chapter 16

Social change is the transformation of culture and social institutions over time. This process has four major characteristics. Social change happens all the time like our thoughts about our average life span. Social change is sometime intentional but often unplanned, like the damage to the environment by cars after they were invent to replace horses. Social change is controversial like replacing urine and manure from horses with carbon monoxide. Some change matters more than other like changes in fads compared to the invention of computers.

15

Before cities people were hunter gatherers. They were always on the move. Cities let them stay in one place. Cities also had higher living standards than rural areas. Suburbs are urban areas beyond the political boundaries of a city. After world war 2, thanks to more cars, more roads, more pay, and cheaper houses, more people could live in the suburbs. I prefer to live in the suburbs because although I do like the hustle of a city I don’t think I could stand it all day every day.

An environmental deficit is profound log-term harm to the natural environment caused by man’s focus on short-term material affluence. The concept of environmental deficit is important for three reasons. It reminds us that environmental concern is our concern. It suggest that much of the damage is done unintentionally. The deficit is reversible.

chapter 14

I think there aren’t enough rules in schools or at home. Kids usually think they can do whatever they want and since teachers cant smack the crap out of them, they do. This pattern usually continues as they get older and can lead to violence. They should let teachers be stricter and parents should smack their kids when they cant behave.

In America we have a direct fee system. A direct fee system is when patients pay directly for the services of physicians or hospitals. America pays for just 42 percent of this country’s medical cost.

There are three types of insurance programs in America. The first insurance programs, private, provide benefits to employers and labor unions. The second, public, includes Medicare and Medicaid. Publics helps older people. A health maintenance organization provides medical care to subscribers for a fixed fee.

chapter 13

The four functions of the family are socialization, regulation of sexual activity, social placement, material and emotional security. You socialize with your family before going out into the real world so they kind of prepare you to be able to interact with others. Your family tells you what you can and cannot have sex with. Families pass on their social identities to their children. Your family offers you protection, when all else fails you can normally count on your family to help you out.

Gautama Buddha was the founder of Buddhism. The prophet Muhammad was the founder of Islam. Both were religious leader trying to help their fellow man. Charles Manson and Jim Jones however were cult leaders and killed many people

chapter 12

Because of the information revolution workers are doing easier work where you have to think more, like a computer programmer or architect. There are less people working in factories because we have automated machines or robots to do the work for free. Workers require less mechanical skills and more literary skills. The industrial revolution require people to be able to read, right, and use a computer; without those skills a worker was less likely to be successful. Workers were no longer confined to factories and can work from home. A smart phone nowadays has everything and more than you need in an office.

Far right on the political spectrum are extremely conservatives and far left on the spectrum are extremely liberals. Social liberals support equal rights and conservatives support the death penalty. Republicans are usually more conservative, while Democrats are usually more liberal.

chapter 11

Pluralism is a state in which people of all races and ethnicities are different but have equal social standings. Assimilation is when minorities gradually adapt to life and the patterns of the dominate culture. Segregation is the physical and social separation of categories of people.

Living in panama I had to assimilate to the cultures way of life. The water was a little hazy but I had to drink so I got used to it. Cold showers suck at first but you eventually get used to it. If you live in a different culture for long enough your bound to assimilate.

Genocide is the systematic killing of one category of people by another. Genocide occurred when Europeans wiped out most of the native Americans. Josef Stalin killed 30 million people he thought was a threat during his rule. Between 1975 and 1980 Cambodia’s communist regime murdered two million capitalist. Genocide is bad and should never be done.

chapter 10

Men are 10 percent taller, 20 percent heavier, and 30 percent stronger. Women live longer, with a life expectancy of 82 years while men have a life expectancy of 75 years. Women used to not be allowed vote because they were thought to be too dumb. I think that men claiming to be smarter than women claim as means of controls, not to present facts. Women are just as smart as men.

Feminism is support of social equality for men and women, in opposition to patriarchy and sexism. Feminist want to increase equality for men and women. They want men and women to not be confined to just one sexes views and qualities. They oppose laws that limit the education, income, and job opportunities of women. Feminist want to end sexual violence and promote sexual freedom.

chapter 8

I do not believe that entertainers and athletes deserve salaries that are a thousand times more than the average salaries. Their jobs don’t really do much. They are going to get commercial deals and things like that and make money for years to come.

The upper-upper class includes the top 1%. They are almost always born into that class. Most upper class people fall into the upper-lower class category. They make their money rather than being born into it.

The middle class make up 40 to 45% of the population. The upper-middle class earns between 113k and 200k a year. Two thirds of upper-middle class children graduate from college. The average middle class earns between 49k and 113k. Fifty percent graduate college. The lower middle is referred to as the working class. The working class earns 28k to 49k a year. One third of working class children graduate college.

The lower class makes up 20% and makes less than 28k a year. Half complete high school and only a quarter reach college.

chapter 7

A youth with little to no chance of achieving greatness in life might resorts to some forms of deviance, such as joining a street gang. The youth might think that if they follow the rules according to the cultural norms, they will not be successful and so they break the rules. Breaking the rules might not be a cultural norm so they might join a gang where breaking rules is the cultural norm. A crooked cop is a deviance from culture norms. A cop might not make enough money to make ends meet so they might start doing illegal activities to either make more arrest or steal evidence. Being an alcoholic is a deviance from the cultural norm. Normal people know when to stop drinking, but an alcoholic keeps drinking until it creates a ruckus. After a alcoholic is known to start ruckuses they are seen in a different light in that culture, usually causing the drinker to drink even more. It’s a vicious cycle. Buying DVDs is a deviance from cultural norms, most people just download them. Blockbuster is going out of business because its easier and cheaper to watch movies online.

If there where no cops in Florida I don’t think it would be complete anarchy but I do think it would be a little sketchy in the beginning. Criminals would probably take advantage of the situation and commit crimes but soon average people would take the law into their own hands. If someone is breaking into your house you don’t need the police, you just need a big ass gun and just take care of the situation. People will protect themselves. The average Joe greatly outnumbers any gang or army.

White-collar crime does not include violence and rarely brings the police with guns. White-collar criminals use their powerful offices to illegally enrich themselves. Corporate crimes are crimes committed by whole companies, not just individuals.

chapter 6

The 19^th century brought a change in America’s view on sex. Women used to go out partying in huge outfits in the 1700s; nowadays they go out partying in barely legal clothing. Sex is seen on tv and heard on the radio. Although views toward sex are pretty lax in America, in countries like Pakistan and Vatican city views are a lot stricter.

Prostitution is when someone, a prostitute, offers sexual favors in exchange for money. Prostitutes usually are forced into prostitution, either by force or by poverty. Prostitution has been around for a long time and generates billions of dollars. A pimp, someone who sells prostitutes, makes more money than doctors or lawyers, they even make more money than chefs! Pimps bawl. Pimps don’t pay taxes and that is a crime. Taxpayers of America are victims to this huge industry that pays nothing in taxes. We should legalize prostitution and start taxing these pimps.