Reference no: EM133644726
Assignment:
Prompt: Respond to these essay questions, anwser each of these questions in two-three well detailed paragraphs. Apply sociological terms and concepts where appropriate.
(Each question has bullet points which provide everything that should be discussed and included in the response)
1. Come up with a general situation that a student might encounter and describe how they encounter role strain and role conflict.
Be sure to clearly distinguish between the two concepts. Be as detailed and clear as possible.
2. Clearly state George Ritzer's thesis of the McDonaldization of our society.
- Be sure to also list and define all four goals of McDonaldization and provide concrete examples of each goal that is not part of the fast-food industry.
- Then discuss one pro and one con for each of the four goals that you listed.
- Clearly discuss Weber's concerns regarding formal organizations/bureaucracies.
- Lastly, discuss whether you agree with Weber's concerns and explain why or why not.
3. Describe the research of Stanley Milgram and explain its contributions to our understanding of obedience to authority.
- If Milgram's experiment were conducted on adults in the United States today, do you think that the findings would be similar to those in Milgram's original study? Why or why not?
- Be sure to support your position by stating a relatively recent example.
- Furthermore, discuss how sociology helps us understand Milgram's findings.
4. Describe the labeling theory of deviance.
- Be sure to list and discuss all three stages.
- Discuss what it is about labeling theory that makes it sociological.
- Finally, discuss the concerns that labeling theorists would have regarding the policy to criminalize drug users.
5. Sociologists use two levels of analysis (i.e., macro- and micro-level). List the two levels and discuss each one's focus.
- Which theoretical perspectives (functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist perspectives) tend to use macro-level analysis, and which tend to use micro-level analysis?
- Describe how sociologists would examine the phenomenon of homelessness in the United States using first one level and then the other.
- Finally, be sure to discuss two causes of homelessness that would be considered macro-level causes, and two causes of homelessness that would be considered micro-level causes.
6. In what ways are conflict theory and Merton's strain theory similar in explaining criminal behavior? How do they differ in explaining criminal behavior?
- (Be sure to elaborate on your response.)
- List and discuss with some detail the five adaptations that are part of strain theory.