ESSAY QUESTION & FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS: ONLY SOCIOLOGY MAJORS AND LEGIT PEOPLE NO LIERS OR PLAGARISIM  in total for the five essays its 15 pages of work Welcome to this online course.  Online courses are conducted differently by each Professor, just as regular classroom/lecture courses are.  In this course, you will have to respond to FIVE ESSAY QUESTIONS (see below for the five questions).  No exams will be given. Use your textbook, included related websites (FYIs) with each ESSAY QUESTION, and any related powerpoint presentations that may be posted on the course homepage to respond to all ESSAY QUESTIONS.  Responses should be thorough, include definitions, examples, and demonstrate clear understanding of conceptual objectives listed on the Syllabus.  Each response should be 3 typewritten pages in length and double spaced.   SEE DUE DATES SECTION FOR ALL DUE DATES ON THE COURSE HOMEPAGE.. FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS… It would be best if you prepare your ESSAY QUESTION responses via an MS Word document (or compatible), then copy and paste your responses directly into an email to me.  Also, please make sure before submitting your responses that you make a copy of each response for your records until the course is over and you receive your final grade.  Finally,  DO NOT submit any work as an attachment  – you must copy and paste all work.  Any late work will result in a significantly reduced grade or not be accepted, at my discretion. Thanks. Thanks for your participation and I hope you have a good learning experience. ESSAY QUESTIONS (SEE DUE DATES SECTION ON COURSE HOMEPAGE FOR EACH QUESTION DUE DATE): I.  Please read chapters 1 AND chapters on Race and Social Stratification, as well as related fyi websites attached to the discussion question, and related PowerPoint Presentations on the Course Homepage (What is Sociology, Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology, and Major Sociology Theorists) to address the following question.  Be sure to use as many terms for your textbook and posted review sheets on the course homepage.  (*give concrete examples and be sure to let me know you have read the material.  in addition to your textbook, use any other website information i may post with each discussion question.    i realize you do not have the benefit of my lectures for this online course, so it is up to you to 'convince' me you know the material.  We depend a lot on you for this type of course.  that is evident in the quality and quantity of your writing.  So, a bit of what is required from you is to summarize the readings.  Too little not good and too much not necessarily needed.  Some of what we do will require you give back information that you read and some of what we do allows you to give your opinions (that is called critical analysis, when you give opinion based on fact).  Also, remember all types of students who have diverse personal experiences take this course.  So, you never know who is reading your response and may be affected by wha.

1. ESSAY QUESTION & FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS:
ONLY SOCIOLOGY MAJORS AND LEGIT PEOPLE NO
LIERS OR PLAGARISIM
in total for the five essays its 15 pages of work
Welcome to this online course. Online courses are conducted
differently by each Professor, just as regular classroom/lecture
courses are. In this course, you will have to respond to FIVE
ESSAY QUESTIONS (see below for the five questions). No
exams will be given.
Use your textbook, included related websites (FYIs) with each
ESSAY QUESTION, and any related powerpoint presentations
that may be posted on the course homepage to respond to all
ESSAY QUESTIONS. Responses should be thorough, include
definitions, examples, and demonstrate clear understanding of
conceptual objectives listed on the Syllabus. Each response
should be 3 typewritten pages in length and double spaced.
SEE DUE DATES SECTION FOR ALL DUE DATES ON THE
COURSE HOMEPAGE..
FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS… It would be best if you prepare
your ESSAY QUESTION responses via an MS Word document
(or compatible), then copy and paste your responses directly
into an email to me. Also, please make sure before submitting
your responses that you make a copy of each response for your
records until the course is over and you receive your final
grade. Finally,
DO NOT submit any work as an attachment
– you must copy and paste all work. Any late work will result
in a significantly reduced grade or not be accepted, at my
discretion. Thanks.
Thanks for your participation and I hope you have a good
learning experience.

2. ESSAY QUESTIONS (SEE DUE DATES SECTION ON
COURSE HOMEPAGE FOR EACH QUESTION DUE DATE):
I. Please read chapters 1 AND chapters on Race and Social
Stratification, as well as related fyi websites attached to the
discussion question, and related PowerPoint Presentations on
the Course Homepage (What is Sociology, Theoretical
Perspectives in Sociology, and Major Sociology Theorists) to
address the following question. Be sure to use as many terms
for your textbook and posted review sheets on the course
homepage.
(*give concrete examples and be sure to let me know you have
read the material. in addition to your textbook, use any other
website information i may post with each discussion question.
i realize you do not have the benefit of my lectures for this
online course, so it is up to you to 'convince' me you know the
material. We depend a lot on you for this type of course. that
is evident in the quality and quantity of your writing. So, a bit
of what is required from you is to summarize the readings. Too
little not good and too much not necessarily needed. Some of
what we do will require you give back information that you read
and some of what we do allows you to give your opinions (that
is called critical analysis, when you give opinion based on
fact). Also, remember all types of students who have diverse
personal experiences take this course. So, you never know who
is reading your response and may be affected by what you have
to say. But, most importantly try to enjoy learning something
you may not have known before! dr. b. :))

3. What is sociology and the sociological perspective? What do
you see are some of the most important uses of sociology?
What is meant by the nature vs. nurture debate in the social
sciences? Describe and compare and contrast functional theory,
conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Who are the
major contributors (theorists) to each theory? Which theory is a
macro level theory and which is a micro level theory? What is a
demographic variable? Using race and social class as two major
demographic variables, define each and explain the
consequences of developing notions of race and social class.
Cite an example of how each theory can be used to understand
some human behavior, issue, or social problem of your choice.
RELATED FYI WEBSITES:
SOCIOLOGY, SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION,
SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES
http://www.faculty.rsu.edu/~felwell/Theorists/Mills/
http://www.trinity.edu/mkearl/theory.html
Nature vs. Nurture
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/genome/debate.html
PBS Race: the Power of an Illusion
http://www.pbs.org/race/000_General/000_00-Home.htm
Social Darwinism
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/darwin/nameof/index.html
Eugenics

4. http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/1796
ALSO:
SEE POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS ON COURSE
HOMEPAGE –
WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIOLOGY
MAJOR SOCIOLOGICAL THEORISTS
II. Please read chapter on research methods in sociology, as
well as related posted FYI websites, and related PowerPoint
Presentation on Course Homepage to address the following
question. Be sure to use terms from your textbook and posted
review sheets on the course homepage, as well as information
gleamed from the posted FYI websites and powerpoint
presentation.
Describe in detail each of the seven steps in the sociological
research process: (describe what is involved in each step and
give examples from major sociological studies cited in the
related FYI websites).
1. define the variables (dependent and independent variables;
cause vs. correlation)
2. write a hypothesis
3. conduct literature review
4. select a research design (observation, experiment, survey,
case study, content analysis)

5. 5. collect the data (do the research)
6. analyze the data
7. draw conclusions (generalizations and inferences)
RELATED FYI’S:
Ethics in Research
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/ethics.php
Famous Sociological Studies:
Stanford Prison Experiment
http://www.prisonexp.org/
Black Like Me
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/authors/john-howard-griffin-
black-like-me/
Tally’s Corner
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2011/02/26/AR2011022603483.html
http://www.irp.wisc.edu/publications/focus/pdfs/foc251e.pdf
Tearoom Trade Study
http://web.missouri.edu/~bondesonw/Laud.html
AND SEE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ON COURSE
HOMEPAGE:
RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY
III. please read chapter on Culture, related posted fyi

6. websites, and PowerPoint Presentation on Course Homepage on
Culture to address the following question. Discuss in detail the
concepts of culture and cultural relativism. What are the
elements of culture? Cultural types? Is there an American
culture? A global culture? What evidence do we have regarding
a global culture? Define each and support your answers with
examples.
FYI’S:
Globalization of culture:
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120522-one-world-order
Skinheads: Subculture or Counterculture?
http://www.adl.org/racist_skinheads/
AND SEE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ON CULTURE ON
COURSE HOMEPAGE
hi all, as you all know, a big part of our culture is fast food.
Bundle.com lists and describes the top 10 cities with fast food
restaurants.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/25/fast-food-cities-
most-least-
recession_n_903896.html#s315072&title=Cities_That_Spend
also, if you haven't seen it already, i recommend Super Size Me,
a study/documentary by Morgan Spurlock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9__23-zjhM
IV. please read chapter on Socialization, related posted
FYI websites, and PowerPoint Presentation on Course
Homepage to address the following: Discuss the concept of
socialization. What do you understand socialization to be?
What is resocialization? Compare and contrast two of the five
major socialization theories proposed by Freud, Mead, Erikson,

7. Piaget and/or Kohlberg.
FYI’S:
Freud
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/freud.html
Mead
http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/projects/centcat/centcats/fac/facch
12_01.html
http://www.bolenderinitiatives.com/sociology/george-herbert-
mead-1863-1931
http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/us/
mead3.htm
Erickson
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/erikson.html
Piaget
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/piaget.html
Kohlberg
https://www.csudh.edu/dearhabermas/kohlberg01bk.htm
Genie - the wild child:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_jzHEq2ye0
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4804490&page=1
http://www.mymultiplesclerosis.co.uk/misc/wild-child.html
10 cases of wild (feral) children:
http://listverse.com/2008/03/07/10-modern-cases-of-feral-
children/
AND SEE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ON COURSE
HOMEPAGE:
SOCIALIZATION
V. Please read chapter on social structure, social interaction,
communities, organizations, socieities, and related posted fyi’s,
and related PowerPoint Presentation on Course Homepage to
address the following: What is meant by the term “social
structure”? Describe the social structure of individuals, groups,
and societies. What types of groups are there? Why are groups
so important to people? Some people would do anything in the
context of a group or to belong to a group, including submit to

8. mortification exercises. What are they? What has been the
most important group thus far in your life?
(for individual social structure be sure to describe statuses,
roles, and role conflicts; groups – hierarchy, norms, division of
labor; and societies – describe preindustrial, industrial, and
post-industrial societies. Also, what did Durkheim and Tonneis
say about simple and complex societies?)
Hazing
http://www.stophazing.org/
Also: SEE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ON COURSE
HOMEPAGE:
SOCIAL INTERACTION AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE
OR:
DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL
Please read chapter on deviance and crime, as well as related
fyi’s and powerpoint presentation on course homepage to
address the following: How can we define deviance? What are
the functions of deviance? Give examples. Why do some
people continue to behave deviantly considering the impact of
socialization and the use of social controls in our society to
prevent deviant behavior. What is a social control? What types
of social controls are there? Give examples.
FYI’S:
Outline of Biological and Psychological Theories of Deviance
http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/200/biotheor.html
Sociological Theories of Deviance
http://www.valdosta.edu/~klowney/devtheories.htm
Prison Population Statistics:
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/
Also: SEE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ON COURSE
HOMEPAGE:
DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL
DUE DATES
9/1 WELCOME
9/19 QUESTION 1 DUE
10/17 QUESTION 2 DUE

9. 11/14 QUESTION 3 DUE
12/5 QUESTION 4 DUE
12/19 QUESTION 5 DUE