HOW A NON-RACIST SOCIOLOGIST WOULD TEACH A COURSE ON THE INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney
Dr. Rosemary Santana Cooney, Fordham University
Introduction
Our first observation is that the title is an impossibility, for sociologists will not permit a non-racist approach to sociology. The sociologists live and work within and accept a racist society, and they have adjusted to the racist reality with such save terms as "multicultural" society, instead of "racist" society.
But via the web, we can write what we want on the subject, uncensored by racist sociologistst. And so here it goes.
Foreword
The problem with sociology is that at present it is not a real science. And that is because sociologists have put liberal politics above science. We have already documented this elsewhere in the Vernon Johns sites.
Because sociology has put politics above science, they cannot think clearly about what is true and what is not true about society. So they tend to put a great many different perspectives in and leave it up to the reader to decide for him/herself what is the best perspective.
If one decides not to put politics first, but rather judges sociology by the same rules that apply to the natural sciences, which perspectives are true and which are not becomes much clearer. The decision to tie sociology to the natural sciences goes a long way to ending the "contradictions" between the world of the sciences and the world of the social sciences.
(To be very sarcastic: The natural sciences have thousands of empirical studies showing that the world of biology and genetics perhaps accounts for as much as 50 percent of the variation in human behavior. The sociologists have tried to deny these studies. Guess which discipline(s) we would side with. Sociologists dismiss the thousands of natural sciences studies with a mere couple of sentences. See how easy it is for the social sciences to completely dismiss reality!! and see how easy it is for them to live isolated in their own world of unreality!!)
PART I. THE NATURE OF SOCIOLOGY
Chapter 1. The Relationship of Sociology to the Sciences
Introductory to Sociology texts often start with a discussion of how sociology constitutes a science. But, given their commitment to liberal politics, sociologists are being very hypocritical on this subject. A true science does not place politics over science, even if sociologists think they should be "politically correct" and refrain from publishing or even reading studies that do not jive with current liberal or radical-liberal perspectives.
What is Science and Its Importance
The Natural Sciences
Statistics as the Basis of the Scientific Method
The Study of Evolution
Humans as Evolutionary Creatures
The Human Brain as an Evolutionary Development
Medical Psychiatry (Not Freudianism) as the Foundation of Human Thinking
50 Percent of the Variation in Human Behavior Due to Genetics and Biology
Chapter 2. The Origins and Meaning of Sociology
Even if biology and genetics may account for as much as 50 percent of the variation in human behavior, that leaves another 50 percent of the variation left unexplained. Quite a bit of this is due to social forces. Now, why sociologists are threatened by this is beyond us.
Sociology's Beginnings in Moral Philosophy
The Type of People Who Go Into Sociology: Socially Concerned Individuals
Sociology as an Anti-Scientific Protest Against the Principle of Evolution
Sociology as Somewhat of a Science
Sociology's Cooperation with the Liberal Form of Racism
Chapter 3. Macro-theoretical Perspectives
Structural-Functionalism
Conflict Theory
Combination of the Two Theories
Chapter 4. Research Methods: The Way Sociology is Supposed to Work
Caution: The Way Sociology Says It Works, and the Way it Actually Works
Letting Political Bias Determine What Questions are Asked and What Answers Are Accepted (The World of the "Politically Correct")
The Best Research Method: Thinking Theoretically
The best research method is to read a great deal of science, sociology and other social scientific writings and then think about what areas that need assistance interest you. In sociology, too much emphasis is put just on empirical research itself and not enough on theoretical thinking. A lot of nonsense research in sociology is done because not enough thinking goes into considering whether the research line is even worth following in the first place.
Research Strategies
One does not have to use any of the following methods listed below. One can remain at the thinking level -- using the writings and researches of others to make sociology theoretically stronger.
Or you can work on a smaller problem and test it using various research methods. Once you have a theoretical problem, then use the various research strategies
Observational Studies
Experiments
Survey Research
Questionnaires and Interviews
Doing Social Research
Step 1: Identify the Problem
Step 2: Formulate a Hypothesis
Step 3: Select a Research Strategy
Step 4. Collect the Data
Step 5: Analyze and Interpret the Data
Ethics of Social Research
This is a very problematical area for sociologists. The history of sociology shows them as cooperating with racism, even if it is in the more liberal, and therefore more compatible, form. This is an ethical problem in and of itself, but few sociologists are even aware of this ethical problem, since they usually see themselves as the defenders of liberalism against the conservative barbarians.
Also discussed are the ethical problems of which sociologists are aware.
PART II. THE NATURE OF SOCIETY
Chapter 5. The Origins of Society
Animal and Plant Societies
The Importance of Socio-Biology: The Importance of Social Evolution
Early Human Societies
Society Existed Before Humans
Chapter 6. The Nature of Human Nature
A Fundamental Myth of Sociology: The Nature of Human Nature Is Only What the Society Says It Is ("tabula rasa" -- blank slate)
Humans as Primarily Social Conformists
Humans -- Tolerant of Great Social Inequalities and Other Evils
The Importance of the Single Individual -- the Role of the Prophet in Social Change
Chapter 7. Socialization
What is Socialization?
Social Control
Agents of Socialization
Family
Peer groups
Deviance
Symbolic Interactionism
Collective Behavior
Chapter 8. Social Organization
Division of Labor
Components of Social Organization
Status
Roles
Groups: Primary Groups and Secondary Groups
Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft
Institutions
Chapter 9. Culture as an Extension of Social Organization
Culture is primarily secondary. Human beings are primarily animals concerned mostly with their own situations and personal and family survival. They are not primarily intellectually driven. All the more reason why it is important for the society to have a series of justifications for any given social organization (even an unjust organization).
There probably should be a rule in sociology that says that ideas are never the direct cause of any thing. The values, ideals, and ideas that dominate in any society are usually those promulgated in the self-interest of the continuation of the society.
So much sociological silliness would be avoided if sociologists would adopt the perspective of the first two paragraphs. The reason why they do not is that they often find it politically useful to see ideas as important primary causal variables so they can refer to these so they can get themselves out of situations where reality contradict their favorite theories.
Norms
Values
Ideals
Ideas
Culture seen from a Social Control and a Social Conflict Perspective: Ideas as Useful for Self- and Community Interests
Cultural Integration
Cultural Strain
Subcultures
PART III. HUMAN SOCIETIES: LARGELY A REFLECTION OF ECOLOGY
Chapter 10. Hunting and Gathering Societies
Chapter 11. Agricultural Societies
Nobility Societies
Non-Nobility Societies
Chapter 12. Industrial Societies
Class and Class Conflict
Race and Racial Conflict
Sex and Sexual Conflict
Age Conflict
Chapter 13. Post-Industrial Societies
Bureaucratic Societies
Global Economy: The Triumph of Capitalism Worldwide
Boredom
PART IV. ONGOING PROBLEMS OF POST-INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
Chapter 14. Stratification
Ongoing Inequality
Problems at Work in Capitalist Societies
Chapter 15. Race and Ethnicity
The U.S.: A Racist Society (Not a "Multicultural" Society)
Division of the Working Class by Racism
Ongoing Racial Inequality
The Problem of the Inner Cities and the Suburbs
Chapter 16. Gender
Chapter 17. Aging
Chapter 18. Crime and Deviancy
Crime as a Means of the Redistribution of Wealth in a Racist Society Complicated by Extremes of Class Inequaltiy
Crime as a Serious Problem in the United States -- And Not Just Conservative Hype About "Law and Order" (The Bias of Liberal Sociologists Against A Reality They Don't Like)
35,000 Deaths a Year by Handguns
Chapter 19. The Greenhouse Effect
The Greenhouse Effect Explained
Population Growth as A Continuing Problem
Immigration and Population Growth
Possible Solutions
PART V: IMPORTANCE OF GROUNDING INSTITUTIONS
Chapter 20. The Family
Importance of the Family in Creating Healthy and Happy Individuals
Importance of the Family for the Larger Society
Chapter 21. Religion
Religion as a Reflection of Groups' Self-Interests
Religion as a Social Binding Influence
The Importance of Religion in a "Spiritual" Sense
Chapter 22. Education
Education as a Reflection of the Power of Different Self-Interests
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