WELCOME TO INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY

HOW MANY OF YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE THE US IS THE GREATEST NATION IN THE WORLD – A COUNTRY THAT PROVIDES THE REST OF THE WORLD A “GOOD MODEL”?

QUESTIONS How does the US rank in per-capita giving? (Are we the top “giver” in the world? 3 rd ? 10 th ?) What per cent of the US budget goes toward foreign aid?

ANSWERS While the US gives the greatest amount of money, it ranks 22 nd out of the top 22 major foreign aid donor nations in per capita giving. Yet, we think of ourselves as “magnanimous,” yes? Most Americans think 24% of our budget goes to foreign aid – 24 times the actual amount!

FAMILY FEUD: What do you think the top 100 answers were?

LIST THE EIGHT “HIPPEST” CITIES IN THE WORLD (Family Feud, Summer, 2006)

New York Los Angeles Chicago New Orleans Atlantic City Seattle Las Vegas Miami

SOCIAL INEQUALITY

POVERTY IN THE US Who’s most likely to experience poverty in the US? How does the “social structure” strengthen social class placement?

POVERTY IN THE US Why do other Most Industrialized Nations have lower poverty rates than the US? What does the “Welfare State” look like?

SOCIAL INEQUALITY View video “Holding Ground”: Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative

Performance Assessment Website Analysis: Social Justice

SHIFT FROM U.S. STRATIFICATION TO GLOBAL STRATIFICATION

SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES GLOBALIZATION OF THE WORLD’S CORPORATION S

“A CRIMINAL IS A PERSON WITH PREDATORY INSTINCTS WHO HAS NOT SUFFICIENT CAPITAL TO FORM A CORPORATION.” HOWARD SCOTT, 1920

GLOBAL INEQUALITY

Consider: Why are food shortages growing if there’s enough food in the world to feed everyone?

GLOBAL INEQUALITY

Why is there so much illegal immigration from Mexico and the “Global South”?

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT Immigration Project

SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS (p. 86)

WHY STUDY REMOTE COUNTRIES SUCH AS THOSE IN AFRICA?

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT Develop “Creative” Activity to Teach about Institutional Development in Southern Africa

HISTORIC SOCIAL CHANGE

Historic Social Change Drawings: Sociocultural Evolution Hunting and Gathering Pastoral/Horticultural Agricultural Industrial Post-Industrial

NORWAY

MODERN SOCIAL CHANGES

Population Urbanization Environment Technology Social Movements

Population Growth / Corporate Dominance / Urbanization Increased Increased Needs Consumption Environmental Declining Destruction Resources Scarcity and Poverty Discrimination / Migration / Conflict

STUFF

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT Map the Consequences of Increased Globalization, Population Growth and Urbanization

CULTURE

A human being is a part of the whole called by us “universe,” a part limited in time and space. You experience yourself, your thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of your consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Albert Einstein

COMPARISONS: GERMANY, JAPAN AND US

IMMIGRATION History of immigration to US Examine influx of newest immigrants to WI: Mexicans, Hmongs, Arabs, East Indians

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT Develop Immigrant “Web Quests”

CONFORMANCE OR DEVIANCE? Japanese Case Study

International Focus