Power and Society An Introduction to the Social Sciences

by Harrison, Brigid C.; Dye, Thomas R.

• ISBN13: 9780495096719
• ISBN10: 0495096717
• Edition: 11th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-02-22
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

POWER AND SOCIETY introduces of each of the social sciences and demonstrates how the various disciplines differ in their focus and methods, while maintaining the central integrative theme of power. The interdisciplinary viewpoint illustrates the nature and uses of power in society. POWER AND SOCIETY will stimulate your interest in the social sciences as it explores some of the central challenges facing American society; for example, ideological conflict, racism and sexism, poverty and powerlessness, crime and violence, community problems, and international relations.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
The Nature and Study of Power	p. 3
Power, Society, and Social Science	p. 4
The Nature of Power	p. 4
Power and the Social Sciences	p. 8
Masters of Social Thought: Bertrand Russell: Power Is to the Social Sciences	p. 9
Social Sciences and Social Problems	p. 14
About This Chapter	p. 16
For Discussion	p. 16
On the Web: Exploring Power and Society	p. 16
Social Sciences and the Scientific Method	p. 18
Science and the Scientific Method	p. 18
Focus: The Vocabulary of Social Science	p. 19
What Is a "Fact"?	p. 23
The Classic Scientific Research Design	p. 23
Controversies in Social Science: Can Social Science Be Scientific?	p. 24
Gathering Data: Survey Research	p. 26
Focus: Abortion: A Hot-Button Issue	p. 30
Focus: Changing College Student Opinions	p. 33
Case Study: An Experiment in Preventing Underage Drinking	p. 36
About This Chapter	p. 38
For Discussion	p. 39
On the Web: Exploring the Social Sciences	p. 39
Power and Ideology	p. 41
The Power of Ideas	p. 41
Classical Liberalism: The Least Government Is the Best Government	p. 42
Modern Liberalism: Government Power to "Do Good"	p. 43
Focus: Selected Direct Quotations from Ideologies	p. 44
Modern Conservatism: Individualism and Traditional Values	p. 45
Focus: How to Tell if You're Liberal or Conservative	p. 47
Masters of Social Thought: Neoconservative Irving Kristol	p. 50
Fascism: The Supremacy of Race and Nation	p. 52
Socialism: Government Ownership, Central Planning	p. 56
Case Study: The Rise and Fall of Communism In Russia	p. 57
Why Communism Collapsed	p. 60
About This Chapter	p. 62
For Discussion	p. 62
On the Web: Exploring Ideologies	p. 53
Power and the Social Sciences	p. 65
Power and Culture	p. 66
The Origins of Power	p. 66
Culture: Ways of Life	p. 67
Masters of Social Thought: Ruth Benedict and Patterns of Culture	p. 69
The Components of Culture	p. 70
The Nature of Culture	p. 72
Masters of Social Thought: Clifford Geertz's Anti Anti-Relativism	p. 75
Controversies in Social Sciences: The World's Missing Girls	p. 76
Authority in the Family	p. 78
Focus: Social Science Looks at Sex in America	p. 79
International Perspective: Women in the Workforce	p. 83
Power and Gender	p. 86
Focus: Marriage American Style	p. 87
International Perspective: Liberia's Iron Lady: President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf	p. 88
Power and Political Systems	p. 90
Focus: Power and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia	p. 92
Power and Society: Some Anthropological Observations	p. 94
About This Chapter	p. 95
For Discussion	p. 95
On the Web: Exploring Anthropology	p. 95
Power and Social Class	p. 97
Power Relations and Social Stratification	p. 97
Stratification in American Society	p. 98
Sociology and the Study of Social Classes	p. 102
Inequality in America	p. 105
International Perspective: Beliefs about Equality and Opportunity	p. 108
Social Mobility: The Ups and Downs	p. 109
Class as a Determinant of Lifestyle	p. 111
Masters of Social Thought: C. Wright Mills and the Power Elite	p. 113
International Perspective: Global Inequalities	p. 116
Social Classes: Conflict And Conciliation	p. 118
Masters of Social Thought: Karl Marx and the Class Struggle	p. 119
Social Class and Political Power	p. 120
About This Chapter	p. 123
For Discussion	p. 124
On the Web: Exploring Sociology	p. 124
Power and Personality	p. 125
Personality and Individual Responses to Power	p. 125
Our Genetic Code	p. 127
Focus: DNA as a Genealogical Tool	p. 128
Focus: DNA: Blueprint to Life	p. 130
Nurture and Human Development	p. 131
Approaches to Psychology And Personality	p. 132
Focus: Inside the Brain	p. 133
Focus: Evolutionary Psychology: The Mating Game	p. 137
Masters of Social Thought: Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalytic Theory	p. 138
Behaviorism and Learning Theory	p. 140
Masters of Social Thought: B. F. Skinner and the Control of Human Behavior	p. 143
International Perspective: The Self in Individualist and Collectivist Cultures	p. 145
Power and the Study of Psychology	p. 149
Treating Mental Illness	p. 149
Case Study: Diagnosing Mental Illness	p. 150
Focus: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Not Just a Soldier's Disease	p. 154
Powerlessness and Mental Health	p. 156
Case Study: Dying for Power	p. 157
About This Chapter	p. 158
For Discussion	p. 158
On the Web: Exploring Psychology	p. 159
Power and the Economic Order	p. 161
Power and Economic Organization	p. 161
The Market System, Hard Boiled and Impersonal	p. 162
Supply, Demand, and the Market Price	p. 165
Measuring America's Wealth	p. 167
Focus: Interest Rates and You	p. 168
Masters of Social Thought: Adam Smith and Laissez-Faire Economics	p. 170
International Perspective: GNP and Standards of Living	p. 173
Government in a Free Market Economy	p. 174
Case Study: Achieving Economic Stability	p. 176
Masters of Social Thought: John M. Keynes and the Mixed Economy	p. 177
Supply-Side Economics	p. 178
Case Study: The Recent Performance of the American Economy	p. 180
Government Money: Where It Comes From and Where It Goes	p. 182
Government Debt, Deficits, and Surpluses	p. 184
International Perspective: A Look at Government Debt	p. 185
The Concentration of Economic Power	p. 186
Focus: The Concentration of Corporate Power	p. 187
The Globalization of Economic Power	p. 190
International Perspective: The Multinationals' Global Economic Power	p. 192
About This Chapter	p. 195
For Discussion	p. 195
On the Web: Exploring Economics	p. 196
Power and Government	p. 198
Politics, Political Science, and Government Power	p. 198
The Meaning of Democracy	p. 199
Masters of Social Thought: John Locke and Constitutionalism	p. 201
Power and the American Constitution	p. 202
Controversies in Social Science: Direct versus Representative Democracy	p. 206
Federalism and the Growth of Government Power	p. 209
Federalism Today	p. 210
Power and the Branches of the Federal Government	p. 212
Focus: Rating the Presidents	p. 213
Focus: Explaining Presidential Approval Ratings	p. 216
Case Study: A Return to the Imperial Presidency	p. 219
Focus: Bush v. Gore in the U.S. Supreme Court	p. 226
The Power of Congress	p. 226
The Power of the Courts	p. 229
Power and Political Behavior in the United States	p. 232
Political Parties in the United States	p. 235
Differences between Democrats and Republicans	p. 236
Focus: Media Power: The Presidential Debates	p. 238
Power and American Government	p. 241
About This Chapter	p. 241
For Discussion	p. 242
On the Web: Exploring Government and Politics	p. 242
Power and History	p. 244
History and Social Science	p. 244
History and the American Experience	p. 244
Controversies in Social Science: Charles Beard and the Economic Interests of the Founders	p. 246
The Rise of Western Elites	p. 248
The Civil War and Elite Division	p. 249
Power in the Post-Civil War Era	p. 253
Power and the Industrial Revolution	p. 257
Masters of Social Thought: Jane Addams and the Settlement House Movement	p. 259
The New Deal and the Emergence of the "Liberal Establishment"	p. 260
Case Study: Vietnam: A Political History	p. 261
About This Chapter	p. 265
For Discussion	p. 265
On the Web: Exploring History	p. 266
The Uses of Power	p. 269
Power, Race, and Gender	p. 270
Racism in American History	p. 270
The Civil Rights Movement	p. 272
Masters of Social Thought: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Power of Protest	p. 274
Continuing Inequalities	p. 276
Hispanic Power	p. 277
Controversies in Social Science: Affirmative Action and the Constitution	p. 278
Immigration to America	p. 283
Native Americans: An Historical Overview	p. 287
Power and Gender	p. 291
Sex Inequality: Culture or Biology?	p. 293
The Long History of Women's Protests	p. 294
Focus: A Declaration of Women's Rights, 1848	p. 296
Why Are There So Few Women in Power?	p. 297
Sexual Discrimination: Sexual Harassment and the Law	p. 298
Focus: Professor Anita Hill's Testimony in the Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing of Clarence Thomas	p. 300
Abortion and the Law	p. 304
Gay and Lesbian Rights	p. 306
About This Chapter	p. 307
For Discussion	p. 307
On the Web: Exploring Power, Race, and Gender	p. 308
Poverty and Powerlessness	p. 309
Poverty as Powerlessness	p. 309
Poverty in the United States	p. 310
Case Study: How Is Poverty Measured?	p. 311
Is There a Culture of Poverty?	p. 313
Focus: Who Are the Poor?	p. 314
Focus: America's Shame: Our Poor Children	p. 316
International Perspective: A Cure for Poverty? The Gates Foundation	p. 318
Government and Social Welfare	p. 319
International Perspective: Income of the Poor in Advanced Democracies	p. 322
Case Study: Senior Power	p. 323
Homelessness in America	p. 325
Controversies in Social Science: Is Welfare Reform Working?	p. 326
About This Chapter	p. 328
For Discussion	p. 328
On the Web: Exploring Poverty and Powerlessness	p. 329
Power, Violence, and Crime	p. 330
Power and Individual Freedom	p. 330
Violence in American History	p. 330
Focus: September 11, 2001, by the Numbers: The Attacks on the World Trade Center	p. 335
The Problem of Crime	p. 336
Focus: It's a Real Crime!	p. 338
The Constitutional Rights of Defendants	p. 340
International Perspective: The Death Penalty	p. 346
Crime and Drugs	p. 352
An Economic Perspective on Crime	p. 353
Focus: Getting High	p. 354
Controversies in Social Science: Should Drugs Be Legalized?	p. 355
A Psychological Perspective on Crime: The Antisocial Personality	p. 356
Controversies in Social Science: Incarceration or Education?	p. 357
Case Study: The Insanity Defense	p. 358
Social and Cultural Perspectives on Crime	p. 360
About This Chapter	p. 362
For Discussion	p. 362
On the Web: Exploring Power, Crime, and Violence	p. 363
Power and the Global Community	p. 365
The Global Community	p. 365
Globalization in Perspective	p. 365
The Global Problem of Poverty	p. 365
Masters of Social Thought: Immanuel Wallerstein	p. 367
Focus: The Least-Developed Countries	p. 368
The Global Problems of Hunger and Malnourishment	p. 359
Focus: Afghanistan	p. 372
Health and Health Care in the Global Community	p. 375
Still a Global Problem: Slavery	p. 377
Global Population Growth	p. 381
The Structure of Urban Life in the Global Community	p. 383
International Perspective: Worldwide Urbanization	p. 384
About This Chapter	p. 388
For Discussion	p. 388
On the Web: Exploring Power and the Global Community	p. 389
Power Among Nations	p. 390
International Politics	p. 390
International Perspective: An American Dream?	p. 391
Bringing Order to International Relations	p. 392
Focus: Know Your Geography	p. 393
A Brief History of the Cold War	p. 396
The Control of Nuclear Arms	p. 400
International Politics in a Post-September 11 World	p. 404
Focus: Al Qaeda	p. 405
Unanticipated Threats	p. 407
Case Study: American Military Power: The Gulf War and the War in Iraq	p. 408
Controversies in Social Science: When Should the United States Use Military Force?	p. 410
About This Chapter	p. 412
For Discussion	p. 412
On the Web: Exploring Power among Nations	p. 412
Notes	p. 414
Index	p. 420
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