April 21, 2017

Last Portfolio Assignment:

Find 4 images that relate to your topic. As with the other assignments, be thoughtful and selective in choosing your images. Look for images that are really thought-provoking and relevant to your topic...do not just choose the first 4 things you see on Google Images!!!

Print each image on a separate piece of paper.

Write a ONE PAGE reaction paper for all 4 images...ONE paper for all images. Discuss:

• What do the images show?
• How do they relate to your topic?
• Opinions and/or reactions to the images?

Tuesday/Friday class: Due Tuesday, April 25th

Monday/Thursday class: Due Thursday, April 27th

Important Upcoming Dates:

Finalized and edited portfolio due (a checklist to help with this will be given out): 

• M/Th class: Monday, May 1st
• T/F class: Friday, April 28th

Final Exam:

• M/Th class: Thursday, May 4th at 11:30am in NH112
• T/F class: Tuesday, May 2nd at 1:00pm in BH108

Study guides will be handed out next class. I have also already uploaded it onto the blog if you want it sooner. It is under the "powerpoints/notes" tab.

We are on the home stretch! Keep up the hard work for a couple more weeks :)

April 18, 2017

Homework:

1. Chapter 12 Reader Response...last textbook chapter for the semester!!

2. Gender Socialization Observation Notes: Think like a sociologist and do some informal field work to look for gender roles, stereotypes, expectations, etc. 

Observe people in places such as the dining hall, common room, class, public places, etc. and take some notes on the gender roles and socialization you see. 

If you are able to, go to a store and look in toy aisles, clothes aisles, etc. and take some notes on how gender roles are broken down in stores. If you can't get to a store, look through catalogs or store websites.

Your notes should be titled with the location you are observing and the time of day. Your observation notes can be in bulleted/list form, but must be detailed and clear. 

Notes may be typed or handwritten--your choice. We will discuss and I will collect during Friday's class.

Tuesday/Friday class: DUE FRIDAY, April 21
Monday/Thursday class: DUE MONDAY, April 24

April 17, 2017

Monday/Thursday class: please see the previous blog post with the directions for the song portfolio assignment. This is due on THURSDAY.

In class today, we had a great discussion on wage laws: minimum wage versus living wage, stratification due to wage, etc. We also discussed our budget activity by looking at some government living wage estimates. We began discussion stratification by gender, as indicated on the chapter 11 powerpoint, and will finish this next class. 

Tuesday/Friday class: Remember that your song assignment is due tomorrow....TUESDAY. We will cover the concept of stratification by gender tomorrow in class, which was the subject of chapter 11.

April 14, 2017

Portfolio Assignment: Song

Find one song that has lyrics that connect to your topic...you may need to think outside the box here and be creative. You can connect thematically or metaphorically if you cannot find a song literally written about your topic.

Write a one page reaction paper about the song:

• What is the song and what is it about?
• How does it connect to your topic?
• What is your reaction to it? Opinions? Thoughts? Feelings?

Print the song lyrics and include them with your paper.

One song. Due NEXT class. 

April 13, 2017

In class today, we went over Stratification. Please review the powerpoint under the powerpoints tab if you missed class or need a review. We also discussed the functions of stratification and social inequality in society and looked at the concept of poverty and living wage estimates.

Please have your budget estimates ready to discuss and analyze for next class. DO NOT LOSE THEM.

Homework Due Next Class:

1. Textbook page 198-200: Social Policy and Stratification, Minimum Wage Laws: Read the article and answer the three discussion questions (we will discuss next class)

2. Chapter 11 Stratification by Gender Reader Response

April 12, 2017

Wednesday Makeup Class for M/Th Group...

In class today, we worked on two activities to cover textbook content:

1. Page 163 research article "Does Crime Pay": read the mini article and answer the two discussion questions 

2. In chapter 7, six types of crime are defined in the section titled "Crime: A Sociological Approach". Define each type of crime and provide an example of each type of crime from the news or media. 

Please send me your work for a classwork grade. This information will likely be seen on your final exam, so it's important to complete the assignments. 

In other news, those that attended class today were told the secret that I've been keeping that has made me have a hard time making the 10am class...I am pregnant! So those that suspected me were correct! ha ha 

I apologize for missing so many classes and struggling with feeling well enough to make it in. I am doing my best and appreciate your understanding :) 

April 11, 2017

In Class Lesson: Looking at Crime from Sociological Perspectives

Crime: 
Young college man killed his mother during an epileptic seizure. He was ruled not guilty and is being examined by a psychiatrist for mental health and possible institutionalization. He is asking for his mother's life insurance policy, even though he killed her. 

Conflict Perspective Notes:

• makes you wonder if he feels guilty and if he thinks his actions were unjust?
• some people commit crime for money
• mental health can be used as a excuse for deviant behavior...the justice system seems to favor people with mental illness
• how can you properly give consequences with something as unpredictable and uncertain as health conditions?
• do we have all the information to handle this crime fairly?
• justice system favors young, white, males, which is likely why he never served prison time

Labeling Perspective Notes:

• he is a young male--he is developing and likely to make mistakes because he is young
• he looks innocent, so he couldn't have meant it...his picture makes him "seem like a good kid"
• he is middle class, white, and in college--couldn't have had a deviant motive
• mental illness causes bad decision making--he wasn't thinking clearly so it can't be his fault

In class activity: 

In chapter 7, there are 6 types of crimes defined. Define each type and find a real-life, current event example of each type of crime.

If you did not finish this in class, turn it in next class. You are expected to finish this assignment!

HOMEWORK DUE FRIDAY (T/F) or MONDAY (M/TH): chapter 11 reader response

April 5, 2017

Homework due next week...
M/Th class due Thursday, April 13th
T/F class due Tuesday, April 11th

Find TWO video clips, movie clips, or TV clips about your topic and type a ONE page reaction paper for EACH.

Include the link to the video on the top of your paper. If the video is a clip from a show or movie, include the detailed description of the clip. 

For example, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", Season 2, Episode 12, minutes 13-27.

Your reaction papers should:

• summarize the clip
• explain the relevance to your topic
• give your reaction and/or opinions about the clip

Have fun with this...be creative in the clips you find!

April 3, 2017

Monday/Thursday Class ONLY......

First of all, I am so very sorry for my excessive absences lately!! I am having some personal challenges that I will be able to share at a later date. For now, please just trust me and do your best to keep up to date with the blog and independent assignments. 

We will have a makeup class session on Wednesday, April 5th at 11:30am. I am planning to use our same classroom and will be in touch if that changes. For now, plan to be in NH112 at 11:30am on Wednesday. Mandatory makeup class. Attendance will count!!!

Please work on the following between now and Wednesday:

1. Review the rest of the chapter 6: Mass Media powerpoint. The link is under the "powerpoints/notes" tab. Please answer the discussion question from the powerpoint on slide 10 to be checked in class on Wednesday for a classwork grade. 

2. Complete the "Global Village Phenomenon from the Three Perspectives" activity at the end of the chapter 6 powerpoint. Bring this completed assignment to class on Wednesday for discussion. 

3. Print and complete the chart about the sociological theories on deviance from chapter 7. You can also find this under the "powerpoints/notes" tab. We will complete an activity on Wednesday using this completed chart and will continue to work on chapter 7 content. 

4. I will collect your two articles and two reaction papers for your portfolio in class on Wednesday. This allows for some extra time for anyone who was not prepared for class today. 

You are expected to complete this work independently in order to keep up to date with class content. This is a college-level expectation and there are NO EXCUSES for not doing these assignments. 

I will see you all on Wednesday! 

March 28, 2017
Portfolio Project Assignment

Monday/Thursday class: Due Monday, April 3
Tuesday/Friday class: Due Tuesday, April 4

Find 2 articles that relate to your portfolio topic. Print the articles, actively read them, then write a ONE PAGE reaction paper for EACH article.

Think about the following when writing your papers:

• What was the article about?
• How does it relate to your topic?
• What did you learn from the article?
• What are your thoughts, opinions, reactions, questions?

Please bring your articles and papers to class on the due date. PRINT YOUR WORK. Please do not email it to me to print. If you are having trouble printing, go to the library or ask a friend for help!

March 20, 2017

Portfolio Project

You will work on this project for the rest of the semester. You will be creating a small portfolio about one sociological issue/concept/injustice of your choice. All work will be put into a small binder to be handed in at the end of the semester. As each piece is assigned, please turn it in on the due date to be checked.

First Portfolio Assignment:

1. Choose your topic

2. Type a ONE PAGE justification paper...why this topic?

Your paper should include:

• What is your topic?
• Why did you pick it? What interests you?
• What do you hope to focus your studies on?

DUE NEXT CLASS

Congrats on a successful midterm exam period!!!!

Over Break....

NO NEW HOMEWORK!

However, use this time to catch up on any missing assignments, if you have any.

Enjoy your time off and I will see you when we return!

February 17, 2017

Homework over President's Day weekend...

You have THREE assignments to be working on from now until next week. 

1. Chapter 5 with a reader response
2. Agents of Socialization Activity
3. Perception of Self Activity

M/TH class due on Thursday, February 23rd
T/F class due on Friday, February 24th 

While you have a full week to complete these assignments, DO NOT SAVE THEM FOR THE LAST MINUTE!

See the links below for the two activities referenced above.

Agents of Socialization Activity

Perceptions of Self Activity

Let me know if you have any questions!

February 13, 2017: HOMEWORK

Chapter 4 in the text and reader response.

The syllabus mentions a culture handout assignment...we are NOT doing that due to the missed snow day classes. We will finish working on chapter 3 in class and your homework is to do chapter 4 with your reader response.

Today's class (M/TH)-chapter 4 is due on Thursday


Tomorrow's class (T/F)-chapter 3 is due tomorrow (should already be done...was due last class when we had the snow day!) and chapter 4 will be due on Friday

Mini Sociological Research Assignment

You must follow the scientific method (steps in the textbook and on the powerpoint), however SKIP the second step--"review the literature". That is not necessary for our mini-research.

Come up with something that you'd like to investigate on or around campus on a micro level (small). 

Define your problem

Create a hypothesis with what you think the results will be. DO NOT USE PERSONAL PRONOUNS in a hypothesis.

For example: "Students will get distracted 6 times in class" is appropriate, whereas, "I think that the students I observe will get distracted 6 times in class"

Determine a research design---how will you conduct this study? Again, refer to the powerpoint for the examples of research designs most commonly used by sociologists.

Determine how you will collect and track your data. You MUST have some way of documenting your research, whether you create a table or formal document or just turn in your observation notes.

Draw conclusions and write the report.

THE REPORT...

2 pages, typed

Include, in paragraph form, MLA format:

1. What is the problem you are researching?
2. Why?
3. What is your hypothesis?
4. What was your research design...how did you conduct the study and collect information?
5. Summarize your findings--what did you notice? What did your research tell you?
6. Draw conclusions--theories, thoughts about why it turned out the way it did
7. Was your hypothesis correct or incorrect? Why?
8. Identify any ideas for future related studies/research

DUE NEXT CLASS!! HAVE FUN WITH THIS, BUT REMEMBER TO BE ETHICAL RESEARCHERS :) 

January 27, 2017

We spent a lot of time in class this week focusing on the three sociological perspectives: Functionalist, Conflict, and Interactionist.

Remember, the notes on these perspectives is on the powerpoint, which is on this blog. I am also including pictures of the notes we took in class during our discussions in both Thursday's class and Friday's. 

If you need more support with these notes or you have a hard time reading my messy writing (haha), please let me know.

Remember, homework for next class is to read chapter two in your textbook and complete a reader response. It is the same format as what you did for chapter one and remember to read any notes or suggestions I wrote on your chapter one homework to apply to chapter two's response. 

Sociology tutoring is available on Mondays and Wednesdays with Nancy Parent if you need more help. Sign up through Starfish.

I will also begin running a sociology lab with Liz on Wednesdays from 4-5pm to help with learning strategies and navigating the textbook. Let me know if you'd like to attend. 

Topic: Abortion

Topic: Mass Shootings

Topic: Protests

Topics: 9/11 (black marker) and Sandy Hook (purple marker)

January 23, 2017

In class, we reviewed the reader response homework procedure and answered any questions regarding the assignment. Then, we discussed parts of chapter one. You can find the powerpoint under the "powerpoints" tab. We focused on the Sociological Imagination and had a great discussion on how it is used when exploring social observations. We also reviewed the three major theoretical perspectives we will study: functionalist, conflict, and interactionist.

For homework, there are two activities that I handed out in class. You can find a link to the pages below. You will need your textbook for both activities. Feel free to work together, but everyone must have their own paper to hand in.

Major Figures in the Field Activity

Three Theoretical Perspectives Activity

January 20, 2017

HOMEWORK:

Actively read chapter 1 in your textbook (highlight, underline, write notes in the margins, etc.).

Complete a READER RESPONSE for that chapter. Use the guidelines handed out in class. There is also a copy on the blog. 

Remember, you MUST DO the entire first part of the response directions and then CHOOSE ONE from the second part. 

Let me know if you have questions!