1. Professor Erik Olin Wright
SOCIOLOGY 125
AMERICAN SOCIETY:
how it really works
Professor Erik Olin Wright
Office Hours:
1:00-2:00 and Thursdays 9:30-10:30

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

3. 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 value
How much things could really be improved.
3.3 Where I stand

4. 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 value
How much things could really be improved.
3.3 Where I stand

5. 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 value
How much things could really be improved.
3.3 Where I stand

6. 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 value
How much things could really be improved.
3.3 Where I stand

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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