Category: Sociology

As you have learned from the Week 4 learning resources (UMGC, n.d.), deviant behaviors are violations of social norms, and what is “deviant” is defined variously across time and place. Our resources for this week offer a variety of sociological theories for why deviance occurs in society. Your main post for this discussion should have two parts:
Part 1. Identify something that people do that would be considered a violation of social norms. Briefly discuss this action. Who regards this action as deviant and why?
Part 2. Explain why this type of deviance occurs and/or how society responds to this form of deviance, according to one of the theories in the chapter. As part of your explanation, make sure to also briefly explain the theory.
Responses to Classmates: When responding to classmates, try to examine the form of deviance that they have identified by analyzing it from a different theoretical perspective than they did.
References and Citations
Here is the reference you should cite in your main post:
University of Maryland Global Campus. (n.d.). Week 4. Socialization, Social groups, and deviance. Document posted in UMGC SOCY 100 online classroom, archived at https://learn.umgc.edu.
Make sure to include the complete reference information at the end of your post. If you refer to any additional sources, please be sure to include them in your reference list as well.
When referring to the different topics of the material in the learning resources within your posts, use the following citation format: (UMGC, n.d., name of topic).
For example: (UMGC, n.d., Socialization) or (UMGC, n.d., Deviance and Social Control).
If you use any additional sources in your posts, be sure to cite them in the post and include the full reference information at the end of the post. To learn more about how to cite in APA style, visit the UMGC Library at APA 7th Edition Citation Examples: General Rules.
Provide your initial post by 11:59 p.m. on Saturday. Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length, excluding the discussion prompt and the references. Please use in-text APA citations within your post as well as full APA references at the end of your post.

You need watch a video. I will insert the link.
Then, write a 1-page summary and reaction to the video.
Page 2 and forward: Analyze the video based on ONE of the theoretical perspectives: Structural functionalism, Symbolic Interactionism, or Conflict. The choice is yours. Choose the perspective you are most comfortable with and, along with your notes and textbook, analyze the video. Make sure your examples are clear and that your explanations are thorough. Your explanation could seal the deal for you! You must clearly justify why your example is in line with the chosen perspective. DO NOT provide examples about different perspectives. You must choose only one.
In sum, you must have 3 specific examples from the video WITH explanations of ONE of the following:
Functionalism
Symbolic Interactionism OR
Conflict perspective
Your paper should total approximately 3-4 pages total, typed, double spaced. Please submit 1 paper that includes the reaction AND the analysis.
Below is a simplified example of how the analysis should be completed. Note that I expect much more detail and that your examples must come from the video.
The analysis is the most critical part of the paper, and that is where you need to apply the theory you feel most comfortable with. For example, if you were given a scenario about people in the US who live in an adult community, the story provided details about the lifestyle and expectations. It also went into the expenses and how most people are not able to afford to live there.
You have 3 choices to pick from. For example, if you decide on the Functionalist perspective, you could say that the nursing home serves a positive (manifest) function because older people are provided with a place to live where they are cared for. In addition, they have entertainment and a chance to make new friends.
The symbolic interactionist perspective would focus on the symbols that are present. First, the word “adult community” implies that you must be 55 years or older to live there. A symbol of being old is gray hair, walkers, wrinkles, etc.
The conflict perspective would look at inequality. They would address the cost of living in such a community. They would talk about the fact that the poor cannot afford to live in such a community, and they are therefore at a disadvantage.
Remember, you are expected to choose only one of the perspectives. It’s easier if you use the keywords in your response:
Functionalism – balance or purpose
Conflict – inequality
Symbolic Interactionism – symbols

We have to summarize the weekly reading and notes to show our understanding of the lesson, then we have to find some sort of artifact that relates to it. One student said she found a sociological idea that kind of related to what Durkheim was describing and received a perfect score.

I have to submit a discussion post for class. I have attached the instructions below. If you have any questions. Please let me know.

dentify one of the following periods in your academic journey that you would like to reflect on and discuss using a sociology of education perspective: Elementary School, Middle School, High School, Community College, or University Level. State why you selected this period. Describe the context of the school, college, or university. In addition to a sociology of education perspective, you can also include a perspective from psychology, ethnic studies, or another appropriate social science.
Select two theories or concepts (or one theory and concept) from sociology, psychology, or education (or another related area) to analyze your academic journey. Discuss the main points of the theories or concepts and note why you feel they are relevant to your experience. Clearly state the theories or concepts you decide to use up front in your paper. Note the name of the recognized researcher/scholar who advanced the theories or concepts. Use the theories or concepts presented in this course—from the readings, reports, the professor’s lecture notes, etc. You can use applicable concepts and theories you’ve learned in other courses or from your own research.
In telling your educational story, use the theories or concepts to highlight the factors that promoted or hindered your development personally, socially, and academically. Address all three areas. You can talk about the promotion aspects and hindrances (or either one). Specifically, discuss: the influential people (parents, siblings, peers, teachers, role models, etc.); impactful programs (course curriculums, other academic enrichment, sports, community service, faith-based endeavors, ethnic cultural activities, etc.); memorable places (classrooms, labs, libraries, recreation fields, home environments, community spaces, etc.); and significant psychosocial dynamics (mindsets, feelings, and behaviors resulting from the interrelation of mental states, emotional well-being, social factors, etc.).

Write a short 1,500 words (~2.5 pages single-spaced) maximum “synthesis & summary” of what you’ve learned in the course through our readings, your thoughts on these readings, or relevant personal experiences you may have had outside of class.
Your audience is a grandparent or friend, who has asked you what you’ve been learning in your favorite class this semester. Your audience is intelligent, willing to listen, but is not intellectually familiar with the concepts from our class and who would benefit from a summary presented in ordinary (i.e., non-technical) language.
Your objective:
After reading your document, your audience –
– should have a basic, yet clear and informed, understanding of the essential concepts from the course so far (where you are tasked with judging which concepts are essential).
– understand how the concepts relate to one another (thanks to sound analysis and exposition on your part).
– be able to remember and describe to someone else what you’ve learned in the course (because you have presented them with a simple, yet engaging, and compelling narrative that integrates the concepts you’ve chosen as essential into a coherent story).
What I’m looking for:
– I want to know what you’ve learned so far.
– Avoid mere recapitulation of the arguments in the readings.
– Take a risk — I will highly value a demonstration that you have thought deeply about the course concepts, their relations, integrating them into your own life, and have come to your own understanding … even if it is not yet 100% complete or perfect.
– If you do make an argument, you are expected to justify it logically or provide evidence for your claim.
– If you pose a question, attempt to answer it.
– ** You do not need to try to fit every single thing we’ve discussed into your summary. That’s not the point. The purpose is for you to think deeply about what we’ve been learning so far; to try to see how it all fits together; for you to try to communicate that; so that it challenges you to work with the material and exposes gaps in your understanding **
Formatting & Presentation:
Include a title page:
– With an original, ‘jazzy’ title that reflects the contents and narrative in the main body of the text (so, e.g., not “A Summary of Altruism”). Try your best. It’s good practice.
– Adhere to APA format – [“Student APA Paper format”](https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html)
Body of the text:
– 12 pt font
– Times New Roman font
– Single-spaced
To the extent that you appeal to any sources, your document should include In-text citations and a reference page – again use APA format (see the website at the link above).
Grading:
Your submission will be evaluated based on:
– your achievement of the objective (in which I imagine what it would be like reading your summary as the audience member I described above)
– the accuracy of your claims
– originality/insightfulness in your synthesis
– clarity/coherence/overall strength of your writing
– the logical soundness of your conclusions
– a good and compelling title
– formatting (including your reference page, title page, font, spacing, word count)
Please read chapter 1 (The Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis) of Batson’s book (Altruism in Humans; attached) and the introduction, chapter 1 and chapter 3 of Ricard’s book (Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World; attached) prior to attempting this assignment.

THE FIRST PART: The Gender Binary
1. Please offer some examples of masculine traits.
2. Please offer some examples of feminine traits.

THE SECOND PART: Gender Diversity Around the World
Across the world, gender is recognized in ways beyond simply the dichotomous variables of man/woman, boy/girl. Many societies recognize and celebrate three or more genders. To give you a sense of the scope of gender diversity around the world, check out this [map of gender-diverse cultures]. (The link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1zDWxhBN5aOofwpE-FkZWQsiFDlE&ll=34.68315756877811%2C103.33071072549465&z=3 ) Then, engaging with what you’ve noticed there, and also with Wade and Ferree:
1. Explain what gender ideologies are, and
2. offer one example of a society where gender ideologies differ from those in the US.
THE PART THREE
explore the role of gender stereotypes in the marketing of products. First, using Wade and Ferree, describe what a gender stereotype is. Then, analyze the gendered marketing strategies of a product of your choice. For example, you could analyze the gender stereotypes present in the marketing of body wash, and how this product is marketed specifically to one gender or how it is gendered in distinctly different ways when it is being sold to men/boys versus women/girls. You’re welcome to approach this task from any angle you’d like. Just make sure to spend some time analyzing how the product is packaged, and what language, colors, and images are being used to market the product on websites or in commercials. In your post, describe: How does the marketing of this product reflect gender stereotypes? How does it reproduce certain ideas about gender? What does this marketing reveal to you about the social construction of gender? Note: If the marketing strategies resist traditional gender stereotypes, please discuss how they do, and what you think this resistance may accomplish. In your responses, be sure to make clear connections with this week’s materials.
p.s. THE BOOK ‘Wade and Ferree’ WROTE IS ATTACHED IN THE FILE.

Welcome Colleagues to the final paper of the semester. This paper will be a literature review
over a topic related to religion/spirituality of your choosing. At the end of the article, I have
some examples listed to hopefully inspire you (if you don’t already have something in mind)
Literature reviews are syntheses of what is already known about a given area. You do not make
an argument here telling me the way you think things ought to be. Rather, literature reviews are a
place for you to be inquisitive and find out what others have already found. The introductory
paragraph should tell us what you are looking at and why you are interested in it/think it is
important. Then the following paragraphs will be the lit review itself.
A good lit review is fairly short. You are taking lots of information in and distilling it to its core.
You do not need to go into hyper-specific details about the topic. If you had only a few minutes
to tell me what you found is important about that subject, what would you say? What examples
would you give? Speak in the first person and tell us what you found to be important and why. If
there is dissenting opinion, tell us about that and why their finding is different.
A bad literature review gives too much detail and treats articles as though they are separate from
one another like: “Article 1 by Fong and Jeung 2016 found 6.7% of divorced people…. Article 2
by Davidson and Park (2018) surveyed 1502 people in the US and found a mean age of 48.6
(standard deviation of 3.1) in the sample. They then found….” This is too much detail and
simply reporting what an article found rather than synthesizing the material to tell us overall
what was important.
You can (and should) have times where you are citing multiple articles in a single paragraph,
especially since some of the articles will have similar results. Let the findings drive paragraph
structure, not one paragraph article
Basic Paper Parameters-
– Times New Roman, 12 Point Font
– Double Spaced
– 1-inch margins
– Upload to Canvas when complete
– Minimum 8 academic peer-reviewed academic articles.
– ASA/APA Citation style
– 4-7 pages written prose (that means not including title page or references)
– Send me short descriiption of what you are studying and at least 4 references for approval
before writing the review itself
– Uploaded to Canvas by the due date
See the additional handout for tips and more information on how to correctly do lit reviews
and how to do proper ASA citations.
Find at least 10 quality peer-reviewed articles using your terms.

We have to summarize the weekly reading and notes to show our understanding of the lesson, then we have to find some sort of artifact that relates to it. One student said she found a sociological idea that kind of related to what Durkheim was describing and received a perfect score.

In Module 12, we have been learning about economics. This is a topic that affects all of us and this assignment is your opportunity to do some research into your own life, career, and life aspirations. After you have finished reading, complete this assignment:
Discuss, realistically, your professional aspirations and how you will attain them.
Predict your level of income during the first year after graduation, five years after, and then ten years after. Make sure you research starting salaries of persons in your chosen field (in your local community). Do you consider this to be low, middle or high income?
Research the cost of living in your area. About how much each month are you be able to spend on an apartment or home if you spend 50% of your monthly income for housing? Will this afford you a living space in the place you plan to live in your community? Why or why not?
Based on the cost of living in your area, will you be able to purchase a home? If so, when will you purchase one, what will be the cost, and how will you save to make at least a 25% down payment for the home? What will be your approximate house payment each month for the home? Is this more or less than you anticipate spending if you spend 50% of your monthly income for housing? Does this monthly payment include taxes and insurance? What would be the cost of those each month?
Write your answer as one 3–5 paragraph essay. Your essay should be at least 500 words and appropriately have an introduction, body, and conclusion.
The references you use for the cost of living and salaries may include your textbook or any other reliable sources. You should be sure to cite your source within the essay and list a bibliographical reference to the source at the end of the essay using the APA format.