CLASSICAL SOCIAL THEORY: Lifeboat Survivors

Abstract

As students learn about the different classical social theory perspectives that have guided the field of sociology, it is time to put their understanding to work. Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber provided frameworks that described and explained the social factors, interactions, and normative values used to stabilize or improve their societies. For...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Theory

Resource Type(s):

Assignment

Class Level(s):

College 200

Class Size(s):

Any

Usage Notes

The purpose is to challenge students to use their imaginations and understanding of a social theory to frame their ‘choices’ of individuals to keep in the lifeboat. Additionally, in comprising potential lifeboat survivors, instructors can use gender, race, religious affiliation, and occupational status as markers for students to select from; further...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. The lifeboat scenario allows students to consider real life social justice issues as it applies to the influence of social biases.
2. The critical essay also allows for concrete application of the key elements that make up the perspectives of Durkheim, Marx, and Weber, without focusing on the theorists.
3. Fosters considerations emerging from students’ biases, e.g., race, gender, social class, occupational positions, culture.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Students write a critical essay by selecting a classical paradigm and choose how that perspective would select 10 lifeboat occupants from a group to large to stay in the boat.
2. Students will be evaluated on their ability to construct a competent argument. Remember, this is an academic exercise; there are no bad ideas – only unsupported ones!!
3. Students are asked to list their selection of survivors and give a brief explanation as to why a particular theory guided their choices.