Introducing...
YOU! (and Sociology!)
As students enter, please follow the instructions below:
1. iPad and Blog
Take out your iPad, open http://sociologysal.blogspot.com/ and bookmark it. I will post lessons on the blog each day. If you miss a class or, if you are simply not sure what the lesson was about, go to my blog page to review the lesson from that day.
HW: There are three items for homework posted at the bottom of this page. The Teen-Parent conflict article is an important touchstone that we will use throughout this unit. Please read it carefully!
2. Student Demographics Survey
I want to get to know each of you better as an individual, so please answer this demographic survey. It is only for me. Please share as much info as you are comfortable sharing.
3. Syllabus
If you finished 1 and 2 above, please begin reading the syllabus which is one of your homework assignments.
----------PAUSE----------
Fired Up?
Bell
I had you fill out the survey above because I wanted to get to know you as an individual. My question now is, are you, in fact, an individual? What makes you an individual? Please answer individually for all of the numbered boldface questions below. I will do this for each lesson of ours. Click on the link below and open the Google Form in a new window. Then read along with the blog and answer questions in the order that they come up.
Here is the Google Form for today's lesson. Please open it in a new window. Answer numbers 1 and 2 and then return to this blog page.
1. Do you think you are an individual? Why or why not?
2. What do you think it means to be an individual?
Sociology
Background: The Creation of Sociology as an Academic Discipline
Sociology was created as a reaction to the profound changes during the late 16th and 17th centuries, especially: The Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution.
The Scientific Revolution established the scientific method as a standard for understanding the world.
The Enlightenment put forth the concept of individuality and the nature of human beings.
And, The Industrial Revolution brought about changes from:
Pre-industrial to Post-industrial
- an agricultural to an industrial economy
- rural to urban living
- a cottage system to a factory system method of production
- group identity (tribe, religion, nation, family) to a belief in individualism
The conglomeration of these changes took hold during the 1800s in Europe. Three important scholars used the scientific method to study the changes of the industrial revolution and challenge the assumptions about individuality and the Enlightenment. This inspired the beginning of sociology as a social science discipline. Each of the three scholars' theories led to the foundational structure that sociology still uses today.
The Western world in general, particularly Americans, like to believe that they are individual and unique. This idea stemmed from the Enlightenment. Many scholars at the time doted on the idea that each person is unique and each person is free to choose whoever they want to be.
However, shortly after the Enlightenment, the industrial revolution changed the way people lived and it showed that individuals are shaped a great deal by their social circumstances and not just by their own free choice. We will learn more about this in the lessons to come, but for today, see this idea exemplified in the student demographic sheet you filled out.
People are shaped by structures of society and their place within the structure. The place you were born and the culture you were born into will shape how you think, talk, and what opportunities you have. Families, schools, jobs, politics and media all influence how you see the world and what you value and how you think. Additionally, your race, gender, social class all shape how you see yourself and how others see you. Sometimes that can result in others treating you differently based on those identities. All of this is sociological. Sociology is scientifically studying how these groups in society affect the individuals within them and the obstacles and opportunities they will face because of their group identities.
3. Any questions about what sociology is?
Syllabus
4. Any questions about the syllabus?
Teen-Parent Conflicts
5. Identify some conflicts you have with your parents. What are they about?
Discuss as a group:
- Do you think these conflicts are personal?
- What is difficult about being a teen?
HW1: IMPORTANT Read Parent-teen Conflicts by Stephanie Coontz.
This is an important reading for this first unit. Please be sure to read and understand it thoroughly. It will help make the rest of the lessons this unit easier.
Before you read, think about your answer to number 5 above. As you read, think about what Coontz attributes the conflicts to. What is her overall thesis? Can you apply Coontz's theory to your own parent conflicts?
HW2: Read the full syllabus.
PRO TIP: ALWAYS read your syllabus for college. When asking your professors a question about the class, be sure to mention (and demonstrate) that you read the syllabus before asking them.
HW3: Name Survey
For homework, please survey your family about why you were named the legal name that you have. If you have a nickname, please ask about that as well. How and why did you get these names? Is there a symbolic meaning to your name or why you were named that?
No comments:
Post a Comment