Henslin James M. Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach
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Contents ix
CHAPTER 4
Social Structure and Social Interaction 94
Levels of Sociological Analysis 96
Macrosociology and Microsociology 96
The Macrosociological Perspective: Social
Structure 97
The Sociological Significance of Social Structure 97
Culture 98
Social Class 98
Social Status 98
Down-to-Earth Sociology: College Football
as Social Structure 99
Roles 101
Groups 101
Social Institutions 102
The Sociological Significance of Social
Institutions 102
Comparing Functionalist and Conflict
Perspectives 104
Changes in Social Structure 105
What Holds Society Together? 105
Cultural Diversity in the United States:
The Amish: Gemeinschaft Community in a
Gesellschaft Society 107
The Microsociological Perspective: Social Interaction in
Everyday Life 108
Symbolic Interaction 108
Down to Earth Sociology: Looks: The Last Fron-
tier for Socially Acceptable Discrimination? 108
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Beauty May Be Only
Skin Deep, But Its Effects Go On Forever: Stereo-
types in Everyday Life 110
Dramaturgy: The Presentation of Self in Everyday
Life 111
Mass Media in Social Life: You Can’t Be Thin
Enough: Body Images and the Mass Media 115
Ethnomethodology: Uncovering Background
Assumptions 116
The Social Construction of Reality 117
The Need for Both Macrosociology and
Microsociology 119
Summary and Review 122
Through the Author’s Lens
When a Tornado Strikes
Social Organization Following a Natural Disaster
As I was watching television on March 20, 2003, I heard a report that a tornado
had hit Camilla, Georgia.“Like a big lawn mower,” the report said, it had cut a
path of destruction through this little town. In its fury, the tornado had left
behind six dead and about 200 injured. (pages 120–121)
CHAPTER 5
How Sociologists Do Research 124
What Is a Valid Sociological Topic? 126
Common Sense and the Need for Sociological
Research 126
A Research Model 126
1. Selecting a Topic 126
2. Defining the Problem 127
3. Reviewing the Literature 127
4. Formulating a Hypothesis 127
5. Choosing a Research Model 127
6. Collecting the Data 127
7. Analyzing the Results 128
8. Sharing the Results 128
Research Methods 128
Surveys 128
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Loading the Dice: How
Not to Do Research 132
x Contents
PART II Social Groups and Social Control
CHAPTER 6
Societies to Social Networks 146
Societies and Their Transformation 148
Hunting and Gathering Societies 148
Pastoral and Horticultural Societies 149
Agricultural Societies 150
Industrial Societies 151
Postindustrial (Information) Societies 151
Biotech Societies: Is a New Type of Society
Emerging? 152
Sociology and the New Technology: Avatar Fan-
tasy Life: The Blurring Lines of Reality 153
Sociology and the New Technology: “So, You
Want to Be Yourself?” Cloning and the Future of
Society 154
Groups Within Society 155
Primary Groups 155
Secondary Groups 155
In-Groups and Out-Groups 157
Reference Groups 158
Social Networks 159
A New Group: Electronic Communities 160
Group Dynamics 161
Effects of Group Size on Stability and Intimacy 161
Effects of Group Size on Attitudes and Behavior 162
Leadership 163
The Power of Peer Pressure: The Asch
Experiment 165
Down-to-Earth Sociology: The Power of Cascades:
When Error Escalates 166
The Power of Authority: The Milgram
Experiment 167
Thinking Critically: If Hitler Asked You to
Execute a Stranger, Would You? The Milgram
Experiment 167
Global Consequences of Group Dynamics: Group-
think 168
Summary and Review 170
Participant Observation (Fieldwork) 133
Case Studies 134
Secondary Analysis 134
Documents 134
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Gang Leader for
a Day: Adventures of a Rogue Sociologist 135
Experiments 136
Unobtrusive Measures 138
Deciding Which Method to Use 138
Controversy in Sociological Research 139
Thinking Critically: Doing Controversial
Research—Counting the Homeless 139
Gender in Sociological Research 140
Ethics in Sociological Research 141
Protecting the Subjects: The Brajuha
Research 141
Misleading the Subjects: The Humphreys
Research 141
How Research and Theory Work Together 142
The Real World: When the Ideal Meets
the Real 142
Thinking Critically: Are Rapists Sick? A Close-Up
View of Research 143
Summary and Review 144
CHAPTER 7
Bureaucracy and Formal
Organizations 172
The Rationalization of Society 174
Why Did Society Make a Deep Shift in Human
Relationships? 174
Marx: Capitalism Broke Tradition 175
Weber: Religion Broke Tradition 176
Formal Organizations and Bureaucracies 176
Formal Organizations 177
The Characteristics of Bureaucracies 177
“Ideal” Versus “Real” Bureaucracy 179
Down-to-Earth Sociology: The McDonaldization
of Society 180
Dysfunctions of Bureaucracies 180
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Group Pranking:
Escaping the Boredom of Bureaucracy? 183
Contents xi
CHAPTER 8
Deviance and Social Control 196
What Is Deviance? 198
How Norms Make Social Life Possible 198
Cultural Diversity around the World: Human
Sexuality in Cross-Cultural Perspective 199
Sanctions 200
Competing Explanations of Deviance: Sociobiology,
Psychology, and Sociology 200
The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective 201
Differential Association Theory 201
Control Theory 203
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Shaming: Making a
Comeback? 204
Labeling Theory 205
The Functionalist Perspective 207
Can Deviance Really Be Functional for
Society? 207
Mass Media in Social Life: Pornography and the
Mainstream: Freedom Versus Censorship 208
Strain Theory: How Social Values Produce
Deviance 209
Illegitimate Opportunity Structures: Social Class
and Crime 210
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Islands in the Street:
Urban Gangs in the United States 211
The Conflict Perspective 213
Class, Crime, and the Criminal Justice System 213
The Law as an Instrument of Oppression 213
Reactions to Deviance 214
Street Crime and Prisons 214
Thinking Critically: “Three Strikes and You’re
Out!” Unintended Consequences of Well-Intended
Laws 216
Cultural Diversity around the World: “What
Kind of Prison Is This?” 217
The Decline in Violent Crime 218
Recidivism 218
The Death Penalty and Bias 218
Down-to-Earth Sociology: The Killer Next Door:
Serial Murderers in Our Midst 220
Legal Change 221
Thinking Critically: Changing Views: Making
Hate a Crime 221
The Trouble with Official Statistics 222
The Medicalization of Deviance: Mental Illness 223
The Need for a More Humane Approach 225
Summary and Review 226
Goal Displacement and the Perpetuation of
Bureaucracies 184
Voluntary Associations 185
Functions of Voluntary Associations 185
Motivations for Joining 186
The “Iron Law” of Oligarchy 186
Working for the Corporation 187
Self-Fulfilling Stereotypes in the “Hidden”
Corporate Culture 187
Thinking Critically: Managing Diversity in the
Workplace 188
Humanizing the Corporate Culture 189
Attempts to Humanize the Work Setting 189
The Conflict Perspective 191
Fads in Corporate Culture 191
Technology and the Control of Workers 191
Sociology and the New Technology: Cyberloafers
and Cybersleuths: Surfing at Work 192
The Global Competition 192
Cultural Diversity around the World: Japanese
and U.S. Corporations: Awkward Symbiosis 193
Summary and Review 194
CHAPTER 9
Global Stratification 228
Systems of Social Stratification 230
Slavery 231
Caste 233
Mass Media in Social Life: What Price Freedom?
Slavery Today 234
Estate 235
Class 236
Global Stratification and the Status of Females 237
The Global Superclass 237
What Determines Social Class? 237
Karl Marx: The Means of Production 237
Max Weber: Property, Power, and Prestige 238
PART III Social Inequality
xii Contents
CHAPTER 10
Social Class in the United States 260
What Is Social Class? 262
Property 262
Down-to-Earth Sociology: How the Super-Rich
Live 265
Power 266
Prestige 266
Status Inconsistency 268
Down-to-Earth Sociology: The Big Win: Life After
the Lottery 269
Sociological Models of Social Class 270
Updating Marx 270
Updating Weber 270
Consequences of Social Class 273
Physical Health 274
Mental Health 275
Family Life 275
Education 276
Religion 276
Politics 276
Crime and Criminal Justice 277
The Changing Economy 277
Social Mobility 277
Three Types of Social Mobility 277
Women in Studies of Social Mobility 278
Interpreting Statistics on Social Mobility 279
The Pain of Social Mobility 279
Through the Author’s Lens
The Dump People
Working and Living and Playing in the City Dump
of Phnom Penh, Cambodia
I went to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, to inspect orphanages, to see
how well the children were being cared for. While there, I was told about
people who live in the city dump. Live there? I could hardly believe my ears. I
knew that people made their living by picking scraps from the city dump, but I
didn’t know they actually lived among the garbage.This I had to see for myself.
(pages 250–251)
Why Is Social Stratification Universal? 239
The Functionalist View: Motivating Qualified
People 239
The Conflict Perspective: Class Conflict and Scarce
Resources 240
Lenski’s Synthesis 241
How Do Elites Maintain Stratification? 242
Soft Control Versus Force 242
Comparative Social Stratification 243
Social Stratification in Great Britain 244
Social Stratification in the Former Soviet Union 244
Global Stratification: Three Worlds 245
The Most Industrialized Nations 245
The Industrializing Nations 248
Thinking Critically: Open Season: Children
As Prey 248
The Least Industrialized Nations 249
Modifying the Model 249
How Did the World’s Nations Become
Stratified? 252
Colonialism 252
World System Theory 252
Thinking Critically: When Globalization
Comes Home: Maquiladoras South of the
Border 253
Culture of Poverty 254
Evaluating the Theories 255
Maintaining Global Stratification 255
Neocolonialism 255
Multinational Corporations 256
Technology and Global Domination 257
Strains in the Global System 257
Summary and Review 258
Contents xiii
Cultural Diversity in the United States: Social
Class and the Upward Mobility of African
Americans 280
Poverty 281
Drawing the Poverty Line 281
Who Are the Poor? 281
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Taking Another Fun
Quiz: Exploring Stereotypes About the Poor 282
Children of Poverty 284
Thinking Critically: The Nation’s Shame: Children
in Poverty 284
The Dynamics of Poverty 285
Why Are People Poor? 286
Thinking Critically: The Welfare Debate: The
Deserving and the Undeserving Poor 286
Welfare Reform 287
Deferred Gratification 288
Where Is Horatio Alger? The Social Functions
of a Myth 288
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Poverty: A Personal
Journey 289
Summary and Review 290
CHAPTER 11
Sex and Gender 292
Issues of Sex and Gender 294
Gender Differences in Behavior: Biology
or Culture? 294
Thinking Critically: Biology Versus Culture—
Culture Is the Answer 296
Thinking Critically: Biology Versus Culture—
Biology Is the Answer 297
The Dominant Position in Sociology 298
Opening the Door to Biology 298
Gender Inequality in Global Perspective 300
How Females Became a Minority Group 300
The Origins of Patriarchy 300
Mass Media in Social Life: Women In Iran: The
Times Are Changing, Ever So Slowly 301
Sex Typing of Work 302
Gender and the Prestige of Work 303
Other Areas of Global Discrimination 303
Cultural Diversity around the World: Female
Circumcision 306
Gender Inequality in the United States 307
Fighting Back: The Rise of Feminism 307
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Women and Smoking:
Let’s Count the Reasons 308
Gender Inequality in Everyday Life 309
Gender Inequality in Health Care 310
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Where Are the Cheer-
leaders? (Male, That Is) 310
Gender Inequality in Education 311
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Cold-Hearted Surgeons
and Their Women Victims 312
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Affirmative Action
for Men? 314
Gender Inequality in the Workplace 316
The Pay Gap 316
The Cracking Glass Ceiling 319
Sexual Harassment—and Worse 320
Thinking Critically: Sexual Harassment and Rape
of Women in the Military 320
Gender and Violence 322
Violence Against Women 322
The Changing Face of Politics 324
Glimpsing the Future—With Hope 325
Summary and Review 325
Through the Author’s Lens
Work and Gender
Women at work in India
Traveling through India was both a pleasure and an eye-opening experience. The
country is incredibly diverse, the people friendly, and the land culturally rich. For
this photo essay, wherever I went—whether city, village, or countryside—I took
photos of women at work. (pages 304–305)
xiv Contents
CHAPTER 12
Race and Ethnicity 328
Laying the Sociological Foundation 330
Race: Myth and Reality 330
Cultural Diversity in the United States: Tiger
Woods: Mapping the Changing Ethnic Terrain 331
Ethnic Groups 332
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Can a Plane Ride
Change Your Race? 333
Minority Groups and Dominant Groups 334
How People Construct Their Racial–Ethnic
Identity 335
Prejudice and Discrimination 335
Learning Prejudice 335
Individual and Institutional Discrimination 337
Down-to-Earth Sociology: The Racist Mind 338
Theories of Prejudice 340
Psychological Perspectives 340
Sociological Perspectives 340
Global Patterns of Intergroup Relations 342
Down-to-Earth Sociology: The Man in the Zoo 343
Genocide 344
Population Transfer 344
Internal Colonialism 345
Segregation 345
Assimilation 345
Multiculturalism (Pluralism) 345
Racial–Ethnic Relations in the United States 346
European Americans 347
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Unpacking the Invisible
Knapsack: Exploring Cultural Privilege 348
Latinos (Hispanics) 349
Cultural Diversity in the United States: The
Illegal Travel Guide 350
African Americans 351
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Stealth Racism in
the Rental Market: What You Reveal by Your
Voice 356
Asian Americans 357
Native Americans 358
Looking Toward the Future 360
The Immigration Debate 361
Affirmative Action 361
Cultural Diversity in the United States: Glimpsing
the Future: The Shifting U.S. Racial–Ethnic
Mix 362
Toward a True Multicultural Society 364
Summary and Review 364
CHAPTER 13
The Elderly 366
Aging in Global Perspective 368
The Social Construction of Aging 368
Industrialization and the Graying of the Globe 368
The Graying of America 370
The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective 372
When Are You “Old”? 372
Changing Perceptions of the Elderly 373
Cultural Diversity around the World: China:
Changing Sentiment About the Elderly 375
The Influence of the Mass Media 375
Mass Media in Social Life: The Cultural Lens:
Shaping Our Perceptions of the Elderly 376
The Functionalist Perspective 376
Disengagement Theory 377
Activity Theory 377
Continuity Theory 378
The Conflict Perspective 378
Fighting for Resources: Social Security Legislation
378
Thinking Critically: The Social Security Trust
Fund: There Is No Fund, and You Can’t Trust
It 379
Intergenerational Competition and Conflict 380
Fighting Back 381
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Stirrings of Resentment
About the U.S. Elderly 383
Recurring Problems 384
Gender and the Elderly 384
Nursing Homes 384
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Feisty to the End:
Gender Roles Among the Elderly 385
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Do You Want to Live in
a Nursing Home? 386
Elder Abuse 387
The Elderly Poor 388
The Sociology of Death and Dying 388
Industrialization and the New Technology 388
Death as a Process 388
Hospices 389
Suicide and Age 390
Adjusting to Death 390
Contents xv
Looking Toward the Future 391
A New Model of Aging 391
The Impact of Technology 392
Thinking Critically: How Long Do You Want to
Live? Approaching Methuselah 392
Summary and Review 394
PART IV Social Institutions
CHAPTER 14
The Economy 396
The Transformation of Economic Systems 398
Preindustrial Societies: The Birth of Inequality 398
Industrial Societies: The Birth of the Machine 399
Postindustrial Societies: The Birth of the Informa-
tion Age 399
Biotech Societies: The Merger of Biology and
Economics 399
Implications for Your Life 399
Cultural Diversity around the World: The Child
Workers 400
The Transformation of the Medium of Exchange 401
Earliest Mediums of Exchange 401
Medium of Exchange in Agricultural Societies 401
Medium of Exchange in Industrial Societies 401
Medium of Exchange in Postindustrial Societies 403
World Economic Systems 403
Capitalism 403
Socialism 405
Ideologies of Capitalism and Socialism 405
Criticisms of Capitalism and Socialism 406
The Convergence of Capitalism and Socialism 406
Cultural Diversity around the World: The New
Capitalism in China 407
The Functionalist Perspective on the Globalization of
Capitalism 408
The New Global Division of Labor 408
Capitalism in a Global Economy 409
Cultural Diversity around the World: Doing Busi-
ness in the Global Village 410
Functions and Dysfunctions on a Global Scale 411
The Conflict Perspective on the Globalization of
Capitalism 411
The Changing Inner Circle of Corporate
Capitalism 411
Cultural Diversity (Unity) around the World:
When Capitalism Fails: Consequences for
All of Us 414
Concentration of Power 416
The Global Superclass 416
Global Investing 417
Work in U.S. Society 418
The Transition to Postindustrial Society 418
Women and Work 419
The Underground Economy 420
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Women in Business:
Maneuvering the Male Culture 422
Stagnant Paychecks 423
Patterns of Work and Leisure 423
Global Capitalism and Our Future 425
The New Economic System and the Old Divisions
of Wealth 425
Summary and Review 428
Through the Author’s Lens
Small Town USA
Stuggling to Survive
All across the nation, small towns are struggling to survive. Parents and
town officials are concerned because so few young adults remain in
their home town.There is little to keep them there, and when they
graduate from high school, most move to the city.With young people
leaving and old ones dying, the small towns are shriveling. I took most
of these photos in the South. (pages 412–413)
xvi Contents
CHAPTER 15
Politics 430
Micropolitics and Macropolitics 432
Power, Authority, and Violence 432
Authority and Legitimate Violence 432
Traditional Authority 433
Rational–Legal Authority 434
Charismatic Authority 434
Authority as Ideal Type 435
The Transfer of Authority 435
Types of Government 436
Monarchies: The Rise of the State 436
Democracies: Citizenship as a Revolutionary
Idea 436
Dictatorships and Oligarchies: The Seizure of
Power 437
Mass Media in Social Life: Politics and Democracy:
The Promise and Threat of the Internet 438
The U.S. Political System 439
Political Parties and Elections 439
Contrast with Democratic Systems in Europe 440
Voting Patterns 441
Cultural Diversity in the United States: The
Politics of Immigrants: Power, Ethnicity, and Social
Class 443
Lobbyists and Special-Interest Groups 444
PACs in U.S. Elections 445
Who Rules the United States? 446
The Functionalist Perspective: Pluralism 446
The Conflict Perspective: The Power Elite 447
Which View is Right? 448
War and Terrorism: Implementing Political
Objectives 448
Is War Universal? 448
How Common Is War? 448
Why Nations Go to War 449
Costs of War 449
A Special Cost of War: Dehumanization 450
Down-to-Earth Sociology: How Can “Good”
People Torture Others? 451
Terrorism 452
Sowing the Seeds of Future Wars and Terrorism 452
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Who Are the Suicide
Terrorists? Testing Your Stereotypes 453
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Child Soldiers 454
A New World Order? 455
Trends Toward Unity 455
Strains in the Global System 456
Thinking Critically: Nationalism and Ethnic
Loyalties: Roadblocks to the New World
Order 457
Summary and Review 458
CHAPTER 16
Marriage and Family 460
Marriage and Family in Global Perspective 462
What Is a Family? 462
What Is Marriage? 462
Common Cultural Themes 463
Marriage and Family in Theoretical Perspective 464
The Functionalist Perspective: Functions and
Dysfunctions 464
Sociology and the New Technology: Finding a
Mate: Not the Same as It Used to Be 465
The Conflict Perspective: Struggles Between Hus-
bands and Wives 466
The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective: Gender,
Housework, and Child Care 466
The Family Life Cycle 468
Love and Courtship in Global Perspective 468
Cultural Diversity around the World: East Is East
and West Is West: Love and Arranged Marriage in
India 469
Marriage 470
Childbirth 470
Child Rearing 472
Family Transitions 473
Diversity in U.S. Families 474
African American Families 474
Latino Families 476
Asian American Families 476
Native American Families 477
One-Parent Families 478
Families Without Children 478
Sociology and the New Technology: Rent-a-
Womb: “How Much for Your Uterus?” 479
Blended Families 480
Gay and Lesbian Families 480
Trends in U.S. Families 481
Postponing Marriage and Childbirth 481
Cohabitation 481
Grandparents as Parents 482
Contents xvii
Down-to-Earth Sociology: “You Want Us to Live
Together? What Do You Mean By That?” 483
The “Sandwich Generation” and Elder Care 484
Divorce and Remarriage 484
Ways in Measuring Divorce 484
Down-to-Earth Sociology: “What Are Your
Chances of Getting Divorced?” 486
Children of Divorce 486
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Caught Between Two
Worlds: The Children of Divorce 487
Grandchildren of Divorce 488
The Absent Father and Serial Fatherhood 489
The Ex-Spouses 489
Remarriage 489
Two Sides of Family Life 490
The Dark Side of Family Life: Battering, Child
Abuse, Marital Rape, and Incest 490
Down-to-Earth Sociology: “Why Doesn’t She Just
Leave?” The Dilemma of Abused Women 491
The Bright Side of Family Life: Successful
Marriages 492
Symbolic Interactionism and the Misuse of
Statistics 493
The Future of Marriage and Family 493
Summary and Review 494
CHAPTER 17
Education 496
The Development of Modern Education 498
Education in Earlier Societies 498
Industrialization and Universal Education 498
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Community Colleges:
Facing Old and New Challenges 500
Education in Global Perspective 501
Education in the Most Industrialized Nations:
Japan 501
Education in the Industrializing Nations:
Russia 502
Education in the Least Industrialized Nations:
Egypt 502
The Functionalist Perspective: Providing Social
Benefits 503
Teaching Knowledge and Skills 503
Cultural Transmisssion of Values 503
Social Integration 504
Gatekeeping 504
Replacing Family Functions 505
Other Functions 505
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Home Schooling: The
Search for Quality and Values 506
The Conflict Perspective: Perpetuating Social
Inequality 507
The Hidden Curriculum 507
Tilting the Tests: Discrimination by IQ 507
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Kindergarten as Boot
Camp 508
Stacking the Deck: Unequal Funding 509
The Correspondence Principle 509
The Bottom Line: Family Background 510
The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective: Teacher
Expectations 511
The Rist Research 511
The Rosenthal-Jacobson Experiment 512
How Do Teacher Expectations Work? 512
Problems in U.S. Education—and Their Solutions 513
Mediocrity 513
Higher Standards 514
Cheating 516
Violence 516
Mass Media in Social Life: School Shootings:
Exploring a Myth 517
The Future of Education 518
Sociology and the New Technology: Internet Uni-
versity: No Walls, No Ivy, No All Night Parties 518
Summary and Review 520
CHAPTER 18
Religion 522
What Is Religion? 524
The Functionalist Perspective 525
Functions of Religion 525
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Religion and Health:
What We Know and Don’t Know 526
Functional Equivalents of Religion 527
Dysfunctions of Religion 528
The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective 528
Religious Symbols 528
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Terrorism and the
Mind of God 529
Rituals 530
Beliefs 530
Religious Experience 530
Community 530
xviii Contents
Through the Author’s Lens
Holy Week in Spain
Taking these photos of Holy Week being observed in Spain—in Malaga, a capital city, and
Almuñecar, a small town in Granada—was both enjoyable and a challenge.The rituals
here, like those of religious groups everywhere, are designed to evoke memories, create
awe, inspire reverence, and stimulate social solidarity. (pages 532–533)
The Conflict Perspective 531
Opium of the People 531
A Legitimation of Social Inequalities 534
Religion and the Spirit of Capitalism 534
The World’s Major Religions 536
Judaism 536
Christianity 537
Islam 538
Hinduism 539
Buddhism 540
Confucianism 540
Types of Religious Groups 541
Cult 541
Cultural Diversity in the United States: Human
Heads and Animal Blood: The Toleration of
Religion 542
Sect 542
Church 543
Ecclesia 543
Variations in Patterns 544
When Religion and Culture Conflict 544
Religion in the United States 545
Characteristics of Members 545
Characteristics of Religious Groups 546
Cultural Diversity in the United States: The New
Face of Religion: Pentecostals and the Spanish-
Speaking Immigrants 548
Secularization of Religion and Culture 549
The Future of Religion 552
Mass Media in Social Life: God on the Net: The
Online Marketing of Religion 553
Summary and Review 554
CHAPTER 19
Medicine and Health 556
Sociology and the Study of Medicine and
Health 558
The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective 558
The Role of Culture in Defining Health and
Illness 558
The Components of Health 558
The Functionalist Perspective 559
The Sick Role 559
The Conflict Perspective 560
Effects of Global Stratification on Health Care 560
Down-to-Earth Sociology: “Where Did You Get
That New Liver?” The International Black Market
in Human Body Parts 562
Establishing a Monopoly on U.S. Health Care 563
Down-to-Earth Sociology: Giving Birth: From
Women’s Work to Men’s Work 564
Historical Patterns of Health 565
Physical Health 565
Mental Health 565
Issues in Health Care 566
Medical Care: A Right or a Commodity? 566
Social Inequality 567
Malpractice Suits and Defensive Medicine 568
Medical Incompetence 569
Depersonalization: The Medical Cash Machine 570
Conflict of Interest 570
Medical Fraud 571
Sexism and Racism in Medicine 571
The Medicalization of Society 572
Medically Assisted Suicide 572
Thinking Critically: Should Doctors Be Allowed
to Kill Patients? 572
Curbing Costs: From Health Insurance to Rationing
Health Care 574
Threats to Health 576
HIV/AIDS 576
Sociology and the New Technology: Who Should
Live, and Who Should Die? The Dilemma of
Rationing Medical Care 577
Weight: Too Much and Too Little 580
Alcohol and Nicotine 580