476 quotes by sociologists for you to enjoy

So persuasive is the power of the institutions we have created that they shape not only our preferences but actually our sense of possibilities. Ivan Illich

Power Sense Our Possibilities Only Shape Institutions Preferences Created Persuasive Actually

School divides life into two segments, which are increasingly of comparable length. As much as anything else, schooling implies custodial care for persons who are declared undesirable elsewhere by the simple fact that a school has been built to serve them. Ivan Illich

Life Simple School Care Increasingly Else Elsewhere Has-Been Segments Simple Fact Fact Divides Implies Schooling Built Been Undesirable Anything Anything Else Which Length Them Persons Much Who Comparable Serve Two

There is no greater distance than that between a man in prayer and God. Ivan Illich

God Prayer Man Distance Between Greater Than

At the moment of death I hope to be surprised. Ivan Illich

Death Hope Surprised Moment

Once the Third World has become a mass market for the goods, products, and processes which are designed by the rich for themselves, the discrepancy between demand for these Western artifacts and the supply will increase indefinitely. Ivan Illich

World Will Become Rich Increase Market Once Indefinitely Supply Between Demand Mass Mass Market Goods Western Discrepancy Which Processes Themselves Products Designed Third Third World

The telephone lets anybody say what he wants to the person of his choice; he can conduct business, express love, or pick a quarrel. It is impossible for bureaucrats to define what people say to each other on the phone, even though they can interfere with - or protect - the privacy of their exchange. Ivan Illich

Love Privacy Business People Phone Impossible Other Define Telephone Say Though People Say Exchange Pick He Protect Quarrel His Conduct Person Bureaucrats Anybody Wants Choice Interfere Even Each Express Lets

By the early seventeenth century, a new consensus began to arise: the idea that man was born incompetent for society and remained so unless he was provided with 'education.' Ivan Illich

Education Man Society Unless Born Remained Arise He Idea New Provided Began Century Incompetent Early Consensus

Schools that are freely accessible allow the organization of certain specific learning tasks which a person might propose to himself. Schools, when they are compulsory - as we see at this moment in the United States - create a dazed population, a 'learned' population, a mentally pretentious population, such as we have never seen before. Ivan Illich

Learning Organization Pretentious Seen Before States See Mentally Compulsory Propose Allow Never Freely Dazed Schools Himself Learned Accessible Person Tasks Which Might Create Certain Moment Population United Specific United States

The college and university systems, at least, have become like television. There's a bit of this and a bit of that and some compulsory program with its components connected in a way that only a planner could understand. Ivan Illich

College Become Way Bit Television Systems Components Some Only Compulsory Could Like Understand Least Planner Connected Program University

The idea of Homo monolinguis - one-languaged man - the idea of children having to grow into one system before we confuse them with another mental system, is an idea with which, unfortunately, many people are brought up now. Ivan Illich

Man People Before Confuse System Brought Mental Having Idea Another Up Children Unfortunately Which Them Many Grow Now Homo

Most people, throughout history, haven't learned one language to the exclusion of another. You learn to speak differently to a peasant and to a shoemaker. You speak differently to your mother, who comes from Burgundy, and to your father, who comes from Swabia. Ivan Illich

History You People Speak Mother Language Father Throughout Exclusion Most Learn Learned Another Burgundy Your Who Differently Peasant

The higher the social class of other students the higher any given student's achievement. James S. Coleman

Achievement Class Other Given Higher Student Students Any Social Social Class

Grades are almost completely relative, in effect ranking students relative to others in their class. Thus extra achievement by one student not only raises his position, but in effect lowers the position of others. James S. Coleman

Achievement Class Extra Others Relative Ranking Only Student Students Almost Thus His Effect Grades Raises Position

For to change the norms, the very foci of attention, of a cultural system is a difficult task - far more complex than that of changing an individual's attitudes and interests. James S. Coleman

Change Difficult Changing Complex System More Individual Attention Attitudes Cultural Very Than Norms Task Far Interests Difficult Task

It is clear from all these data that the interests of teenagers are not focused around studies, and that scholastic achievement is at most of minor importance in giving status or prestige to an adolescent in the eyes of other adolescents. James S. Coleman

Achievement Eyes Giving Other Teenagers Focused Prestige Status Minor Adolescent Data Studies Clear Scholastic Importance Most Around Interests

Particular individuals who might never consider dropping out if they were in a different high school might decide to drop out if they attended a school where many boys and girls did so. James S. Coleman

School Girl Drop Consider Out High High School Never Attended Drop-Out Individuals Dropping Particular Boy Boys And Girls Were Did Where Different Decide Might Who Many

Sentimentality about nature denatures everything it touches. Jane Jacobs

Nature Everything About Sentimentality

The point of cities is multiplicity of choice. Jane Jacobs

Cities Point Choice Multiplicity

Seduction is always more singular and sublime than sex and it commands the higher price. Jean Baudrillard

Sex Seduction More Higher Price Always Singular Commands Sublime Than

What is a society without a heroic dimension? Jean Baudrillard

Society Heroic Dimension Without

Deep down, the US, with its space, its technological refinement, its bluff good conscience, even in those spaces which it opens up for simulation, is the only remaining primitive society. Jean Baudrillard

I hesitate to deposit money in a bank. I am afraid I shall never dare to take it out again. When you go to confession and entrust your sins to the safe-keeping of the priest, do you ever come back for them? Jean Baudrillard

Quotes by Sociologists