1. Professor Erik Olin Wright Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:00 – noon
SOCIOLOGY 125
AMERICAN SOCIETY:
how it really works
Professor Erik Olin Wright
Office Hours:
Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:00 – noon
8112D Social Sciences

2. CLASSROOM RULES Turn off cell phones No texting No email
No internet surfing

3. The Strategy for the Semester
Course website:
Discussion sections: Film discussion & Questions
Lectures: Dialogue on section questions +
Lecture on central themes

4. LECTURE 1. PERSPECTIVES & VALUES
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THREE OVERARCHING QUESTIONS:
What kind of society is this?
How does it really work?
In what ways does it need changing?
3. THE VALUES & PERSPECTIVE BEHIND THE COURSE
3.1 Five core values
  Freedom   Prosperity Efficiency Fairness Democracy
3.2 Four Kinds of Disagreements
What is meant by each of these values
Actual performance of our institutions
Relative priority of different values
How much things could really be improved
3.3 Where I stand

5. 4.THINKING SOCIOLOGICALLY
4.1 Pivotal Idea: rules govern actions
4.2 Six Basic Sociological Ideas about Social Rules
1. Rules are enforced
2. Rules come in many diverse forms
3. Rules are not neutral – winners & losers
4. Rules are backed by power
5. Rules are often inconsistent
6. Rules change over time