Review

Note: all the words in blue letters also appear in the word bank at the end.

The Environment
Human Exceptionalism
(Ravelli & Webber, p. 530; Catton and Dunlap, 1978: 42-43)

o Humans are unique among all creatures in that they possess culture. o Culture is highly variable and is able to change far more quickly than biological traits. Other Theories
(Ravelli & Webber, pp. 530-531)

o New Environmental Paradigm: human social actions occur within an ecosystem that has its own processes and limits human actions can affect nature.

Environmental Challenges
Climate Change
(Ravelli & Webber, pp. 531-534)

*The greenhouse effect: warming of the planet due to greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapour) hanging in the Earths atmosphere which trap the heat from the sun. *Global warming: increase in the temperature of the planet due to the greenhouse effect. Biodiversity
(Ravelli & Webber, pp. 534-536)

o The ecosystem is made up of various species of plants and animals that are interdependent (e.g. the food chain). o Healthy ecosystems have a wide variety of plant and animal life that goes though natural cycles of growth and decay. Water
(Ravelli & Webber, pp. 536-537)

*Fresh water is fast becoming a commodity, especially in North America. Environmental Racism
(Ravelli & Webber, pp. 542-543)

o A form of discrimination against minority groups and people from poor countries who are subjected to a disproportionate share of environmental hazards (e.g. toxic wastes).

Social Theory and the Environment

Treadmill of Production Theory
(Ravelli & Webber, pp. 546-547)

o The industrial capitalist economy is at odds with protecting the environment because corporations need more resources to expand production and remain profitable. Ecofeminism
(Ravelli & Webber, pp. 547-548)

*Cultural ecofeminists say that this male domination is a byproduct of a particular culture, and because cultures can change, it is possible for men and women to work together to develop more environmentally sustainable ways of living. Deep Ecology
(Ravelli & Webber, pp. 549-550)

Four fundamental principles: *All life forms on Earth have intrinsic value and are being threatened by human activity. *Human life is privileged to the extent of satisfying immediate and vital needs in order to survive. *Maintaining and promoting biodiversity requires decreasing human contact in wilderness areas and increasing wilderness areas around the world. *Economic, cultural, and technological change is necessary in order to diminish the size of the human population, and by doing so to increase the likelihood of preserving the natural environment. Fulfilling these principles requires practical and realistic changes to peoples world views and lifestyles. One way to get there is to live in small scale decentralized communities as a way of building a connection between nature and achieving self-realization.

Technologies That Changed The World

Telephone - Telephones will reduce the need to travel and meet people face to face Computer - Computers will increase centralization of authority and control in government and business Satellite - Telecommunications satellites have made the world a smaller place, as they are capable of relaying signals containing information, audio, and images to

transmitters and receivers around the world Jet Airliner - Air travel increased exponentially after the development of the Boeing 707 jet airliner Fast Food - Fast food has contributed to the development of factory farming Something to consider *Technology cant solve problems that have to do with human behaviour and lifestyle choices.

Urbanization
In Canada and the United States, cities are growing outward, and as cities get bigger and more people want to live in single family dwellings, problems arise in providing the infrastructure and services to accommodate the growth. Urban Sprawl is the effect of this outward growth. Environmentalists are concerned with land use and sustainability issues, while civic governments face increasing financial burdens in trying to provide a full range of services for additional housing developments. Automobile Dependency There is growing concern over air pollution caused by automobiles, but even if they were all replaced with non-polluting vehicles cities would still experience a public infrastructure crisis. It costs a lot of money to keep all those cars on the road. The problem with being dependent on a technology is that so much of life has gotten organized around it we cant possibly imagine what life would be like without it. We think of how the technology benefits us personally while not being aware of the wider social, political, and economic consequences of its continued use.

Demographic Trends
Effects on the Environment *While the baby boom generation was growing up, corporations and governments believed there were no limits to economic growth and human consumption of material goods. *We are now witnessing the side effects of mass production, mass consumption, and economic growth. They include global warming, contaminated water, toxic chemicals in the food supply, and air pollution. *Building more suburbs, freeways, shopping malls, fast food outlets, cars, and electronic gadgets is simply not sustainable in the long term. What resources will be left for future generations?

Multiculturalism
Symbolic Ethnic Identity *Public sphere: includes the workplace, institutions, marketplace and the mainstream media people must assimilate into the dominant culture *Private sphere: includes home, family, friends, and neighbourhood people are free to practice aspects of their ethnic culture

Post-Modernism
Modern Society Large bureaucratically controlled organizations *All levels of government *Public services and public institutions *Corporations *The military *Some religious organizations (the Roman Catholic Church)

Health Care
Degenerative Diseases *Degenerative diseases are usually associated with aging and may be inherited, acquired due to hazardous working or living conditions, or may be the result of poor diet and lifestyle choices. *Examples of degenerative diseases include cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and Alzheimers disease. Mental Illness *Mental illnesses are also difficult to diagnose, but if they are diagnosed accurately and patients receive proper treatment they can lead healthy and normal lives.

Education
Functionalist Perspective Functionalists say that education systems serve and reflect the values and interests of society. Manifest functions *Schools as agents of socialization *Schools as agents of social control

Conflict Theory *Hidden curriculum: schools teach children to be obedient, patriotic, and to accept the values and ideology of the dominant culture. They are taught not to question the system or people in positions of authority.

Canadas Geography and Regionalism

The Haves and the Have Nots: Federal and Provincial Transfers o Federal transfer payments use the surplus revenues from richer provinces to help pay for social programs in poorer provinces. o Saskatchewan is now a have province due to increasing resource revenues. Ontario is now a have not province due to a decline in manufacturing caused by an economic downturn in the US.

Crime and Punishment

Fear of crime tends to be correlated with a fear of the underclass. The side effects are obvious: o Fear of random attacks by violent predators, particularly in poorer neighbourhoods o Reactive measures such as harsher penalties, more policing, more prisons Are youth becoming more violent? Yes, because o There is an apparent increase in gang activity o Video games and violent movies and TV programs show kids that violence is okay o There are increasing numbers of girls accused of bullying, shootings, beatings, and armed robberies No, its not as bad as it seems because o The rate of violent crime in Canada (all age groups taken together) has actually declined in recent years

Canadas Changing Labour Force

Credential Inflation and Job Qualification o It is becoming more difficult for people with lower levels of education to find jobs. o The number of jobs that can be filled by high school dropouts is

shrinking. o A four year university degree is no longer sufficient for some professional occupations. o Applying for a job tends to be a formal and bureaucratic process. Unless you have impressive credentials and work experience, you stand little chance of getting hired. o More part-time jobs are being created. Human Capital Theory o In the early 1960s, Gary S. Becker conducted a study that examined the relationship between levels of education and income. He found that in most cases income rose along with levels of education. Occupational Mobility o Getting higher levels of education and preparing for careers leads people to expect employment that will involve moving into higher positions that offer higher incomes. o But with the way workplaces are changing nowadays, jobs may be eliminated or workers may end up changing jobs without being promoted. o There is also the possibility of downward mobility, as some professionals, managers, and skilled tradespeople end up taking lower paying and less skilled jobs due to downsizing, automation, or outsourcing in their former occupations.

Mass Media
Conflict Theory
(Ravelli & Webber, pp. 463-465)

*Mass media are vehicles used by the rich and powerful to control the masses and to reinforce their false consciousness The Future of Mass Media
(Ravelli & Webber, p. 468)

o Homogenization of Culture *Cultural diversity will decline *Cultures less complex and more alike

Word Bank
New environmental paradigm Boeing 707 Hidden curriculum Decline Functionalists Ontario Conflict Theory Modern society Cultural ecofeminists Private sphere

Urban sprawl Reactive Human capital theory

Mental illness Treadmill of production theory