Sociology 211
Social Problems
Fall 2002
Dr. Scott Schaffer

Discussion Questions, Weeks 1 & 2: Social vs. Sociological Problems, Globalization, Inequality and Family (SPSS pp. 1-46, 55-65, 88-110)

Assignment: Before the in-class discussion scheduled for each Friday, you need to prepare your own responses to these questions, making sure to respond to all elements of each question. These questions will form the basis for our discussion in class, and these questions or some like them will appear on the midterm exam scheduled for Fri Sep 27 as well as the paper assignments, so it is in your interest to prepare all of them.

1. For each concept, be sure to identify a) the author who discussed it, b) the definition, c) the importance the concept has for the development of the author's argument or for the study of social problems, and d) any concepts you think are related to that concept and how they're related.

Social problem
Sociological problem
Globalization
Homogenization
Cultural diversity
Thomas Theorem
Ethnocentrism
Push factors vs. pull factors
Commodity consciousness
'Dominant model' of development
Relative deprivation
Imperialism and Neoimperialism
Underdevelopment
Inequality
Differential group membership
Poverty
Breakdown of the family
Nostalgia trap
Tension between parenting and working

2. Each of the articles in Parts I and II outlines a different aspect of a particular social problem: for Part I, globalization; for Part II, varying forms of inequality. Outline the ways in which each author discusses their angle on each of these social problems. Then, show the kind of sociological problem each author is referring to, as well as how you might be able to draw connections between the manifestation of this sociological problem discussed by the author and a parallel kind of sociological problem in your social world.

3. The different phenomena analyzed in this week's readings (globalization and inequality) have their roots in and are experienced at all three levels of analysis (macro, meso, and micro). Outline how each of the articles shows the ways in which these two phenomena occur at each of the levels of analysis. Then, show the ways in which you think they would be experienced at each level of analysis. What kinds of similarities or differences do you see between these two ways of understanding social phenomena? Why do you think these similarities/differences occur?

4. One of the key issues in this course is understanding the ways in which we participate in the reproduction or subversion of different kinds of social and sociological problems. Outline your experience of the social problems discussed this week (globalization and inequality), as well as the ways in which you participate in reproducing or subverting these phenomena. To what extent do you think that you participate in the reproduction of these phenomena? In their subversion?

5. Questions such as the previous one raise an important idea when looking at social problems and the ways that other societies deal with them - how we define such evaluative criteria as 'better off' and 'worse off.' Using your responses for Questions 3 and 4, discuss whether or not we would be 'better off' or 'worse off' for pursuing other societies' methods for dealing with our social problems, making sure to give a set of criteria for your evaluation ' in other words, define how you would recognize a society as being 'better off' or 'worse off.'