Please read the text below (you can also read it in the textbook, p. 123). After getting familiar with the article and having a group discussion, please answer the three questions at the end of the text by reflecting on what is written in the article. Each answer should be about 70 words long. Question 1- 40 points, question 2 - 40 points, question 3 -20 points. Are We Free within Society? Mike: Sociology is a really interesting course. Since my profes As the sociological perspective points out, human beings are sor started telling us how to look at the world with a sociological like puppets in that we too, respond to backstage forces. Soci eye, I'm realizing that a lot of who I am and where I am is because ety, after all, gives us a culture and also shapes our lives accord of society. ing to class, race, and gender. If this is so can we really claim to Kim: (feasingly Oh, so society is responsible for you turning out be free? so smart and witty and good-looking? Sociologists answer this question with many voices. The Mike: No, that's all me. But I'm seeing that being at college and politically liberal response is that individuals are not free of playing football is maybe not all me. I mean, it's at least also society-In fact, as social creatures, we never could be. But about social class and gender. What people are and the society if we have to live in a society with power over us, then it is around them can never be completely separated. Important to do what we can to make our world more socially his chapter stresses one key theme: Society shapes how we just. We can do this by trying to lessen inequality working to reduce class differences and to eliminate barriers to opportu free? To answer this important question, consider the Muppets, nity that hold back minorities, including women. A more con- puppet stars of television and film that many of us remember servative response is that yes, society does shape our lives but from childhood. Watching the antics of Kermit the Frog, Miss we should also realize that we can remain free all the same Piggy, and the rest of the troupe, we almost believe they are because, first, to the extent that we believe in our way of life real rather than objects controlled from backstage or below. society does not seem oppressive. Second, even when we run up against social barriers that we do not accept, we remain free because society can never dictate our dreams. Our history as a nation, right from the revolutionary acts that led to its found Ing. is one story after another of people pursuing personal goals despite great odds All of these arguments can be found in George Herbert Meads analysis of socialization. Mead knew that society makes demands on us, sometimes limiting our options. But he also saw that human beings we spontaneous and creative, capable of con tinually acting on society both with acceptance and with efforts to bring about change. Mead noted the power of society while still affirming the human capacity to evaluate critice, and ulti- mately choose and change In the end, then, we may seem like puppets, but this impres sion is correct only on the surface. A crucial difference is that we have the ability to stop look up at the strings that make us move. decide what we think about them, and even yank on the strings defiantly Berge 1963:1761. f our pulis strong enough we can accomplish more than we might think. As Margaret Mead once remarked. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful.com mitted chiens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has What Do You Think? 1. Do you think that our society gives more freedom to males than to females? Why or why not? 2. Do you think that most people in our society feel that they have some control over their lives or not? Why? 3. Has learning about socialization increased or decreased your feeling of freedom? Why? Does understanding more about how society shapes our lives give us greater power to cut the strings and choose for ourselves how to live? Question 2: Do you think that most people in our society feel that they have some control over their lives or not? Why? (40 points) Question 3: Has learning about socialization increased or decreased your feeling of freedom? Why? (20 points)