“What would be the benefits of taking a course in sociology?”

This week you are being introduced to the topic of Sociology

Imagine that you were asked by another student, “What would be the benefits of taking a course in sociology?” Explain how and why sociology can transform the way someone sees the world.

• Define in your own words the sociological perspective.
• Discuss how one of the social science perspectives you read about in the course materials (Functionalism, Conflict, Symbolic Interactionism) could be applied to ONE topic/issue of your choice.

Here are some examples: How might a sociologist look at the role of “family” in your society? What might be some important sociological questions about the education system in your country? What would a sociologist say about the use of illicit drugs in your society?

This week we will discuss how sociologists conduct research.

Imagine you are a sociologist about to embark on a research project. What overall research question would you be interesting in pursuing? Using the information from the learning resources this week, please include the following information in your response:

• How would you approach your research on that question?
• What process would you use to gather information?
• What type of research method do you think would be most applicable to your topic? Why did you select that research method?
• What ethical issues would you need to address in pursuing this research? Make sure to refer to the learning resources to respond to this question.

This week you read about the concept of culture. Culture shock can often occur when you come into contact with a culture or subculture that is very different from your own.

Please share an example of culture shock that you have experienced. Why do you think you felt this way?

Make sure to bring in the course concepts you have been reading about this week such as cultural norms, values, mores, theories, etc.