Description

A brief supplemental text for introductory sociology that uses familiar examples from a college or university setting to teach students to think of 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. By examining their immediate surroundings, college students can learn about the social processes at work in the larger society, and begin to develop a “sociological imagination.”

Appropriate Courses & Related Titles

Introductory Sociology (Sociology)
Social Problems (Sociology)

Features

• The opening chapter introduces many of sociology's fundamental concepts and theoretical perspectives.

• Subsequent chapters examine some particular aspects of social life on campus: college athletics, the conduct of fraternity members, the bureaucracies that govern many features student life, and stratification based on gender.

• The final chapter serves as a guide to doing sociological investigation on one's own campus.

Table Of Contents

All chapters conclude with “References.”

Acknowledgments.


1.College, Society, and the Sociological Imagination.

The Sociological Imagination.

Sociology and Individualism.

Colleges of Total Institutions.

Levels of Analysis.

Looking Ahead: Framing College Society through Sociological Perspectives.

2.Fraternity Hazing: Insights from the Symbolic Interactionist Perspective.

Pledging as a Rite of Passage.

Symbolic Interactionist Theory.

Discussion: Sociologically Informed Strategies to Counter Fraternity Hazing.

3.Gender, Inequality, and College Society.

Gender in a Stratified Society.

Socialization and Gender Inequality.

Discrimination and Gender Inequality.

4.The Janus Face of College Bureaucracy.

A Historical Look Back: College Life Prior to Bureaucratization.

Bureaucracies as Rational Organizations.

The Irrational Consequences of Bureaucratization.

Discussion: Coping with the Iron Cage.

5.College Athletics, Cohesion, and Exploitation.

Sports as Reflective of Culture.

Sports and Cohesion.

Sports and Social Conflict.

Discussion.

6.Studying College and Society: A Field Guide.

Sociological Methods and Folk Methods.

Sociology as a Science.

Forming Research Questions.

Conceptualizing.

Selecting a Methodology.

Ethics and Social Research.

Conclusion.

Afterword.


Index.