Essay Assignment 1
Reading Assignment
Essentials of Sociology: A Down-To-Earth Approach (10th Edition)
Chapter 1: The Sociological Perspective
Essay Questions to Answer
Answer the following questions in your own words. Explain your choices and your reasons.
Provide examples where possible. Be sure to number your answers and present them in order:
1. The author covers several of the main figures (persons) involved in the development of
sociology as a science. You need to clearly identify two (2) of these figures and
discuss their contributions to the development of sociology.
2. Identify AND explain each of the three (3) major sociological theoretical perspectives
AND identify and briefly discuss one (1) of the major theorists who is recognized as a
proponent of each theoretical perspective.
3. Using the first seven (7) steps of a research model, demonstrate the process by which a
sociological study is conducted. Choose a subject, a social problem, that you are
interested in studying and illustrate a potential study in this area, ensuring that you
identify how the first seven (7) steps could be conducted. So you must use the “steps
in the research process” to design your research study. Here is the BARE minimum you
must include in your answer:
o Select A Topic – it would be logical to review some of the key social
issues/problems covered in the text and choose one of them.
o Define The Problem – clearly identify the social issue/problem based upon how it
is presented in the text.
o Review the Literature – you must CLEARLY identify a major web source (NO
encyclopedia, NO Wikipedia, etc.) that provides research support for the specific
question you are going to ask. Make sure you summarize what you got from the
course that supports your hypothesis and research design. Be sure to cite your
source according to APA standards.
o Formulate the Hypothesis – you need to write a clear, testable hypothesis
statement about the relationship between your independent and dependent
variables. Of course this means you MUST also clearly define at least one (1)
independent and one (1) dependent variable as part of your study, (see page
32 to understand how an independent and dependent variable is defined)
o Choose a Research Method –based upon the best method you can determine
from those covered in the text that would allow you best study your social
issue/problem.
o Collect the Data – briefly describe how you would collect the data for your
research study.
o Analyze The Results – so what do you think the results of your study would be
what you might find based upon your review of the literature and the study you
have designed?
