Professor Erik Olin Wright 8112D Social Sciences Thursdays, 2-4 SOCIOLOGY 125 AMERICAN SOCIETY: how it really works Professor Erik Olin Wright Open Office Hours: 8112D Social Sciences Thursdays, 2-4 Podcasts: http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/~wright/Sociology-125-podcasts-2012.htm

CLASSROOM RULES Turn off cell phones No texting No email No internet surfing

Socio-cultural Bike Tour of Madison Fourteenth Annual Sociology Department Socio-cultural Bike Tour of Madison lead by Professor Erik Olin Wright Saturday, September 8 (Rain date: Sunday, 9th) 10:00 a.m. sharp Meet in the parking lot behind Budget Bicycle 1230 Regent Street

LECTURE 1. PERSPECTIVES & VALUES Tuesday, September 3, 2012  LECTURE 1. PERSPECTIVES & VALUES   1. INTRODUCTION 2. THREE OVERARCHING QUESTIONS: What kind of society is this? How does it really work? In what ways does it need changing? 3. THE VALUES & PERSPECTIVE BEHIND THE COURSE 3.1 Five core values   Freedom   Prosperity Efficiency Fairness Democracy 3.2 Four Kinds of Disagreements What is meant by each of these values. Actual performance of our institutions. Relative priority of different values How much things could really be improved. 3.3 Where I stand

4.THINKING SOCIOLOGICALLY   4.1 Pivotal Idea: rules govern actions 4.2 Six Basic Sociological Ideas about Social Rules 1. Rules are enforced 2. Rules come in many diverse forms 3. Rules are not neutral – winners & losers 4. Rules are backed by power 5. Rules are often inconsistent 6. Rules change over time