Sociology 35 Martinez, G. Essay Assignment 20% of the grade Due June 3rd, 2002
The Family Paper: You can choose from three topics to write about in this essay assignment.
Essay Topic 1. The purpose of this exercise is to get you to think about the various definitions
you learned in the class within context of your family and community. You do not have to
write the paper in the order of the questions and you don’t have to address all of the questions
in the paper. One other way to get a sense of what it was like to live in a specific time period is
to look at photographs. The still photograph is a powerful tool: it both reflects and shapes the
way we remember the past. A successful photograph can capture the very essence of a
moment, allowing the viewer’s imagination to momentarily inhabit the time and place.
The following questions are meant to help you think about this, but include other thoughts on
the issue in your paper.
 What is your position in your family or community (1st child, 5th etc., status/position)?
 What is your gender/racial/ethnic/class background?
 How many brothers and/or sisters do you have?
 Did you grow up in a home with both parents? Other adults?
 Did one or both parents work outside the home while you were growing up?
 Do one or both parents work outside the home now?
 How did your family provide you opportunities and/or constraints?
 Were there any strong ethnic influences in your family?
 Were there any strong religious influences in your family?
 What behavior was defined as “sissy” in your family?
 What behavior was defined as “tomboy” in your family?
 What chores did females do at your house?
 What chores did males do at your house?
 Did both females and males have the same rules?
 Did both females and males get the same type of punishments?
 Give an example of gifts and clothing that were differentiated by gender.
 What were your parental or family expectations for a person of your gender?
 Do you think you got your idea one what it means to be a man or a woman primarily
from your parents?
 Are there any patterns, interesting conclusions, etc., to be drawn from this exercise?
 Discuss your experiences with the larger societal patterns we’ve discussed in this class,
noting similarities and differences.
The following questions are meant to help you think about the photos (if you are using
them) in your essay.
 How is your attention drawn to the photo?
 Describe the photo.
 Where was it taken?
 What is the mood of the picture?
 What questions, if any, does the photo raise in your mind?
Sociology 35 Martinez, G. Essay Assignment 20% of the grade Due June 3rd, 2002

What was your initial personal reaction to the photo and how did it make you
feel?
If you would like to see some examples the current exhibit The Whole World’s Watching
Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1960s and 1970s is available to see at the
California History Center
Essay Topic 2. Service Learning Essay: The Family
Service learning is sometimes called “learning beyond the classroom.” It consists
of three interrelated activities; service, integration and synthesis. All three of these
activities are designed to enhance your “sociological imagination.” Service consists of
volunteer work (at least 5-10 hours) or job-based in the community (including campus),
for example, organizations that provide childcare or after school program, career
counseling, legal advice, short-term loans, housing assistance, soup kitchens and /or
other types of support. Integration provides you with the opportunity to relate
information from the readings and our class discussions to your own service experience.
Consider theories and concepts, and research findings that are “Micro” in orientation as
well as the ones that are “Macro.” Synthesis is similar, but not identical to integration.
Like integration, the process of synthesis will help you build a bridge between scholarly
information and the service experience. Synthesis calls for building a comparative
framework that enables the individual to analyze a wide variety of social settings
through the development and use of a common core of critical thinking skills.
I recommend keeping a journal of your experience. Examples of the kinds of
information to include in your journal are: the specific tasks that your perform during
your volunteerism, how the organization and your work relate to the scholarly
information that we cover in the course and your experiences. Use your journal as a tool
to integrate and synthesis your experiences and your learning on “micro” and “macro”
levels.
Key questions are:
1. What seems to be the chief demographic characteristics of the families
that the organization serves (Items to keep in mind here include not only
family size but also the number and age of children, the marital status,
educational attainment and age of the family members, structure of
family, including income, and other information that you think is
important.
2. What specific challenges do these families face? (Examples of the kind of
information that is pertinent here includes whether the families that are
served by the organization typically live in high-crime areas, must
overcome language barriers or confront stereotypes, or deal with health
problems among family members.)
3. What are the strengths of the families?
Sociology 35 Martinez, G. Essay Assignment 20% of the grade Due June 3rd, 2002
4. Which theoretical frameworks, or outlooks (goals and objectives), that
form the structure and goals of the organization? What problems does
the organization address? What services and programs does the
organization provide to families? How do the families learn about these
services and programs?
5. What are the major characteristics of the culture of the organization.
6. How successful is the organization in supply assistance to the families
that is targets?
7. What recommendations can you make for improving the success rate of
the organization. (e.g. Do some families fall through the cracks?, Is the
organization efficient?, Do employees view families in a negative way?
How can it be improved overall?
Essay Topic #3. Oral History Essay: The Family
Interview a family or a family member and apply sociological theories and concepts
to gain a grater understanding of the dynamics of the family. Keep in mind that
interviewing requires active listening and probe with follow-up questions to
facilitate the flow of the information. If the interviewee doesn’t want to answer any
questions or appears uneasy about discussing a topic, drop the question. Be a
responsible interviewer and do not invade their privacy. ** Remember** this a
student project, not a therapy session please be professional. In the paper, do not use
the real names of the respondent. If you are planning to tape record the
conversation first ask for the respondent’s permission. Give them pseudonyms to
protect their identity.
Begin by introducing yourself and describe that the purpose of the interview is for a
writing assignment for your sociology 35 class. Feel free to use the questions in the
guidelines for essay topic #1.
The following are suggested open-ended questions:
1. What is your family background? Ask about love and intimacy
too.
2. What did the family consist of? Ask about extended family
members
3. Who worked in the family? Ask about employment histories.
4. What were some of the myths and family traditions?
5. What are some of the social forces that your family had to
confront and accommodate to? Ask about difficult circumstance
that family had to endure.