ASSIGNMENT: The Sociological Perspective, Culture and Socialization
The Sociological Perspective: Sociology offers a perspective, a view of the world. The sociological perspective opens a window into unfamiliar worlds and offers a fresh look at familiar worlds. Sociologists study the broader social contexts that underlie human behavior. These include the social groups that influence human behavior and the larger society that organizes it.
Read in the Henslin book Chapter 1, The Sociological Perspective. The answer in writing the following:
Short Answer Questions:
1. What is social location?
2. In addressing the sociological perspective, what did C. Wright Mills mean by "history?
3. What did C. Wright Mills mean by the term "power elite?"
4. Sociologically, what is the meaning of "symbols?"
5. What are the similarities and differences between macro-level analysis and micro-level analysis?
6. What are the eight basic steps followed in scientific research? Provide a brief description of each step.
7. What is the difference between a "sample" and a "random sample?"
8. What are the three conditions necessary for causation?
9. As dictated by the American Sociological Association, what are the three qualities that a researcher must consider for his or her study to be ethical?
10. What is globalization?
Essay Questions:
1. Briefly describe the four factors that contributed to the emergence of sociology as a discipline in the 19th century.
2. Summarize the main points of Karl Marx's theory of class conflict.
3. Social life can be interpreted from one of three major theoretical frameworks. Describe the major points of each framework. List at least one sociologist who has been identified with each framework.
4. List the six practices that can distort data, misrepresent answers, or lead to fraudulent research. Briefly explain what each practice is.
5. What is the role of ethics in sociological research?
The Sociological Perspective: On page 28 of the textbook I would like you to read the section: Down to Earth Sociology- Gang Leader for a Day: Adventures of a Rogue Sociologist. The author describes the experiences of a graduate student while gathering data from a Chicago project for a pending research interest. Please read this vignette and answer this question.
1. Why would a graduate student in Sociology, Sudhir Venkatesh, submit himself to such dangerous conditions "in the name of science"?
Culture: Culture is universal; all human groups create a design for living that includes both material and nonmaterial culture. Ideal culture, a group's ideal norms and values, exist alongside its real culture, the actual behavior that often falls short of the cultural ideals.
Read in the Henslin book Chapter 2, Culture. The answer in writing the following:
Short Answer Questions:
1. What is the difference between material and nonmaterial culture?
2. Why did anthropologist Robert Edgerton challenge unconditional cultural relativism?
3. Why is nonmaterial culture also called symbolic culture?
4. Why can gestures lead to misunderstanding and embarrassment?
5. What is a "moral holiday"?
6. What are the five interrelated core values now emerging in the United States?
7. What is the difference between real and ideal culture?
8. What is natural selection?
9. The main difference between traditional technology and what is classified as new technology is?
10. What is cultural lag?
Essay Questions:
1. Identify and define the seven basic elements of nonmaterial culture.
2. Folkways, mores, and taboos are types of norms. Describe the differences between them and give an example of each.
3. What is a culture war? Are culture wars beneficial to society?
4. Edward Wilson believes that sociobiology explains human behavior more accurately than sociology does. Wilson claims that human behavior is the result of natural selection. However, most sociologists disagree with his ideas. Discuss the reasons why sociologists disagree.
5. Why is it most common for the nonmaterial culture to lag behind material culture?
Cultural Diversity in the United States
Race and Language: Searching for Self Labels
I would like you to read the excerpt on page 50 entitled "Cultural Diversity in the United States, Race and Language: Searching for Self Labels." In this textbox the author discusses the politics and tensions surrounding the ways in which people refer to African Americans. After you read the textbox answer the following:
1. What other groups in society that have been oppressed and discriminated against have included in their struggle for equal treatment a conflict over their group name?
Socialization: Scientists have attempted to determine how much of people's characteristics come from heredity and how much from the social environment. Humans are born with the capacity to develop a self, but this self must be socially constructed through social interaction. Socialization influences not only how we express our emotions, but what emotions we feel. These vary based on gender, culture, social class and relationships.
Read in the Henslin book Chapter 3, Socialization. The answer in writing the following:
Short Answer Questions:
1. In the "nature versus nurture" argument, what is another term for "nurture?"
2. What are the three elements of Cooley's looking-glass self concept?
3. What is the difference between significant others and generalized other?
4. What are the three stages of George Herbert Mead's theory of development?
5. In Mead's theory of development, what is the difference between the "I" and the "me"?
6. What are the four stages in Kohlberg's theory of development?
7. What were the six "global emotions" identified by anthropologist Paul Ekman?
8. List four of the seven agents of socialization discussed in the textbook.
9. What is resocialization?
10. What are the five basic stages in the life course?
Essay Questions:
1. Discuss the "nature versus nurture" argument and provide support for each aspect of the controversy.
2. Discuss the principle aspects of Charles Horton Cooley's looking-glass self.
3. Discuss the stages in Kohlberg's theory of moral development and the influences that affected its formulation.
4. Discuss how mass media and media images affect gender socialization.
5. Discuss why total institutions are effective in stripping away people's personal freedom.
Down to Earth Sociology: Heredity or Environment? The Case of Jack and Oskar, Identical Twins
I would like you to read the excerpt on Page 67 entitled Down to Earth Sociology: Heredity or Environment? The Case of Jack and Oskar, Identical Twins and then answer the following:
1. Discuss the environmental influences that affected Oskar and Jack. Include others that might be considered in addition to those discussed in the textbox.
Complete the following internet exercise:
This exercise looks at the topic of underage drinking and its effect on society. This exercise is designed to show the lengths that society will go to control behavior which is deemed to be inappropriate. It is also designed to show how deeply rooted some beliefs and norms can be held in society. This is the website for a federally funded program called Project Extra Mile. Once you access the web site I would like you to take a look around and answer the following questions:
1. Describe the scope of the problem that Project Extra mile was created to combat and the potential consequences to society if this topic is not brought to the forefront of society.
2. Is this issue really a government issue or should it be left more to the individuals to rely on their values and beliefs to determine what behavior is appropriate? Explain your answer.
3. There is a segment of society that takes the stance that this type of behavior is "a right of passage" and that the government is overstepping its boundaries in funding an organization such as Project Extra Mile. In looking at this web site and relying on the information obtained in the first three chapters of the text provide you opinion on this statement. I would like you to justify your response, again using the information obtained in the text readings up to this point.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also Include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
TEXT BOOK: Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach-Core Concepts, 6th ed., James Henslin. Pearson Publications, 2015. ISBN: 0205999840.