Questions -
Explain the significance of the sexual revolution and the sexual counterrevolution. What changed in each case? How do these opposing trends show that U.S. society is of two minds-permissive and restrictive-regarding sexuality? Do you think that our society is becoming more accepting or less accepting of diversity in sexual behavior? Why?
Many people think of sexuality as a biological matter; however, sexuality is largely cultural. Explain the biological foundation of sex-how people become female and male-and then go on to explain why sexuality as a dimension of social life is mostly cultural. Consider the variation in attitudes and behavior towards the cultural character of sexuality over time and from society to society.
Identify four sexual orientations. What do we know about the extent of homosexuality in the United States? What is our understanding about the causes of sexual orientation?
Explain the significance of the Muxes of central Mexico for our understanding of gender. Develop a similar argument that takes the existence of transgender people in the United States into account. In other words, what cultural changes would be necessary for our society to recognize the full range of sexual diversity that exists here?
Apply the three theoretical approaches to the topic of sexuality. What are important insights provided by the structural-functional, symbolic-interaction, and social-conflict approaches?
Is it possible for a society to exist without clear-cut categories of "female" and "male"? If so, describe what such a society would be like. If not, explain why not.
How does sexuality play a part in social inequality? Consider factors including prostitution and pornography and their effects on women. Also, consider heterosexism and its effects on the social standing of gay and intersexual people.
Consider the issue of rape. Why have most cases of rape gone unreported? Why is this pattern changing now? What factors make date rape an important issue on college campuses? What strategies for change might reduce this problem?
Emile Durkheim made the surprising statement that crime is actually useful and perhaps even necessary for all social organization. Write an essay in which you explain Durkheim's approach and point to a number of specific ways in which crime (or, more broadly, deviance) is functional for society as a whole.
Many researchers agree that, in the United States, most arrests for street crime involve people of lower class position. According to Robert Merton, Albert Cohen, Walter Miller, and Elijah Anderson, why would this be the case? How would a broader definition of crime (to include more white-collar and corporate offenses) change the profile of the typical criminal?
Apply each of sociology's three theoretical approaches to the topic of deviance. What are the basic insights we gain from each theoretical approach?
Describe the labeling theory of deviance. What basic insight about deviance is offered by this approach? How does labeling figure into the difference between primary deviance and secondary deviance? What is the importance of stigma in labeling analysis?
What insights does feminist theory provide into our society's understanding of deviance? What criticisms does feminism make of sociological material found in this chapter?
The U.S. government provides a great deal of data about crime in the United States. Drawing on FBI data, what can we say about the "typical street criminal" in terms of age, gender, social class, race, and ethnicity? In each case, what can you say to explain the pattern? Do these patterns contain bias? Explain several reasons why we must treat criminal statistics with caution.
Every society punishes offenders. Write an essay in which you explain four justifications for punishment. Point out how each justification has come to the forefront at different times in history and explain this pattern as best you can. What evidence is there that punishment actually accomplishes what we say it does?
Can you imagine a society without crime? What changes in our society would you imagine having to make in order to dramatically reduce the crime rate? Explain your position.
Briefly describe the main characteristics of caste systems and class systems. How are these types linked to different systems of economic production (agrarian versus industrial technology)? What part does meritocracy play in each type of stratification? How does each type of stratification justify inequality?
Summarize the Davis-Moore thesis. Specifically, what are the functional consequences of inequality for society as a whole? Illustrate the thesis by pointing out various jobs and the relative rewards each job commands. Conclude by noting several criticisms of the Davis-Moore thesis.
Explain the debate over the causes of poverty in the United States. What evidence suggests that the poor are responsible for poverty?
What evidence suggests that society as a whole is responsible for poverty? Which side of the debate do you find more convincing? Why?
What is meritocracy? Why do caste systems have little of it? Why do class systems have more? Illustrate how class systems combine caste and meritocracy with reference to the United States and also Great Britain.
In recent years, we have heard more and more talk about "class warfare" in the United States. To what specific facts do people point in support of the claim of "class warfare?" To what extent do you think class warfare really exists? Explain.
Explain the differences in the approach to social stratification of Karl Marx and Max Weber. How did each envision stratification? Why is Weber's approach more complex? Which approach do you think better represents social inequality in the United States? Why?
What is the premise of the Kuznet curve? What claims about worldwide social inequality does it make? What are several criticisms of the curve?
Explain the 1996 welfare reform. What were the reasons for the changes? How did assistance programs change? What about limits on eligibility? Is it correct to say that welfare rolls have decreased? What about poverty?
Explain the assertion made in the text that race is socially constructed. That is, explain what biological traits may be used in defining race, but why a biological definition cannot explain the reality of race in the United States. Provide examples to illustrate your arguments.
How are race and ethnicity dimensions of social stratification in the United States? Provide evidence that many racial and ethnic categories of people are minorities-socially disadvantaged due to race or ethnicity. Consider ways in which race and ethnicity combine with gender and class.
Describe the history of one or more minorities-Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, or Arab Americans-in terms of the following patterns: pluralism, assimilation, segregation, and genocide. Provide as much historical evidence as you can. In your opinion, which of the four patterns of interaction is most pronounced in the case of the minority you wrote about? Why?
Why do various racial and ethnic categories of the U.S. population have different social standing? Why do some categories surpass the national average in income, while others do not? Consider both cultural patterns linked to a category as well as the operation of the U.S. economy.
Can you imagine a future in the United States where members of our society would be truly color blind? Explain how this might become possible. Alternatively, explain why you think that this is possible.
According to the text, what factors define a minority? Based on these factors, explain why we should consider African Americans to be a minority. What about Asian Americans?
What is a stereotype? How can applying the sociological perspective help to assess the validity of any stereotype? What is racism? Provide examples of racism in history. Do you believe race relations has gotten better or worse? Why? What is the scapegoat theory of prejudice? What is the conflict theory of prejudice? Give an example of each.
What is the Bogardus social distance scale? What does research using the scale tell us about changing attitudes of college students towards racial and ethnic minorities?
In a short essay, answer the following questions: Is social class or gender more important in shaping the life of an individual born in the United States today? How does each factor matter? Provide reasons for your choice. Consider how social class and gender interact.
The chapter has provided considerable evidence that a society's level of economic development affects patterns of gender inequality.
Provide an analysis of the relationship between the development of an industrial and postindustrial economy and the extent of gender stratification.
Apply the structural-functional and social-conflict approaches to the issue of gender. What are key insights offered by each theoretical approach? How does each approach view gender differences and gender inequality? How does each respond to the changes in gender across the twentieth century?
Define feminism. Describe the three main types of feminist thinking in the United States today. What do the approaches have in common? How do they differ? Also suggest reasons for resistance to feminism. What is your view of the various types of feminism? Why?
Briefly describe the extent of male-female differences in mental and physical abilities. Do you believe the perceived differences explain why parents may raise their boys and girls with different expectations? please explain.
What does Naomi Wolf mean by the term "beauty myth"? Do you believe such a myth exists in our culture why or why not?
What three factors account for most of the income disparity between women and men? Include in your discussion factors such as choice of college degree, and career.
What criticism would feminists make of the current membership of our Congress?
In this essay, identify and discuss several causes of social change, including cultural processes (invention, discovery, and diffusion), social conflict, ideas, and demographic patterns. Of these factors, which do you think is the most important? Why?
In your opinion, what condition or situation in the world today calls out for a social movement aimed at change? Why is change necessary? Do many people agree with you that this is an important issue? What would you do to help bring about this change?
Identify at least three of the social movements mentioned in the chapter. Using one or more theories of social movements, provide an explanation for the emergence of each. Can you identify stages in each social movement? If so, what are they?
What is claims making? Why is this process important to the success of a social movement?
How does deprivation theory differ from mass-society theory as an explanation of social movements? Which do you think is more accurate? Why?
Define the concepts Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft in ways that make their difference clear. Apply these concepts to social life in the United States.
Explain Emile Durkheim's point in saying that modern society is characterized by "organic solidarity."
What did Emile Durkheim say about modernization changing society's solidarity? What about modernization affecting specialization? What, exactly, changes as societies modernize?
Answer each in 7 sentences.