SOC 100 Study Guide - Final Guide: Consumerism, Research Question, Reinforcement
Document Summary
Seeing the patterns in actions and relationships of individuals as a complex domain that create structural constraints that affect everyone. It is not an equalizer of individuals, but instead has its own patterns of reproduction. Sociological perspective: the economy is a complex social domain made up of multiple, overlapping institutions, in which there is a back-and-forth between individual agency and structural constraints. The purpose of capitalists economies is first and foremost the accumulation of capital. Not only is the welfare of ordinary people not a priority, but the system actually benefits from the perpetuation of social inequalities. Social inequality can be beneficial to the economy such as keeping wages low. Relates back to the reading by eglitis, the uses of global. It highlights the ways in which developed countries benefit from the exploitation of third world countries. The economy has multiple overlapping institutions that makes it up: Industry which can produce the things consumers buy.
