The Lone Critic

Many believe that everything they learn is accurate and unquestionably correct. Why is this? In addition, many students believe everything they read from a textbook is accurate. Again, why? I think it is because education is thought of as a trust worthy institution.

Education has a high moral value in our society and placing lies and misleading facts in our textbooks wouldn’t be right. Sadly, that isn’t the case. Many of the facts and stories we read in our textbooks are misleading or do not cover a specific area on purpose. This is a good time to consider power and social control in our society.

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Reading Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation is a great way to get introduced to sociology and the sheer dominance of organizations and institutions. Obviously there is always more than meets the eye when observing popular organizations, but understanding where to start and what to consider is crucial. Standing in line at McDonald’s can provide a flood of sociological observations. Watching person after person after person designate what they want to eat by a number and wait no longer than 1 minute to receive their food can be a little disturbing. In addition, there is primarily young teenagers working the counters and delivering the final product. Quality and Quantification are the key elements in fast food, or uniformity. Presenting customers over thousands of convenient locations with food they know will be satisfactory for a low price can raise many questions.

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Can the process of socialization be considered a modifiable tool, used by people with power, to control a desired outcome?  Teaching the young, our country’s future, proper values, skills, and behavioral rules to obey by, is a good way to socially constrain our growing children.  But although this system may be beneficial for some, how does it affect others?

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I am very intrigued by the explanation of behavior as a ‘product of interaction’ and more specifically the unexpected surprises that occur in our life.  We are all social creatures with everyday interactions, whether they happen planned out or unexpectedly, they mold our attitudes and behaviors. Even the most subtle action can have a significant affect on our entire life.  “If I would have not taken a lunch break one hour early I probably would not have met my future wife.”  The entire web of correlations and paths to take in life are absolutely astounding.

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