch, Utne, March/April 2007
Immigration policy is a very divisive issue in the United States today. Americans are aware that millions of immigrants are here illegally, and many are outraged and think that the immigrant takes jobs away from them. But many employers benefit from cheap workers. Bryan Welch explores the economic, political, and moral issues involved in this new type of slave labor.
Part B. Environment and Safety
40. Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, Lester R. Brown, Earth Policy Institute, 2008
Lester R. Brown has been reporting on environmental problems for four decades, and provides a synopsis of all the major environmental problems in this article. These problems must be addressed immediately because some of them might cross ecosystem thresholds and damage the equilibrating mechanisms with devastating results.
41. Climate Change, Coming Home: Global Warmings Effects on Populations, Sarah DeWeerdt, WorldWatch, May/June 2007
Global warming is constantly in the news, but its impacts, other than the melting of arctic ice and the threat to polar bears, are not widely known. Sarah DeWeerdt identifies some of its major impacts and warns of possible food shortages, spreading of infectious diseases, and rising sea levels.
42. Draining Our Future: The Growing Shortage of Freshwater, Lester R. Brown, The Futurist, May/June 2008
While the world focuses on the shortage of oil relative to its demand, Lester R. Brown describes the growing shortage of freshwater. The worlds water tables are falling, rivers are running dry, and population and economic growth are putting greater pressure on water resources. The results are food crises and water conflicts.
Part C. Technology for Better or for Worse
43. Whos Afraid of Human Enhancement?: A Reason Debate on the Promise, Perils, and Ethics of Human Biotechnology, Nick Gillespie et al., Reason, January 2006
A major cultural debate of this century is how society will deal with biotechnology. The potential for reducing diseases, disabilities, and abnormalities on the one hand and to enhance performance on the other hand is great. Eventually, children can be “designed.” This article debates, “What should biotechnology be allowed to do?”
44. Biotech on the Farm: Realizing the Promise, Clifton E. Anderson, The Futurist, September/October 2005
The fact that new technology can produce both good and bad outcomes is at the heart of the debate about genetic engineering. Clifton Anderson explains how it can help farmers feed future populations with better diets but also entails high risks. He recommends a Genetic Science Commission to guide the development of genetic research to maximize the benefits and minimize the harms.
Part D. Terrorism and War
45. Defeating Terrorism: Is It Possible? Is it Probable?, Marvin J. Cetron, The Futurist, May/June 2007
One of the leading futurists, Marvin J. Cetron, directed the most extensive projects forecasting the future of terrorism and reports its findings here. It is scary!
46. Nightmare in Manhattan, Bruce Goldman, New Scientist Magazine, March 2006
Americas biggest fear is nuclear terrorism. Bruce Goldman describes the impact of a terrorist nuclear bomb on Manhattan.
47. Winter Soldiers Sound Off, Dahr Jamail, Progressive, April 2008
American soldiers are speaking out on what is happening in Iraq. The truth is painful. Normal men in abnormal situations are capable of awful actions, and sociologists must try to understand the realities of war.
Part E. Macro Changes for the World and the United States
48. Update on the State of the Future, Jerome C. Glenn and Theodore J. Gordon, The Futurist, January/February 2006
In this article, two leading futurists provide a wide range of trends and predictions on the future. Their environmental predictions are particularly frightening, but they do point to an increase in awareness of the problems and measures that favor sustainability.
49. A Users Guide to the Century, Jeffrey D. Sachs, The National Interest, July/August 2008
Jeffrey Sachs attempts to identify, briefly describe, and assess the consequences of the major developments of the twenty-first century. The world is converging technologically and economically, economic and population growth are threatening the environment, and vast inequalities in income and power between and within nations are destabilizing and increasing conflicts.
50. Understanding Our Moment in History: Living Between Two Ages, William Van Dusen Wishard, Vital Speeches of the Day, 2005
The author is a specialist in trend analysis and his research convinces him that the world is transitioning between two ages. The world, as we know it, is coming to an end because of globalization, information technologies, urbanization, the explosion of knowledge and technologies, the quickening pace of change, and a long-term spiritual and psychological reorientation.
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