The United States is a "consumer society." What does this mean? What ramifications does this have for the way Americans live?

What will be an ideal response?


The ideal answer should include:
1. Consumer society: Has an economy that depends on the disposable income, or buying power, of consumers
2. A consumer society requires a large middle and upper class with leisure time.
3. Drawbacks: The dominance of large corporations and franchise operations; encourages some people to spend far beyond their means; bankruptcy; excessive materialism; a tendency to judge people by their possessions; waste

Sociology

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Which statement about collective behavior is true?

A. Collective behavior is inherently illogical and typically harmful. B. Collective behavior is usually carefully planned and strictly controlled. C. Collective behavior may emerge spontaneously, but it is predictable. D. Collective behavior cannot be predicted and is often dangerous.

Sociology

Bob works as a cashier in a supermarket. His boss instructs him to include the price of a new broom-which Bob's boss has deceptively placed near the register-on everyone's bill. Bob's boss also encourages him to change the dates on expired food items, so the items can continue to be sold. Eventually, Bob begins to develop his own deceptive sales practices. This is an example of

A. labeling. B. dramaturgy. C. anomie. D. differential association.

Sociology

All of the following statements are true, according to Michel Foucault, EXCEPT that

A. power exists in a centralized manner. B. the connection of knowledge and power produces regimes of power. C. people in power evaluate others to fit them into a system of categorization. D. power lies within many social institutions.

Sociology

Gosset discovered the t distribution while attempting to

A) improve the quality of life for German students. B) improve the quality of beer for Guinness brewers. C) solve the mystery of the normal curve. D) conduct experiments related to genes and environment.

Sociology