To think like a sociologist
To think like a sociologist, one must first want to see the behind the scenes look of the social environment of the world. Peter Berger describes sociology as entering a new and unfamiliar society, one in which a form of culture shock is introduced (Berger, 6). I would venture off to say that what Peter Berger means by “things are not what they seem’ (Berger, 6) is that, sociology trains you to not settle for the outer surface of things, but to dig deeper into a particular cause, establishment, corporation or country and uncover the inner layers of its true meaning, debunking propaganda.
Recently I took to exploring the world of how smartphones, particularly the iPhone is manufactured and to what lengths western societies will go to get one when it is unveiled as the ‘new and improved’ version from six-months ago. While I do own an iPhone among other Apple devices such as the iPad, I did not put much thought into the ‘behind the scenes’ (Berger, 7) of how these coveted devices became manufactured and ultimately arrive on our shores.
Typically on the day the iPhone is announced for pre-ordering, websites become bogged down due to the rapid influx of pre-orders. I have been one of those individuals ordering a phone by website, sometimes becoming frustrated that I get timed out repeatedly, that, or the worst-case scenario, I am told that my iPhone will not ship for 4 weeks, the outrage.
Companies such as Apple are one of the most successful and valuable publicly traded companies of all time (Resigner). In the Americas among other countries, their stores are extremely well designed and usually on par with the latest trends, glass everywhere, stylish kiosks, etc. Their employees are for the most part always smiling and eager to assist you in any way, if you need an item they can just run to the stock room and usually fetch it for you. This paints a picture of the forefront of a corporate machine that has completely grasped global manufacturing. However here is
Recently I took to exploring the world of how smartphones, particularly the iPhone is manufactured and to what lengths western societies will go to get one when it is unveiled as the ‘new and improved’ version from six-months ago. While I do own an iPhone among other Apple devices such as the iPad, I did not put much thought into the ‘behind the scenes’ (Berger, 7) of how these coveted devices became manufactured and ultimately arrive on our shores.
Typically on the day the iPhone is announced for pre-ordering, websites become bogged down due to the rapid influx of pre-orders. I have been one of those individuals ordering a phone by website, sometimes becoming frustrated that I get timed out repeatedly, that, or the worst-case scenario, I am told that my iPhone will not ship for 4 weeks, the outrage.
Companies such as Apple are one of the most successful and valuable publicly traded companies of all time (Resigner). In the Americas among other countries, their stores are extremely well designed and usually on par with the latest trends, glass everywhere, stylish kiosks, etc. Their employees are for the most part always smiling and eager to assist you in any way, if you need an item they can just run to the stock room and usually fetch it for you. This paints a picture of the forefront of a corporate machine that has completely grasped global manufacturing. However here is
References: Berger, Peter, L. Invitation to Sociology. Dell Publishing Group, Inc. , 1963. 6-9. Print. Greene, Jay. "Riots, Suicides, and other issues in Foxconn 's iPhone factories." CNET, 25 09 2012. Web. Web. 23 Jan. 2013.