Download FREE Sample Here

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCING SOCIOLOGY
BRIEF CHAPTER OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
Robert Brym’s Road to Sociology
A Change of Mind
FROM BRITNEY SPEARS TO LADY GAGA:
SOCIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS OF FASHION CYCLES
Functionalism
Conflict Theory
Symbolic Interactionism
Feminism
THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION
Social Structures
Origins of the Sociological Imagination
The Scientific Revolution
The Democratic Revolution
The Industrial Revolution
FOUNDERS
Durkheim
Parsons and Merton
Marx
Weber
Du Bois
Mead
Martineau and Addams
Modern Feminism
CONDUCTING RESEARCH
The Research Cycle
Ethics in Sociological Research
THE MAIN METHODS OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Experiments
Surveys
Field Research
Analysis of Existing Documents and Official Statistics
CHALLENGES FACING US TODAY
More Opportunity?
More Freedom?
Where Do You Fit In?
1
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Sociology is the systematic study of human behavior in social context. Sociology provides
evidence that often contradicts simplistic explanations for social problems. It illustrates the ways
in which social organization can both limit and expand opportunities.
There are four currents in sociological thought that help explain shifts in fashion that are driven by
the popularity and marketing of different people, music, movies and other forms of popular culture.
Functionalism focuses on how human behavior is governed by relatively stable social structures.
From this perspective fashion enables people of different social rank to distinguish themselves
from one another. Conflict theory shows how changing fashions increases the wealth of those
who own and operate the clothing industries, and distracts members of lower classes from more
pressing social issues. From the perspective of symbolic interactionism clothing is understood as
a set of symbols that carry meaning. Ideas pertaining to one’s identity may be communicated via
clothing and other aspects of popular culture.
Feminism may, from one perspective, be critical of fashion as a means of patriarchal control of
women. Other feminists argue that even sexually explicit fashions and popular cultural elements
may be a means of expressing women’s power. Feminist theory explores the ambiguous gender
messages communicated via fashion.
A social structure is a relatively stable pattern of social relations. The sociological imagination
is the ability to see the connection between personal troubles and social structures at four different
levels: microstructures (patterns of intimate social relation), mesostructures (impersonal
relationships within organizations), macrostructures (patterns of social relations that lie outside
and above your circle of intimates and acquaintances, and global structures (patterns of social
relations that lie outside and above the national level).
The sociological imagination emerged with three modern revolutions. The Scientific Revolution
dates to the 16th century when Copernicus introduced a new scientific approach to making a case
for a particular perspective. The Democratic Revolution beginning in the mid-18th century
contributed the idea that people, not God, are responsible for organizing social life, and can
therefore solve social problems. New social problems emerged with the Industrial Revolution in
the late 18th century, and these attracted the attention of social thinkers who were the founders of
sociology.
Three major theoretical traditions in sociology are functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic
interactionism. Feminist theory has arisen in recent decades to compensate for deficiencies in the
three traditional theories. Functionalism (Durkheim, Parsons and Merton) focuses on how human
behavior is governed by relatively stable social structures. Conflict theory (Marx, Weber, and
Dubois) shows how major patterns of inequality in society produce social stability in some
circumstances and social change in others. Symbolic interactionism (Weber, Mead, Goffman,
social constructionism) focuses on interpersonal communication in microlevel social settings.
2
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
Durkheim’s sociological study of suicide demonstrates that there is a social realm that influences
all human behavior. Durkheim showed that apparently even nonsocial and antisocial actions are
influenced by social structures. Suicide rates, he discovered, are related to varying degrees of
social solidarity within different populations of people. Less social solidarity is related to higher
rates of suicide. Durkheim’s work provided the basis for recognition of the key features of
functionalism: social structure, social stability, shared values, and equilibrium.
Talcott Parsons, a leading American proponent of functionalism in the early 20th century,
emphasized social integration and equilibrium achieved through effective family functioning.
Robert Merton argued that in actuality, social structures have a differential impact on different
groups, and that the impact is sometimes negative or dysfunctional. Both functions and
dysfunctions may be manifest (intended and easily observed) or latent (unintended or less
obvious).
Karl Marx was a German social thinker concerned with the problems brought on by the Industrial
Revolution. His concept of class conflict provides the foundation for conflict theory. In his view,
the owners of industry would work to make production efficient and inexpensive, creating an
ever-larger group of exploited workers. Marx believed that workers would achieve class
consciousness and create social changes including an end to private property.
Max Weber’s work attempted to correct flaws in Marx’s ideas. Weber noted that in addition to
class conflict, politics and religion were also forces for change in society. Others followed Weber,
noting that new technologies, better working conditions, and government-supported benefits
would also reduce class conflict. Still, Marx provided the foundation for the key features of
conflict theory: macro-level structures, inequality, conflict, lessening privilege.
Another conflict theorist, William E. B. Du Bois was an African American who wrote the first
book in the U.S. based on sociological research, The Philadelphia Negro. He demonstrated that
poverty and racial conflict were the results of white prejudice. He was also critical of wealthier
African Americans for not doing more to assist those in the lower classes.
Weber believed that religious beliefs, not just economic conditions, promoted the growth of early
capitalism. Weber emphasized the need to understand the motivations people have for their
behavior. George Herbert Mead shared Weber’s belief in the importance of understanding what
motivates behavior. Mead’s focus was the development of one’s sense of self through social
interaction. According to Mead, one’s sense of self is not acquired at birth, but through the course
of interaction with others. Mead’s work provides the foundation for the key ideas in symbolic
interactionism: micro-level communication, subjective meanings, people as active agents, and
tolerance.
The exceptional women who contributed during the early history of sociology introduced a focus
on gender that was largely ignored by the early male sociologists. Harriet Martineau authored the
first guide to sociological research methods and is often considered the first women sociologist.
Martineau wrote critical studies of slavery, labor, and gender inequality.
3
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
Jane Addams was an American sociologist who, like other women, was denied a faculty
appointment. She turned to social work and social activism, spending her life devoted to social
reform. Addams co-founded a sanctuary for the poor living in slums in Chicago. Called Hull
House, it served as a field site for students in sociology at the Chicago University.
Feminist thought had little impact on sociology until the mid-1960s and the rise of the modern
Women’s Movement. Feminist theory has had a significant impact within sociology and is
considered a fourth major perspective. Although modern feminism has many forms, they share
these key ideas: patriarchy, power and social convention, micro- and macro-level focus, and
gender inequality.
In order to assess how well theory fits the “real world”, sociologists conduct research. The
research cycle seeks to overcome unscientific thinking through the use of six steps: 1) Formulate
a research question; 2) Review existing literature; 3) Selecting a research method; 4) Collecting the
data; 5) Analyzing the data; 6) Publicize the results.
Ethical considerations are important in the research process. Ethical concerns include, respecting
the rights of research subjects, subjects have the right to decide if their attitudes and behaviors are
to be revealed to the public, researchers cannot use the data in a way that allows them to be traced
to a particular subject, subjects are to be told how the information they supply will be used, and the
subject having the right to informed consent. Research results must also be given ethical
consideration. The Internet has increased the widespread availability of sociological research, and
students often commit “cut and paste” plagiarism when writing term papers. The Code of Ethics
for the American Sociological Association is clear that the source and author of any materials used
must be cited regardless of whether or not the paper is published.
Sociologists have used controlled experiments to investigate the connection between television
violence and violence in real life. Randomization is used to create matched groups of subjects,
one of which will be exposed to the experimental condition which in this case is likely to be
exposure to some form of media violence. Such experiments have found a short term increase in
violence after exposure, but the results are much less certain over the long term, especially for
older children. Results for the same experiment that are consistent over time indicate high
reliability. Because they involve artificially created situations, experiments may have lower
validity, the degree to which they measure what they are designed to measure.
Surveys, the most commonly used sociological method, indicate a weaker relationship between
exposure to media violence and engaging in violent behavior than do experiments. Surveys are
administered to a sample of people from the population under study. Questionnaires may include
open-ended or closed-ended questions. Field research involves the systematic observation of
people in the course of any type of activity. Detached observation is a means to ensure the
accuracy of observations. When sociologists take part in an activity under study, while engaging in
systematic observation, this is termed participant observation. Sociologists may also use data
from existing documents and official statistics such as information from the Census, police
crime reports, and vital statistics such as births, deaths, marriages and divorces. There are
advantages to using existing data, such as a reduction in time and expense involved in the research,
4
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
no reactivity due to the absence of subjects, and the potential for historical analysis.
Two sociological issues stand out due to their scope and significance: the postindustrial
revolution and globalization. The technology-driven shift from manufacturing to service
industries of the postindustrial revolution has had consequences for virtually all human activities.
The main unresolved tensions of the postindustrial era are between equality and inequality of
opportunity. While postindustrialism brings greater opportunity, it is also associated with
increasing disparities of wealth and income. Racism and sexism continue to be problems.
Globalization refers to the linkages being created between different independent economies,
nations, and cultures. People throughout the world are increasingly more interdependent.
Postindustrialism and globalization bring increased choice in all areas of human life. But they are
also associated with environmental degradation, and dehumanization within social relationships.
Careers in sociology are applied sciences with practical, everyday uses, especially in the realms of
teaching, research, and public policy, the creation of laws and regulations by organizations and
governments. Sociology contributes to a deeper understanding of society and social issues, and can
lead to more creative approaches to public policy for addressing social problems.
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After reading Chapter 1, you should be able to:
1. Define sociology.
2. Identify the social relations that surround you, permeate you, and influence your behavior.
3. Describe how sociological research seeks to improve people’s lives and test ideas using
scientific methods.
4. Summarize the four main schools of sociological theory.
5. Distinguish the four main methods of collecting sociological data.
6. Explain how sociology can help us deal with the many challenges that society faces today.
KEY TERMS (with corresponding page number)
class consciousness (11)
altruistic suicide (10)
closed-ended question (20)
anomic suicide (10)
conflict theory (6)
association (20)
control group (19)
analysis of existing documents and official
Democratic Revolution (9)
statistics (22)
dependent variable (18)
class conflict (11)
detached observation (21)
dysfunction (11)
5
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
egoistic suicide (10)
Protestant ethic (13)
experiment (18)
public policy (26)
experimental group (19)
randomization (18)
feminism (7)
rate (10)
field research (21)
reactivity (21)
functionalism (5)
reliability (19)
gender (7)
research (15)
global structures (8)
respondents (20)
globalization (23)
sample (20)
independent variable (19)
Scientific Revolution (8)
Industrial Revolution (9)
social class (5)
latent function (11)
social solidarity (10)
macrostructures (8)
social structures (8)
manifest function (11)
sociological imagination (8)
mesostructures (8)
survey (20)
microstructures (8)
survey (20)
open-ended question (20)
symbols (6)
participant observation (21)
symbolic interactionism (6)
patriarchy (7)
theory (6)
population (20)
validity (19)
Postindustrial Revolution (23)
DETAILED LECTURE OUTLINE
I.
INTRODUCTION
A. Robert Brym’s Road to Sociology
1. Sociology: “Thin Soup with Uncertain Ingredients?”
2. Is Sociology merely like economics, political science, philosophy, drama, and
abnormal psychology?
B. A Change of Mind
1. Sociology “an altogether new way” to think.
2. The dilemma of all thinking people (“Life is finite”)—study, reflection and the
selection of values and goals.
3. Sociology’s Unique Way of Explaining Social Life
a. Sociology is the systematic study of human behavior in social context.
b. Social causes are distinct from physical and emotional causes.
c. The organization of the social world opens up some opportunities, but also
constrains our freedom.
d. Understanding the power of social forces can help us to know our capabilities and
limitations.
II. FROM BRITNEY SPEARS TO LADY GAGA: SOCIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS OF
FASHION CYCLES
A. Functionalism
1. Fashion trends enable stability within society
2
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
2. New trends help to sustain an orderly social class system
B. Conflict Theory
1. Highlights tensions underlying existing social relations
2. Owners and others in fashion and entertainment industries make big profits from
changing fashion trends
C. Symbolic Interactionsim
1. Clothing a type of symbol that carries meaning
2. Clothing a reflection and expression of changing self-identities
D. Feminism
1. Gender refers to one’s sense of being masculine or feminine
2. Traditional feminism views fashion as part of patriarchy
3. Contemporary feminism views fashion as a means of power for women
4. Feminism highlights the ambiguities of gender identity that underlie the rise of fashion
trends
III. THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION
A. Social structures
1. Social structures are stable patterns of social relations, that affect your innermost
thoughts and feelings, influence your actions, and thus help shape who you are.
2. The “Sociological Imagination,” coined by C. Wright Mills, refers to the ability to see
the connection between personal troubles and social structures at four different levels
of social structure:
a. Microstructures are patterns of intimate social relations.
b. Mesostructures patterns of impersonal social relations within organizations.
c. Macrostructures are patterns of social relations that lie outside and above your
circle of intimates and acquaintances.
i. Examples are patriarchy and social classes
d. Global structures are patterns of social relations that lie outside and above the
national level, including international organizations, patterns of worldwide travel
and communication, and the economic relations between countries.
e. One of the sociologist’s main tasks is to identify and explain the connection
between people’s personal troubles and the social structures in which they are
embedded.
B. Origins of the Sociological Imagination
1. The sociological imagination emerged in response to three modern revolutions that
pushed people to think about society in new ways.
2. The Scientific Revolution which began in Europe around 1550, encouraged the view
that sound conclusions about the workings of society must be based on solid evidence,
not just speculation.
3. The Democratic Revolution, which began about 1750, involved the citizens of the
United States, France and other countries broadening their participation in government,
and suggested that people organize society, and that human intervention can therefore
resolve social problems.
4. The Industrial Revolution, which began in Britain in the 1780s, refers to the rapid
economic transformation that involved the large-scale application of science and
technology to industrial processes, the creation of factories, and the formation of a
2
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
working class.
IV. FOUNDERS
A. Durkheim
1. Durkheim is generally considered the first modern sociologist. He argued that human
behavior is shaped by social facts, the social relationships in which people are
embedded.
2. In his study of suicide, Durkheim linked rates of suicide to the degree of social
solidarity within different populations.
3. Durkheim’s work provided the foundation for the features of functionalism today:
a. Human behavior is governed by stable patterns of social relations, or social
structures.
b. Social structures maintain or undermine social stability.
c. Social structures are based mainly on shared values.
d. Reestablishment of equilibrium can best solve most social problems.
B. Parsons and Merton
1. Talcott Parsons was the foremost American proponent of functionalism who identified
how various institutions work to ensure the smooth operation of society as a whole.
2. Robert Merton proposed that social structures may have different consequences for
different groups of people such as disruptive consequences referred to as dysfunctions.
Merton also noted that some functions are manifest (intended and easily observed),
while others are latent (unintended and less obvious).
C. Marx
1. A generation before and radically different from Durkheim, Karl Marx originated
conflict theory in his observation of the destitution and discontent produced by the
Industrial Revolution.
2. Class conflict, the struggle between classes lies at the center of Marx’s ideas.
3. Marx argued that owners or capitalists, in their attempt to improve the efficiency of
work and earn higher profits, concentrate workers in larger establishments, keep wages
low, and invest little in improving working conditions.
4. Marx felt that workers would become aware of their exploited class, referred to as class
consciousness, encourage trade union and labor party organization, and eventually
replace private ownership of property with an economic system based on shared
property ownership—that is a “communist” society.
D. Weber
1. A generation after Marx, Max Weber pointed out major flaws in Marx’s argument.
2. Weber noted that growth of the “service” sector with its many non-manual workers and
professionals.
3. Weber showed that class conflict is not the only driving force of history, but rather
politics and religion are also important sources of historical change.
4. The essential features of conflict theory are found in the work of Weber:
a. Focus on large, macro-level structures, such as relations between classes.
b. Shows how major patterns of inequality in society produce social stability in some
circumstances and social change in others.
c. Stresses how members of privileged groups try to maintain their advantages while
subordinate groups struggle to increase theirs. Thus social conditions at a given
3
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
time are the expression of an ongoing power struggle between privileged and
subordinate groups.
d. Suggests that eliminating privilege will lower the level of conflict and increase total
human welfare.
E. Du Bois
1. Was the first African American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard.
2. Du Bois was an early advocate of conflict theory, and conducted pioneering studies of
race in the United States.
3. He was a founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) and the country’s second Department of Sociology at Atlanta University in
1897.
4. In his best-known work, The Philadelphia Negro, Du Bois illustrates that poverty and
other social problems faced by African Americans were not due to some “natural”
inferiority, but to white prejudice.
F. Mead
1. Weber also contributed the idea of subjective meanings and motives to sociological
theory, which is central to symbolic interactionism. Weber concluded that capitalism
did not develop in the context of economic forces alone, but rather depended on the
religious meaning people attached to their work such as the Protestant ethic (the belief
that religious doubts can be reduced, and a state of grace assured, if people work
diligently and live ascetically).
2. George Herbert Mead followed in the tradition of Weber. He argued that the self was
created through interaction with others.
3. Mead and his colleagues gave birth to symbolic interactionism, an American
theoretical tradition with these features:
a. Focuses on micro-level communication or face-to-face interaction.
b. Emphasizes the subjective meanings people attach to their social circumstances as
the basis of social behavior.
c. Stresses that people are active agents who help to create their social circumstances,
and do not merely react to them.
d. Tolerance for unpopular and nonofficial viewpoints, which increases our
understanding and tolerance of people different from us.
G. Martineau and Addams
1. Although few women figured prominently in the early history of sociology due to the
lack of opportunity for women in the larger society in the 19th century, there were a few
exceptional women who introduced gender issues that were largely ignored by Marx,
Durkheim, Weber, Mead, and other early sociologists.
2. Harriet Martineau is often called “the first woman sociologist,” and one of the first
feminists. She wrote one of the first books on research methods, undertook critical
studies of slavery and factory laws and gender inequality, and advocated voting rights
and higher education for women, and gender equality in the family.
3. Jane Addams co-founded Hull House, a shelter for the destitute in Chicago’s slums,
that provided a research platform for students of sociology at the University of Chicago.
She spent a lifetime working for social reform and was a recipient of the Nobel Prize in
1931,
4
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
4. Since the mid-1960s, feminist theory has had a big influence on sociology. The various
strands of feminist theory share the following characteristics:
a. Focuses on various aspects of patriarchy, the system of male domination, which is
at least as important as class inequality in determining a person’s opportunities.
b. Holds that male domination and female subordination are determined by structures
of power and social convention, not biological necessity.
c. Examines the operation of patriarchy in both micro and macro settings.
d. Contends that existing patterns of gender inequality can and should be changed for
the benefit of all members of society.
V. CONDUCTING RESEARCH
A. Conducting research is the process of carefully observing reality in order to assess the
validity of a theory.
B. The Research Cycle
1. Sociological research is a cyclical process involving six steps:
a. Formulate a research question.
b. Review existing literature.
c. Select a research method.
d. Collect data.
e. Analyze the data.
f. Report/publicize the results.
C. Ethics in Sociological Research
1. Researchers must be mindful of and have respect for their subjects' rights:
a. Right to safety
b. Right to privacy
c. Right to confidentiality
d. Right to informed consent
2. Ethics also govern how the treatment of research results. Plagiarism has increased as a
result of widespread access to materials via the Internet.
VI. THE MAIN METHODS OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
A. Experiments
1. Experiments have been used by sociologists to investigate the relationship between
media and real world violence. An experiment is a carefully controlled artificial
situation that allows researchers to isolate hypothesized causes and measure their
effects precisely. Experiments involve randomization (assigning individuals to one of
two groups by chance processes) to create two similar groups for comparison.
2. Sociologists investigating the effects of violence on television on children’s behavior
randomly assign children to a control group (the group that is not exposed to the
independent variable) and an experimental group that will be exposed to the
independent variable (in this case viewing an hour-long program containing many acts
of violence).
3. Children’s initial aggression score is the dependent variable (the presumed effect in
a cause-and-effect relationship). The experimental group is exposed to some form of
media violence, which is the independent variable or the presumed cause of any
change in a cause-and-effect relationship).
4. Experiments allow researchers to isolate the single cause of theoretical interest and
5
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
measure its effect with high reliability, the degree to which a measurement procedure
yields consistent results.
5. Many sociologists argue that experiments are highly artificial situations. They believe
that removing people from their natural social settings lowers the validity of
experimental results, or the degree to which a measure actually measures what it is
intended to measure.
B. Surveys
1. Surveys ask people questions about their knowledge, attitudes, or behavior. They are
the most commonly used sociological method.
2. Survey studies examine part of a group called a sample (the part of the population of
research interest that is selected for analysis), in order to learn about the whole group,
referred to as the population (the entire group which the researcher wishes to
generalize).
3. Surveys may be conducted by mailed questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, or
telephone interviews. Surveys may contain two types of questions:
a. Closed-ended questions provide the respondent with a list of permitted answers.
b. Open-ended questions allow respondents to answer in their own words.
C. Field Research
1. Some sociologists undertake field research, or research based on the observation of
people in their natural settings.
2. Detached observation involves classifying and counting the behavior of interest
according to a predetermined scheme.
3. Two main problems of direct observation.
a. Reactivity - the presence of the researcher may itself affect the behavior of the
people being observed.
b. The meaning of the observed behavior may remain obscure to the researcher.
4. Participant observation research involves attempts by researchers to observe a social
milieu objectively and take part in the activities of the people they are studying.
D. Analysis of Existing Documents and Official Statistics
1. Three types of existing documents sociologists have analyzed:
a. Diaries
b. Newspapers
c. Published historical works.
2. The most frequently used sources of official statistics:
a. Census data
b. Police crime reports (i.e. Uniform Crime Reports)
c. Records of key life events.
3. Four main advantages of existing documents and official statistics:
a. Can save researchers time and money.
b. Official statistics usually cover entire populations and are collected using rigorous
and uniform methods, thus yielding high quality data.
c. Useful for historical and comparative analysis.
d. Reactivity is not a problem.
4. One big disadvantage:
a. Often contain biases that reflect the interests of the individuals and organizations
6
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
that created the data, - and these data sources are not created with the researcher's
needs in mind.
VII. CHALLENGES FACING US TODAY
A. Sociological founders attempted to solve the great sociological puzzles of their time, the
causes and consequences of the Industrial Revolution. The Postindustrial Revolution and
globalization are perhaps the greatest sociological puzzles of our time.
1. The Postindustrial Revolution is the technology-driven shift from manufacturing to
services industries – the shift from employment in factories to employment in offices
– and the consequences of that shift for nearly all human activities.
2. Globalization is the process by which formerly separate economies, states, and
cultures are becoming tied together and people are becoming increasingly aware of
their growing interdependence.
B. More Opportunity?
1. Optimists suggest that post-industrialism will provide more “equality of opportunity,”
that is better chances for all people to get a good education, influence government
policy, and find good jobs.
2. The “dark underside” of post-industrialism involves growing inequalities between
wealthy and poor Americans, wealthy and poor nations, women and men, and regarding
racism and discrimination.
C. More Freedom?
1. Many people are now freer to choose who they want to be with respect to their identities
and social relationships.
2. Increased freedom is experienced only within certain limits; social diversity is limited
by pressures of conformity.
D. Where Do You Fit In?
1. Rather than being apathetic, people are inclined to look for ways to improve their lives,
and this historical period is full of opportunities to do so.
2. Sociology offers some useful advice on how to achieve these goals, for sociology is not
just an intellectual exercise, but also an applied science, with practical uses, especially
in teaching and public policy (the creation of laws and regulations by organizations
and governments).
ESSAY/ DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Consider the ways that you “know what you know”. Where does your information come from?
How would you define “common sense”? How reliable are your different sources of
information, do you think?
2. When is the last time you heard information from the media that you later found out was
untrue? What was the information about? List some strategies you can use to more carefully
assess the information you receive from the media.
3. Think about how you respond to new fashion trends. Which of the theoretical perspectives
offers the best explanation for the role of fashion in your own experience?
7
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
4. In what ways (or in what circumstances) is clothing symbolic? Make a list of as many different
examples as you can. How do you express aspects of your own identity using fashion?
5. Discuss clothing as a symbol of one’s gender identity? Compare the range and differences in
styles and presentation for men and women. What are the significant differences that might
indicate the concepts of masculinity and femininity?
6. Consider a general theme or topic (such as education, violence, finances) and briefly describe
it within the context of each level of the social structure, as defined in the text.
7. For each of the research methods give an example of a research question that could be
answered using the method, and an example of one that could not be answered using that
method. Describe when it would be appropriate to use existing documents and official statistics
for data collection. What are the limitations and advantages of these sources?
8. Is it possible to study the impact of various forms of popular culture on people’s beliefs and
behavior? If not, why not? If so, explain how you would conduct such a study.
9. What is the Postindustrial Revolution? Sociology grew out of an interest in understanding and
perhaps countering the impact of the Industrial Revolution on society. In a similar way are
there negative consequences of the Postindustrial Revolution that social scientists should be
aware of?
10. What impact, if any, do you predict that the postindustrial revolution will have (or is currently
having) on class conflict and the creation of class consciousness in societies throughout the
world. Do you think the promise of freedom and equality will be realized in the 21st century?
Why or why not?
LECTURE SUGGESTIONS
1. Divide the students into small groups. Have each group discuss the different ways that a
psychologist, a medical doctor, and a theologian would describe suicide. Have each group
compare their findings with Durkheim's analysis of suicide. Have each group present their
findings to the class
2. Bring in a number of articles from different sources, but all on the same topic. Use these to
demonstrate the method of content analysis. Ask students to suggest ways in which the articles
may differ, and how that difference might exist in the articles.
3. Does sociology mean that religion is not true? Explain the goals of social science are different
from religion. Especially in regards to morality issues. This can lead into a good discussion
about social sciences research methods.
8
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
4. Use examples of revolutionary movements throughout the world, especially those that have
been organized using social media networks, to illustrate how post-industrial technologies may
be involved in facilitating the creation of class consciousness.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
1. Using a database owned by your institution find several articles published within the last three
years in professional sociological journals. Write a complete bibliographic citation in APA
format for each of your articles. Read each article and determine which type of sociological
theory it incorporates. Note or highlight places in the article that illustrate the perspective of the
articles.
2. Pick something you perceive as a social problem. Formulate a research question that relates to
this topic, and decide which research method would be best for collecting data relevant to your
question. How might the conclusions reached in this sample research be used to help solve the
social problem?
3. Make slips of paper with various topics or situations on them, divide students into small
groups, and ask each group to draw a topic/situation. For the topic/situation that they draw,
have each group develop a brief explanation of it would be approached by each of the
sociological theories (functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, feminist theory).
The explanations should include a brief statement of the issues each theory would be most
concerned with, and examples of questions that might be asked by each one.
4. Ask students to identify a number of current trends in fashion or other types of popular culture.
Ask them to consider and suggest the original source of each. What are they basing their
suggestions on (i.e. what is the source of their information)?
MEDIA SUGGESTIONS
Full-length Videos
Endgame: Ethics and Values in America, video, 60 min., 2003, features a debate on moral, ethical
and social dilemmas that affect our contemporary society. Available from Public Broadcasting
Services (PBS).
Freedom Now, video, 60 min., 1998, illustrates how masses in India could defy their imperial
masters. A great illustration of conflict theory. Available from PBS.
The Good Society, video, two parts, 60 min. each, based on the book by sociology Robert Bellah.
It discusses two American cities trying to make a better society. Available from Films for the
Humanities and Sciences (FHS).
Karl Marx and Marxism, video, 52 min., looks at the ideology of Marx and its application to the
9
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
former Soviet Union. Available from FHS.
W.E.B. DuBois of Great Barrington, , video, 60 min., 1992, examines the life of DuBois and his
role as a pioneer in American sociology. Available from PBS.
Madres Unidas: Parents Researching for Change, video, 58 min, 2003, shows the importance of
different educational and social sciences research methods. Available from University of
California Extension Center for Media and Independent Learning.
Other Peoples Garbage, video, 60 min., 1982, uses unobtrusive measures in the study of coal
mines excavated in the 1880s. Available from PBS.
Shorts – Sociological Imagination
Sociologist Perspective: Marisol Clark-Ibanez, Intro, Wadsworth Video
Discussion questions: Why did you attend this particular college? How do you think that decision
was impacted by larger social forces?
Sociologist Perspective: Tracy Ore, Wadsworth Video
Discussion questions: Do you know where the food you've eaten today came from? Why does food
matter in understanding society?
Sociologist Perspective: Earl Babbie, Intro, Wadsworth Video
Discussion questions: In what say is Earl Babbie linking freedom to order? Do you think that the
U.S. has more order? More freedom?
Sociologist Perspective: Maggie Andersen, Intro, Wadsworth Video
AIDS Action: One Man's Personal Story, Video
Sociologist and activist Victor Ayala's ability to change the lives of many with AIDS illustrates
how individual concern can translate into social action.
Discussion questions: What does it mean to translate a personal problem into a social issue? How
does Victor Ayala's research and action provide a positive model for others? Describe the
empirical research of Victor Ayala and the variables he examined.
The Sociological Imagination 01, Video
Using a parade as an example of society, this segment explains the concept of the sociological
imagination and discusses the patterns of human behavior and social order that sociologists
examine.
Shorts – Research Methods
Sociologist Perspective: Kathryn Edin on Research Methods, Wadsworth Video
Sociologist Perspective: Earl Babbie, Research Methods and Social Problems, Wadsworth Video
10
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
Sociologist Perspective: Howard Taylor, Research Methods and Race, Wadsworth Video
Sociologist Perspective: Howard Taylor, Intelligence, Wadsworth Video
Sociologist Perspective: Howard Taylor, Research Methods, Wadsworth Video
Elian Gonzales: A Refugee's Story, Wadsworth Video
By applying sociological perspectives to the Elian Gonzalez case, this segment shows students
how real life experiences and events can be analyzed sociologically.
Discussion questions: How is the conflict perspective illustrated in the case of Elian Gonzalez?
What are some examples of conflict in the Elian Gonzalez case? How would you apply other
sociological perspectives such as functionalism or interactionism to the Elian Gonzalez case?
Mixed Research Methods & New York City's Homeless, Wadsworth Video
This segment discusses a real-life sociological research project among the homeless population in
New York City to illustrate the practical application of research and the effectiveness of using
multiple research methods.
Discussion questions: What are the research methods used by Kornblum and Williams? Why
would interviews be appropriate in this research effort? What are the practical outcomes of this
research?
The Tuskegee Experiment - Ethics
ABC 2010 RM
3:06 Video
The most shameful memory of science in America is the Tuskegee Study. In the 1930s, 399 men
African American men signed up with the U.S. Public Health Service for free medical care. What
they did not know is that actually they were participating in a study on the effects of syphilis on the
human body. The men were never told they had syphilis and were denied access to treatment.
Discussion questions: In the case of the Tuskegee Study, deception resulted in physical harm and
even death for many of the participants. In the social sciences, deceptive methods might not
necessarily result in physical harm, but what other types of damage might occur? How else might
researchers ethically study the effects of not treating syphilis?
One Year After Katrina - Intensive Interviews
ABC 2010 RM
3:37 Video
Like reporters, sociologists often use intensive interviews to dig deeper into the phenomenon they
are studying. This report looking back on Hurricane Katrina’s destruction of New Orleans is a
prime example. Statistics might tell us how many people lost their homes, or how many people
died, but those statistics can’t give the audience a profound sense of what it actually felt like to
experience the trauma and later to struggle through recovery. Good interviewing can do that. Note
how the interviewer here is able to help the interviewees relax in order to remember this unpleasant
event. Also note how the dialogue between the interviewer and the interviewee is less structured
than in a survey interview. Here the questions are open-ended and the interviewee is allowed
digress, ruminate and elaborate on answers.
11
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
Discussion questions: What do you like about the style of the interviews in this piece? What do
you dislike? What are the ethical concerns of interviewing people about a traumatic event like
Hurricane Katrina?
New Musician Neighborhood in New Orleans - Intensive Interviews
ABC 2010 RM
2:20 Video
Like reporters, sociologists often use intensive interviews to dig deeper into the phenomenon they
are studying. This report looking back on Hurricane Katrina’s destruction of New Orleans is a
prime example. Statistics might tell us how many people lost their homes, or how many people
died, but those statistics can’t give the audience a profound sense of what it actually felt like to
experience the trauma and later to struggle through recovery. Good interviewing can do that. Note
how the interviewer here is able to help the interviewees relax in order to remember this unpleasant
event. Also note how the dialogue between the interviewer and the interviewee is less structured
than in a survey interview. Here the questions are open-ended and the interviewee is allowed
digress, ruminate and elaborate on answers.
Discussion questions: What do you like about the style of the interviews in this piece? What do
you dislike? What are the ethical concerns of interviewing people about a traumatic event like
Hurricane Katrina?
2008 Election Tracking Poll - Surveys
ABC 2010 RM
1:32 Video
The first major presidential poll was conducted by a magazine called Literary Digest in 1936.
After mailing a brief questionnaire to ten million people, Literary Digest erroneously predicted a
landslide victory for Alf Langdon over Franklin D Roosevelt. What went wrong? First of all, the
findings were based on a very low response rate. Second of all, Literary Digest only mailed its
survey to households with phones and car owners. In the 1930s, such persons were the privileged
segment of society, much more likely to support Langdon, but not at all representative of most
Americans.
Discussion questions: If you were a pollster and you had to survey 1,500 people in 24-hours, how
might you do that in a way that would ensure maximum accuracy in your data? Can too much
polling be bad for democracy?
Census Bureau Counts Homeless - Sampling
ABC 2010 RM
1:55 Video
This piece from the eve of the 2008 presidential election shows how uncertain polling still can be.
It also gives a sense of how surveys and the data they generate can become politicized in the mass
media.
Discussion questions: In the case of counting America’s homeless, how could a sample be more
accurate than a census? If you were a fieldworker trying to locate homeless persons for a survey,
how might you go about finding them?
Careers in Sociology
Sociologist Perspective: Joan Ferrante, Careers, Wadsworth Video
Sociologist Perspective: Marisol Clark-Ibanez, Careers in Sociology, Wadsworth Video
12
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
Sociologist Perspective: Marisol Clark-Ibanez, Applying Sociology, Wadsworth Video
Sociologist Perspective: Maggie Andersen, Careers, Wadsworth Video
INTERNET EXERCISES
Visit the Annual Review of Sociology official website. Go to: www.annurev.org and find the tab to
select “sociology.” This annual publication is comprised of cutting-edge articles within the
discipline of sociology. Select an article that interests you from Annual Review of Sociology and
describe the research question and research methods used.
Visit the official website for the American Sociological Association (ASA) at www.asanet.org
ASA is the largest professional organization of sociologists in the United States. What issues does
the ASA cover? Find the resources are available for undergraduate students of sociology and
explore opportunities in the profession.
Go to the official website for the popular Gallup Poll at www.gallup.com Select one of the titles
of a recent poll. At the end of the report there should be a description of the methods used to
complete the poll. Read the descriptions of methods for two different polls and write a summary
of how the research methods used by the Gallup Poll compare to the research methods you learned
from this chapter. What are the similarities? What are the differences?
Every professional organization that conducts research has a code of ethics or written guidelines
on conducting research. Read the Code of Ethics for the American Sociological Association at this
site:
www.asanet.org/ecoderev.htm Do you think there are any ethical concerns that have been left
out? If yes, what are they?
SUGGESTED RESOURCES FOR INSTRUCTORS
Berger, Peter L. 1963. Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective. New York: Anchor.
Berger, Peter L. and Thomas Luckmann. 1967. The Social Construction of Reality. New York:
Anchor.
Bobbie, Earl. 2004. The Practice of Social Research. (10/e) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Bourdieu, Pierre. 2000. Fieldwork in Culture. Boulder, CO: Rowman and Littlefield.
Charon, Joel M. 2004. Ten Questions: A Sociological Perspective, 5th ed. Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth.
13
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
Collins, Randall. 1992. Sociological Insight: An Introduction to Non-Obvious Sociology. New
York: Oxford University Press.
Code, Lorraine. 2003. Encyclopedia of feminist theories. London: Routledge.
Durkheim, Emile. 1897. Suicide. 1951 ed. New York: Free Press.
Giddens, Anthony. 1987. Sociology: A Brief But Critical Introduction, 2nd ed. New York.
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Heritage of Sociology Series. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1964 to present.
Humphreys, Laud. 1970. Tearoom Trade: Impersonal Sex in Public Places. Chicago: Aldine.
Lehmann, Jennifer M. 1994. Durkheim and Women. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska
Press.
Marx, Karl and Friederich Engles. 1848. The Communist Manifesto, 1955 ed. New York:
Appleton-Century-Crofts.
Mills, C. Wright. 1959. The Sociological Imagination. London: Oxford University Press.
Renzetti, Claire M. and R. M. Lee (eds). 1993. Researching Sensitive Topics. Newbury Park, CA:
Sage.
Ritzer, George. 2011. The McDonaldization of society. Los Angelos: SAGE/Pine Forge Press.
Ritzer, George. 2007. Sociological theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Stephens , Jr., W. Richard. 1999. Careers in Sociology. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Turner, Jonathan, Leonard Beeghley, and Charles H. Powers. 1995. The Emergence of
Sociological Theory. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Wallerstein, Immanuel. (ed). 1998. “The Heritage of Sociology and the Future of the Social
Sciences in the 21st Century,” Current Sociology (46, 2).
Weber, Max. 1905. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. 1958 ed. New York:
Scribners.
Whyte, William Foote. 1994. Participant Observation: An Autobiography. Ithaca, NY: ILR
Press.
SUGGESTIONS FROM COURSEREADER
14
Full file at
http://testbanksolutions.org/Solution-Manual-for-Sociology-Pop-Culture-to-Social-Structure-3rdEdition-Robert-J.-Brym,-John-Lie
To view and assign CourseReader articles, please visit www.cengage.com/login.
Berger, Peter L. - “Invitation to Sociology”
Cooley, Charles Horton - “The Looking-Glass Self”
Gaines, Donna - “Teenage Wasteland: Suburbia’s Dead-End Kids”
Goffman, Erving - “The Presentation of Self”
Mead, George Herbert - “The Self”
Mills, C. Wright - “The Promise of Sociology
Miner, Horace - “Body Ritual among the Nacirema”
15