THE GLOBAL VILLAGE: A SOCIAL SNAPSHOT OF OUR WORLD

Sociology HW Review

WHAT DO YOU THINK? 6. Do any of the statistics presented

surprise you? If yes, which ones and why? If not, why not?

7. How do you think the lives of poor people in a lower-income country differ from those typical of people in the U.S.?

8. What is your general impression of our world after reading “The Global Village?”

THE IMPORTANCE OF GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

As technology draws even the farthest reaches of the Earth closer to each other, many academic disciplines take a global perspective: the study of the larger world and our society’s place in it.

Global awareness is a logical extension of the sociological perspective.

Sociology shows us that our place in society profoundly affects our life experiences.

MACIONIS’ 4 REASONS TO STUDY SOCIETIES BEYOND OUR OWN BORDERS…

1. Where we live makes a great difference in shaping our lives! (1st world, 3rd world)

2. Societies throughout the world are increasingly interconnected. (technology, trade, disease)

3. Many problems that we face in the U.S. are far more serious elsewhere. (poverty, gender equality)

4. Thinking globally is a good way to learn more about ourselves.

IN AN INCREASINGLY CONNECTED WORLD, WE CAN UNDERSTAND OURSELVES ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT WE COMPREHEND OTHERS.