Sociology Discussion

There are discussion questions 2-5. A short paragraph around 200 words per question is all that is required.

The text book is:

Hughes, Michael and Carolyn L. Kroehler. Sociology: The Core, 8th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2008. ISBN: 0073528129 [This text is available as an etextbook at purchase or students may find used, new, or rental copies at this link]

I dont have a link to it so the use of the text book is irrelevant unless you have access to it.

Questions:

2. Laying the Groundwork for Sociological Research: In a post of between 150 and 250 words, respond to the following discussion: First, start with a very brief summary of the origins of sociology as a field of study discussed in Chapter 1. Now, consider the sociologists discussed in your textbook on pages 9 – 16. (use Harriate Martineau) Which one of these sociologists do you find most interesting and/or relevant to the field? What characteristics or contributions informed your choice? Be sure to cite page numbers when you quote material from the text.

3. The Scientific Method:

In a post of between 150 and 250 words, respond to the following discussion:

Consider the material in the Topic 2 Lesson Presentation, along with the sections from your text entitled “Conducting Research” (pp. 25 – 36).

First, briefly discuss the purpose of sociological research.

Now, develop your own hypothesis about some aspect of sociology that is plausible, legal, and testable.

What is your independent variable?

What is your dependent variable?

Which method of collecting data would work best for testing your theory?

How would you go about testing your hypothesis in a scientific and ethical way? Please ensure that your experiment is something that would be approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB).

4. Ethnocentrism: Consider your textbook’s description of ethnocentrism (pp. 52 – 53), along with the Topic 4 Lesson Presentation (slide 18) . In a post of between 150 and 250 words, discuss the following prompt: First, write your own brief definition of the term “ethnocentrism.” Then, discuss at least one example or phenomenon in which ethnocentrism plays a part. Finally, describe any situations in which you have experienced ethnocentrism, either negatively or positively.

5. What You’ve Learned So Far: 5. By now, you have read the first four chapters of your textbook and have learned about many sociological concepts–the various types of data collection, components of culture, elements of socialization, social groups, etc. In a post of between 150 and 250 words, discuss which specific concept you found most interesting or surprising, and give some reasons why you chose that concept.