Http www calstatela edu library guides 3asa pdf

Introduction to Sociology Prof. Aguilera

Sociology Introduction CAAP #1 Instructions

1. Answer two critical thinking questions from below. Each question must be from a different module. Each response should be two pages, so four pages total. Be sure to apply terms/concept(s) from the Modules, and/or the slide presentations. Use at least two direct quotes with citations (ASA style) from an academic source (such as text, module slides, or me) per response to support your points. Apply examples from your personal lives, current events, and/or class lectures. Write one response, then the next, then include your reference page. It is all one paper. No late work is accepted. You must upload the entire paper as ONE attachment file under ASSIGNMENTS in Etudes. The attachment must be Microsoft Word, Microsoft Works, PDF, or Word Pad (RTF) format. I cannot open Mac files (Pages), so you will have to convert it.

2. Papers must be typed. Use a standard 12 size font in either: Tahoma, Times New Roman, Courier New, or Arial. The paper should be double spaced.

3. Put your heading (name and such) in the header of the paper – you do not need a cover page. Put page numbers at the footer of the paper. Before each response, write the Module section and number of the prompt you are answering.

4. Be sure to reference the author you directly quoted, even if it is from the textbook or lectures. You should have a page at the very end called “References”. Feel free to quote things I have said as well. You only need one reference page. Wikipedia and Dictionary.com are not academic sources – you do not need to use it. The only sources you need for this assignment are your class notes, slides, and/or textbook. Follow the American Sociological Association format for “Citations in Text” and the reference page: http://www.calstatela.edu/library/guides/3asa.pdf

(OR just do a Google search for “ASA style guide”)

5. When writing formally, avoid using contractions (can’t, don’t, won’t). Use the full versions (can not, do not, will not). Do not use slang such as “cool”. Spell out smaller numbers (twenty instead of 20). Do not end sentences in prepositions (with, for, by, along, in, out).

6. Make sure you break your work up into paragraphs. Do not submit one long paragraph for each response.

Prompts

Module 1

1.

Briefly describe your favorite character from literature, television, or film. Using your sociological imagination, explain some of the problems that character had/has from a sociological perspective. Be sure that you clearly define and identify "the sociological perspective" and "the sociological imagination." Be careful not to give a detailed summary of the character – stick to the sociology!

2.

Imagine you wanted to study child poverty from a micro, meso, and macro level. For each of the three levels of analysis, describe what question or questions you might ask to learn more about child poverty and why that level of analysis is appropriate for your question.

3.

Explain how social units, social structures, and social institutions are related. Using examples from your own life, illustrate the interconnectedness of these concepts.

4.

What are some common sense beliefs you hold about the social world? What factors led you to holding those beliefs? What evidence would be necessary for you to change those beliefs?

5.

Consider the social problem of homelessness in the United States. What questions might someone from anthropology ask about homelessness? What about someone from economics? Political science? Psychology? Sociology? Which of these disciplines do you think could best help find a solution for homelessness and why?

Module 2

6.

Compare and contrast two different research methods. For each method, explain what you would choose to study if you could examine anything about political participation among 18-24 year olds, and why that method is appropriate for what you are choosing to research.

7.

Describe one of the five theoretical perspectives mentioned. Further, explain the critiques of that perspective. Do those critiques make the perspective useless? Why or why not?

8.

You have been asked to conduct a study entitled “The effect of television watching on the grades of college freshmen.” What theoretical perspective will you use to guide your study and why? Explain at least two hypotheses you have about the effect of TV on grades. Describe the method you will use to conduct your study and explain why that method is most appropriate.

9.

Imagine you wanted to study the United States military from a functionalist, symbolic interactionist and conflict perspective. What research question will you ask from a functionalist perspective about the military? Why is the functionalist perspective appropriate for this question? What research question will you ask from a symbolic interactionist perspective about the military? Why is the symbolic interactionist perspective appropriate for this question? What research question will you ask from a conflict perspective about the military? Why is the conflict perspective appropriate for this question?

10.

In the late 1960’s, Laud Humphries conducted a study called “The Tearoom Trade”. Humphries posed as a “watch queen” (a man who guards the doors of restrooms in public parks so that men can have sex with other men inside). Humphries then wrote down the license plate numbers of the men who had sex with other men, then looked up their addresses, then disguised his appearance and went to their homes to interview them a year later. Humphries discovered that, contrary to popular opinion, many of the men were actually married to women and living otherwise quiet, middle class lives. Today, this study is considered unethical. In light of what you learned about research ethics, what ethical principles does this study violate? Do you personally feel the benefits of the study (it destroyed many stereotypes) outweighed the risks?

Module 3

11.

We detailed how societies transform and highlighted the 5 types of societies that have existed during human existence. Describe each of these 5 societies in detail, paying specific attention to the primary characteristics of each type of society. In your essay, you should also highlight the cultural changes that occur to move societies from one type to the next.

12.

You are a social scientist wanting to compare two cultural practices: male circumcision in the United States to female circumcision in Chad, each of which occur at a similarly high rate in their respective cultures. Compare and contrast different research questions, methods, or conclusions you could reach from an ethnocentric and a culturally relative perspective. State if you will conduct your research from an ethnocentric or a culturally relative perspective. Make sure to detail specific steps you will take to maintain your desired perspective. Finally, describe how a reader of your study will respond to your findings using a culturally relative or an ethnocentric perspective.

13.

Globalization is a widespread cultural phenomenon in many nations. Describe globalization, paying specific attention to how it emerged. You should also illustrate how globalization is contributing to the creation of a global culture. Finally, you should offer one argument in favor of globalization and one argument against globalization that relate specifically to how globalization affects national cultures.

14.

How are the four forms of non-material culture used to reinforce the culture of the society? Make sure to describe each of the forms while also detailing how they are used to maintain unity and order within a culture.

15.

How might we understand culture differently if we study it as a Symbolic Interactionist, a Structural Functionalist, or a Conflict Theorist? In your discussion of this question, you should pay attention to the main assumptions of the three theories and how they translate into the study of culture. What beneficial knowledge can we gain by studying culture through each of these three lenses?

Module 4

16.

Mead discussed the concept of the “I” and the “me” as the two parts of the self. Explain each of the two parts. How are the two related? Further, imagine that as you are driving home from the exam today, a car cuts you off and you very nearly get into a car accident. How would your “I” react toward the other driver? Why? How would your “me” react toward the other driver? Why?

17.

Explain Mead’s three stages in the development of the self. Imagine you were working at an elementary school. How would you know a child was still in the first stage? How would you be aware that he or she is in the second stage? Use examples of actual behaviors the children might engage in during each stage to provide support for your explanations.

18.

Thinking about your own socialization process, who were your primary agents of socialization? (Be sure to consider micro, meso, and macro influences.) How have your primary agents of socialization changed across your life course?

19.

How does social class influence the way a child is socialized? Why might it be beneficial for children to be socialized according to their family’s social class? Why might it be harmful?