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SCENARIO: Imagine that you work for a nonprofit organization that is focused on increasing diversity in community groups in your area. Your supervisor asks you to develop a sociological study concerning topics of diversity and collaboration in a specific community group of your choice. Eventually, you will prepare to share your research with colleagues.
ASSIGNMENT: For Touchstone 1, you will begin by formulating a question about diversity in a community group that you have access to. Then you will use the steps of the scientific method to prepare a research plan, including a bibliography for a literature review. As you learned, sociologists follow the scientific method so that their results are both scientifically valid and useful to the greater sociological community. A literature review allows researchers to learn from completed studies and to build upon their conclusions.
HINT
For Touchstone 3 which will be completed later in Unit 3, you must incorporate your selected community group and research question from Touchstone 1 to conduct a literature review and develop your hypothesis and research plan.
Use the following Touchstone 1 template to fill in your research plan as you develop it. When you have finished, submit this template to move on to the next unit.
A. Directions
Step 1: Pick a Topic
Select a community group to study. Some examples of community groups you might explore include:
An activity-based group like a book club, a soccer team, or a community choir
A religious or ideological community such as a church congregation or a local political party
A community organization like a Parent Teacher Association (PTA), a neighborhood association, or the volunteer committee at a local soup kitchen
An identity-based organization such as a social club for veterans or a fraternal type organization
It should be a group in which membership is voluntary and recreational.
Avoid the following:
Families
Workplaces
Ethnic or racial categories
Friend groups
You might wish to choose a group that you are a part of, or you might not. You can use your personal experience with the group to form the basis of your research question. Or you can ask members of the group about their experiences, which will help you develop your research question.
In the template, write a paragraph (approximately 6-8 sentences) describing the community group you have chosen. In particular, be sure to answer the following questions:
What is the community group?
What are the attributes or characteristics of this community group? (e.g. What activities does this group do together? What element of the members’ interests or identities brings them together? How is membership in the group defined, if at all?)
What kind of experience with or access to this community group do you have?
HINT
You will use this same topic in Touchstone 3 when you present your research plan.
Step 2: Ask a Question
Next, you will formulate a question related to this group, and to topics related to diversity and/or collaboration. You might think about diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, socioeconomic status, or along multiple intersecting identities. Be sure to use what you learned in Unit 1 about the ways sociologists ask questions.
Examples:
What are the challenges of a mom’s community organization in appealing to moms with children of different ages?
How does a group of car enthusiasts reach out to the surrounding community to get support for their events?
How has the Boy Scouts accepting girls impacted their mission and programs?
Do gender segregated sports teams for kids help maintain traditional gender roles?
In the template, write the question you have formulated for your study. Be sure to identify the Independent and Dependent variables and identify them correctly. (HINT: Refer back to Lesson 1.3.3: Asking Questions and Lesson 1.3.5: Formulating a Hypothesis for help.)
Step 3: Prepare a Bibliography
Finally, you will begin developing a bibliography for a review of the existing literature that relates to your question. Before conducting a full literature review, a sociologist will build a bibliography, or a list of potential sources that they will read and study in greater depth in the review.
Collect 4-6 articles, books, or other resources that relate to your question and list them in your template. You don’t have to look into these materials in depth right now! You’ll review this literature more closely in Touchstone 3, and you will also be exposed to additional relevant research and frameworks in Unit 3. You’ll also be able to add to or amend your bibliography before you submit Touchstone 3 in Unit 3.
Attributes of good readings for your literature review:
They are academic, scholarly works about research findings or they are reliable journalistic reporting based on scientifically credible and reliable data.
They should have been published in the last 10 years—unless they are a landmark work on the topic and provide important background or as a comparison.
They look at different sides of the argument and a variety of perspectives.
They do not have to be written by sociologists or published in sociology journals, but they should be academic and not popular works.
Where to find readings:
More than likely you will use a major search engine like Google Scholar. Start your search by identifying key search terms related to your research question, to generate relevant results. Google Scholar specifically searches scholarly literature. However, keep in mind that much of this literature may have limited or paid access. Another good place to search is in a public library or university library catalog or database. You might also want to try regular Google, but you will have to be careful to screen your results and make sure you only select academic sources. Whichever way you choose to search, make sure that you are selecting credible sources.

Record your daily or weekly activities under the appropriate categories. Use the sample for formatting only.  Be consistent and honest about how you spend your time. Include details like the duration of activities, the people involved, and any relevant notes. Choose one day for each of the four weeks. Each day (total of 4) should be 1 page. If you need to choose two days in one week, that’s fine.
Use this format to organize your information.
Week 1: Tuesday or any day you choose
Personal Details:
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Marital Status:
Children:
Work Details:
Occupation:
Organization:
Responsibilities:
Accomplishments:
Daily, weekly, or lifetime achievements
Week 2: Thursday or any day you choose
Personal Details:
Example: Celebrated wedding anniversary.
Set aside time for self-care and relaxation.
Work Details:
Accomplishments:
Week 3: Saturday or any day you choose
Personal Details:
Work Details:
Accomplishments:
Week 4: Monday or any day you choose
Personal Details:
Work Details:
Accomplishments:
Address the following:
How does your work-life balance compare to societal norms and expectations?
Are there gender or social class disparities in your time allocation?
Do your activities reinforce or challenge prevailing social norms?
Be consistent and honest about how you spend your time. Include details like the duration of activities, the people involved, and any relevant notes. Using your text, slides, and other sociology tools, discuss the concepts that apply.
I want to read about your daily life, using the sample format, based on sociological concepts from the modules. You should use your text, slides, and videos to explain, sociologically, what occurs for you on a daily basis. This is a 100-point assignment. I expect a thorough explanation that indicates your knowledge of our course material. I am interested in the concepts you discuss.
For full points, this is what I expect:
Demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of sociological concepts, theories, and perspectives.
Provides insightful analysis of the intersection between work and life, considering factors such as gender, class, race, globalization, and technology.
Number your paper or use bullet points. Do not turn in a long essay.
Feel free to reach out for further clarification.
Possible sociological concepts to incorporate (examples from the hospitality industry):
1.Wage Disparities: Gender-based wage disparities are common in the hospitality industry. Women, on average, earn less than their male counterparts for performing the same or similar roles. This wage gap is often attributed to biases and stereotypes that suggest women are less capable or committed to their work.
2.Occupational Segregation: The hospitality industry tends to have occupational segregation, where women are concentrated in lower-paying and less prestigious roles, such as waitstaff, housekeeping, or administrative positions. Men are more likely to hold higher-paying and leadership positions, such as chefs, general managers, and bartenders.
3.Glass Ceiling: Women often face a “glass ceiling” in the industry, which limits their access to upper management and executive positions. Discriminatory practices and biases can prevent women from advancing in their careers, despite their qualifications and experience.
4.Sexual Harassment: The hospitality industry has a reputation for being rife with sexual harassment. Women, particularly those in front-line and service roles, frequently experience sexual harassment from both customers and colleagues. This creates a hostile work environment and can deter women from pursuing careers in the industry.
5.Uniform and Appearance Policies: Some businesses within the hospitality sector impose gender-specific dress codes, makeup requirements, or appearance standards, reinforcing traditional gender norms and potentially discriminating against employees who don’t conform to these standards.
6.Limited Work-Life Balance: Many jobs in the hospitality industry, especially management and supervisory positions, require long and irregular hours. This can disproportionately affect women, particularly those with caregiving responsibilities, leading to work-life balance challenges and career setbacks.
7.Underrepresentation: Women, particularly women of color, are underrepresented in leadership and decision-making positions within the industry. This lack of representation can perpetuate gender discrimination and make it difficult to address issues effectively.
Example:
Week1: September 18th-24th
● Personal details:
○ Name: Elias
○ Age: 23
○ Gender: Male
○ Marital Status: Single
○ Children: None
● Work details
○ Occupations: Ambassador and Lot Monitor
○ Organization: Public Works
○ Responsibilities:
■ Ambassador:
● Welcoming visitors and tourists and answering public inquiries.
Explaining policy and procedures and assisting the public
regarding points of interest in the City and near the downtown
corridor.
● Observe and report conditions throughout the downtown corridor
to the appropriate City department or agency. The downtown
corridor encompasses the 0 – 1300 blocks of State Street (Cabrillo
Boulevard to Sola Street).
● Regular contact with State Street businesses, relaying any issues to
appropriate work groups.
● Working with local organizations to connect the homeless to
resources and help.
● Reporting hazards and vandalism in the public.
● Support the City of Santa Barbara by equitably and consistently
educating the public on municipal codes.
■ Lot Monitor:
● The typical day as a Lot Monitor will include assisting customers
with fee payments, providing directions, answering basic questions
about Santa Barbara, and maintaining a balanced register. As well
as either opening or closing the parking lots by yourself, whether
it’s a morning shift or night shift.
● Accomplishments: I set good habits that will support me in creating a healthy, happy,
successful life, long into the future.
Week 2: September 25th-October 1st
● Personal details:
○ Health: Exercise and fitness
■ Jogging and the gym
■ Duration: 7 hours/week
■ Workout Routine: Jogging for 1 hour 2 times a week. And strength
training 4 times a week at the gym
■ Workout Partner: Solo
○ Hobbies:
■ Hiking
● Duration: 4/hours per week
● Trail: I pick 2 random pages from my hiking trail book, this week
was Arroyo Burro Beach Loop and Sweetwater trail at Cachuma
Lake
● Companion: My dog Apollo
● Work Details:
○ Engaging with homeless individuals and connecting them to available resources,
shelters, or support services.
■ Providing information on available meals and social service programs.
○ Opened the parking lots at 7am a couple days this week, which allowed me to get
schoolwork done as it’s super quiet in the early morning’s as I “monitored” the
lots.
● Accomplishments:
○ Being persistent with me healthy activities.
Week 3: October 2nd-8th
● Personal details:
○ Studying:
■ Duration: 9 hours/week
■ Description: I had a midterm for my PSY 200 course that I received a
really good grade on, as mentioned under accomplishments.
○ Health: Exercise and fitness
■ Jogging and the gym
■ Duration: 7 hours/week
■ Workout Routine: Jogging for 1 hour 2 times a week. And strength
training 4 times a week at the gym
■ Workout Partner: Solo
○ Self-Care and Hobbies:
■ Duration: 8 hours/week
■ Description: I allocate time to relax by playing video games which helps
me de-stress and unwind.
■ Duration: 8 hours/ week
■ Description: I allocate time to read books which also help me to unwind
during my free time. I’m currently reading Beloved, by Toni Morrison.
● Work details:
○ Granada event shift: I assisted in selling event tickets at Lot 6 as well as traffic
control; along with answering questions about city policies, parking regulations,
and event schedules.
○ Engaging with homeless individuals and connecting them to available resources,
shelters, or support services.
● Accomplishments: I received a 39/40 on my PSY200 midterm.
Week 4: October 9th-15th
● Personal details:
○ Birthday
■ BBQ/Family time
● Duration: 5 hours
● Menu: Tri-tip, beans and rice, garlic bread, salad, fruits, chips and
salsa, and homemade apple pie
● Family Members: Myself, Parents, and grandparents from dad’s
side.
● Received a gift card for my present
○ Cousin’s birthday
■ Dinner
● Benchmark Eatery on State Street
● Duration: 2.5 hours
● I had a burger and fries, and churros for dessert
● Family members: 11( her birthday is one day after mine so my
mom’s side of the family was here for both me and my cousin’s
birthday)
● Received gift cards and $$
○ Fishing
■ Duration: 7am-1pm
■ Location: Cachuma Lake
■ Companions: mom, dad , dog
■ Can be applied to gender socialization as this is something that me, my
father, my grandpa, great grandpa etc, all started doing in their early
childhood.
○ Health: Exercise and fitness
■ Jogging and the gym
■ Duration: 7 hours/week
■ Workout Routine: Jogging for 1 hour 2 times a week. And strength
training 4 times a week at the gym
● My jogging routine consists of starting from old coast highway and
going right towards the beach until i hit the rainbow monument
and then back home
■ Workout Partner: Solo
● Work details:
○ Engaging with homeless individuals and connecting them to available resources,
shelters, or support services.
○ Addressing issues related to public behavior, such as loitering, public intoxication,
or panhandling, while emphasizing compliance with local laws.
○ I had 2 Lot monitor shifts in the early morning and was able to read my book,
Beloved, that I started reading last week along with taking notes for school. With
the occasional need to help a customer exit the lot due to them not understanding
how the automation system works.
● Accomplishments: I helped transients receive the resources and support they needed.
● How does your work-life balance compare to societal norms and expectations?
○ I’d like to say that my work-life balance aligns with current societal norms
because I prioritize physical health through regular exercise and healthy hobbies,
emphasizing the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.
○ Additionally, I set time aside for self-care, including leisure activities like playing
video games and reading which highlights the importance of relaxation and
personal interests.
○ Also, the flexibility I have due to automation systems at my Lot Monitor job
further enhances my work-life balance, this is in line with contemporary
technological advancements which strive to enable us.
○ Furthermore, my work-life balance of two jobs and being a part-time student
further align with societal norms and expectations, which often demand a strong
work ethic and multitasking in the pursuit of personal and professional growth.
This conformity to societal norms is consistent with the sociological concept of
role strain, where individuals manage multiple roles and responsibilities to meet
the demands of modern society. It reflects the prevailing social norm of
productivity, self-improvement, and self-sufficiency, reinforcing the idea that
individual success is achieved through hard work and perseverance.
○ I think that my interactions with tourists and international visitors as an
Ambassador connects me to the broader context of globalization. This can be
further illustrated since Santa Barbara’s status as a tourist destination highlights
how local work can have global implications.
● Are there gender or social class disparities in your time allocation?
○ While my reported time allocation doesn’t reveal explicit gender disparities in my
activities, sociological research indicates that gender disparities may exist in
various work-life situations, even if they don’t directly apply to my case. Gender
socialization and societal expectations can lead to different roles and
responsibilities for men and women, impacting their work-life balance. Likewise,
social class considerations are relevant.
○ Also, my living arrangement as a Mexican American student living at home(not
mentioned prior, wasn’t sure where to fit it in) can be analyzed in the context of
social stratification. Many students, especially those from working-class
backgrounds, continue to live with their families to manage educational costs,
highlighting the impact of social class on housing and education choices.
● Do your activities reinforce or challenge prevailing social norms?
○ I’d say my job as an ambassador both reinforces and challenges prevailing social
norms. One of my duties is engaging with the homeless population by connecting
these individuals to resources, shelters, and support services which reinforces the
social norm of compassion and assistance to those in need, effectively challenging
the stereotypes and stigmas associated with homelessness. To better explain, this
aligns with the sociological concept of social norms and deviance, where my
actions challenge societal norms by offering support and understanding to a
marginalized group.
○ But at the same time, my work touches on conflict theory, where I address social
inequalities by connecting homeless individuals to services and potentially
challenging the status quo. This reflects the sociological theory of conflict theory,
which highlights how the distribution of resources and power can lead to social
conflicts. By connecting homeless individuals to services, I contribute to
addressing social inequalities and potentially disrupting the existing structures.
○ Lastly, my involvement in family gatherings and the tradition of celebrating
special occasions together reflects the importance of family as a core social
institution, particularly seen in most Mexican culture, and the tradition of
celebrating special occasions together.
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