Chapter 3

Can you describe specific practices or social patterns familiar to us in the US that would shock people from another society?
Women are given equal rights and opportunities in the US while in many other countries, women are still stripped of their rights and looked down upon. We heavily rely on science while some other societies may look more towards Religion for finding answers.


List 3 cultrual elements that were passed on to you from earlier generations. List 3 obviously different elements that have emerged in your own generation. Which are likely to be passed onto your children and grandchildren?
Elements passed down from earlier generations: to always look out and help any family members, learn to respect authority, work hard and you'll be successful. 3 different thinges from my generation: Work smart (which doesn't really mean work hard) and you'll be successful, look out for yourself, don't trust everything everyone says. I still think the first three will be passed down to my children but I might tell them to work smart instead of working hard.


If archaelogists dig up your civilization 50,000 years from now, based on the artificats they find, what kind of poeple do you think we were?
Obviously, we would look like we were diseased with violence and hate; that humanity did more harm than good. But if they looked closer, they'd see we tried and that inside, we were kind and well meaning.

Make a list of five subcultures that are part of your life. Which are the most important?
Gamer, clubber, musician, film buff, music listener.


Chapter 4

What do you think are some of the most important lessons we can learn from studying hunting and gathering societies?
That everyone in the family is equal. Women, men and children all do work and strive to help each other with any egos. Appreciating the smaller things in life and appreciating nature.


Why do you think people are quick to see the advantages of advancing technology but slow to see many of its negative consequences?
Because of instant gratification. People are more focused about the "now" than the "later". We can become too attached to a technology and once disattached from it, we don't know how to function or carry on.


Sociologists sometimes say that Weber's work is "a debate with the ghost of Karl Marx." Thinking of their basic approaches, can you explain why?
Weber simply thinks that captialism is rational because people try to earn money. Marx, on the other hand, see capitalism as a burden on the freedom and well being of the lower classes. 


Marx saw revolution as the way to overcome the problems of capitalism. Would the creatation of a socialist government solve the problem of excessive rationalty that worried Weber? Why or why not?
No because there would still be people in power who are to achieve wealth for themselves. They would still be attached on fact to achieve their goals


Compare Dukheim's concept of anomie with the two concepts of alienation developed by Marx and Weber.
Dukheim believes societies give people too much freedom, therefore they are misguided and don't have a hold on their own morals. Alienation, on the other hand, is self imposed or imposed by someone other and gives the individual the feeling that they aren't worth anything.