1. The Sociological Perspective.
An Invitation to Sociology, Peter Berger.
Eitzen and Baca Zinn point out that sociology is not a comfortable discipline. In a similar fashion, Berger, in this article, helps us understand how, by "making us see the world in a new light," the sociological perspective may force us out of our comfort zones and may cause us to feel uneasy about what we see.
2. The Structure of Social Groups.
Opinions and Social Pressures, Stanley Milgram.
This article expands on Eitzen and Baca Zinn's discussion of the power of social groups. In it Asch dramatically illustrates how subjects conform to expectations when involved in a behavioral experiment involving willingness to punish.
3. The Duality of Social Life.
Militia Nation, Chip Berlet and Matthew N. Lyons.
Berlet and Lyons, in providing an in-depth look at modern-day militia or patriot movements, demonstrate how values that are shared by most Americans can be framed so as to bitterly divide groups from each other. It also shows how recent economic changes, while they have benefited some, have also helped to bring to the fore bitter rivalries among groups that have benefited less.
4. Culture.
A Geography of Time, Robert Levine.
Levine uses time to illustrate the point made by Eitzen and Baca Zinn that culture is socially constructed, or "constructed as we go." Time, depending on the society and circumstances, means different things to different groups. It also illustrates how, in what the refer to as "time wars," Americans often find themselves in conflict with other groups who do not necessarily view time in the same way.
5. Socialization.
Classrooms as Socializing Agents: The Three Rs and Beyond, Eva Weisz and Barry Kanpol.
Eitzen and Baca Zinn, in discussing the agents of socialization, identify education as one of those forces. Weisz and Kanpol elaborate on the role of education, by incorporating different forms of curriculum, in differentially influencing not only students but also teachers depending on their positions within society.
6. Social Control.
The Culture of Surveillance, William G. Staples.
Eitzen and Baca Zinn discuss how government manipulates our reality in order to maintain ideological social control. In "The Culture of Surveillance," Staples discusses how this form of social control has been expanded beyond the realm of the government and has created widespread acceptance of electronic surveillance and other forms of monitoring as a way for us to assure personal safety.
7. Deviance.
Violence Against Women, Toni Nelson.
Nelson illustrates how, as Eitzen and Baca Zinn point out, "what is right or wrong varies from society." While discussing at length the Muslim practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), she makes it clear that women in all societies are differentially subjected to various forms of violence, including rape, and forced prostitution. These cases help to show that violence against females is not only a phenomenon associated with particular cultural groups but also a matter of power, control, and dominance.
8. Structural Sources of Societal Change: Economic and Demographic.
The Job Ghetto, Katherine Newman and Chauncy Lennon.
Eitzen and Baca Zinn discuss "The Consequences of the Economic Transformation" and point out some of the social and personal costs associated with these changes. Newman and Lennon help to show that the competition that is central to maintaining economic order under capitalism also excludes from the workforce and onto public assistance programs many people who would prefer to work.
9. Social Stratification.
The Culture of Poverty, Oscar Lewis.
This important work by Lewis introduced one of the most cited concepts in the sociology of poverty in America. Although it held widespread appeal to sociologists and politicians alike in the 1950s and 60s, the culture of poverty theory has come under criticism. Eitzen and Baca Zinn provide evidence to support the view that the culture of poverty is a myth.
10. Class.
Why the Rich are Getting Richer and the Poor Poorer, Robert Reich.
Reich seeks to explain the point that Eitzen and Baca Zinn make that "the divide between the wealthy and the nonaffluent grows." Reich places particular emphasis on changes in the global economy for the growing inequality, but Eitzen and Baca Zinn provide evidence that there are other factors at work.
11. Racial Inequality.
When Work Disappears, William Julius Wilson.
Eitzen and Baca Zinn describe some of the factors associated with "the Economic Polarization in U.S. Inner Cities." Wilson elaborates on this by showing how economic changes have brought about demographic shifts and urban decline that particularly affects blacks. Importantly, he discusses how local and federal policies have contributed to these problems.
12. Gender Inequality.
The Gender Blur, Deborah Blum.
Eitzen and Baca Zinn introduce us to biological and social explanations for gender differences. Blum adds to this discussion by showing how cultural expectations and our reactions to them exaggerate whatever biological differences there may be.
13. The Economy.
The McDonaldization of Society, George Ritzer.
Eitzen and Baca Zinn discuss the role that scientific management has played in the wide array of economic changes that characterize the current period in America. Ritzer further explains scientific management or tailorization, which he refers to as "McDonaldization," and discusses its influence on people and their social worlds.
14. Power and Politics.
Power and Class in the United States, William Domhoff.
Eitzen and Baca Zinn discuss various power models, including C. Wright Mills' theory that a power elite makes most really important decisions. Domhoff builds on Mills' earlier work and discusses the effect of an elite-run society on democracy.
15. Families.
The Way We Weren't: The Myth and Reality of the "Traditional" Family, Stephanie Coontz.
Eitzen and Baca Zinn begin this chapter with a discussion of "The Mythical Family in America." Coontz traces the rise of the mythical American family and shows how none of its features have helped to protect people from inequalities based on race, class, gender, or interpersonal conflicts.
16. Education.
Problem Students: The Socioeconomic Roots, D. Stanley Eitzen.
In the text, Eitzen and Baca Zinn discuss the relationship between school success and socioeconomic status. In this supplemental reading Eitzen discusses this relationship in greater detail and introduces various other forces that contribute to the problems.
17. Religion.
In Search of the Sacred, Barbara Kantrowitz.
In Chapter 17 of In Conflict and Order, Eitzen and Baca Zinn discuss major changes that have been observed in the American religious communities. Kantrowitz elaborates on the somewhat "smorgasbord" approach to religion practiced by baby boomers in developing a "personal spirituality."
18. Human Agency.
When Activists Win: The Renaissance of Dudley Street, Jay Walljasper.
A major point made in this chapter by Eitzen and Baca Zinn is that humans do have the collective power to transform their worlds. A well-known example of this is introduced by Walljasper-the grassroots movement that led to what others have called "the rebirth" of Dudley Street in the impoverished Roxbury section of Boston. This neighborhood initiative has its own Web site and has had a film ("Holding Our Own: The Rebirth of Dudley Street") and a book ("Streets of Hope") written about its phenomenal success.
