Sociology Current Events Assignment
The topic of sociology is used everyday in the news. You will connect what we are/will
learn in class to what is happening in the real world.
You will research newspapers and periodicals for examples of sociological topics.
You will summarize each article (one paragraph, 5-7 sentences long), explain how each
article demonstrates the particular sociological topic (3-5 sentences), and give a
reflection/educated opinion (one paragraph, 5-7 sentences long). Your findings will be
reported to the class (1-3 minutes).
One article will be due each week. Be creative. Articles can cover any topic covered in
the book, in class, or discovered by independent research. The following areas are just to
start you thinking about the news with a sociological perspective.
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Culture and Social Interaction-The meaning of culture
-Social structure
-Cultural Conformity and Adaptations
-The American value system
-Cultural change and sociological perspectives -Social construction of reality
Socialization and deviance-Nature vs nurture and socialization process
- Agents of socialization
-Socialization and the life course
- Punishment vs rehabilitation
-Nature and functions of deviance
- Gender role socialization
-Symbolic interaction and conflict perspectives of deviance
Social stratification, social class and ethnicity-Types and theories of stratification
- Race and ethnicity in the US
-Social stratification in the US
- Gender
-Mobility and poverty in America
- Age
-Race, ethnicity and barriers to integration
Institutions: Family and education-Concepts and analysis of the family
-Schooling and social inequality
-Dating, marriage and divorce
-Problems and issues in Education
-Forms and functions of schooling
Due Dates: Mondays
Articles must be article-length, not news
“snippets”
Fifty Points per Article
5 points – Overall neatness
5 points – Copy of article included
10 Points – Summary of article (1 paragraph;
5-7 sentences long- IN YOUR OWN WORDS;
not a rewrite of the article
10 points: connection explanation (How does
this article fit/demonstrate the topic?)
10 Points: Education Opinion (one paragraph;
5-7 sentences long) What are your thoughts
about the topic of the article? Agree/disagree and
why?)
10 points: presentation