Sociology and Ethics: Exploring Concepts and Theories

1. Sociology and Common Sense: Differences and Examples

1. Some people think that sociology is synonymous to commonsense knowledge and sociologists do not study anything unique. However, this way of thinking is problematic and faulty. First, explain with examples of your choice the difference between sociology and common sense. Second, distinguish between the following concepts; variable, theory, and hypothesis using your own examples.

2. You have been asked to conduct a study titled “The Effect of Watching Television on the Grades of First-Year College Students.” What theoretical perspective will you use to guide your study, and why? Explain at least two hypotheses you have about the effect of TV on grades. Describe the method you will use to conduct your study and explain why that method is most appropriate.

3. In the late 1960s, Laud Humphries conducted a study called “The Tearoom Trade.” Humphries posed as a “watch queen” (a man who guards the doors of restrooms in public parks so that men can have sex with other men inside). Humphries wrote down the license plate numbers of the men who had sex with other men, then looked up their addresses, disguised his appearance, and went to their homes to interview them a year later. Humphries discovered that, contrary to popular opinion, many of the men were actually married to women and living otherwise quiet, middle-class lives. Today, this study is considered unethical. Enumerate some of the ethical issues (golden rules of research) that must be considered by researchers when undertaking research. In light of what you learned about research ethics in Chapter 2 of the text, what ethical principles does this study violate? Do you personally feel the benefits of the study (it destroyed many stereotypes) outweighed the risks?

4. Mead discussed the concept of the “I” and the “Me” as the two parts of the self. Explain each of the two parts. How are the two related? Further, imagine that as you are driving home from the exam today, a car cuts you off, and you very nearly get into a car accident. How would your “I” react toward the other driver? Why? How would your “Me” react toward the other driver? Why?

5. How is the “Looking Glass Self theory” by Cooley different from Mead’s theory of the development of the self? Explain Mead's "game" stage in the development of the self. How is this stage different from the "play" and “imitation” stages? Provide examples to support your explanations.

6. List the five (5) main agents of socialization that we have, and with examples of your choice, briefly explain (ONLY TWO) the processes and mechanisms by which these agents socialize us. What are some of the benefits/importance of the socialization process?

7. Perry Hotter, a fictional literary character, was raised by coldhearted relatives, isolated underneath a staircase. After admission into a prestigious private school, he grew to have many friends and excel in his studies. According to your knowledge of socialization, would a real child raised in Perry’s condition grow to be a well-adjusted teenager with many friends? Why, or why not? Provide three reasons or examples based on information from the text.

8. Although the act of committing crimes or deviant acts may be detrimental to the individual, people, organizations, and society, Structural Functionalist theorists are of the view that crimes are functional. How are crimes or deviant acts functional to society? Using your own examples, explain Robert Merton’s “Strain theory” on why people commit crimes (hint; don’t forget to list the typologies of Merton when discussing this theory). Are prisons and jails the most effective way to control or punish criminals? Why or why not?

9. In an attempt to understand the rationale behind why people commit crimes and deviant behaviors, sociologists and criminologists have propounded theories to explain this phenomenon. There are two key theories within the Symbolic Interactionist perspective. What are these TWO theories? Using examples of your choice, select one of these theories and explain why people commit crimes. Additionally, discuss some of the limitations of the theory you selected, and provide some of the effective ways that crimes can be eliminated or reduced in our society?

10. What is sociobiology, and what role does it play in the nature-versus-nurture debate? How do most sociologists feel about this argument? How does social class influence the way a child is socialized?

11. Briefly contrast the Structural functionalist theory to the Conflict theory. Which theory do you align/agree or share their theoretical framework with the most, and why?