SOC 215 Self and Society

Who are you?  Why are you?  How do you know?  Surely you have heard the phrase "nature vs. nurture."  It is about the ongoing quest to figure out how much of a human is genetic, biological, and chromosomal (nature), and how much is a product of socialization (nurture).  To what extent are you your society?  To even consider that question, we must examine the society itself, the individuals that produce it, and how the two are connected.  The society and selves we will be examining are our own -- in particular, the society and selves of young Americans.  How does the world you're facing today make you who you are?  How do the technology and media through which you learn about your world permeate, shape, and structure your everyday experience of self and society?  Who do you want to be, who will you end up being, and what kind of world will you create?