Survey of Sociology

SOC&101/Survey of Sociology

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Week Seven

It is only when you step back, stop looking at the wires one by one, microscopically, and take a macroscopic view of the whole cage, that you can see why the bird does not go anywhere- Marilyn Frye, "Oppression"

Readings	Sociology: A Global Perspective Chapter 11: Economics and Politics Chapter 12: Population and Urbanization Chapter 13: Family and Aging Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy Continue
	Review the major ideas of the reading using the "key Concepts" that are boxed and highlighted on the pages of the chapter.
Internet	Access the US labor statistics and the Census Bureau and compare men's and women's rate of participation in the labor force. How wages and unemployment compare based on race/ethnicity, age, and family size? What are the fastest growing occupations in the USA? Locate information on the distribution of wealth in the United States? Can you explain the discrepancies Locate information on the patterns of voting in the U.S. and how it changes over time (The Census Bureau). How have voting patterns changed over time for specific groups such as racial/ethnic, women/men, and different ages? What are the implications of such patterns on equality among racial/ethnic groups? Locate information on the most recent estimates of U.S. and world population? Identify transition points in population growth and explain these changes. Focusing on the U.S., which groups show the greatest increase and decline in population and what are the social implications of these changes? How family size changed over time? What are the most recent estimates of single-parent families? Visit the following sites and check their arguments and positions: Ad Busters, anti World Trade Organization, anti-Free Trade Area of the Americas http://inside.bard.edu/academic/specialproj/darling/adolesce.htm (Family Relations) http://www.umanitoba.ca/anthropology/kintitle.html (Kinship and Social Organization) http://www-popexpo.ined.fr/english.html (Population) http://population.wri.org/index.cfm (population) http://www.geri.duke.edu/ (Aging)
Practice	What is the primary function of the economy and how do major contemporary economic systems differ? Discuss the different sociological perspectives on the economy and work. What is power and what is its relationship to politics? What are the main types of authority and political systems? Discuss the demographic transition theory and it's implication for population growth. Take the practice quiz
Content	This week covers different economic systems, work, and the relationship between labor, management, and owners under capitalism. We will also investigate major political systems, governmental bureaucracies, and the relationship between power and authority. Additionally, we will examine population, the family and the diversity and complexity of urban life.

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Week 7

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Week 9

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Week 11

Week 12

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