The idea that humans can use reason and intelligence to seek wisdom and live a good life.

What are the functions of wal-mart? are they the same or different from the functions of wal-mart in our individual lives? how do the two type of functions connect? does wal-mart have both manifest and latent functions? what are they? are there any dysfunctions of wal-mart for society? if so, what are they? how might these dysfunctions serve as incentives or catalysts for social change? conflict questions: does wal-mart affect every group in society in the same way? if not, what are the differences? how does wal-mart perpetuate the inequalities (of gender, race, class, religion, age, sexual orientation, etc.) in our society? how does wal-mart contribute to conflict between unequal groups in our society? how might wal-mart contribute to social change or the amelioration of inequalities in society? interactionist questions: what kind of symbolic world are you likely to encounter inside a wal-mart store, and how does that affect the shopper’s experience? how does wal-mart influence our interpersonal interactions? how do interpersonal interactions shape the wal-mart experience for shoppers? for workers? how does wal-mart contribute to our socially constructed reality?