Seeing Social Problems through a Sociological Lens

Abstract

This assignment serves as the final project for Introduction to Sociology—asking students to practice the sociological imagination, apply theoretical paradigms, read and summarize sociological research, describe the process of socialization, and examine the impact of social stratification. Students can submit a “report” or, if desired, create a website...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Introduction to Sociology/Social Problems

Resource Type(s):

Assignment

Class Level(s):

College 100

Class Size(s):

Medium, Small

Usage Notes

Introduction to Sociology intorduces students to new sociological concepts, theories, and intellectual tools. To ensure that they internalize the new ideas, this assignment gives them the opportunity to apply each concept to a topic of their choosing. The final project is multiple sections and can be written as a report or, for students interested in a...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Apply the sociological imagination to a social problem.
2. Describe the major sociological perspectives- functional, conflict, interaction, and feminist/critical race.
3. Define socialization and trace its impact on us.
4. Give examples of sociological research and explain why they are important.
5. Define inequality and see how it functions at macro and micro levels.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Students create a sociological portfolio--either as a written report with defined sections, or as a website with defined sections/webpages--that assesses a social problem of their choosing using a sociological lens.
2. Students demonstrate the sociological imagination outcome by identifying symbolic, institutional/economic, and historical dimensions of their chosen topic, and explaining how these have also shaped their personal relationship to the topic.
3. Students demonstrate theory outcome by applying each body of theory to their topic, identifying important conceptual elements of each paradigm.
4. Students demonstrate the socialization outcome by defining socialization and explaining how different agents of socialization have influenced their ideas and actions relevant their selected topic.
5. Students demonstrate the research outcome by locating peer reviewed research articles and annotating them; they also demonstrate ability to format citations.
6. Students demonstrate the inequalities outcome by examining 4 different forms of inequality and examining how they shape the social problem they’ve studied.