One Day University

As Americans, we view our society as special due to its public institutions. Our constitutional democracy and capitalist economy are indeed fundamental features of America’s distinctiveness. These basic social structures are like the skeleton of the USA. But what is going on inside? Most of us take these larger institutions for granted as we go through our personal and professional lives. Professor Jones will argue that the very center of our everyday activities occurs in four key zones of social life: family, work, group memberships and social networks. As your cell phone bill will verify, these are the things on which you probably spend 90% of your time. In the presentation, Professor Jones examines this four-chambered heart of American society. How does work affect friendship? Is the American family in decline? Are we really withdrawing from community involvement to private worlds on electronic screens? Fundamental questions such as these will be addressed — and answered — using 35 years of survey research. It will serve as our sociological EKG in diagnosing the heart of American society.