Sociology

* In your own words, what is Szasz arguing?

Sociology professor, Andrew Szasz is the author of «Shopping Our Way to Safety». He brings up, a fundamental question in his book. Does buying «green» really offer defence against environmental hazards? Consumers are hiding behind a range of products they hope will protect them from environmental hazards” says Andrew Szasz. He has three main arguments. First, he acknowledges two case studies to show how inverted quarantine is in American history. The second argument is the problems related with drinking, eating and breathing. Clearly, these issues have opened up opportunities for the marketers of inverted quarantine products. And lastly, he evaluates the consequences for society when people take on inverted quarantine behaviour.  Szasz sees these philosophical, individual responses to big environmental threats as a reversed form of quarantine, aiming to shut the healthy individual in and the threatening world out as a result, we feel fewer exigencies to actually fix our environmental problems.

* Szasz asks a classic sociological question: Why do people behave the way that they do? Is his answer macro-sociological or micro-sociological? Is it based in a structural functionalist approach, a conflict approach, or a symbolic interactionist approach?

First off, Professor Szasz talks about inverted quarantine. What is inverted quarantine? According to ABSTRACT-MICHAEL BELL DOC inverted quarantine is

«an individualized, commoditized response to threat. The consumer isn’t trying to change the situation or process that has created the threat; instead, s/he attempts to individually barricade themselves from the threat, shield themselves from it, by purchasing special products that promise to protect them from toxic exposures. Prime examples of inverted quarantine consumption in response to toxic, environmental threats include: bottled water, water filters, organic foods, “natural” clothing, household cleaning...