Society,Social,Structure And Interaction I began Dumpster diving [scavenging in a large garbage bin] about a year before I became homeless The area I frequent is inhabited by many affluent college students. I am not here by chance; the Dumpsters in this area are very rich. Students throw out many good things, including food. In particular they tend to throw everything …
Applying Postmodern Perspectives to Shopping and Consumption According to some social theorists, the postrnodern society is a consumer society. The focus of the capitalist economy has shifted from production to consumption. Today,the emphasis is on getting people to consume more and to own a greater variety of things. As previously discussed, credit cards may encourage people to spend more money than they should, …
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ENDOGAMY AND EXOGAMY Every society limits choice in marriage by requiring that one choose a mate outside, some specified group. This is called exogamy In our society the prohibition applies’ only to close blood relatives; one may” not marry a brother or sister, first cousin, or certain other close relatives. Many societies extend the circle of prohibited kin to forbid marriage within the clan, …
SOCIAL SCIENCE AND COMMON SENSE When we do not know where our ideas come from, or what they are based on, we sometimes call them “common sense.” If we call them common sense, we do not have to prove they are true, for then others will join us in the collective self-deception of assuming they have already been proved. If one presses …
SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATION THE BASIC TECHNIQUE OF SCIENTIFIC METHOD Science is based upon verifiable evidence. By evidence” we mean factual observations other observers can see, weigh, count, and check for accuracy. Scientific observation is not the same as just “looking at things.” We have all been looking at things all our lives, but this . does not make us scientific observers, any more than a …
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THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD OF INVESTIGATION The scientific method (some would prefer to say scientific methods) includes a great deal. The scientist must accumulate considerable background information on the problem. Then he or she formulates a hypothesis. This is a carefully considered theoretical statement which seeks to relate all the know facts to one another in a logical manner. The hypothesis is then tested by …
A Research Exercise Let us see how a research study might be designed and completed. First, we need a research problem. How about, “Does the commuting student miss much by not being on campus?” . As stated, this question covers too many topics. We need something more limited and more specific. How about, “00 commuting students suffer academically by not living on or near …
NORMATIVE METHODS OF INVESTIGATION The term normative means “conforming to or supporting some norm or pattern.” The scientific method of investigation consists of stating a question, collecting evidence, and drawing conclusions from the evidence, however surprising or unwelcome they may be. The normative method, “by contrast, states the question in such a way that the conclusion is implied, and then ‘looks for evidence in support …
SOCIOLOGY AS A SCIENCE A science may be defined in at least two ways: ‘(l)science. is a body of organized, verified knowledge which has been secured through scientific investigation (Z) a science is a method of study whereby a body of organized, verified knowledge is discovered. These are, of course, two ways of saying much the same If the first definition is …
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIOLOGY Sociology is the youngest of the recognized social sciences. August Comte in France coined the word “sociology” in his Positive Philosophy. published in 1838. He believed that a science of sociology should be based on systematic observation and classification, , not on authority and speculation. This was a relatively new idea at that time. Herbert Spencer in England published his …
