I was thinking today about the idea of choice. The existentialists talked about choice all the time- How every human has the "burden of choice". In other words, we all have the "burden" of free will, the choice to do something or to not do something. I know my philosophy knowledge is rudimentary at best, but I guess my question is: when did this idea of choice emerge? Primitive man had no luxury of choice, everything was about survival- So at what point did humans develop the idea of having a choice?
posted on Jul 22, 2008 - 22 answers

Are we a monogamous species? [more inside]
posted on Jul 14, 2008 - 30 answers

What have been the most important books in social science (including psychology, political science, sociology, anthropology, economics, "applied" social sciences like marketing, and so on) of the past 50 years?
posted on Jun 3, 2008 - 19 answers

What one book will allow others to gain the truest insight into the soul of each city or region [more inside]
posted on May 6, 2008 - 16 answers

What's some speculative fiction that uses magic or fictional technology to explore psychology, sociology, or political science in a deep way? I'm not as much interested here in fabulous monsters or space operas or even deep thinking about physics -- I'm interested in books that explore the nature of the mind and/or human society by imagining a world that worked differently.
posted on Apr 13, 2008 - 45 answers

I am 96% sure that I have read/heard from a reputable source that murderers, especially serial killers, are an inherent reflection of Western society, and that both actual murderers and fictional portrayals are important significant elements. Part A: Is this just a half-remembered bit of dialogue from some prime-time criminal procedural, and Part B: if not, where is it from? [more inside]
posted on Mar 24, 2008 - 11 answers

In On Drink and Everyday Drinking Kingsley Amis lauds two American researchers who allegedly concluded that without alcohol, Western civilisation would have collapsed in 1912. They are briefly named as Hoyt and Roths in the first book. I cannot find anything further online about these marvellous people, and the books in question are lightweight potboilers with no references. [more inside]
posted on Mar 17, 2008 - 2 answers

I am looking for documentaries dealing with online culture, the Internet, video games and the like. [more inside]
posted on Mar 8, 2008 - 19 answers

Explain the persistence of bad (as in seriously out of date) haircuts. [more inside]
posted on Mar 6, 2008 - 46 answers

How can I best involve myself in the Social/Political cause against Water Privatization? [more inside]
posted on Mar 6, 2008 - 4 answers

Please help me look for a statement by Craig Calhoun: Mediation reminds the spectator that he/she is fortunate. What book or article? [more inside]
posted on Feb 26, 2008 - 2 answers

"He's got scratch arms." Help me identify the sociology video that contains this unforgettable dialogue from a four year old child. [more inside]
posted on Feb 26, 2008 - 4 answers

Is there a version of this representing attitudes from people within the US about their neighboring states? [more inside]
posted on Feb 20, 2008 - 28 answers

I have been asked at the last minute to incorporate some Bakunin into my paper (due Friday) on 19th Century theories of community. Not having read any Bakunin before, and not having much time to work on this, I am in a bit of a pickle. I am more than happy to do the relevant reading if only I can identify it. Can someone who has read Bakunin please recommend to me some specific pieces I should read? I am interested in ideas of what community is and should be, how it is created and maintained, why it is necessary, etc. For reference, the major theorist I am drawing on for this paper is Ferdinand Tonnies.
posted on Feb 13, 2008 - 2 answers

Help this jack-of-some-trades find a job. [more inside]
posted on Jan 8, 2008 - 5 answers

Looking for a simple, free (for commercial use) social network mapping / graphing tool [more inside]
posted on Jan 2, 2008 - 8 answers

Books about anthropology, psychology, sociology, modern rituals...I think. Can you point me in the right direction? [more inside]
posted on Dec 20, 2007 - 11 answers

What has caused the demographic shift of Chuck E. Cheese customers over the past 10 years? [more inside]
posted on Nov 26, 2007 - 25 answers

What are the best essays, books, or scholarly articles regarding the social role of maps? Both pre- and post- web 2.0, google earth mash ups, and the like. I'm familiar with the Situationalist critique, but wonder where else to begin reading. [more inside]
posted on Nov 25, 2007 - 5 answers

I'm looking for Web sites that use interactive maps to display social phenomena, such as Oakland CrimeSpotting. They don't need to be that sophisticated. I'm especially interested in maps related to poverty and education.
posted on Nov 12, 2007 - 10 answers

Has anyone done any sociology-type studies about online message board behavior between users? The stuff that we're used to - flame outs, pile ons, and the like. Bonus points for any books that might be a good read.
posted on Nov 9, 2007 - 14 answers

I'm trying to write a paper on [blank]'s Effects on Society. I'm trying to find a paper to mirror with the similar skeleton, are there any "must read" papers that have similar scope? [more inside]
posted on Oct 28, 2007 - 5 answers

(If you are male) Do women meet your gaze/say hello/acknowledge that you exist when you are out walking? This probably seems like a ridiculous question, but it's been bugging me for a long time. [more inside]
posted on Oct 17, 2007 - 81 answers

The Seattle Freeze: What am I getting myself into? [more inside]
posted on Oct 12, 2007 - 22 answers

When I was younger, I read a sociology textbook trying to find out why sociology was treated as a separate discipline and how it differs fundamentally from the other social sciences. I learned a lot about Weber and Durkheim, but I still don't get it. Can you help? [more inside]
posted on Sep 11, 2007 - 12 answers

What does it mean to you (yes, YOU there, reading this) to be an American? [more inside]
posted on Aug 17, 2007 - 113 answers

Help me find the sociological terms for some ideas related to dating. [more inside]
posted on Jul 23, 2007 - 24 answers

What sites might you visit, books might you read, etc., to research writing a western? [more inside]
posted on Jul 3, 2007 - 21 answers

Is there academic research that claims that viewing of advertising material a ritual of genderization? [more inside]
posted on Apr 28, 2007 - 25 answers

Book filter: I am looking for recommendations for recent books written about online culture for a Sociology course I am teaching this summer. The book doesn't need to be sociological.
posted on Apr 20, 2007 - 14 answers

Are there any essays or studies naming and analyzing the concept of 'freedom' as developed on the internet? [more inside]
posted on Apr 3, 2007 - 14 answers

Anyone know of any well-written studies detailing how different psychological makeups of internet users affect the development of internet communities? [more inside]
posted on Feb 2, 2007 - 2 answers

What makes sense as a summer job for a math and sociology major who does a little bit of everything? [more inside]
posted on Feb 2, 2007 - 3 answers

I'm looking for good books about other people's misery. [more inside]
posted on Jan 23, 2007 - 37 answers

Is there a word or phrase that describes people's ready acceptance of increasingly odd and demanding airport security procedures? [more inside]
posted on Nov 29, 2006 - 40 answers

HumanBehaviorFilter: Why are some customers so nasty to the people serving them? [more inside]
posted on Oct 5, 2006 - 72 answers

What's the difference between "society" and "culture"? [more inside]
posted on Sep 24, 2006 - 5 answers

Who are the key players in the current study of the Sociology of Religion [more inside]
posted on Sep 21, 2006 - 11 answers

Please it's not a debate about if its right or wrong to be godless ! [more inside]
posted on May 6, 2006 - 66 answers

How do I make the audience like me? [more inside]
posted on Mar 25, 2006 - 16 answers

Gravity/Life/SocietyFilter: So the Earth is all lumpy, with more or less gravity in some places. Has anyone ever corroborated it with life/social/world things? Many questions inside... [more inside]
posted on Feb 18, 2006 - 33 answers

What can I do with a degree in Sociology? [more inside]
posted on Dec 21, 2005 - 26 answers

In the U.S., we get all caught up in the decisions that adult women make and the consequences of those decisions. (To have children, not to have children, to work, to stay home with the children, not to work, to marry, to have children without marrying, etc.) Are there similar convulsions about these cultural issues in other countries, especially non-English speaking ones? How can I learn about them? I'm curious both about how women's roles in in their societies are changing and about how those societies are reacting to the changes.
posted on Nov 30, 2005 - 6 answers

I am a research assistant for a project that involves studying participants in a website for a particular deviant sexuality. I think my research methodology is unethical, but my supervisor disagrees. What can I do? Is the internet a public or private place? [more inside]
posted on Nov 27, 2005 - 47 answers

obscure sociological concept: I seem to recall at some point learning that there is a specific name for when two people (or a group) engage in an activity that neither individual is interested in because they each believe that the other feels strongly about the activity. [more inside]
posted on Nov 27, 2005 - 5 answers

What is the real difference between psychology and sociology? Does a concise and thorough explanation exist anywhere? I'm thinking particularly in terms of social interactions and The Self. Both seem to be viable topics in both sociology and psychology. I perceive a lot of overlap between the two disciplines. Am I wrong? Do sociologists and psychologist agree with me?
posted on Nov 15, 2005 - 13 answers

Why are extremely religious people afraid of visiting/going/living in "Babylon"? [more inside]
posted on Sep 18, 2005 - 27 answers

Has there been any serious evaluation of the psychology and sociology behind furry fandom? Or is it usually only mentioned as a subgroup of fandoms in general?
posted on Sep 13, 2005 - 6 answers

I'm looking for good media resources (especially books) on the lands of the midnight sun (and ?daytime darkness?). Works that cover sociology, culture, work habits, sleep habits and other interesting aspects and adaptations of people living in such conditions.
posted on Jun 13, 2005 - 7 answers

Do you think you are a smarter person than the average upper-middle class person of 300 years ago? [more inside]
posted on Jun 7, 2005 - 37 answers