Part 1 In the Week 3, you imagined you were a sociologist who works for an elected official and has been assigned the task of identifying an important example of social stratification that impacts the

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Part 1

In the Week 3, you imagined you were a sociologist who works for an elected official and has been assigned the task of identifying an important example of social stratification that impacts the elected official’s constituency. This week, you will return to your memo and take a more intersectional perspective to the social issue you discussed in week 3. After you have read the textbook and lectures assigned for this week, draft a 2-4 paragraph memo that accomplishes the following:

  1. Identifies at least one example of social stratification in your community.
  2. Defines intersectionality with correct APA citation.
  3. Discusses other intersecting forms of oppression and/or privilege that should be considered in addition to class when analyzing the issue, such as race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexuality, and/or disability. Explains why it is an important consideration.

Part 2

This week, you will submit a rough draft of your final project in this course by developing one of the short answer questions from the worksheets in weeks 2 and 3 or the analysis of the social issue you analyzed in the week 3 and 4 discussion into a draft essay of at least 400 words.

Choose one (1) of the following topics:    

  1. Do you agree with the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis that language shapes our perception of ourselves and of our reality? Why or why not? For example, does language impact how we think about gender, race, and/or ethnicity? If so, how so? If not, why not?
  2. Explain the concept of culture shock by imagining that a person who lived in the United States in the 1860s time traveled to the United States of today. What are some aspects of American culture that might shock this visitor? Are there any aspects of American culture that might not be surprising? If you were the time traveler, do you think you would adapt to modern American culture, or would you engage in ethnocentrism?
  3. What does “socialization” mean? Why is the family considered by most sociologists and psychologists to be the most important agent of socialization? Do you agree? What do you think are some other significant agents of socialization?
  4. Consider the psychological and sociological theories of human development and socialization. Which do you find the most compelling, and why? Be sure to briefly explain the theory you chose in your response.
  5. What does Max Weber mean by the term “life chances?” Do you think life chances impact social stratification in the United States? Why or why not? Try and develop your response with concrete, real-life examples from your life, culture, and community.
  6. What does it mean to say that race is a social construct? Does this mean that race is not real? Why or why not?
  7. Consider the functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist approaches to racial and ethnic relations. Which do you find most compelling, and why?
  8. Define ethnic pluralism and discuss what might be necessary to achieve it in the United States.
  9. Imagine you are a sociologist who works for an elected official who has no background in sociology or a related field. You have been assigned the task of identifying an important example of social stratification that impacts the elected official’s constituency. Identify two sociological approaches that would take different approaches to the issue and develop an essay that compares and contrasts how you think the perspectives might analyze and approach the example of social stratification you discussed in your memo.

Here are the guidelines for your essay draft:

  • Your draft should have a thesis statement, i.e. the main point of your essay.
  • Your draft should have at least four paragraphs: (1) an introductory paragraph that engages the reader and discusses why the topic is important; (2) two supporting body paragraphs that develop the main point, and (3) a concluding paragraph.
  • Your introductory paragraph should engage the reader and discuss why the topic is important.
  • Please include a list of References that you plan to use. At minimum, you should include the textbook and at least one of the online lecture pages in correct APA citation. If you can identify a scholarly article from the South University online library that is relevant to your topic, great! If not, your instructor will assist you in identifying a relevant scholarly article.

It is recommended that you also submit your rough draft to our tutoring services for additional feedback. The LIVE Tutoring link in the course navigation bar is a free essay review service accessed right from your classroom. It is easy to submit a draft for review and get extra feedback sent directly to your email inbox!