In part one of the course, we are learning what social institutions are — “the purposeful organization of people into groups and organizations.” Universal types of social institutions (that exist in every society, whether small, remote and simple or large, global, and advanced) include Family, Religion, the Economy, Education, and Politics (remember “FREEP”).
Other social institutions particularly relevant in American society today might be Sports, Media, Science, or Justice. Remember that “institutions”, from a sociological perspective, are abstract concepts — the term describes the totality of the concrete physical manifestations of them.
So, when talking about social institutions of Sports, for example, we are talking about the totality of all the teams, types, and locations that integrate this meaningful construct into our lives — from high school football, to professional tennis, from Yankee Stadium (baseball) to Mount Everest (mountain climbing).
An example in the institutions of American Justice include the physical places (like courts, jails and prisons), the social statuses (like police or judge), and the behaviors, some of which are being debated today, such as stop-and-frisk, chokeholds, or jail-cell “suicides.” The Institution of Justice correlates ALL of these places, ideas, and behaviors.
So, as you write your paper, I want you to talk about institutions from the abstract Sociological Perspective, not just the concrete personal perspective.
Here’s your task for your first one-page report:
Note how we have learned so far that the norms we observe and roles we play within our institutions shape, in part at least, who we are. This means that much of what you do has been “programmed”, forlack of a beter term, into you by your institutions. For some, even the deepest beliefs have been inculcated in them by their families, teachers, and/or religious leaders, for instance. This fact reveals that we are not as independent as we think.
This intriduces a particular problem in thinking about the Self <-- --> Society relationship. To what extent are individuals free to pursue whatever they want, their hopes, their dreams, despite the forces of society pushing back on them? You might argue that we are perfectly free and independent of society, but the evidence regarding human behavior — when you look at it scientifically — suggests you are wrong.
Discuss in a carefully crafted and edited one-page report your understanding of this issue of FATE VS. FREE WILL. Where do you draw the line between the power you have to express your individuality and independence and the power that society has to get people (even outside of their own awareness) to conform? Give examples of both cases — the way society impacts your own behavior and how you express your free will despite these social forces.
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