Category: Social Sciences : Sociology

This worksheet consists of short answer questions (2-3 sentences each). You may use your book, online lectures, and notes to complete the worksheet. Please explain the ideas in your own words, discuss your perspective on the questions, and use examples when relevant.
1.    What does Max Weber mean by the term “life chances?” Do you think life chances impact social stratification in the United States? Why or why not? Try and develop your response with concrete, real-life examples from your life, culture, and community.
2.    What does it mean to say that race is a social construct? Does this mean that race is not real? Why or why not?
 
3.    Consider the functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist approaches to racial and ethnic relations. Which do you find most compelling, and why?
 
4.    Define ethnic pluralism and discuss what might be necessary to achieve it in the United States.
 

The final paper integrates class readings (from all required sources), demonstrates analytical understanding of migration-related themes, and assesses immigration policies in terms of whether they advance social justice and human rights.
 
WEEKLY TOPICS 6–10:
(a) How is family’s gender equity affected by migration and settlement experiences? What do the studies (Espiritu, Menjivar, Barajas & Ramirez…) find on whether families become more equitable in gender relationships? Compare the variant experiences within a specific nationality (e.g., race, ethnicity, class, transnationalism)?  What is the home-host dichotomy? How do all the readings critique it?
 
(b) How are identities shaped in-between worlds (give examples)? What is transnationalism and what facilitates and hinders it? How does the transnational experience affect views of home (i.e., feeling a sense of belonging)? What is nepantla and how do transnational migrants reflect this experience?
 
(c) How were the “Illegal Alien” and national boundaries socially constructed?  What context gave rise to national borders? How have borders changed across time? When was the concept of “illegal” introduced and when did it become popular in usage? What are the effects of its usage?
 
(d) What is the working definition for nativism? How do racist and ethnocentric nativism affect migrants/society? What are common themes associated with nativism?  The UC Davis Dean of Law School, Kevin Johnson gave a CRISJ talk on “The KKK, Immigration Law and Policy, and Donald Trump” (videoLinks to an external site.).  What is the nature of nativism that our nation faces today?
 
(e) How is your policy related to and/or disconnected from sociological facts about migration?
Reflecting on your Immigrant Policy Report, how do Topic 10 readings assess the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of your policy?
 
A TWO-PART FINAL, TAKE-HOME PAPER:
Part I (4-6 pages).
Answer the questions above for three weekly topics (see above a-d), and discuss key themes and concepts from the readings. A minimum of 9 different reading sources expected for this part, and must come from SOC 122 class reading sources: books, course reader, and canvas readings.  Videos used in class also accepted as a reading source.
     
Part II (1-2 pages).
Analyze your group policy report by informing it with sociological knowledge about immigration processes [see readings from “e”, topic 10].   Briefly, identify the objectives of the policy, assess its limitations/strengths and consequences, and advance recommendations for humane policies and programs that lessen racial, gender, and economic relationships of exploitation.  [A minimum of 3 reading sources expected for this part; can include videos as a source of reference]  
 
Special Instructions:
Paper must be about six-eight pages, formal margins, double-spaced, 12-point font size, and also include a title page and reference page. Choose a style—ASA, APA, Chicago, etc.—and be consistent in listings.  Remember to number your pages.  Plagiarizing (copying/using others’ work without acknowledgement/ quotes) will result in an automatic course failure and administrative disciplining. 

What is the essence of human nature? Please invoke the lecture material on Karl
Polanyi and exchange theory in your response. Both try to explain social
interactions like reciprocity, but in very different ways. How are the theories
different? Which theory do you believe is most correct? Are social relationships
the same as economic relationships? Explain

Option 2:  Describe and analyze the process of socialization.  For this option, you will analyze the process of socialization in a fictional character.  Select a character in a book, a movie, or a television show (it should be a character that is central to the story).  First, provide a brief description of the selected character.  In your description, make sure to incorporate the concepts we have addressed in the course, such as the roles, statuses, and group memberships of the character.  Also make sure to identify the movie, show, etc. that you are describing.  This portion should be at least 1+ page in length. 
Next, analyze at least 4 agents of socialization that have seemingly impacted the development of the character (such as family, religion, education, peers, or the media).  Describe the socializing agents and analyze what seems to be the impact of those agents on the selected character.  Your analysis of the process of socialization should be 3+ pages in length and incorporate at least 4 additional sociological concepts or theories covered in this course (hint: sociological concepts should be clearly identified and then applied. You are encouraged to use and cite sources here. Any paraphrasing or direct quotes used from another source should include APA formatted in-text citations and a full reference at the end of the essay. Examples of related concepts and theories include the self, moral development, nature and nurture, and resocialization).
Assignment adapted from An Introduction to Sociology: Socialization Exercise
General requirements:
Submissions should be typed, double-spaced, 1″ margins, Times New Roman, Calibri, or similar 11-12 pt font, and saved as .doc, .docx, or .pdf. Do not include a document link; upload the document directly.
Use APA format for citations and references.
View the grading rubric so you understand how you will be assessed on this Assignment. 
Disclaimer- Originality of attachments will be verified by Turnitin. Both you and your instructor will receive the results.

 we studied social stratification and how it influences what goes on in many social interactions among people. Imagine you are a sociologist who works for an elected official who has no background in sociology or a related field. You have been assigned the task of identifying an important example of social stratification that impacts the elected official’s constituency. After you have read the textbook and lectures assigned for this week, draft a 2-4 paragraph memo that accomplishes the following:
1. Quotes the definition of social stratification from the textbook and/or lectures in correct APA citation
2. identifies at least one example of social stratification in your communities.
3. Identifies one of the sociological explanations of class inequality in the United States and explain why you think it is helpful in understanding the example you discussed in part 2. For example, you could discuss the classical perspectives of Marx and Weber, the symbolic interactionist perspective, the functionalist perspective, or the conflict perspective. 

You can link this to Elias’ work or
Goffman, but also to Bourdieu or ideas of masculinity/femininity
(e.g. Butler or Connell).

Select a social problem to analyze from this course. It can be something that we have discussed in class but does not have to be. Examples include illiteracy, drug abuse, poverty, child abuse, disease/illness, etc. You will write a 5-page paper (due at the end of the semester) about the social problem that you selected. In your paper you should do the following:
Describe the social problem in its social context.
Use your sociological imagination to explain how the selected social problem is influenced by society.
Select the three theoretical perspective(s) (conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist) that best aligns with the social problem you have selected.
Explain why the theoretical perspective(s) you chose is best to explain the selected social problem.
Use the theoretical perspective(s) to explain how your selected social problem came to be and how it is perpetuated.
Use the APA Style Guidelines.
You must cite all references that you use (including your textbook).

Before your observation, think about the following behaviors you might observe:
Eye contact: Do people avoid making eye contact with you? 
Body language: Do people change their posture near you? Do they move away from you? Do they stop to see what you are doing?
Facial expressions: Do people give you a strange look? Do they appear to be confused by your behavior? Suspicious? Amused? Indifferent? What does their facial expression look like and what does it suggest?
Ignoring you: Do people simply ignore you? What about their behavior suggests that they are ignoring you?
Social Factors: Did you feel your gender, race, ethnicity, or age affected how people responded to your presence? Did you see differences in how people were treated differently based on their gender, race, ethnicity, or age?
In choosing a location for your sociological observation, consider how your race, ethnicity, and gender could affect how people (i.e., management, security) respond to you. Please choose a location where you can feel comfortable and safe to conduct your observation. 
After your observation, answer the following questions in complete sentences (1–3 sentences per question). You must include at least one APA reference related to your observation. Explain whether it supports your observation, and cite it correctly in your explanation. Refer to the module Resources section in the course for help creating APA citations and references. Your responses will be graded using the Module One Worksheet Rubric.

According to Linda Yellin (2009), “A book review describes and evaluates a work, assesses its strengths and weaknesses, and places it within an established literature” (p. 168).  You may be familiar with another type of review, the movie review, which is similar genre, although shorter and designed for a different audience.  NOTE:  A book review is NOT a book report. 
 For this assignment, will write an 1400-word book review analyzing this semester’s book.
Contents of a book review 
Generally, a book review has more space devoted to analysis and evaluation than summary.  Keep in mind that your audience generally has not read the book in question. 
In the introduction, you should
Briefly introduce the topic of the book 
Identify the book and author 
State/describe what you think was the author’s project (what did they set out to accomplish?) 
Present your thesis statement.  Your thesis should address your analysis of the book rather than just a summary or a set of strengths or weaknesses.   
 Body: 4-6 paragraphs 
(1) In the first body paragraph you should describe and summarize of the books’ contents.  Rather than summarize each chapter at length, try to give the reader an overall sense of the book.  Here you might also include how it compares to other books on the same topic.  This paragraph should be the only summary in the body of the essay. 
(1-3) This should be followed by one to three body paragraphs analyzing the work and developing your thesis statement.  (I.e. What is/are the main theme(s) of the book?  What was the author’s project, and how well did they accomplish it?  What is the book’s contribution?  How does it relate to current events?)  Remember, it is not just a summary, but a careful analysis of the work.  Choose your own themes.
(2) You should also have at least two paragraphs evaluating the book and discussing its strengths, weaknesses, and/or limitations.  Each strength, weakness, or limitation should be developed in a separate paragraph. 
All body paragraphs should make a claim about the book, its author, or its audience.  Be careful not to makes general claims about the topic.  For example, rather than writing “college students should manage their online reputations” you should write something along the lines of:  “Matt Ivester demonstrates the importance of managing online reputations.” 
Be sure to support each point with quotes or specific evidence from the book.  Remember, you have to illustrate to your audience why your point is a valid one. 
Conclusion 
Restate your thesis.   
Describe how the book contributes to sociological and/or public knowledge on this topic. 
State who might be interesting in reading such a book, or who might benefit from reading it. 
End the essay. 
Formats and titles   
Please include a title page and an appropriate and interesting title.  In other words, I would prefer not to read 25 papers entitled “lol . . .OMG:  A Review.” 
Your paper should be typed, double-space, in 12 point font with 1” margins.   
Please include your last name in the upper-right header and page numbers on the bottom right.   
Please include a complete reference of the work, either at the beginning or end of the review (Yellin and the OWL have different approaches) such as the following: 
Female Chauvinist Pigs:  Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture by Ariel Levy.  New York:  Free Press, 2005.  212 pp. $14.00 paper.  ISBN:  0743284283 
Writing the Review 
First, read about book reviews.   
Start with the handout on writing book reviews from the Purdue Online Writing Lab http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/704/01/Links to an external site..   
Read Chapter 10 of Yellin on book reviews.   
Stage 1:  Research to find a topic
You will need to read the book several times.  During the first reading you will be noting details to use for finding a topic.  Pay attention to the people, the major themes or motifs in the content, the author’s style or tone, and the author’s argument.  Also use the questions in the Purdue OWL handout to guide your reading.  Additionally, Yellin suggests you note “the author’s assumptions and conclusions, and your reaction to the book.  If you have a strong reaction, think about why” (p. 170).   
Make sure to annotate your text:  underline key passages and write notes/questions in the margins.  Take notes, either on a notebook, with a computer, or jot down ideas on the inside cover.  Thorough work at this stage will make later stages of writing easier. 
Stage 2:  Research to develop a working thesis
what do you have to say about this book? 
In this stage your job is to analyze and evaluate the book.  To do this, you need to use invention strategies to come up with ideas.  Start by brainstorming or freewriting.  Then ask more systematic questions, re-reading sections of the book to answer them.  
What genre of book is this? 
What does the title mean?  Why do you think the author chose it?   
What is the book about?  What major themes/motifs do you notice? 
What was the author’s project?  In other words, what did he or she set out to do? How well did they accomplish it? 
Why would a book on this topic come out at this time? 
What point(s) do you think the author is trying to get across to the readers?   
What did the author reveal about the experiences of those studied? 
Which examples really capture this experience?   
Why do you think the author chose these examples to write about?   
How does it relate to recent historical events?   
How does it relate to sociology and sociological perspectives? 
Who is/are the intended audience(s) for this book?   Who would you recommend read it? 
What style of writing does the author use?  What did you think of this style? 
Was the book enjoyable?  Useful?  Why/or why not?   
For more questions, consult the Purdue OWL handout.   
After you have come up with ideas, analyze them.  Which ones seem the most promising or interesting to write about?  Which ones seem to fit together to form a unified paper?  Select a few ideas and use them to write a working thesis statement – one or two sentences summarizing your analysis and evaluation of the work.  Then write out a sketch outline of your main points.  Use this tentative thesis and outline to guide the next stage of the process. 
Stage 3:  Research to find evidence to support your thesis
why should the reader believe you? 
In this stage, your job is to find evidence to support your working thesis, and also evidence that might contradict it.  For each point you will need several pieces of specific evidence rather than general observations.  Consider these two examples from Barbara Ehrenreich’s book Nickel and Dimed.  
The workers at Merry Maids worked long hours under tough conditions, as when Holly hurt her ankle and insisted she keep working.  
Ehrenreich describes her work at Merry Maids as “a world of pain, managed by Exedrin and Advil, compensated for with cigarettes and, in one or two cases, and then only on weekends, with booze” (p.89).  Even extreme injuries must be tolerated and “worked through,” as her boss Ted puts it.  When coworker Holly sprains and possibly breaks her ankle she refuses to go home or seek medical care despite the “wicked” pain. “All she’ll consent to is calling Ted from the next house,” explains Ehrenreich, because she has “already missed so many days of work” and cannot afford to miss more (p.110).   
Notice how the second one gives the reader a feel for the experience and the book, while the first just states a bland generalization about it.   
For each paragraph, you will also have to explain the main point of your evidence.  For instance, the example 2 above could begin or conclude with this claim:   
Nickel and Dimed shows how Merry Maids risk their health and torture themselves daily so that middle-class Americans can have the luxury of having a housekeeper to take care of their own personal mess.   
Stage 4:  Writing the paper 
At this stage you have already done a considerable amount of writing in the form of note-taking and invention.  At this stage you will organize, compose, revise, and edit your work. 
 Organize — make a topic sentence outline. 
At stage 3 you made a sketch outline to help you find information.  At this stage, write a topic sentence outline.  In other words, write one topic sentence claim for each paragraph you intend to write.  Then go through your notes and add evidence under each of these topic sentences.  Find more evidence from the book if you do not have enough.  Bring your outline to office hours if you would like feedback. 
Compose.  
Using your outline and notes, quickly draft your essay.  Don’t worry about punctuation, grammar, or word choice at this point, you can correct those later.   
Revise. 
At this point, work on the structure of your argument.  Revise your thesis statement and topic sentences first.  To do this, write a reverse outline.  You can read about writing reverse outlines at the Purdue Online Writing Lab —  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/689/1/Links to an external site..  Then, consider the evidence for each claim.  Is it specific?  Have you explained how it supports the claim?  Do you need more evidence?  Finally, go through Yellin’s revision cycles 1 and 2.  Turn this draft in for review by your peers.  You can also bring your draft to my office hours for help. 
Repeat this process after reading the comments. 
Edit
When we edit, we make small-scale changes to our writing to make our points clearer.  Many students think editing means changing a few words and then correcting spelling and grammar.  This is NOT the case.  Instead, you must consider each and every word in a sentence (see Becker 74-76 for a detailed description of this process).  In revision cycles 3-10 Yellin breaks this process up into small steps so that each time you go through your paper you can attend to different problems.  This step includes formatting and proofreading.  Do not forget to include a title page on the front and the purchasing information at end. 
Format
See Yellin for how to reference the book.  It is different from usual references and includes and ISBN number. 

Using the documentary The New Rulers of the World and Zapatista 1999, define globalization and neoliberalism. How are they connected to capitalism? In what way do they impact your life in America and how do you contribute to them? 
Rubrics: Define globalization and neoliberalism using texts, videos and articles and give examples using and citing the documentaries in Module 5.  (10 points).  Explain how they shape peoples lives and how people contribute and shape them (10 points).  
Make sure you discuss the documentaries, explain the exmaples they use, and what they say about globalization and neoliberalism.
please read chapters 7 and 8 from the essentials of sociology text book that’s pages 187-237