Sociology 101 June 28, 2010 - July 30, 2010. Adjunct Professor Kristin P. O’Neil [email protected] 609-868-8409.

Sociology 101

June 28, 2010 - July 30, 2010

Adjunct Professor

Kristin P. O’[email protected]

609-868-8409

Important Notes

• Text (workbook)

• Post-it notes

• Access to a computer with internet access

Get to Know You Activity

• Name (top left)• Email address• Phone number• Major• Why are you taking this course?• Do you work full-time?• Something interesting about you…

Days & Hours

• Mondays / Wednesdays

• 5:30 p.m. – 9:15 p.m.

– Skip a break? Get out no later than 8:45?

– Bring food? Working snack?

Important Dates• June 28th First day of class

• July 5th School is closed. No class.

• July 7th Article Due (1 pg. reflection)Blog due

• July 12th Blog due

• July 14th Article Due (1 pg. reflection)

• July 19th Blog due

• July 21st Article Due (1 pg. reflection)

• July 26th Class presentations / or Research PaperBlog due

• July 28th Final Exam

• Final Exam Total Value 30 %

• End of Course Project REQUIRED FOR CREDIT 30 %OR Research paper REQUIRED FOR CREDIT

• Articles with one page analysis (three) 25 %

• Blog responses 15 %

Your Grade

Sociology 101 Wiki

Research PaperChoose a book or movie with a strong sociological theme.

• Identify the major sociological theme of your chosen work. Also, identify any sub themes.

• Identify the social perspective used by the writer to present the issue to the viewer/reader.

• Section I or paragraph one should give the storyline as it relates to the sociological theme. (Example: Titanic deals with social stratification from a functional perspective.)– Give a brief description of the movie (think about a movie blurb on the back of a rental case).– Define your social issue; i.e., stratification.– Define the writer’s theory; i.e., structural functional

• Read the chapter in the text or other source dealing with your social issue. Pay special attention to bold print, italicized, and offset words and terms. Match these words and phrases to scenes from your movie/book. These become your paragraphs. Congratulations! You are now using your sociological imagination to show relationships between theory and real life.

• Conclusion: What changes, if any occur 1) in the immediate social situation; 2) in the major characters; 3) in the larger society?

• How does this compare to your text’s ideas about change, correcting the social problem, etc.?

• Personal opinion: does the movie/book reflect the real world?

Web page Multi Media Project Other to be approved

by me.

1. Choose a social issue.

2. Identify the issue in detail & reflect upon one of the two sociological perspectives: social conflict or structural functionalism.

3. Use sociological terms as it applies to your social issue / concepts.

4. Discuss / review any previous research on the topic that you chose and provide your own interpretation and/or opinions.

5. Can you take your social issue and analyze it from a global perspective?

Multi-media Sociology Project

Chapter One Over-View

What is Sociology?• Sociologists seek to understand human interaction on a SOCIETAL level.

• One must study the cultures and institutions and the RELATIONSHIPS TO SOCIAL INTERACTION.

• Sociologists are interested in change and study the conditions that allow for change and investigate those conditions that resist change.

• Sociologists are interested in the diversity of groups in society and how they interact with each other.

• Sociologists seek to understand past cultures as they relate to the present.

Brainstorm Session

What would you consider to be a sociological issue?

What would be a good project or paper topic?

Social Issues1.Gender inequality – why are men always portrayed as the bread winner and woman as a home maker in media

and advertising.

2.Racism that exists in various forms and disguises throughout the world

3.Social inequality based on money, class, name etc.

4.Child labor – the conditions in which a child is forced to work in and also the views of the child’ s family.

5.Domestic violence

6.Environmental pollution vs industrialization which helps in giving employment to many.

7. Arranged marriage when compared to choosing own life partners.

8. Capitalism vs socialism

9. Prostitution – should it be made legal.

10. Religion and terrorism – the connection

11. Feminism

12. Liberal lifestyle vs the conservative ones.

13. Live-in-relationships or marriage – which is a better option for the society.

14. Abortion – a right for the mother.

15. Marriage between the same sexes – should be made legal or not. Adoption of children?

16. Absolute poverty- the causes and ways to remove it

17. Female foeticide and infanticide – why in some countries people lay such a store in having male babies.

18. Euthanasia- should there be a right to die.

19. Globalization – same set of things found anywhere and everywhere in the world – the pros and cons of it.

20. Increased drug and alcohol abuse amongst teenagers.

21. Teenage depression: reasons and outcomes.

22. America and the increasing aggression at schools.

23. Alcoholism as one of the reasons for domestic violence.

24. Fashion and its rules.

25. Global society –social impact of the Internet.

26. Diversity in the USA

27. Urban differences of societies

28. Societies of different countries

29. Religion and a view on a sociology as a science

30. Family and laws in society

31. Sociological theories of population

32. Differences between American and Canadian societies

33. Sociological principles and laws development through times

34. Modern criminal system

35. Review the evolution of societies. Examine an existing society and then create your own society.

Characteristics of Sociology

• A science !!!

– It attempts to study the behavior of people and institutions in an UNBIASED manner.

– Avoid personal involvement in the findings

– Studies become flawed b/c of bias.

Characteristics of Sociology

• Sociologists are concerned with behavior on a larger scale than the individual.

• GROUP behavior vs. INDIVIDUAL behavior

• This is how it differs from psychology

Characteristics of Sociology

• Systematic and utilize scientific principals– Use the same tools and methods employed by

other social scientists (psychologist, economists, anthropologists, political scientists)

– Scientific Method

– Results must be able to be duplicated by other sociologists ***GLS analogy***

Two Levels of Social Research

• Micro level – direct interactions of individuals such as family, friends, co-workers, and students

• Macro level – institutions, culture, global issues, cross-cultural

Are you a people watcher???

• Then you are a sociologist.

• Sterotypes – comparisons – draw conclusions

• Edwin H. Sutherland & Donald R. ResseyCriminal behavior research (differential association) Guilt by association

How do we approach the study of human behavior

• Collect & analyze data from a variety of sources like:

»Observations»Interviews»Surveys»Case studies / archival data

As a result,…. PROBLEMS!

• Different perspectives and theories result from different interpretations of behavior

• Can not approach sociology with own belief system

• Individuals are dealing with their own emotions

Sociological Researchers

• Auguste Comte – Father of Sociology (functionalist)• Karl Marx – Class Conflict /exploitation (social conflict)• Emile Durkheim – 1st social researcher (functionalist)

Coined the term anomie.• Max Weber – Rejected Marx’s theory that all structure flowed

from economy (social conflict) Cultural ideas and values were the driving force in shaping

society.• George Mead – Concept of self develops through social

interaction. De-emphasized biology. (Symbolic Interaction)`

QUICK WRITE:

Do you believe that you are a product of your own environment?

Homework for June 28th

Read chapters 1 – 3.

See you on Wednesday!!!!