disc 2
For this discussion board, our topic is socialization. I’d
like you to first watch this video and then address the following points.
Before your write your post:
Check out this video about the infamous case of Genie, a
neglected child found at the age of 13. As you watch this video, think about it
from a sociological point of view… and whether “becoming human” is
more about the nature side (our biology and “instincts”) versus the
nurture side (our upbringing, family setting, etc). The video is sad but worth
the watch. Also think about theethical implications of the scientists’ and
society’s reactions.
Here are two different links. The
[RIGHT CLICK on the links and select “open in new
browser tab” so that you can come back to the discussion easily]
http://youtu.be/VjZolHCrC8E (12:26 min)
This second video is from NOVA and Part 1 is 8 min long. You
can view the other parts that are listed on the left side menu as you like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEnkY2iaKis&list=PLAED0A0A876E65441
(8 min)
Writing your post:
1. Define socializationand list those agents of
socialization that had the greatest impact on YOUR life when you were growing
up. Explain why.
Remember to use a citation (Henslin, 2010) to show where you
got the definition and include a full reference at the end, for any materials
you use in writing your work here. If you copy and paste word-for-word, be sure
to put it in “quotation marks”.·
2. This part concerns the nature versus nurture debate in
terms of influences on a person’s upbringing.In your opinion, is “becoming
human” more about the nature side (our biology and “instincts”)
or the nurture side (our upbringing, family setting, etc). Feel free to use examples
from the Genie video in your response.
Should be an interesting conversation! If you have any
problems with the video links, drop me an email.
week 3
Posted
by Susan Fournier at 04/22/13 11:05 PM
For our next discussion board, we’ll be thinking about race
and ethnicity.
Please address the following…
A) What is the difference between race and ethnicity?
(Remember to cite and reference any sources you use in your work here).
B) Are racial categories arbitrary? In other words, could we
just as readily distinguish ourselves by some other physical trait? How does
this relate to race as a “social construct” – distinctions that humans create?
C) Have you ever been in a situation in which YOU were in the
minority, in terms of being the only person of your race or ethnicity (or
gender or age) in a social setting? Describe the situation and explain your
feelings and the reactions of others.
Remember, a hallmark of sociology is remaining respectful at
all times in our discussions.
week 5
BACKGROUND
One of the best ways to understand deviance and social norms
in society is to observe what happens when these norms are violated, , i.e.,
norm violations. For this discussion, I’d like you to first violate a simple
norm and gauge the reactions (your own and other people’s). Then I’d like you
to report your findings in the discussion post.
IMPORTANT: Please violate only a SIMPLE norm – a “folkway.”
Do NOT violate any laws or “mores” that will cause harm or put you or anyone
else in danger in any way. This will result in a zero for the discussion. If
you are not sure, drop me an email through iBoard and I’ll be happy to discuss
your ideas.
TASKS BEFORE YOU WRITE YOUR POST
·Select the norm you would like to violate (examples below).
·Think about what this behavior means in our society.
·Observe normal behavior first.
·Then violate the norm.
·Observe the reactions to your behavior. Notice body
language, words, actions.
·Observe your own feelings during and after the violation.
·Feel free to “debrief” the people involved, if appropriate,
about your experiment, if they are people you know well.
Acceptable Examples:
You might treat a family member as if you were a stranger at
dinner – ringing the doorbell when arriving, being extremely polite, asking
about that person’s life, saying formal hello’s and goodbyes, including a
handshake, etc.
When riding the elevator, turn to face the people rather
than staring up at the numbers.
Violate our typical use of personal space – stand a little
closer than normal when speaking to a family member or neighbor or friend.
(This is something that is very cultural in its foundation – we all sort of
just know what’s appropriate, and we become very aware when personal space
norms are violated!).
Speaking more loudly that normal.
Speaking in a very formal manner with a close friend or
family member.
Offering to let people go ahead of you in a grocery line.
Belching at the dinner table. (In some cultures this is
actually expected as a sign of having enjoyed the meal!)
Sitting right next to someone on an otherwise empty bus.
You may use your own ideas as well, but again, it must be a
simple folkway – nothing that will cause extreme discomfort or harm to you or
anyone involved.
IMPORTANT: Please violate only a SIMPLE norm – a “folkway.”
Do NOT violate any laws or “mores” that will cause harm or put you or anyone
else in danger in any way. This will result in a zero for the discussion. If
you are not sure, drop me an email through iBoard and I’ll be happy to discuss
your ideas.
WRITING YOUR POST
Here are the points you should address in your post – 3 or 4
paragraphs should be sufficient.
·Briefly define “social norm.”
·Briefly define “deviance.”
·Describe the norm you violated. Describe the setting, the
people involved, and your behavior.
·What sorts of reactions did you observe? Be specific. Avoid
vague descriptions such as “They thought I was weird.” Describe instead… facial
expressions, body language, words, actions.
·How did you feel doing this norm violation?
·Explain what you learned about this norm and about the
meaning of this behavior in society – in other words, why do we have this norm
in our culture?
·How might the reactions have been different if you had
behaved in this manner in another culture?
Please remember to cite and reference any sources you use in
writing your post.
Thanks,
DrF
IMPORTANT: Please violate only a SIMPLE norm – a “folkway.”
Do NOT violate any laws or “mores” that will cause harm or put you or anyone
else in danger in any way. This will result in a zero for the discussion. If
you are not sure, drop me an email through iBoard and I’ll be happy to discuss
your ideas.
week 6
For our next discussion, we’ll be talking about
globalization and U.S. aid to foreign countries.
THE QUESTION:
In your opinion, is it the responsibility of the United
States to help other countries in need? Explain your answer using some of the
thinking points provided.
THINKING POINTS:
Here are some thinking points to help you in your writing
your post.
· Who defines “help”? What if another country doesn’t want
our “assistance”?
· What if our help causes more harm than good? Are we
responsible for repairing the “collateral damage”?
· Some might argue that we should help our own first. With
the current economic crisis, do you think the U.S. should focus more on helping
those here in the US and less on other countries? Why or why not?
· Or has increasing globalization made us essentially all
one community? No longer a distinction between “us” and “them”?
· How might a conflict theorist (focus on change and
inequality) answer this?
· How might a functionalist theorist (focus on stability and
consequences) answer this?
Some tough questions that will require a bit of critical
thinking. Please remember to cite and reference any sources you use in
composing your post. (I’d include with a definition of globalization, for
example).
week 7
Practicing Objectivity in Family Values
For this discussion, you will have the opportunity to
practice using objectivity in examining an important aspect of culture –family
values (specific topic choices below). You will present 3 points of view on a
current controversial topic. First you will argue in favor of the issue – pro.
Then you will argue against the issue – con. Finally, you will present your own
honest opinion.
The challenge here is that when you present both the support
side and the opposition side, the class should NOT be able to distinguish which
is your personal view. Sociologists work very hard at learning to set aside
their biases in examining social issues. It’s ok to hold opinions on a
controversial issue – that’s only human. But in social research, it’s important
to SET ASIDE your personal biases and opinions when gathering information.
This forum is NOT aimed at changing your views regarding
family values, but rather at helping you to objectively examine an issue
without personal bias. This is a great tool to have because it helps you to
better understand the CONTEXT for your own views. And it’s a powerful exercise
in critical thinking.
Lastly, after you have presented these two sides of the
debate, only THEN should you reveal which side of the debate you support.
Present a paragraph telling us what your honest views are on the issue, in a
respectful manner, of course.
THE TOPIC CHOICES
Select from one of these issues related to family:
· Gay marriage rights
· Cross-racial adoption (parents adopting babies that are of
a different race than their own)
· One-child policy in China
· Requiring parental notification for teen abortions
BEFORE YOU BEGIN WRITING
Select one topic from the list above.
You will need to do a little digging around on the Internet
to discover the arguments in favor and in opposition. (Be sure to cite and
reference any sources or websites you use). Make yourself a quick outline of
the pros and cons.
WRITING YOUR POST
Pro Argument– Present a paragraph where you play the role of
someone who supports the issue. And explain why. Support your argument with
your course materials and/or credible websites.
(For example, thinks gay and lesbian couples should be
allowed to legally marry, thinks white couples should be allowed to adopt
African-American babies, thinks the one-child policy in China is a beneficial
idea, thinks parents should be notified before a teen is allowed to have an
abortion).
Con Argument – Present a paragraph where you play the role
of someone who is against the issue. And explain why not. Support your argument
with your course materials and/or credible websites.
(For example, thinks gay and lesbian couples should NOT be
allowed to legally marry, for example thinks white couples should NOT be
allowed to adopt African-American babies, thinks the one-child policy in China
is a harmful idea, thinks teens should NOT be required to notify parents before
having an abortion).
Your honest opinion– Present a paragraph in which you
explain your OWN view of the issue – pro or con or somewhere in between. And
explain why.
Don’t reveal your honest opinion until the very end of the
post. Your readers should NOT be able to distinguish your view until reading
this last paragraph.
For this discussion, you are asked to think critically about
social movements. Here are the specific points I’d like you to address in your
post…
· What social movement do you feel passionately enough about
that you would protest in the streets? Explain why, supporting your response
with information from your course materials and/or other credible sources.
· This may be a current social movement, one from the past
(think the 1960s or the 1920s for example), or one that you feel may become a
heated issue in the future.
· Include a definition of “social movement.”
· How is this different from “social change.”
· What movements do you currently support?
As a thinking point…
Here’s an example… While males are still required to
register for the military draft, if the actual draft was re-instated for a
future war, would this be a cause you’d be willing to protest in favor of or
against in the streets? How might American society respond to this?
Look forward to your responses here.
homeworks
Directions:Read the following essay titled “White Privilege:
Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh. Consider the various
points made in the essay. Then, write an essay two pages in length discussing
this article. As you are using one single source, you are not required to cite
your reference, unless you use a second reference. However, if you quote any
material, please make sure to use quotation marks to clearly point out any
statement which is the work of Ms. McIntosh. You may want to consider the
following points:
1. What was surprising to you in this list?
2. What was not surprising to you in this list?
3. Do you agree with the author that in American society,
whites hold certain unspoken privileges?
4. From the time the essay was written in 1990, how do you
feel society has changed?
Please access the essay by clicking HERE.
4
Directions:Choose one of the two questions below and write a
paper about the topic that is 3 pages in length. All references included should
be in accordance with APA guidelines. You should use at least one source
outside of the textbook.
1. Discuss the various gender inequalities in education and
the workplace. Refer to examples within your textbook and research one article
online for each topic. Detail the differences in graduation rates, employment
rates, and any other information you feel differentiates women and men.
2. Consider the term “The Greying of America.” Define the
term and discuss the impact on American culture. Then, look at how an older
population will impact the United States, based upon your research, in the near
future.
5
Directions: Read the article, “Father Steals Best: Crime in
an American Family” then write a critique of the article, including a
discussion of a related theory of deviance, that is at least three pages in
length. In your essay, you should identify which theory from chapter 8 most
closely explains the behavior of the Bogle family and why. You should cite your
references for this paper according to APA guidelines. Be sure to include page
numbers from the textbook when you reference chapter 8.
Click HERE to access the article. If you have difficulties
opening this document, please access the link on the Module 5 Homework
Assignment Introduction page in iBoard.
Directions: Read, listen, or watch the media listed below
then answer the questions that follow. Your response should be at least 400
words and double-spaced. Be sure to incorporate concepts learned from this
week’s module into your assignment.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have difficulties opening any of the
files below, please access these files by clicking on the links on the bottom
of the Module 7 Homework Assignment Introduction page in iBoard.
1. Listen to the audio
file, “Defending and Attacking Polygamy in Saudi Arabia.”
ClickHERE to access the audio file.
2. Read the article, “Legal License, Race, Sex, and
Forbidden Unions.” Click HERE to access the article.
3. Watch the video, “Same Sex marriages and Families.” Click
HERE to access the video.
4. Answer the following questions.
a. What different interpretations of family and gender roles
are being voiced in the items you reviewed?
b. To what extent do these differing viewpoints correspond
or clash with western notions of family?
Directions: Listen to the audio file below then answer the
questions that follow in the form of a paper that is three pages in length. All
references must be properly cited according to APA guidelines.
1. Listen to the audio file, “Housing First.” Click HERE to
access the audio file. If you have difficulties opening this audio file, please
access the audio link on the Module 8 Homework Assignment Introduction page in
iBoard.
2. Write a paper on gentrification and urban sprawl
answering the following questions.
a. What factors contribute to gentrification?
b. Who is impacted by gentrification?
c. What are the effects of urban sprawl? Are they generally
positive or negative?
mod 1
Directions:Choose one sociologist from chapter 1 that you
would like to research. You will then write an essay of at least two pages in
length on this theorist. Make sure to address the following points in your
essay:
1. What was the sociologist’s main contribution to the field
of sociology?
2. What was the primary focus of this person’s work? For
example: Feminism, Interactionism, Functionalism, Positivism.
3. Why did you choose this particular person?
You must use at least two references for this essay. The
text may be used as one reference. All references must be properly cited
according to APA guidelines.
allied soc135 module 1 check your understandings
What is the term used to describe an attitude that
exaggerates the virtues of a group, such as all Asian Americans being brilliant
or all African Americans being great athletes?
a. Complacent superiority
b. Positive prejudice
c. Master status
d. Superior discrimination
2. The massacre of Native Americans in the 1800s, the
extermination of the Jews in Nazi Germany, and the slaughter of the Tutsis in
Rwanda are all examples of ________.
a. compurgation
b. genocide
c. primogeniture
d. sublimation
3. Of the following methods, which would be the best way to
preserve a stratification system?
a. Demonstrating violation of law through public punishment
b. Establishing a well-trained and highly armed police force
c. Controlling ideas, information, technology through ideology
d. Allowing brute force and coercion to keep dissidents in
their place
4. Which phrase became synonymous with the research Stanley
Milgram conducted on “the small world phenomenon?”
a. The world is a stage
b. Six degrees of separation
c. Society is the sum of its parts
d. Situations defined as real are real in their consequences
0
5. The Industrialized Nations’ control of the Least
Industrialized Nations through debts owed to them is referred to as ________.
a. imperialism
b. neocolonialism
c. modernization
d. capitalism
0
6. In group decision making, a form of tunnel vision that
develops in which there is only one “right” viewpoint and suggested
alternatives are perceived as signs of disloyalty is called ________.
a. brainwashing
b. groupthink
c. mental programming
d. group polarization
7. In Professor Jones’ social problems course, the students
interact freely with one another, think of themselves as “Dr. J’s
class,” and feel they are significant because of their mutual interest in
social reform. Which concept best describes Dr. Jones’ class?
a. Aggregate
b. Category
c. Social frame
d. Group
8. Some social analysts believe that postindustrial society
will be followed by a biotech society. Such a society would be characterized by
________.
a. a greater respect for the environment
b. the merging of work and leisure time activity
c. an economy centering around the application of genetic
structures
d. the elimination of fossil fuels
9. Of the following, the most extreme example of internal
colonialism is ________.
a. indentured servitude
b. slavery
c. caste systems in the post-Civil War South
d. racially motivated hate crime
10. The practice the South employed after the Civil War to
segregate blacks from whites was called ________.
a. the Truman Amendment
b. Horatio Alger Law
c. the Baxter Principal
d. Jim Crow law
11. If a secondary group does not satisfy one’s need for
intimate association, which of the following is most likely to occur?
a. The individual will cease to exist.
b. The secondary group will break down into primary groups.
c. The secondary group will develop into an out-group.
d. The secondary group will develop into a reference group.
12. Which group is most notable for its lack of achievement
and effectiveness in decision making?
a. Expressive
b. Authoritarian
c. Democratic
d. Laissez-faire
e who share no common destination taking an elevator from the first floor
of a large high rise?
a. A social frame
b. A category
c. An aggregate
d. A clique
19. Which statement is most accurate regarding the meaning
of race?
a. It is entirely dependent upon fixed biological
characteristics.
b. Race varies, depending upon the society in which its
meaning is constructed.
c. The concept of race tends to be quite similar in all
cultures.
d. Race is a variable that changes, depending upon the age
of people who use the term.
20. Based on the textbook, what are two ways a group becomes
a minority?
a. Genocide and the expansion of political boundaries
b. Migration and a change in the economy of a nation
c. Genocide and a change in ethnic work by citizens
d. The expansion of political boundaries and migration
21. In every society, from the hunting and gathering society
to the postindustrial society, the most common basis for social stratification
has been ________.
a. race
b. income
c. education
d. gender
1
22. The ability to control others, even over their
objections, is referred to as ________.
a. prestige
b. class
c. status
d. power
23. Why did the creation of the industrial society lead to
greater social inequality?
a. Class differences were minimized which created greater
opportunity.
b. The new technology was far more efficient than anything
that preceded it, leading to larger surpluses and greater inequality.
c. Democracies replaced monarchies and dictatorships
encouraged capitalism.
d. Intellectual capability increased with advances in
science and technology.
1
24. What is another name for multiculturalism?
a. Compartmentalization
b. Sublimation
c. Pluralism
d. Assimilation
0
25. A(n) ________ leadership style has the tendency to
encourage either aggressive or apathetic behavior among group members with
aggressive members growing increasingly hostile towards their leader.
a. authoritarian
b. democratic
c. laissez-faire
d. expressive
1
26. In the estate system, the practice of the firstborn son
inheriting all land owned by the father was called ________.
a. ablution
b. endogamy
c. primogeniture
d. bourgeoisie
1
27. Prejudice describes ________, while discrimination
describes ________.
a. values; attitudes
b. norms; beliefs
c. attitudes; actions
d. actions; attitudes
28. What was the purpose of colonialism as it was practiced
by the major European powers during eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth
centuries?
a. To exploit the annexed nation’s people and resources
b. To establish a protectorate to preserve the annexed
nation’s freedom
c. To form limited partnerships with the annexed nation
d. To establish a new nation-state
29. When an executioner wears a hood he is separating his
true identity (the man without a hood from the one carrying out the execution.
Such behavior is part of an effort to separate one’s feelings from one’s acts,
called ________.
a. primogeniture
b. compurgation
c. selective perception
d. compartmentalization
30. How did the 2000 U.S. Census instruct Americans to
classify themselves in relation to race?
a. Respondents must pick the single term that best describes
their race.
b. Respondents may choose no more than two terms that
describe their race.
c. Respondents can choose one or more races that they
consider themselves to be.
d. Respondents must choose the race of their parents in
declaring their own race.
31. In society, which group has the greatest power,
privileges, and social status?
a. The majority
b. The power elite
c. The capitalist class
d. The dominant group
32. When Bosnian Serbs practiced ethnic cleansing of the
Muslim population during the 1990s, they employed a combination of ________.
a. population transfer and segregation
b. population transfer and genocide
c. assimilation and segregation
d. genocide and pluralism
1
33. The division of large numbers of people into layers
according to their relative power, property, and prestige is referred to as
________.
a. social stratification
b. social networking
c. the diversification of society
d. multiculturalism
34. What did Karl Marx predict after workers were exploited
year after year by the capitalist class?
a. The capitalist society would synthesize into a classless
society.
b. A strong middle class would emerge.
c. Workers would abandon their jobs, unionize, and gain the
power to negotiate.
d. Workers would revolt against the bourgeoisie and assume
control.
0
35. As described in the text, what are the two myths of
race?
a. Eventually there will only be one race; all races have
the same origin
b. There is only one race; intelligence is based on race
c. One race is superior to another; pure races exist
d. All races have the same origin; race is a status that
cannot be changed
36. Although it is the most egalitarian, what was the one
social division common to all hunting and gathering societies?
a. Class differences based on relationship to the means of
production
b. Prestige based on male labor
c. Social class based on accumulated property
d. Social stratification based on race
37. A group characterized by intimate, long-term,
face-to-face association and cooperation is referred to as a ________.
a. secondary group
b. clique
c. primary group
d. community
38. What is a group of people with inherited physical
characteristics that distinguish it from another group?
a. A race
b. An ethnicity
c. A social group
d. A tribe
39. What term best applies to people who share a culture and
a territory?
a. A society
b. A bureaucracy
c. An aggregate
d. A category
40. ________ refers to seeing certain features of a
situation while ignoring others, and the use of labels to group individual
members as if they were all alike.
a. Blinded perception
b. Selective perception
c. Generalized vision
d. Discriminating vision
allied soc135 module 4 check your understandings
What stage in history did Frederick Engels propose as being
responsible for the rise of patriarchy?
a. The development of private property
b. The fall of matriarchy
c. The expansion of hunting and gathering communities
d. The creation of social class
2. Agatha has worked for ten years in the public relations
department of a large firm. She has been promoted to several higher paying
managerial positions, but never to an executive position, even though she has
directed several successful projects for the firm. Her lack of promotion most
likely illustrates ________.
a. the “glass ceiling”
b. the “glass elevator”
c. the “mommy track”
d. sexual hara
