week 2
“Student’s Guide to Research” Please respond to one (1) of the following:
- Read “Zimbardo’s Experiment: The Individual and the Social Role,” located on page 48 of the textbook. Discuss one (1) alternative approach to the one used in the Zimbardo experiment to investigate how role expectations shape behavior. Provide a rationale for your response.
- Using Table 3.1: “Values, Norms, Folkways, Mores, Taboos, Laws, and Beliefs” on page 56 of the textbook; describe the culture, class, and language of your community. Suggest one (1) area that needs further research. Provide a rationale for your response.
week 3
week 3
“Agents of Socialization, Economics, Cultural, and Social Capital” Please respond to one (1) of the following:
- Go to TED’s Website and watch the first two (2) minutes of the video titled, “How technology allowed me to read,” (15 min 44 s) located athttp://www.ted.com/talks/ron_mccallum_how_technology_allowed_me_to_read. Examine one (1) of the six (6) agents of socialization (family, school, peer groups, work, religion, and technology and mass media). Describe the agent of sociology that has changed the most during your lifetime and discuss the importance of this change.
- Select one (1) of the following terms: structuralism, economic capital, and social capital, and provide one (1) example of the term using your personal experience, from your family or work environment.
week 4
“Deviance and Social Class” Please respond to one (1) of the following:
- Sociologists explain deviance by three (3) major perspectives: biological, functional conflict, and symbolic interaction. Identify your role, for example, as a parent and which perspective best reflects your personal experience. Discuss the main reasons why this perspective is relevant.
- Review Figure 7.1: “Class in the United States” on page 159 of the textbook, in particular, the typical incomes. Speculate on the typical per capita income for your area. Next, go to the United States Census Bureau’s Website, located athttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html, to determine the actual per capita for your county or region. Compare your perception of your area’s per capita and the actual per capita for your area. If you were close, provide a rationale for your speculation. If there was a major discrepancy between your speculation and the actual per capita, suggest a reason for the discrepancy.
wek 5
week 5
“Race, Ethnicity, Sex, and Gender” Please respond to one (1) of the following:
- Describe the effects that the statistical information on a specific race or ethnicity in the areas of health, crime, employment, or education may have in terms of being a predictor of behavior. Provide your opinion on the most likely effects these statistics will have on an individual.
- Select one (1) of the following terms: liberal feminism, socialist feminism, radical feminism, patriarchy, and multicultural feminism, and define it in your words. Describe the manner in which this term relates to you.
week 6
wee 6
“Families and Education” Please respond to one (1) of the following:
- The definition of marriage has changed over the past years and the recent Supreme Court ruling. Review Figure 11.6 on page 276 of the textbook. Identify your state’s status on same-sex marriage. Explain which sociological concept best supports the changing attitude towards same sex marriage (depicted in Figure 11.5 on page 276 of the textbook).
- According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2013) on page 307 of your textbook, eight (8) percent of U.S. students dropped out of high school which is an issue for parents, educators, and the community. Use the Internet to research and identify the high school drop-out rate for your city. Discuss two (2) of the possible effects that your city’s high school drop-out rate may have on the community. Provide a rationale for your response.
week 7
Week 7 Discussion
According to the textbook, sociologists use the religious economy approach or a business perspective to describe religions as organizations competing with each other for followers. Speculate on the relation between the religious economy approach and the trend of more adults becoming nonaffiliated with any religion.”Religion and Politics” Please respond to one (1) of the following:
- According to the textbook, U.S. voter participation has decreased over the years. Review Figures 14.4, 14.5 and 14.6 on page 362 of the textbook, and go to the U.S. Census’ Website located at http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/elections/voting-age_population_and_voter_participation.html to research the percentage of voter participation by age, education, race, or ethnicity in the last presidential election for your state. Describe the major effect(s) that you believe the percentage of voter participation has on your community in terms of changes in policies. Justify your response.
week 8
“Public Health” Please respond to the following:
- During outbreak of Ebola in West Africa in 2014, many U.S. healthcare workers and military members were exposed to the contagious disease (see the New York Times’ article, “Ebola-Infected Health Care Worker in Dallas Took a Flight on Monday” for an example, located athttp://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/16/us/ebola-infected-dallas-health-worker-was-on-flight.html?%20Here%20is%20an%20article%20for%20the%20military%20_r=0). Use the Internet to locate one to two (1-2) other articles about this particular Ebola outbreak. Discuss your initial reaction to the news of the outbreak, citing one (1) article about the outbreak. Explain the effect that this has had on your current perception about public health policy.
week 9
“Local and Global Communities” Please respond to one (1) of the following:
- Use the Internet to research the population of your community or town. City-Data, is a great Website to get you started. Identify whether you town is growing or declining. Describe at least one (1) sociological aspect that can be attributed to this change.
- Select a country and go to the CIA’s World Factbook Website, and research its economic wealth or poverty. Note: Please review the other student’s responses so that you do not repeat another student’s selection of a country. Then, describe the economic wealth or poverty of that country. Discuss any sociological aspects that may be causing this wealth or poverty.
week 10
“Organizing Online” Please respond to the following:
- Read “#SOCIALCHANGE” located on pages 474 and 475 of the textbook. Describe the manner in which social media provides a venue for activism. Provide one (1) example of online support for an issue or cause.
- week 11
“Sum It Up” Please respond to one (1) of the following:
- Summarize what you have learned in this class in 140 characters or less (something you could post on Twitter).
- Describe the one (1) aspect of this course that you liked the most. Explain why this particular aspect of the course was your favorite.
