People—especially Americans—are by and large optimists. They're much better at imagining best-case scenarios (I could win the lottery!) than worst-case scenarios (A hurricane could destroy my neighborhood!). This is true not just of their approach to imagining the future, but of their memories as well: people are better able to describe the best moments of their lives than they are the worst. Though there are psychological reasons for this phenomenon, Karen A.Cerulo, in Never Saw It Coming, considers instead the role of society in fostering this attitude. What kinds of communities develop this pattern of thought, which do not, and what does that say about human ability to evaluate possible outcomes of decisions and events? Cerulo takes readers to diverse realms of experience, including intimate family relationships, key transitions in our lives, the places we work and play, and the boardrooms of organizations and bureaucracies. Using interviews, surveys, artistic and fictional accounts, media reports, historical data, and official records, she illuminates one of the most common, yet least studied, of human traits—a blatant disregard for worst-case scenarios. Never Saw It Coming, therefore, will be crucial to anyone who wants to understand human attempts to picture or plan the future. “In Never Saw It Coming, Karen Cerulo argues that in American society there is a ‘positive symmetry,’ a tendency to focus on and exaggerate the best, the winner, the most optimistic outcome and outlook. Thus, the conceptions of the worst are underdeveloped and elided. Naturally, as she masterfully outlines, there are dramatic consequences to this characterological inability to imagine and prepare for the worst, as the failure to heed memos leading up to both the 9/11 and NASA Challenger disasters, for instance, so painfully reminded us.”--Robin Wagner-Pacifici, Swarthmore College“Katrina, 9/11, and the War in Iraq—all demonstrate the costliness of failing to anticipate worst-case scenarios. Never Saw It Coming explains why it is so hard to do so: adaptive behavior hard-wired into human cognition is complemented and reinforced by cultural practices, which are in turn institutionalized in the rules and structures of formal organizations. But Karen Cerulo doesn’t just diagnose the problem; she uses case studies of settings in which people effectively anticipate and deal with potential disaster to describe structural solutions to the chronic dilemmas she describes so well. Never Saw It Coming is a powerful contribution to the emerging fields of cognitive and moral sociology.”--Paul DiMaggio, Princeton University

Never Saw It Coming: Cultural Challenges to Envisioning the Worst

Politics & Social Sciences

Cerulo, Karen A.

Social Sciences

University of Chicago Press

People—especially Americans—are by and large optimists. They're much better at imagining best-case scenarios (I could win the lottery!) than worst-case scenarios (A hurricane could destroy my neighborhood!). This is true not just of their approach to imagining the future, but of their memories as well: people are better able to describe the best moments of their lives than they are the worst. Though there are psychological reasons for this phenomenon, Karen A.Cerulo, in Never Saw It Coming, considers instead the role of society in fostering this attitude. What kinds of communities develop this pattern of thought, which do not, and what does that say about human ability to evaluate possible outcomes of decisions and events? Cerulo takes readers to diverse realms of experience, including intimate family relationships, key transitions in our lives, the places we work and play, and the boardrooms of organizations and bureaucracies. Using interviews, surveys, artistic and fictional accounts, media reports, historical data, and official records, she illuminates one of the most common, yet least studied, of human traits—a blatant disregard for worst-case scenarios. Never Saw It Coming, therefore, will be crucial to anyone who wants to understand human attempts to picture or plan the future. “In Never Saw It Coming, Karen Cerulo argues that in American society there is a ‘positive symmetry,’ a tendency to focus on and exaggerate the best, the winner, the most optimistic outcome and outlook. Thus, the conceptions of the worst are underdeveloped and elided. Naturally, as she masterfully outlines, there are dramatic consequences to this characterological inability to imagine and prepare for the worst, as the failure to heed memos leading up to both the 9/11 and NASA Challenger disasters, for instance, so painfully reminded us.”--Robin Wagner-Pacifici, Swarthmore College “Katrina, 9/11, and the War in Iraq—all demonstrate the costliness of failing to anticipate worst-case scenarios. Never Saw It Coming explains why it is so hard to do so: adaptive behavior hard-wired into human cognition is complemented and reinforced by cultural practices, which are in turn institutionalized in the rules and structures of formal organizations. But Karen Cerulo doesn’t just diagnose the problem; she uses case studies of settings in which people effectively anticipate and deal with potential disaster to describe structural solutions to the chronic dilemmas she describes so well. Never Saw It Coming is a powerful contribution to the emerging fields of cognitive and moral sociology.”--Paul DiMaggio, Princeton University

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Psychology & Counseling

First published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor &amp; Francis, an informa company.

Deciphering Violence: The Cognitive Structure of Right and Wrong

Routledge

Deciphering Violence

Dreams of a Lifetime: How Who We Are Shapes How We Imagine Our Future

Review\n“For those who like to see America as a field of dreams writ large, this book is tonic. Cerulo and Ruane correct the record on dreaming, revealing why it is not an equal opportunity activity. Engrossing.”―Sherry Turkle, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, author of The Empathy Diaries\n“Dreams of a Lifetime compellingly argues that dreams tell us about our essences―who we are and who we want to be. By treating dreams as cultural scripts, Cerulo and Ruane reveal surprising patterns that inform debates about narrative, cognition, values, and the self. With richly textured analyses of dreams dashed, deferred, and desired, Cerulo and Ruane write with empathy and compassion. Dreams of a Lifetime is an engaging book that makes important sociological contributions.”―Terence E. McDonnell, coauthor of Measuring Culture\n“This is an intensely wonderful book. Cerulo and Ruane open a new door into both the personal and the social psyches, offering us wholly new understandings of American culture and the ways different sorts of people live their lives. It is not to be missed.”―John Levi Martin, author of Social Structures\n“With insight and care, Cerulo and Ruane vividly demonstrate that dreams are not the unique imaginings of individuals but rather patterned states of mind that reflect one’s place in an unequal social landscape. This pioneering book shows how where we stand shapes what we dream, and uncovers the rich possibilities people imagine when they are invited to envision the life they wish they could have.”―Kathleen Gerson, New York University\nHow social status shapes our dreams of the future and inhibits the lives we envision for ourselves\nMost of us understand that a person’s place in society can close doors to opportunity, but anything is possible when we dream about what might be, or so we think. Dreams of a Lifetime reveals that what and how we dream―and whether we believe our dreams can actually come true―are tied to our social class, gender, race, age, and life events.\nKaren Cerulo and Janet Ruane argue that our social location shapes the seemingly private and unique life of our minds. We are all free to dream about possibilities, but not all dreamers are equal. Cerulo and Ruane show how our social position ingrains itself on our mind’s eye, quietly influencing the nature of our dreams, whether we embrace dreaming or dream at all, and whether we believe that our dreams, from the attainable to the improbable, can become realities. They explore how inequalities stemming from social disadvantages pattern our dreams for ourselves, and how sociocultural disparities in how we dream exacerbate social inequalities and limit the life paths we believe are open to us.\nDrawing on a wealth of original interviews with people from diverse social backgrounds, Dreams of a Lifetime demonstrates how the study of our dreams can provide new avenues for understanding and combatting inequality―including inequalities that precede action or outcome.

Ruane, Janet M.

Princeton University Press

The Third Edition of Second Thoughts: Seeing Conventional Wisdom Through the Sociological Eye addresses the disparities that exist between conventional wisdom and social life. Through twenty-two essays, authors Janet M. Ruane and Karen A. Cerulo examine popular conceptions of important social subjects that we may accept as commonly held beliefs. This book illuminates how reviewing conventional wisdom with a sociological eye can lead to a more insightful understanding of social life. Features of This Text Highlights the key terms, ideas, and theories in each chapter that are defined in the glossary; Includes exercises that reinforce the ideas discussed in each chapter and help students apply sociology beyond the classroom; Contains an annotated guide that recommends both traditional and Internet resources for further reading.New to the Third Edition Two new essays have been added on addressing individualism and community issues (Essay 7) and exploring technology′s impact on our lives (Essay 21); Updated essays incorporate new sociological issues, such as terrorism, new communication technologies, and corporate ethics; Revised chapters that include the latest census data and the most recent statistical reports. Second Thoughts, Third Edition is an excellent supplementary textbook for Introductory Sociology and Social Problems courses. It offers a tried-and-true approach to nurturing critical analysis in undergraduate sociology students taking courses such as introductory sociology, social problems, organizations, institutions, and structures, and social theory.  Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action offers a sociological perspective on the social problems discussed. It also provides an awareness that our personal experiences with problems that may arise in families, the workplace, health and medicine, the media, cities and suburbs, or with drug abuse, poverty, crime, the environment, and war and terrorism are caused by structural or social forces. Unlike other texts, the book offers a balanced view through examining both the problems and attempts to resolve these pervasive social issues. Key Features:Each social problem is viewed through the Functionalist, Conflict, Interactionist, and Feminist perspectives to give students a full understanding of each issue"Voices in the Community" sections provide testimony from individuals that express personal experiences of social problems both as victims and help-giversThemes of race, class, and gender are integrated throughout the book to provide a multicultural perspective on social problems"Putting It Together" exercises within chapters encourage students to do further analysis in their own communities, on their own campuses, or on the Web"Taking a World View" boxes in chapters provide a comparative perspective on related social problems in other countries "Visual Essays" have been developed for each chapter to highlight a particular social problem or solution. In some essays, real families and individuals facing the problems under study in the chapter are introduced.Companion Student Study Site: http://www.pineforge.com/leonguerrerostudy offers unique learning tools such as electronic flash cards, interactive quizzes, Web site resources, a community policy guide and projects, along with service learning activities to encourage student awareness of effective community responses to social problemsSocial Problems is a timely text that ties into recent discussions within the discipline on the commitment to "public sociology." This book takes students out of the classroom, away from their texts, and into their communities. It will serve as a vital and invaluable text for students in social problems courses in sociology or social work.

Second Thoughts by Ruane & Cerulo and Social Problems by Leon-Guerrero, Bundle

Sociology

Sage Publications, Inc.

Introducing students to sociology’s core concepts by debunking popular misconceptions Do birds of a feather flock together or do opposites attract? Does haste make waste or should you strike while the iron is hot? Adages like these-or conventional wisdoms-shape our social life. This Fourth Edition of Second Thoughts reviews several popular beliefs and notes how such adages cannot be taken at face value. This unique text encourages students to step back and sharpen their analytic focus with 24 essays that use social research to expose the gray areas of commonly held beliefs, revealing the complexity of social reality and sharpening students’ sociological vision.

Second Thoughts: Seeing Conventional Wisdom Through the Sociological Eye

Ruane, Dr. Janet M.

Pine Forge Press

Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life, 7th Edition / Second Thoughts, 4th Edition

Newman, Dr. David M.

Newman BUNDLE, Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life Brief Edition + Ruane, Second Thoughts, Fourth Edition

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