Each of you who posted a comment on the "First Individual Exercise" will earn 5 activity points for your effort, however, I have decided NOT to have a contest for the most significant submission. Rather, what I plan to do is use ONE of your examples as the basis for a midterm exam question. For that question I will give a brief overview of one example and then ask you how it relates to my argument about how to define or recognize social problems. Basically, what I argued is that we should not accept what is normal or widely accepted as ok. What is normal may indeed qualify as a social problem, that is, may be harmful to individuals and society. Our basis is NOT society as it is, but what society is capable of becoming or what a healthy or well-ordered society would be like.
Regarding the various examples you discussed, note how in each case what you were doing in analyzing some normal practice in our society as a social problem was based upon certain assumptions about what constitutes a healthy society. For example, no matter how accepted they may be, help us relieve stress, keep us skinny, or even make money, cigarettes are a social problem because they are destructive of our health and costly and disruptive to our society.
See you tomorrow when we get into the book, Affluenza.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Reminders & Family Exercise on "Affleunza"
REMINDERS: At last check this morning, there were still two people who had not posted your responses to the FIRST INDIVIDUAL EXERCISE. Please do so ASAP. Also, everyone should check out the lecture notes I posted last Friday. You need to incorporate those in your class notes.
FAMILY EXERCISE ON "AFFLUENZA": After viewing the video program, "Affluenza" in class tomorrow (Tues., Feb. 23rd) which runs about 55 minutes, you will get together with your family members* and discuss which ONE of the "symptoms" of affluenza represents the greatest threat to the health and well-being of our society. I want each family to come to a CONSENSUS on what you believe is the most adverse symptom. Each family should designate a spokesperson to present your findings to the class at the beginning of class on the following Tuesday, Mar. 2nd. I may give you a bit more time to confer on Thursday if you need it. I would also like each family to post as a comment on this blog post your findings. This should include the name of the symptom and some points in defense of your choice. You can do this in outline form if you prefer. ALL FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE TO EARN THE ACTIVITY POINTS. This exercise is worth 5 activity points.
*Families: BLACK FAMILY: Sami, Cindy, Katie, Cameron; BLUE FAMILY: Holly, Leland, Kariesha, Hannah; YELLOW FAMILY: Carolina, Natalie, Brandon, Lacie.
See you tomorrow.
FAMILY EXERCISE ON "AFFLUENZA": After viewing the video program, "Affluenza" in class tomorrow (Tues., Feb. 23rd) which runs about 55 minutes, you will get together with your family members* and discuss which ONE of the "symptoms" of affluenza represents the greatest threat to the health and well-being of our society. I want each family to come to a CONSENSUS on what you believe is the most adverse symptom. Each family should designate a spokesperson to present your findings to the class at the beginning of class on the following Tuesday, Mar. 2nd. I may give you a bit more time to confer on Thursday if you need it. I would also like each family to post as a comment on this blog post your findings. This should include the name of the symptom and some points in defense of your choice. You can do this in outline form if you prefer. ALL FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE TO EARN THE ACTIVITY POINTS. This exercise is worth 5 activity points.
*Families: BLACK FAMILY: Sami, Cindy, Katie, Cameron; BLUE FAMILY: Holly, Leland, Kariesha, Hannah; YELLOW FAMILY: Carolina, Natalie, Brandon, Lacie.
See you tomorrow.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Lecture Notes: What Constitutes a Healthy or Well-Ordered Society
Yesterday, I concluded my comments on society by offering this definition: that society is an organized system of institutions. Now, we need to carry the argument farther, so I am going to use this blog post to present my thoughts on what constitutes a healthy or well-ordered society which will be our ultimate basis for deterimining what qualifies as a social problem.
A. Having established what society is, we now need to turn our attention to the question of what society is capable of becoming, or what a HEALTHY, WELL-ORGANIZED, or IDEAL society would be like.
1. Recall the doctor/medical analogy -- social scientists must have some understanding of the proper functioning of society and the institutions which make it up, as a basis for diagnosing society's illnesses, especially those that appear life-threatening.
B. So, based on the conception of society as an organized system of institutions, I would argue, IN GENERAL, that a properly organized society would involve the proper organization of these institutions -- that these institutions function HARMONIOUSLY, which is key to individuals leading a satisfying life.
1. There is a difference between this and the "normal" functioning of institutions -- the normal functioning of these institutions may be the real problem (as you all explored a bit in your first blog exercise). I believe this will come through in our critical analysis of overconsumption and debt, which many people just take for granted or see as normal.
a.) Social critic, Erich Fromm, in an interesting book entitled, "The Sane Society," published back in the 1950s, introduced a relevant concept here: the "PATHOLOGY OF NORMALCY." That is, that the norm may be the problem such as the acceptance of racial segregation back then.
2. Practically speaking, to have a good house to live in, it is important that the carpenter you hire is competent, has been well-trained, that he has good tools, materials, proper nourishment, etc., etc. -- in short, that he is properly INSTRUMENTED. This would require, in an ultimate sense, that the economy be right, agriculture be right, education/training be right, etc. for good houses to be built. Remember, human relations are mediated by objects. One could make a similar point about having proper health care.
C. To push this farther, one would have to define the essential purpose of the basic institutions in our society, what role these institutions play in maintaining that larger life in which we all participate. It is also vital for us as individuals to consider our place, our role, in this larger life, too. (For example, in "Affluenza" in Chapter 14 the authors ask us to consider what the economy is for.)
1. I would also mention another interesting book, "The Costs of Living," by Barry Schwartz, in which he makes a serious effort to define the purpose of basic institutions and then looks critically at how and why these institutions clearly are not fulfilling that purpose.
D. Since my sketch of society is largely based on the social thought of American philosopher, Elijah Jordan, I believe it is appropriate to give him the last word on this -- a statement of what he calls "the law of morality," or a standard for determining what constitutes a healthy society. This comes from his major work on ethics, entitled, "The Good Life," p. 59:
"The good life posits a person or actor endowed by nature and by culture with all the capacities that are possible to him, with these capacities developed to their fullest possible degree; the person living in a world so organized and ordered as to guarantee to the person full and free access to all the means and instruments necessary to the adequate and appropriate expression of his capacities and to the realization of his acts in satisfying objects."
Let me also add to this a nice statement from William Morris of a similar standard which can be found in the bottom paragraph, p. 140 of "Affluenza." Check that out as well.
E. A couple final observations regarding the above statement are in order --
1. One can easily gather from this that such conditions as poverty, hunger, homelessness, unemployment clearly represent problems both for individuals and the larger society. Work is especially important -- it is AN ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE OF LIFE. We build our lives around our work, what we do. When there is a lack of work, meaningless or unrewarding work, or work that destroys or undermines the larger social order, this is a serious social problem.
2. Insofar as our society, or any society, falls short of this standard of a healthy society described above (as all societies do in varying degrees), we can say something is wrong, that social problems exist, that we have work to do.
_______________________
That's all for now. PLEASE INCORPORATE THE ABOVE NOTES IN YOUR NOTEBOOKS. We will pick up with "Affluenza" next week. On Tuesday we'll see the video and then on Thursday we'll get into the book. Finally, be looking for a description of a family exercise in connection with seeing the video, which I will post on this blog next Monday.
A. Having established what society is, we now need to turn our attention to the question of what society is capable of becoming, or what a HEALTHY, WELL-ORGANIZED, or IDEAL society would be like.
1. Recall the doctor/medical analogy -- social scientists must have some understanding of the proper functioning of society and the institutions which make it up, as a basis for diagnosing society's illnesses, especially those that appear life-threatening.
B. So, based on the conception of society as an organized system of institutions, I would argue, IN GENERAL, that a properly organized society would involve the proper organization of these institutions -- that these institutions function HARMONIOUSLY, which is key to individuals leading a satisfying life.
1. There is a difference between this and the "normal" functioning of institutions -- the normal functioning of these institutions may be the real problem (as you all explored a bit in your first blog exercise). I believe this will come through in our critical analysis of overconsumption and debt, which many people just take for granted or see as normal.
a.) Social critic, Erich Fromm, in an interesting book entitled, "The Sane Society," published back in the 1950s, introduced a relevant concept here: the "PATHOLOGY OF NORMALCY." That is, that the norm may be the problem such as the acceptance of racial segregation back then.
2. Practically speaking, to have a good house to live in, it is important that the carpenter you hire is competent, has been well-trained, that he has good tools, materials, proper nourishment, etc., etc. -- in short, that he is properly INSTRUMENTED. This would require, in an ultimate sense, that the economy be right, agriculture be right, education/training be right, etc. for good houses to be built. Remember, human relations are mediated by objects. One could make a similar point about having proper health care.
C. To push this farther, one would have to define the essential purpose of the basic institutions in our society, what role these institutions play in maintaining that larger life in which we all participate. It is also vital for us as individuals to consider our place, our role, in this larger life, too. (For example, in "Affluenza" in Chapter 14 the authors ask us to consider what the economy is for.)
1. I would also mention another interesting book, "The Costs of Living," by Barry Schwartz, in which he makes a serious effort to define the purpose of basic institutions and then looks critically at how and why these institutions clearly are not fulfilling that purpose.
D. Since my sketch of society is largely based on the social thought of American philosopher, Elijah Jordan, I believe it is appropriate to give him the last word on this -- a statement of what he calls "the law of morality," or a standard for determining what constitutes a healthy society. This comes from his major work on ethics, entitled, "The Good Life," p. 59:
"The good life posits a person or actor endowed by nature and by culture with all the capacities that are possible to him, with these capacities developed to their fullest possible degree; the person living in a world so organized and ordered as to guarantee to the person full and free access to all the means and instruments necessary to the adequate and appropriate expression of his capacities and to the realization of his acts in satisfying objects."
Let me also add to this a nice statement from William Morris of a similar standard which can be found in the bottom paragraph, p. 140 of "Affluenza." Check that out as well.
E. A couple final observations regarding the above statement are in order --
1. One can easily gather from this that such conditions as poverty, hunger, homelessness, unemployment clearly represent problems both for individuals and the larger society. Work is especially important -- it is AN ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE OF LIFE. We build our lives around our work, what we do. When there is a lack of work, meaningless or unrewarding work, or work that destroys or undermines the larger social order, this is a serious social problem.
2. Insofar as our society, or any society, falls short of this standard of a healthy society described above (as all societies do in varying degrees), we can say something is wrong, that social problems exist, that we have work to do.
_______________________
That's all for now. PLEASE INCORPORATE THE ABOVE NOTES IN YOUR NOTEBOOKS. We will pick up with "Affluenza" next week. On Tuesday we'll see the video and then on Thursday we'll get into the book. Finally, be looking for a description of a family exercise in connection with seeing the video, which I will post on this blog next Monday.
Friday, February 12, 2010
First Individual Exercise
In the context of my opening remarks about developing a ground or basis for recognizing social problems, I want you to identify some aspect of contemporary American society which you believe is commonly accepted or widely practiced, yet still could be considered harmful or destructive, that is, be considered a social problem. What I mean by "aspect" of contemporary American society is very open-ended: a popular consumer product, government policy, business practice, social ritual, form of media or entertainment, etc.. Briefly describe this aspect and tell why you believe it is a problem despite its wide acceptance. I am looking for NO MORE THAN 2 PARAGRAPHS (no dissertations). Post your response as a comment on this blog post. Please do so by FRIDAY, FEB. 19TH. This exercise is worth 5 points, and we may have a little contest after I get all the comments about which one the class feels is most interesting/significant and award 2 bonus points to the winner.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Welcome to SOC. 215 Blog: Spring 2010
Welcome to this place in the "blogosphere" set up for this course, Sociology 215: Social Problems. We will be using this space over the course of the semester for what I call "individual and group activities and exercises," and for occasional posting of lecture notes and reminders. I would suggest that you check this site out at least once a week. I will usually give you notice in class if I will be posting anything on this blog or if there is an activity I'd like you to do. Often, if I feel that I did not do a terribly good job presenting something in class, I may use this blog space to make amends and try to clarify or elaborate on some remarks I made in class. You will need to check this blog prior to the midterm and final exams for some questions (and answers) that will appear on each of these tests. Finally, I hope you will feel free to use this space to post any questions or comments you may not feel comfortable verbalizing in class.
BY THE END OF THIS FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES I WILL BE POSTING A "GET-YOUR-FEET-WET" INDIVIDUAL EXERCISE TO GET YOUR ACCUSTOMED TO USING THIS BLOG. BE LOOKING FOR IT.
BY THE END OF THIS FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES I WILL BE POSTING A "GET-YOUR-FEET-WET" INDIVIDUAL EXERCISE TO GET YOUR ACCUSTOMED TO USING THIS BLOG. BE LOOKING FOR IT.
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