Unit 11: Economic and Political Institutions

Reading: Chapter 12 in Macionis, pp. 333 - 369

Dates: October 27 and 29, 2009

Topics: Unit 11 offers an in-depth look at two important social institutions in modern society: economics and politics. Economic institutions organize production, consumption and trade, and structure how people think about and carry out their work. Political institutions (also known as governance institutions) organize the distribution of power and authority in society. Political institutions provide a structure of leadership and empower some people by giving their ideas and preferences more weight than others. In Unit 11 we will study the evolution of economic organization in modern societies, different models (or systems) of economic organization, how work is organized in the United States, and the corporation as a modern economic institution. Unit 11 also examines the history of political organization, various models of political organization, how politics is organized in the United States, some sociological theories that explain political organization, some forms of organization outside the legitimate formalized systems, and war as a means of gaining and holding power and asserting a society's will. In Unit 11 you will learn to appreciate the superstructure of institutions that govern "modern" systems of social organization, and how bureaucratic organizational forms have creeped into many aspects of your life.

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Unit 12: Family and Religious Institutions

Reading: Chapter 13 in Macionis, pp. 371 - 407

Dates: November 3 and 5, 2009

Topics: In Unit 12 we consider two of the important traditional institutions in society: family and religion. Family, the basic building block of society, regulates reprodution and sexual behavior and provides for primary socialization, while religion organizes our spiritual needs and offers explanations for phenomena that are outside the purvey of other institutions, such as the "big questions" like why life exists on this planet and what happens when we die. In Unit 12 we will study various ways in which families are organized around the world, theories sociologists use to explain why and how humans live in families, the various stages of family life, the nature of families in the U.S., and current issues related to the family. Unit 12 also presents theories that explain religious behavior and the role of religion in the emergence of industrial society, types of religious organizations, the evolution of religion over time, the nature of religion in the United States, and current trends in religion. Unit 12 will help you understand the very basic nature of human organization, by focusing on the most pervasive and traditional institutional forms.

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Unit 13: Educational and Health Care Institutions

Reading: Chapter 14 in Macionis, pp. 409 - 447

Dates: November 10 and 12, 2009

Topics: In Unit 13 we study two institutions that are important to the functioning of modern societies: education and health care. Unit 13 compares schools around the world, presents ideas on why we have schools and what they do for society, looks at how schools contribute to and even promote social inequality, and analyzes issues and problems in the American educational system. Unit 13 also considers health care around the world, focuses on important health care issues in the U.S., examines how health care is organized in the U.S. and offers explanations for our health care system. In Unit 13 you will be presented with a new perspective on an institution that all students know well, education, and will learn about why health care is perpetually one of the most talked about, and divisive, social issues in the U.S.

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Unit 14: Demography and Environment

Reading: Chapter 15 in Macionis, pp. 449 - 479

Dates: November 17 and 19, 2009

Topics: In Unit 14 we look at social change. We consider an important factor that motivates social change, population change, and we consider an important ramification of social change, environmental deterioration. You will learn about demographic variables, such as fertility, mortality and migration, about some of the effects of population growth, and about theories that explain population growth. You also will learn about cities, how settlement in cities has changed over time, and theories socioligists have developed to better understand the characteristics and effects of densely settled populations. Some of the negative effects of population growth and density are a deteriorating environment, or what Macionis calls an "environmental deficit." We examine some of the environmental issues that have plagued modern societies, including air and water quality, waste disposal, and resource protection. In Unit 14 you will clearly see why sociologists are often critical of industrial systems of organization, due to the negative effects that industrial society has on the planet and on humans.

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NOTE: Classes will not meet from Monday, November 23 to Friday, November 27 due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. The regular class schedule resumes on Monday, November 30. SOC 101 does not meet on either Tuesday or Thursday during the Thanksgiving break. We will meet again on Tuesday, December 1.

Unit 15: Social Change

Reading: Chapter 16 in Macionis, pp. 481 - 511

Dates: December 1 and 3, 2009

Topics: In Unit 15, we continue examining social change. We will define social change explicitly, and examine factors that produce significant social restructuring. We will see how classical social theorists explained social change from agrarian to industrial society, and how contemporary theorists explain conditions in industrial society. Finally, we examine the current shift from industrial to post-industrial (or post-modern) society, including the significant effect that globalization has on our lives today. In Unit 15 you will look into the future to see how the world might look when you are 40, 50 and 60 years old, and you can think about how the coming changes might affect you, and what you can do to adapt to new realities.

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Last Modified: 7/24/09

Copyright © 2009 - Dr. Alan Barton