SOCIOL 1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Laziness
Sociology lecture 1: Introduction to sociology
● How we make sense of obesity in America?
○ Usual suspects
○
● Individual’s moral deficiencies
○ Gluttony
○ Laziness
○ lack of willpower-no
self control
● Individuals’ physical and/or
psychological deficiencies
○ low metabolism
○ big bones
○ depression
○ low self-esteem
○
○ most people think it’s all about the individual, but maybe not..
○ Obesity wasn’t an issue until fairly recently (1980-)
○ Southern states have a higher obesity rate currently in the US, this might be
because of cultural differences and demographics, how states provide for their
people:parks, education, and welfare
● How do we make sense of obesity, using our sociological imagination?
○ Is this a personal problem or a social crisis?
■ For men and women in the US caloric intake increased by roughly 180-
190 calories each day
■ 76% of growth due to snacking especially on carbs from fruit juices and
soft drinks
■ But this begs the question why??
■ 30% of our income goes to food,change in price of food especially
veggies and fruit,well unhealthy food lower
● The government helps to choose winners and losers
● American corn production tripled in the past 40 years due to
billions of dollars of subsidies from the government for corn
production
● which is a big part of other foods→ drops prices for fast food
● Increase in the availability of fast food restaurants including
restaurant with tables→ when we go they make stuff that are far
more energy- rich foods (unhealthy) that make us want to go back
● Increased labor force participation of men and women→less food
production →more fast food intake
● Increased screen time
● It creates a need to snack and ads make it worse
● What is a “sociological imagination”?
○ Understanding the importance of historical context
○ Grasping the interplay between man and society, between biography and history,
between the self and world
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