College and Society An Introduction to the Sociological Imagination

by Sweet, Stephen

• ISBN13: 9780205305568
• ISBN10: 0205305563
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-01-03
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

B> A brief book that uses examples from a college or university setting to illustrate society in terms of social groups and forces. College and Society is based on the premise that colleges are not ";ivory towers"; that stand in contrast to the larger society. Rather, the AUTHOR argues that colleges tEND to reflect many of the same social structures, culturally based expectations of social conduct, and patterns of interaction seen at work in the larger society. For anyone interested in learning basic concepts of Sociology.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
College, Society, and the Sociological Imagination	1	(18)
The Sociological Imagination	2	(3)
Sociology and Individualism	5	(4)
Colleges as Total Institutions	9	(2)
Levels of Analysis	11	(1)
Looking Ahead: Framing College Society through Sociological Perspectives	12	(4)
The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective	13	(1)
The Feminist Perspective	13	(1)
The Organizational Perspective	14	(1)
Conflict and Functionalist Perspectives	14	(2)
The Merits of Shifting Perspectives	16	(1)
References	16	(3)
Fraternity Hazing: Insights from the Symbolic Interactionist Perspective	19	(19)
Pledging as a Rite of Passage	21	(3)
Symbolic Interactionist Theory	24	(9)
Definitions of Situations	25	(1)
Meterial Selves and Social Selves	26	(3)
The Looking-Glass Process	29	(1)
Role Taking and the Objectified Self	30	(3)
Discussion: Sociologically Informed Strategies to Counter Fraternity Hazing	33	(3)
References	36	(2)
Gender, Inequality, and College Society	38	(25)
Gender in a Stratified Society	40	(2)
Socialization and Gender Inequality	42	(7)
Gender Role Conflicts	45	(2)
Normative Alternatives	47	(1)
Can the Forces of Gender Socialization Be Countered?	48	(1)
Discrimination and Gender Inequality	49	(12)
Intentional Discrimination	50	(3)
Unintentional Discrimination	53	(2)
Institutional Discrimination	55	(3)
Can Discrimination Be Countered?	58	(3)
Reference	61	(2)
The Janus Face of College Bureaucracy	63	(28)
A Historical Look Back: College Life Prior to Bureaucratization	64	(6)
Bureaucracies as Rational Organizations	70	(5)
Bureaucracy as an Ideal Type	70	(3)
Mass Production and Scientific Management	73	(2)
The Irrational Consequences of Bureaucratization	75	(11)
Dehumanization	75	(2)
The Limits of Impersonality	77	(2)
The Dysfunctionality of Hierarchy	79	(1)
The Dysfunctionality of Specialization	80	(2)
McDonaldization of Society	82	(4)
Discussion: Coping with the Iron Cage	86	(2)
References	88	(3)
College Athletics, Cohesion, and Exploitation	91	(28)
Sports as Reflective of Culture	92	(6)
Sports and Cohesion	98	(5)
The Manifest and Latent Functions of Sports	98	(4)
Sports and the Creation of Group Boundaries	102	(1)
Summary of Sports and Social Cohesion	102	(1)
Sports and Social Conflict	103	(10)
Reproducing Class and Ethnic Inequality in College Sports	104	(4)
Reproducing Gender Inequality in College Sports	108	(1)
Sports and Hegemony	109	(4)
Summary of Sports and Social Conflict	113	(1)
Discussion	113	(3)
References	116	(3)
Studying College and Society: A Field Guide	119	(24)
Sociological Methods and Folk Methods	120	(2)
Sociology as a Science	122	(2)
Forming Research Questions	124	(1)
Conceptualizing	125	(2)
Selecting a Methodology	127	(12)
Surveys	127	(3)
Unobtrusive Observation	130	(3)
Experiments	133	(2)
Field Observation	135	(2)
Further Concerns: Sampling	137	(2)
Ethics and Social Research	139	(2)
Conclusion	141	(1)
References	141	(2)
Afterword	143	(2)
Index	145