Chapter 1--with working video links

Like we'll do every week, be sure to complete the following tasks.

• Participate in Discussion Boards
• Read chapter and complete quiz
• Complete Blog post and comment on another student's post
• View videos below

This video presents a concise perspective on why sociology is valuable for understanding our world, underscoring the concept of "The Sociological Imagination."



And here's another brief description of the Sociological Imagination (this one taken from a different textbook than the one we're using as well).



And here's my take:


Each of these videos cover similar ground, but I think the repetition is helpful in getting a fuller sense of the concepts covered in the book.  I've been studying and teaching sociology and anthropology for about 12 years now, and I still see new connections all the time in material that I've been long aware of.

Race and hiring discussion board info

Step 1: View the following video

 

Step 2: How does this study demonstrate the presence of prejudice and discrimination in hiring? 

Step 3: Considering these findings, are Affirmative Action programs necessary to encourage a more equal society?

Step 4: Comment on at least two other students' posts.

Chapter 6 info

Like we'll do everyweek, be sure to complete the following tasks.

• Participate in Discussion Boards
• Read chapter and complete quiz
• No Blog post this chapter

 

My Chapter 6 Intro

 

Typology of Power and the State

Chapter 5 info

Like we'll do everyweek, be sure to complete the following tasks.

• Participate in Discussion Board
• Read chapter and complete quiz
• Complete Blog post and comment on another student's post

 

My Chapter Intro

Hook Up Culture--An application of the idea of culture to specific age and occupational groups and behaviors.

Chapter 4 info

Like we'll do every week, be sure to complete the following tasks.

• Participate in discussion boards
• Read chapter and complete quiz
• Complete Blog post and comment on another student's post
• View video below

 

My Intro 

 

This video isn't the perfect fit for a chapter on Social Structure...however, I do like how it illustrates that socialization is shaped by institutions and those shape identity.  In the end, it means that what makes you an individual is other people...woa.

 

Chapter 3 info

Like we'll do every week, be sure to complete the following tasks.

• Participate in Discussion Board
• Read chapter and complete quiz
• No Blog post for this chapter
• View videos below--wow, there's a lot.

 

 

My intro

 

 

The next video describes the process of socialization, emphasizing how critical it is for even becoming human 

 

 

The next video profiles Genie, a victim of extraordinary parental neglect.  It's a relatively long video (about 12 minutes), but does provide a horrible, "natural experiment" of what happens when humans do not undergo the process of socialization.

 

Whiile the animation is primitive, this is a relatively good primer on the sociological theory of Symbolic Interactionism (SI). Your textbook refers to this theoretical perspective as simply Interactionism. Though, basically the entirity of Chapter 3 comes out of this perspective.

 

 

 

Zimbardo discussing Milgram's Compliance Experiments.  Some difficult clips of Nazi concentration camp survivors and victims included.

 

 

Quick recap of Stanford Prison Experiment. While this was done as an experiment in Psychology, it has clear sociological content 

Discussion Board, Chapter 2 Instructions

Like we'll do everyweek, be sure to complete the following tasks.

• Participate in discussions
• Read chapter and complete quiz
• Complete Blog post and comment on another student's post
• View videos below

 

My Quick Introduction

 

Methods: Ethnography

Theoretical Traditions in Sociology

I like The Sociology Project quite a bit, however, it doens't explicitly delve into the major sociological theories.  They're in there, but not clearly examined.  I've included a couple of short videos to give you a sense of these ideas.  On this page, I've included Structural Functionalism and Marxian Social Conflict.  A Symbolic Interactionism video can be found in the Chapter 3 folder.

The following videos make some reference to specific authors and texts.  Until I state otherwise, you need not focus on that, however, do focus on the tenets of the theories.

Structural Functionalism

 

Social Conflict (though labeled as simply Marxism in the video)

 

Post-Modernism (yes, it's the most difficult to "get," so would be a good topic for discussions)