Week 1: Discussion 1 and 2

Weekly Activities

Here is what you will be doing this week:

• Post your Introduction (Day 1, Tuesday),

• Read Chapter 1 in the text: Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility

• Read Chapter 2 in the text: Ethical Questions in the Public Square

• Post to Discussion Board 1 on Theory, Evidence, Beliefs and Bias (Day 3, Thursday)

• Post to Discussion Board 2 on Three Classical Ethical Theories (Day 3, Thursday)

• Respond to two discussion posts by classmates in each discussion (by Day 7, Monday)

• Week One Quiz (due by Day 7, Monday)

Brief Introduction to Sociology

For those who have not taken a Sociology course previously, here is a brief introduction to the discipline...

Sociology is the study of the relationship between individuals and their social contexts (Mills, 1959). Like other social scientists, sociologists are interested in understanding human behavior, and Sociology is focused on the social causes of human behavior. Humans are by nature social beings; we cannot survive unless we interact with other humans. But our interactions are not random, they are shaped by our social context, which consists of our relationships with others, our cultural values and beliefs, the rules of institutions (e.g., family, religion, government, economy) we participate in, our position in social hierarchies, and our experiences in previous interactions, among other things. All of these exert influence over our decisions and actions, by shaping how we perceive and interpret the actions of others around us.

Our relationships, social groups, organizations, social class, institutions, and culture―which taken together form the structure of our society―are created as we interact with others. Our experiences within our social structures always guide us as we interact with others, and by “acting normally” within the parameters of our social context, we reinforce all of the structures that constitute the context. Thus, our interactions are both shaping our social context, and also shaping us at the same time. Our social context and structures influence our own personalities, identities and worldviews. And these guide us in making decisions and in acting.

People experience interaction within these social structures over the course of a lifetime, beginning with interaction in the family, then among their neighbors, then with their teachers and classmates at school, perhaps in their church, later in the workplace, and so on. So, most of us do not think of ourselves as constructing the institutions―they are already in place when we are born and we live our lives within their rules. But, in fact, every time we adhere to time-honored means of interaction, we are essentially recreating that rule, and thus recreating the institution.

Sociologists apply this logic of construction and socialization (the effects that participating in social structures has on individuals) to better understand human behavior, human interaction, and social structures. Sociologists are particularly interested in how our interaction creates institutions that are unequal in nature―they are organized in hierarchies, with some individuals getting more and others getting less of whatever is valued in the society (money, prestige, material goods, or power, for example). Some inequality is functional―societies work better if some leaders make decisions, so everyone does not have to do so. When inequality becomes too extreme, or when it begins to serve the interests of particular individuals or groups rather than the society as a whole, then inequality erodes social functioning and individuals suffer.

For more information on the discipline of Sociology,

have a look at one of the following resources...

Studying Ethics and Responsibility from a Sociological Perspective

SOC 120 addresses ethics and social responsibility, and while much of the material from this course is drawn from the perspective of Philosophy, we want to understand the social functions of ethics and the importance of responsibility in mitigating the negative effects of extreme inequality. While it is philosophers who most directly study and write about issues such as ethics, morality, and responsibility, these concepts are also important social concepts and are fundamental to how we interact with each other in social contexts. The topics of ethics and social responsibility provide a great opportunity to examine how our interaction with others both shapes and is shaped by our social structure, which is one of the fundamental insights of Sociology. How are individuals tied to their social settings? Ethics help us to understand a part of this connection.

Sociologists study social interaction, social structures and social change (how social structures evolve over time). Notice that the emphasis is on studying society―this means that sociologists do not write about their own feelings and beliefs; rather, sociologists study social interaction to develop theories (or explanations) about how and why people interact with each other in the ways that they do (Ragin, 1994). In this course, you will be provided with the opportunity to learn some of these theories, particularly those related to ethics, and will be able to apply these theories to real world situations.

In your posts to the Discussion Boards and in the papers you write for this course, you should strive to take a sociological perspective. That is to say, you should look at the topics as a sociologist would, not simply as someone who lives in society would look at things. For example, if the discussion asks you about a particular situation, you should aim to go beyond your own feelings and opinions, or even your own experiences interacting with others in different contexts. Instead, you should discuss the theories and ideas that you read about in the text, and apply these to the discussion and paper topics. Remember that you are not discussing the specific issue that is addressed in the writing prompt or paper topic; instead, you should focus on discussing the theoretical issues and concepts from the text, and use the topic to illustrate your points.

Introduction to Ethics and Society

Ethics refers to a set of guiding principles that help individuals negotiate their way through social settings without disrupting social order and functions (Mosser, 2013). But when individuals interact they apply various ethical principles to help them understand their own social context and their actions within their context, as well as the consequences of their choices and actions. Many people think of ethics as an individual characteristic or individual choice (e.g. to act in a way that is either ethical or unethical), but ethics has a clear social dimension as well. For one thing, although people may have their own ethics, not every person is unique in this respect. In fact, we can identify patterns that represent different ethical views that people adhere to. These patterns are social phenomena, and are elements that link people to each other.

So, ethics is not wholly a matter of personal choice. Rather, ethics are embedded in social statuses and roles, and establish the link to responsibilities attached to those statuses and roles. Statuses and roles are elements of social institutions, such as family, economy, government, and schools. Statuses are the positions we hold within institutions; for example, statuses in a family might be mother, brother, or cousin. Roles are the expectations that others put on us based on a status. So in school, in your status as student, a teacher has expectations that you will pay attention to the lessons, that you will do your work and submit it on time, and that you will ask questions if you don’t understand something. All of these form the role of being a student. Institutions create the statuses and roles that we occupy in social life, and in so doing, institutions provide the basis for social order and a smoothly functioning society. The linkages and connections between various positions (statuses) that make up an institution are shaped by ethics, which are adopted by individual agents. Without ethics, institutions could not function optimally.

There are various ways that we can think about and apply ethics to real world situations. All of these have social aspects or raise social questions. Utilitarianism argues that an ethical approach maximizes the utility of the greatest number of people (Bentham, 1776/1977). While this may be the best outcome for the largest number of individuals in a particular setting, it may or may not contribute to the overall social good. In contrast, deontology focuses on rules and more directly addresses the social good by focusing on common forms of social control (Kant, 1785/2002); however, in some settings rules can also constrain opportunities for some while reinforcing privileges for others. Virtue ethics focuses on individual characteristics and personal traits, and how these may shape the social good (Anscombe, 1958; Slote, 2001). The focus on individuals makes ethics a more concrete link between individuals and society than the abstract frameworks under deontology and, to some extent, under utilitarianism.

The three alternative approaches discussed in the text also have social dimensions. Like virtue ethics, relativism has a more personal dimension, focusing on individual interpretations rather than collective principles. But, what is sometimes overlooked is that interpretations are socially constructed in a given context, and have real consequences for individuals and the social good. Emotivism also focuses on individuals, but sees ethics in emotional terms, as a “feeling” of right or wrong. Sociologists would argue that these feelings respond to external conditions, and are internalized as byproducts of the processes of socialization. Perhaps the most individualistic vision of ethics is expressed in the ethical egoism approach. Ethical egoism offers a vision of ethics that is similar to utilitarianism―individuals should strive to maximize their well-being―but the focus shifts from individual utility serving collective interests to self-interest and individual needs.

Make sure you distinguish between the theories of ethics―utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics―and the three approaches to ethics―relativism, emotivism, and ethical egoism. We will be using these concepts for the entire term and they will reappear in each chapter of the text. It is important that you develop an understanding of the theories and approaches early in the term, and how these theories and approaches are applied to real-world situations to analyze and evaluate the ethical aspects of a given circumstance. As you read about the topics in Chapter 1, such as in-vitro fertilization, oil spills, immigration, bullying, and discrimination, pay close attention to how the author applies the theories and approaches to the specific cases. What questions is the author implicitly addressing in his analysis? How does he apply the theories and approaches to better understand the ethical aspects of the case? As you read the cases, consider how you would apply ethical theories and approaches to analyze the same case.

Then, put these insights into practice by responding to the discussion prompts. The best way to learn how to apply the theories and approaches to the real world is to practice doing so in your discussion posts. Remember, when creating your discussion posts and your responses to classmates, you want to focus on ethical theories and how to apply them. Mastering these theories now will help you throughout the course.

References

Anscombe, G. E. M. (1958). Modern moral philosophy. Philosophy, 33, 1–19.

Bentham, J. (1776/1977). A fragment on government. New York: Oxford University Press.

Kant, I. (1785/2002). Groundwork for the metaphysics of morals. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Mills, C. W. (1959). The sociological imagination. New York: Oxford University Press.

Mosser, K. (2013) Introduction to ethics and social responsibility. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Ragin, C. C. (1994). Constructing social research: The unity and diversity of method. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.

Slote, M. (2001). Morals from motives. Oxford: Oxford University Press.