Discussion Questions – Sociology

There are three primary sociological theories discussed in Chapter 1 of the text, Sociology: Beyond Common Sense. Those sociological perspectives are also introduced in the Making Sense of Sociological Theory (Links to an external site.) video. After reading Chapter 1 of the text and watching the video, briefly describe each theory and the major differences across the functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interaction perspectives. If there are specific sociologists affiliated with these perspectives please name them so that you can start to make connections between theorist and theory. Be sure to discuss the weaknesses and strengths of each theory.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.

Vissing (2011) explains culture as “an organized system of living and thinking. It contains shared attitudes, values, goals, and behaviors that are present in individuals, groups, organizations, or regions of the world” (p. 24). After reading Chapter 3 in the text and “The Relation Between Culture and Social Structure,” summarize some of the ways that the role of culture can shape our expectations about how people are supposed to behave. Moreover, discuss how culture is involved in the consequences when a person does not behave as one is supposed to. Be sure to use the following terms in your explanation: values, norms, material, status, groups, and roles.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.

Required Resources

Text

Durkin, K. F., & Carrothers, R. M. (2015). Sociology: Beyond common sense [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/

• Chapter 1: An Introduction to Sociology
• Chapter 2: Research Methods
• Chapter 3: Culture and Social Structure

Article

Jenks, C. (2004). The relation between culture and social structure. In Culture (pp. 25-44). Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com

• The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the ebrary database in the Ashford University Library. This resource is provided as an alternative and supplemental viewpoint to the text and provides greater detail in relation to the topic of culture.

Multimedia

Howes, S., & Taylor, S. (Writers & producers). (1997). Making sense of sociological theory (Links to an external site.) [Series episode]. In Understanding Sociology. Retrieved from https://secure.films.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?Token=…

• This resource is provided as an alternative and supplemental viewpoint to the text by assisting students with the concept of sociological theory through visual media.
  Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.)
  Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)

Recommended Resources

Websites

Ashford University Library. (n.d.). Sociology (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from http://ashfordonline.libguides.com/sociology

Bourdeau, M. (2014, October 16). Auguste Comte (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/comte/

DOAB: Directory of Open Access Books (Links to an external site.) (http://www.doabooks.org/doab)

The Durkheim Pages (Links to an external site.). (http://durkheim.uchicago.edu/)

• This resource is provided as an alternative and supplemental viewpoint to the text throughout the course and provides greater detail in relation to the topic of the theoretical work of Durkheim.

Kreis, S. (2008, January 30). Karl Marx, 1818-1883 (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/marx.html

• This resource is provided as an alternative and supplemental viewpoint to the text throughout the course and provides greater detail in relation to the topic of the theoretical work of Marx.

WEBDuBois.org (Links to an external site.) (http://webdubois.org/)

• This resource is provided as an alternative and supplemental viewpoint to the text throughout the course and provides greater detail in relation to the topic of the theoretical work of Du Bois.