VocabularyEssay Preview: VocabularyReport this essayChapter 1anomieEmile Durkheims designation for a condition in which social control becomes ineffective as a result of the loss of shared values and of a sense of purpose in society.
conflict perspectivesthe sociological approach that views groups in society as engaged in a continuous power struggle for control of scarce resources.functionalist perspectivesthe sociological approach that views society as a stable, orderly system.high-income countriesnations with highly industrialized economies; technologically advanced industrial, administrative, and service occupations; and relatively high levels of national and personal income.
industrializationthe process by which societies are transformed from dependence on agriculture and handmade products to an emphasis on manufacturing and related industries.
latent functionsunintended functions that are hidden and remain unacknowledged by participants.low-income countriesnations with little industrialization and low levels of national and personal income.macrolevel analysisan approach that examines whole societies, large-scale social structures and social systems.manifest functionsfunctions that are intended and/or overtly recognized by the participants in a social unit.microlevel analysissociological theory and research that focus on small groups rather than on large-scale social structures.middle-income countriesnations with industrializing economies and moderate levels of national and personal income.positivisma term describing Auguste Comtes belief that the world can best be understood through scientific inquiry.postmodern perspectivesthe sociological approach that attempts to explain social life in modern societies that are characterized by postindustrialization, consumerism, and global communications.
The aim of this document is to show that the current political situation, as in the globalized world, has profoundly modified the meaning of all categories of discourse, the meaning of each of those categories, and the nature of discourse in general. In doing so, we have developed a very useful framework, based on empirical studies, that can help us understand what is happening on the globe. And thus, while these new data may not reflect all the social conditions that are going on, we believe they do, and should be of enormous help in this regard. We find all those ways to say something negative about a project that, when taken in perspective, is not an example of the kind of problem a project could address, but of the kind of problem that can be remedied with a new approach.
This document is meant for the general public in many ways. At the very least, it takes the perspective of all people in a way that they can understand and to which others can respond. The aim of this document, however, is not to address any one category but, rather, is meant to provide an overview of what is being done to deal with the whole of the world. We do this without thinking of any particular issue or ideology, and the purpose is simply that it should include all people in the world. As I shall show below, the aim of all of these new tools is not to present only limited, illusive political discourse in this specific language, but to present broad, broad coverage of all kinds that are happening in an increasingly complex world to those people participating in it. Thus, when the first tools are used we must take the issue of what is going on and what is not. The document does this by focusing on four main categories, then of each of them a broader set of questions. The questions asked in this order are the following:
1. Given that globalized politics is a problem, what can be done about it?
2. What must be done about it now?
3. What can have an impact on this problem?
4. How will we address the problem of globalized politics? We start with the first two, which relate to the question by which the U.S., Europe, and Japan deal with this problem. Specifically, they are both issues in which we face an economic and political crisis that poses very specific problems for those countries. This crisis is the most difficult one for either to address themselves or to stop being a factor influencing their direction of growth. Indeed, in recent years, the world has seen a strong rise in the proportion of the population that is working for incomes above 50% of the national median. There are, of course, economic and political crises that challenge countries’ ability to respond to these problems, making this a critical factor that we need to consider. These are also the areas that matter to be addressed when we think about economic problems.
This is what we will show when we think about problems for the developed world, not our focus on one particular region or another. It does not mean that those problems will not be addressed, however. A growing number of issues are simply related to people being in the wrong place at the wrong time (and sometimes, even at the wrong time, in the wrong place at the wrong time). But their problems are not only technical or socioeconomic, but also political/economic. In the U.S., these are the problems we face on a global scale: the cost of living that people must pay to live in some place that is already high, the lack of money to invest in modern technology (for instance, to get the internet), high crime rates, and the lack of basic consumer products. Those three problems represent not only the problem for these people but for every other people who live in the U.S., Europe, and Japan
The aim of this document is to show that the current political situation, as in the globalized world, has profoundly modified the meaning of all categories of discourse, the meaning of each of those categories, and the nature of discourse in general. In doing so, we have developed a very useful framework, based on empirical studies, that can help us understand what is happening on the globe. And thus, while these new data may not reflect all the social conditions that are going on, we believe they do, and should be of enormous help in this regard. We find all those ways to say something negative about a project that, when taken in perspective, is not an example of the kind of problem a project could address, but of the kind of problem that can be remedied with a new approach.
This document is meant for the general public in many ways. At the very least, it takes the perspective of all people in a way that they can understand and to which others can respond. The aim of this document, however, is not to address any one category but, rather, is meant to provide an overview of what is being done to deal with the whole of the world. We do this without thinking of any particular issue or ideology, and the purpose is simply that it should include all people in the world. As I shall show below, the aim of all of these new tools is not to present only limited, illusive political discourse in this specific language, but to present broad, broad coverage of all kinds that are happening in an increasingly complex world to those people participating in it. Thus, when the first tools are used we must take the issue of what is going on and what is not. The document does this by focusing on four main categories, then of each of them a broader set of questions. The questions asked in this order are the following:
1. Given that globalized politics is a problem, what can be done about it?
2. What must be done about it now?
3. What can have an impact on this problem?
4. How will we address the problem of globalized politics? We start with the first two, which relate to the question by which the U.S., Europe, and Japan deal with this problem. Specifically, they are both issues in which we face an economic and political crisis that poses very specific problems for those countries. This crisis is the most difficult one for either to address themselves or to stop being a factor influencing their direction of growth. Indeed, in recent years, the world has seen a strong rise in the proportion of the population that is working for incomes above 50% of the national median. There are, of course, economic and political crises that challenge countries’ ability to respond to these problems, making this a critical factor that we need to consider. These are also the areas that matter to be addressed when we think about economic problems.
This is what we will show when we think about problems for the developed world, not our focus on one particular region or another. It does not mean that those problems will not be addressed, however. A growing number of issues are simply related to people being in the wrong place at the wrong time (and sometimes, even at the wrong time, in the wrong place at the wrong time). But their problems are not only technical or socioeconomic, but also political/economic. In the U.S., these are the problems we face on a global scale: the cost of living that people must pay to live in some place that is already high, the lack of money to invest in modern technology (for instance, to get the internet), high crime rates, and the lack of basic consumer products. Those three problems represent not only the problem for these people but for every other people who live in the U.S., Europe, and Japan
social DarwinismHerbert Spencers belief that those species of animals, including human beings, best adapted to their environment survive and prosper, whereas those poorly adapted die out.
social factsEmile Durkheims term for patterned ways of acting, thinking, and feeling that exist outside any one individual but that exert social control over each person.
societya large social grouping that shares the same geographical territory and is subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations.sociological imaginationC. Wright Millss term for the ability to see the relationship between individual experiences and the larger society.sociologythe systematic study of human society and social interaction.symbolic interactionist perspectivesthe sociological approach that views society as the sum of the interactions of individuals and groups.theorya set of logically interrelated statements that attempts to describe, explain, and occasionally predict social events.urbanizationthe process by which an increasing proportion of a population lives in cities rather than in rural areas.Chapter 2content analysisthe systematic examination of cultural artifacts or various forms of communication to extract thematic data and draw conclusions about social life.control groupin an experiment, the group containing the subjects who are not exposed to the independent variable.correlationa relationship that exists when two variables are associated more frequently than could be expected by chance.dependent variablea variable that is assumed to depend on or be caused by one or more other (independent) variables.ethnographya detailed study of the life and activities of a group of people by researchers who may live with that group over a period of years.experimenta research method involving a carefully designed situation in which the researcher studies the impact of certain variables on subjects attitudes or behavior.
experimental groupin an experiment, this group contains the subjects who are exposed to an independent variable (the experimental condition) to study its effect on them.
field researchthe study of social life in its natural setting: observing and interviewing people where they live, work, and play.Hawthorne effecta phenomenon in which changes in a subjects behavior are caused by the researchers presence or by the subjects awareness of being studied.hypothesisin research studies, a tentative statement of the relationship between two or more concepts.independent variablea variable that is presumed to cause or determine a dependent variable.interviewa research method using a data collection encounter in which an interviewer asks the respondent questions and records the answers.participantobservationa research method in which researchers collect data while being part of the activities of the group being studied.probability samplingchoosing participants for a study on the basis of specific characteristics, possibly including such factors as age, sex, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment.
questionnairea printed research instrument containing a series of items to which subjects respond.random samplinga study approach in which every member of an entire population being studied has the same chance of being selected.reliabilityin sociological research, the extent to which a study or research instrument yields consistent results when applied to different individuals at one time or to the same individuals over time.
research methodsspecific strategies or techniques for systematically conducting research.respondentspersons who provide data for analysis through interviews or questionnaires.secondary analysisa research method in which researchers use existing material and analyze data that