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Seeing Ourselves : Classic, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Readings in Sociology

ISBN: 9780136106845 | 0136106846
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Pub. Date: 11/1/1997

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SummaryTable of Contents
This best-selling collection is the only reader that systematically weaves together three types of articles-classic, contemporary,""" "and cross-cultural-for each general topic typically covered in a sociology course. "Seeing Ourselves "conveys sociology' s diversity of viewpoints and methodologies and includes important issues and debates that capture the fascinating complexity of the social world.
PREFACExiii
THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE1(21)
Classic
1(5)
C. Wright Mills
... MORE
1: "The Promise of Sociology Mills describes the importance and power of the sociological perspective
1(5)
Classic
6(4)
Peter L. Berger
2: "Invitation to Sociology" If sociology amounts to little more than "common sense," why does it change our perceptions of the surrounding world and ourselves?
6(4)
Contemporary
10(7)
Gail Dines
3: "`I Buy It for the Articles': Playboy Magazine and Pornography" A well-known magazine symbolizes a "soft porn" publishing industry that packages women as sexual commodities for upper-middle-class male consumption.
10(7)
Cross-Cultural
17(5)
Horace Miner
4: "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema" Miner describes a society with bizarre customs and rituals. Can you guess which society?
17(5)
SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH22(16)
Classic
22(2)
Max Weber
5: "The Case for Value-Free Sociology" Weber makes an enduring statement on the goal of objectivity in science and fair-mindedness in teaching.
22(2)
Contemporary
24(5)
Harry W. O'Neill
6: "Our Attitudes About Survey Research" Surveys are the most popular tool of sociological investigation, but they are often flawed.
24(5)
Cross-Cultural
29(9)
John D. Brewer
7: "Sensitivity in Field Research: A Study of Policing in Northern Ireland" Conducting research on controversial topics or in dangerous locations can be physically and emotionally threatening to investigators and subjects alike.
29(9)
CULTURE38(20)
Classic
38(5)
Leslie A. White
8: "Symbol: The Basic Element of Culture" A noted anthropologist explains the symbolic foundation of culture.
38(5)
Classic
43(2)
Robert A. Merton
9: "Manifest and Latent Functions" Cultural patterns have many consequences; some are widely recognized while others are more subtle.
43(2)
Contemporary
45(9)
Dianne F. Herman
10: "The Rape Culture" By linking sexuality and violence, U.S. culture encourages unhealthy relationships.
45(9)
Cross-Cultural
54(4)
Marvin Harris
11: "India's Sacred Cow" Harris, an anthropologist, views exotic and seemingly inexplicable cultural patterns as sensible strategies for survival in a particular environment.
54(4)
SOCIETY58(22)
Classic
58(8)
Karl Marx
Friedrich Engels
12: "Manifesto of the Communist Party" In their best-known essay, Marx and Engels present an enduring criticism of capitalist society.
58(8)
Classic
66(3)
Ferdinand Tonnies
13: "Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft" Tonnies advanced two models of societal organization that represent lasting conceptual tools for understanding how societies change.
66(3)
Contemporary
69(7)
John J. Macionis
14: "Welcome to Cyber-Society!" Two centuries ago, the Industrial Revolution rewrote the rules of social life. The Information Revolution is rewriting them once again.
69(7)
Cross-Cultural
76(4)
John A. Hostetler
15: "The Amish: A Small Society" Are the Amish relics of the past, or do they have important lessons to teach the rest of us?
76(4)
SOCIALIZATION80(22)
Classic
80(8)
George Herbert Mead
16: "The Self" Our basic humanity and each individual's distinctive personality arise only through social experience.
80(8)
Contemporary
88(9)
George Gerbner
17: "Socialization and Television Violence" Television affects our attitudes and behavior--but not always for the better.
88(9)
Cross-Cultural
97(5)
D. Terri Heath
18: "Parents' Socialization of Children in Global Perspective" Across vastly different cultural environments, the closeness of children to parents remains a constant and critical factor in the socialization process.
97(5)
SOCIAL INTERACTION IN EVERYDAY LIFE102(20)
Classic
102(2)
Georg Simmel
19: "The Dyad and the Triad" A pioneering sociologist explains why our most meaningful relationships typically involve only one or two other people.
102(2)
Classic
104(6)
Erving Goffman
20: "The Presentation of Self" Face-to-face interaction may seem spontaneous, but much human behavior is carefully staged.
104(6)
Contemporary
110(6)
Deborah Tannen
21: "You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation" In this selection from her best-selling book, Tannen explores how gender presents a formidable barrier to communication even among married couples.
110(6)
Cross-Cultural
116(6)
Roger E. Axtell
22: "The DOs and TABOOs of Body Language Around the World" As travelers, we find that it is easy to offend others just by being ourselves.
116(6)
GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS122(28)
Classic
122(4)
Charles Horton Cooley
23: "Primary Groups" An early U.S. sociologist explains why intimate group life is vital to the social and emotional development of human beings.
122(4)
Classic
126(4)
Max Weber
24: "The Characteristics of Bureaucracy" Weber contends that the rational orientation of the modern world is most clearly evident in bureaucratic organizations.
126(4)
Contemporary
130(7)
Arlie Russell Hochschild
25: "The Managed Heart" Businesses seek not only to control the behavior of their employees but also to regulate their emotions.
130(7)
Cross-Cultural
137(13)
Boye De Mente
26: "Japanese Etiquette and Ethics in Business" An expanding global economy demands that we learn more about the business practices of other societies.
137(13)
DEVIANCE150(23)
Classic
150(3)
Emile Durkheim
27: "The Functions of Crime" Is crime pathological or a normal element of social organization? Durkheim argues that crime is found everywhere because it makes important contributions to social life.
150(3)
Contemporary
153(13)
David L. Rosenhan
28: "On Being Sane in Insane Places" An experiment in which healthy people request--and receive--treatment at a mental hospital raises serious questions about the professional diagnosis of people's psychological condition.
153(13)
Cross-Cultural
166(7)
Elliott Currie
29: "Crime in World Perspective" The United States has one of the highest crime rates in the world. The problem of crime has roots deep in the fabric of our society.
166(7)
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION173(21)
Classic
173(8)
Kingsley Davis
Wilbert Moore
30: "Some Principles of Stratification," with a response by Melvin Tumin Davis and Moore argue that there are good reasons for the fact that social stratification is found everywhere. Tumin provides a counterpoint.
173(8)
Contemporary
181(8)
Richard J. Herrnstein
Charles Murray
31: "The Bell Curve Thesis," with a response by Claude S. Fischer et al. How important a role does individual intelligence play in people's social position? Here are two views on the issue.
181(8)
Cross-Cultural
189(5)
Daphne Topouzis
32: "Women's Poverty in Africa" In Africa, the poorest continent in the world, the poverty rate is approaching 50 percent in many areas. Women and their children are typically the poorest of the poor.
189(5)
RACE AND ETHNICITY194(26)
Classic
194(5)
W. E. B. Du Bois
33: "The Souls of Black Folk" How does a racially conscious society force African Americans to develop a "double consciousness," seeing themselves as Americans but also as a people set apart?
194(5)
Contemporary
199(8)
Patricia Hill Collins
34: "Controlling Images and Black Women's Oppression" Sexism and racism interact to generate a significant threat to the self-image of women of color.
199(8)
Contemporary
207(4)
William O'Hare
35: "The Rise of Hispanic Affluence" Many people stereotype minorities as poor. In fact, the number of rich people of all racial and ethnic categories is increasing. Here, we profile affluent Hispanics.
207(4)
Cross-Cultural
211(9)
Terry Huffman
36: "The Transculturation of Native American College Students" Traditional Native Americans embrace cultural patterns at odds with the individualistic and competitive character of the U.S. college campus. The result is low educational achievement within this category of our population. Can this cultural conflict be resolved?
211(9)
SEX AND GENDER220(25)
Classic
220(6)
Margaret Mead
37: "Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies" This influential research laid much of the foundation for later scholarship regarding gender and the nature-nurture debate.
220(6)
Contemporary
226(7)
Nijole V. Benokraitis
38: "How Subtle Sex Discrimination Works" Much sexism is barely noticed because most of us accept such behavior as normal.
226(7)
Cross-Cultural
233(12)
J.M. Carrier
39: "Homosexual Behavior in Cross-Cultural Perspective" Sexuality is not simply a matter of biology; it is very much an element of culture. This selection shows how people around the world view sexuality quite differently.
233(12)
AGING AND THE ELDERLY245(18)
Classic
245(6)
Robert N. Butler
40: "The Tragedy of Old Age in America" The stereotypes of growing old in a "youth culture" end up hurting everyone.
245(6)
Contemporary
251(7)
Betty Friedan
41: "My Quest for the Fountain of Age" A founder of the contemporary feminist movement argues that the elderly are trapped by many of the same stereotypes that have blocked women's progress.
251(7)
Cross-Cultural
258(5)
Helena Znaniecka Lopata
42: "Widowhood in Israel" In some societies, the death of a husband changes not just a woman's marital status--it often alters her entire life.
258(5)
THE ECONOMY AND WORK263(21)
Classic
263(4)
Karl Marx
43: "Alienated Labor" Marx maintains that capitalist society contradicts the social nature of work and produces alienated workers.
263(4)
Contemporary
267(10)
William Julius Wilson
44: "When Work Disappears" Why are many inner-city residents facing catastrophic levels of poverty?
267(10)
Cross-Cultural
277(7)
Mary Romero
45: "Maid in the U.S.A." In the United States, domestic work--performed almost entirely by women of color--is both underpaid and undervalued.
277(7)
POLITICS, GOVERNMENT, AND THE MILITARY284(21)
Classic
284(7)
C. Wright Mills
46: "The Power Elite" Is the United States a democracy, or is our society ruled by a rich and powerful elite?
284(7)
Contemporary
291(8)
Catharine A. MacKinnon
47: "Pornography: Morality or Politics?" Many people see pornography as a moral issue. From a feminist point of view, however, it is largely an abuse of power.
291(8)
Cross-Cultural
299(6)
Jack Mendelsohn
48: "Arms Control and the New World Order" The end of superpower confrontation between the United States and the former Soviet Union presents a historic chance to enhance peace; however, the world must now resolve serious local and regional conflicts.
299(6)
FAMILY305(22)
Classic
305(7)
Jessie Bernard
49: "`His' and `Her' Marriage" Every marriage is really two marriages because husbands and wives see their relationships in different ways.
305(7)
Contemporary
312(8)
David Popenoe
50: "The Decline of Marriage and Fatherhood" Fathers in the United States are more removed from the family than ever before.
312(8)
Cross-Cultural
320(7)
Bron B. Ingoldsby
51: "Mate Selection and Marriage Around the World" Individual choice--which we believe is the "normal" way to find a spouse--is not the norm in much of the world.
320(7)
RELIGION327(20)
Classic
327(6)
Max Weber
52: "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" The power of ideas to change the world is evident in Weber's analysis of how early Protestantism sparked the development of the capitalist economic system.
327(6)
Contemporary
333(7)
James Davison Hunter
53: "Culture Wars" Yesterday's religious conflict has given way to today's political confrontation, which is often carried on with great religious fervor.
333(7)
Cross-Cultural
340(7)
Jane I. Smith
54: "Women and Islam" What are the basic principles that underlie Islam, a religion widespread in northern Africa and across Asia? And what does this religion really say about women?
340(7)
EDUCATION347(23)
Classic
347(7)
Samuel Bowles
Herbert Gintis
55: "Education and Inequality Although we think that schooling promotes individual achievement, it has more to do with maintaining social inequality than many people realize.
347(7)
Contemporary
354(9)
David A. Karp
William C. Yoels
56: "Why Don't College Students Participate?" A study of classroom interaction suggests why most students are so passive.
354(9)
Cross-Cultural
363(7)
Nathan Caplan
Marcella H. Choy
John K. Whitmore
57: "Academic Achievement in Southeast Asian Refugee Families" The academic excellence of young Southeast Asian immigrants suggests that socialization may have a greater impact on achievement than do big budgets for school systems.
363(7)
HEALTH AND MEDICINE370(20)
Classic
Talcott Parsons
58: "The Social Structure of Medicine" Illness is a matter of social definitions negotiated by individuals with family members and physicians.
370(4)
Contemporary
374(8)
Ruth E. Zambrana
Claudia Dorrington
David Hayes-Bautista
59: "The Health of Latino Families" Health is more than a medical issue; in the United States well-being is closely linked to ethnicity and social class position.
374(8)
Cross-Cultural
Efua Dorkenoo
Scilla Elworthy
60: "Female Genital Mutilation" Female genital mutilation, a common practice in northern Africa and elsewhere, is not just a medical procedure; it is an effort to control the behavior of women.
382(8)
POPULATION AND URBANIZATION390(33)
Classic
390(7)
Georg Simmel
61: "The Metropolis and Mental Life" Why do urbanites often seem so cold? Life in the city, claims one of sociology's pioneers, encourages selective perception by which we "tune out" much of our surroundings.
390(7)
Classic
397(6)
Louis Wirth
62: "Urbanism As a Way of Life" Worth makes an insightful statement on the social patterns that accompany living in cities.
397(6)
Contemporary
403(14)
Joe R. Feagin
Robert Parker
63: "The Urban Real Estate Game: Traditional and Critical Perspectives" The major players in today's cities are the large business interests rather than the residents.
403(14)
Cross-Cultural
417(6)
David Berreby
64: "The Global Population Crisis" Does the earth lack the resources to support an increasing population, or will human ingenuity provide strategies to ensure the well-being of tomorrow's people?
417(6)
ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY423(18)
Classic
423(4)
Thomas Robert Malthus
65: "Why Humanity Faces Ultimate Catastrophe" A dire prediction made two hundred years ago-that we humans threaten ourselves as we overwhelm the earth's capacity to provide for us-takes on new meaning in today's environmental debate.
423(4)
Contemporary
427(6)
Lester R. Brown
66: "The State of the World's Natural Environment" The deterioration of the world's natural environment results primarily from the ways people choose to live.
427(6)
Cross-Cultural
433(8)
Alan Thein Durning
67: "Supporting Indigenous Peoples" The earth is losing not only its biological diversity but its cultural diversity as well.
433(8)
COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS441(33)
Classic
441(13)
Jo Freeman
68: "On the Origin of Social Movements" Looking at the women's movement and the civil rights movement, Freeman examines the roots of intentional change.
441(13)
Contemporary
454(13)
Kenneth J. Smith
Linda Liska Belgrave
69: "Reconstructing Everyday Life After Hurricane Andrew" Natural disasters such as hurricanes not only destroy people's property but also undermine their social routines and relationships.
454(13)
Cross-Cultural
467(7)
Brian C. Russo
70: "Tiananmen Square: A Personal Chronicle from China" A report on the government's repression of the student-led pro-democracy movement in the People's Republic of China provides insights into why such reform efforts succeed or fail.
467(7)
SOCIAL CHANGE AND MODERNITY474
Classic
474(5)
Emile Durkheim
71: "Anomy and Modern Life" Human beings require the moral regulation of society because, unlike other species, our aspirations are not limited by nature. Modern societies, Durkheim warns, are losing the capacity to rein in our desires, promoting the normlessness he terms anomy.
474(5)
Classic
479(2)
Max Weber
72: "The Disenchantment of Modern Life" Whereas members of traditional societies explain their existence in terms of mystical forces, modern people assume they can rationally comprehend all reality. But science, claims Weber, provides no answer to questions of ultimate meaning.
479(2)
Contemporary
481(13)
Robert N. Bellah et al.
73: "The Search for Meaning in Modern America" For many people, modern life is bewildering, providing too many options and too little guidance in making meaningful choices.
481(13)
Cross-Cultural
494
Marlise Simons
74: "The Price of Modernization: The Case of Brazil's Kaiapo Indians" For many poor societies, modernization presents a dazzling prospect of affluence. But this promise may blind people to the costs of losing their traditional way of life.
494

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