Utilitarianism and Society Though It Thesis

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If one group member likes the others and wants to be accepted by them, it is possible that this group member would engage in the egregious behavior, or at least accept it, simply to be a part of society. Thus, this theory has drastic sociological implications as well, as it can change the way that students of sociology think about how society forms and creates values. Although I do not agree with Homans's theory in entirety -- I wonder how the issue of sub-cultures comes into play -- I think this was one of the more interesting concepts in the reading because I can see its application on so many levels.

Second, in addition to Homans's theory, I found the explanation of sociological markets, and their comparison to economic markets to be the second most interesting part of this reading. While I have long been familiar with economic markets and the trends that cause shifts, like supply and demand, thinking of sociological concepts in terms of markets was new to me. In understanding what sociological markets are and their difference from economic markets, however, I was able to draw some conclusions about societies. While economic markets have to do with "quantitative summaries of the things that are produced in order to be exchanged, sociological market models are concerned with the pattern of the social structure that constitutes the change" (145). While economics looks at numbers and finances, social markets are concerned with equality, privilege, and opportunity for individuals or groups of people.

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One stunning example of the social economic theory that the reading gives is that of education. Even though more people are graduating from high school, college, and graduate and professional school, social mobility -- or "the chances of rising higher on the social scale than one's parents" is falling (146). Just like when there is more money in the market, when more people have attained educational statuses, it is difficult for them to actually get ahead of others, and even more difficult for those who are not educated to get ahead.

Through this example and explanation of sociological markets, I began to evaluate American society. It seems that in American society particularly, but also in other Western societies, people are much more concerned with economic markets than sociological markets. People can watch their stocks rising and falling on TV, on screens in airports, or on PDAs. Most people, however, do not spend a great deal of time thinking about access to education and the equality of the market for all. I believe this phenomenon brings me back to Adam Smith and the early utilitarianists -- people do what is best for themselves. The question is whether or not that actually ends up being what most benefits all. In economics, the answer might be yes, but in sociology, the information about utilitarianism that was presented in this reading, Hoamns's theory, and the difference between sociological and economic….....

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