Category: Sociology

1. What does this episode teach us about society? 2. What information is presented? 3. How was the information gathered? 4. What is the perspective of the hosts or story-tellers? 5. In what ways is the episode a commentary on society? 6. Does the narrative have some historical and/ or cultural significance? 7. What additional thoughts and opinions you have about the episode? What did it make you think about?

Discussion – Ethics! 
2525 unread replies.2525 replies.
Hi everyone,
Thank you all for your great introductions. It looks like we are getting to a point where everyone is on board and ready to start taking off with the course! This week’s discussion centers around ethics and research. You are welcome to talk broadly and share big general ideas, but I am also giving you a specific case to help get the conversation started. You will earn 6 points for posting a thoughtful response and then an additional 4 points for posting a response for one of your class mates. There are a total of 10 points possible. To repeat:
6 points – initial response
4 points – response to a classmate’s post 
10 points – TOTAL
A sociologist named Humphreys conducted research where he observed men having sex with other men in public restrooms. He built report with the men and eventually became a ‘lookout’. He would stand outside and keep watch to make sure no unsuspecting people ventured in to the bathroom during the exchanges. The men did not know that Humphreys was a researcher. He would observe their behavior and also collect information such as their license plate numbers. Later he would pose as an interviewer and go to their homes in disguise to collect seemingly harmless interview data. He would make interesting observations about the mens marital status and other characteristics (many were married to women and seemed to live double lives). Humphreys argued that he never violated any of the subjects because he kept their identities private and did actually observe them in public areas. 
What do you think? 
The question this week is what lines should be drawn with research from an ethics standpoint? Is it ethical to study people without letting them know that you are doing so? Where do you draw the line? People watching on the train? Participating in an illegal gambling ring? Selling drugs to learn about the drug trade? 

Instructions.  In this section about gender, you were assigned two selected readings about biology and gender (The Five Sexes and Does Finger Size Reveal Sexual Orientation), and two readings about structure and gender (Gender and Sport; and Language, Gender, and Power).  Using these readings, explain one thing you learned about the relationship between the individual and structure in each reading (Note: This is a reference to the sociological imagination. Be sure to integrate sociological information from each selected reading into your response. 
Specifications: Minimum 900 words or approximately three completed pages; double spaced; and grammatically correct. Must submit in .pdf; .docx; .odt, .rtf or other application that is compatible with Blackboard dropbox.  

Read the Guidelines
– the paper must have everything included 
– must sound like you were taken part of the Internships 

In an essay, compare and contrast how agents of socialization impacted your life when you were a high school student and now as a college student. Be sure to define the term agents of socializationand identify the specific categories of agents of socialization in your response.

Our assignment this week allows us to see our weekly objectives being applied in “real time”! Step 1: Choose 2 different avenues within the internet which you currently utilize on a regular basis. This could include social media (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, etc.), a standard search tool within your preferred browser (i.e. Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.), or specific stores, restaurants, or subscriiptions to specific sites.
Step 2: Utilizing the 2 avenues chosen from step 1, address the following:
· Search a basic topic(s) in both avenues that interests you. This could be searching a social media site for a specific location, group, or service needed; a search through the internet about a topic you would like to know more about; or searching a specific item within one of your subscribed stores/restaurants/subscriiptions.
· Make note of any ads/pop-ups that you see throughout your two different searches.
· WAIT at least one day, and connect back into your social media site, specific locations in which you performed the initial search AND your personal email. Make note of any NEW ads/pop-ups you see that were not delivered to you within your initial search. Look in your spam/junk emails and note how many of those emails delivered AFTER the initial searches connect with the topic you searched.
Step 3: Present your findings with the class! ***( will need a transcriipt to perform this)++ This presentation can be in the form of a PowerPoint with voice-over, or a speech delivered through video (YouTube). Within your presentation, please be sure to maintain individual privacy while sharing the following results:
· Which two avenues were utilized to perform your searches? What topic(s) was/were searched?
· As you read through material provided from your searches, what type of ads/pop-ups did you see within both avenues used for your searches? Did it make a difference if you were searching from your cell phone, tablet, or computer?
· After your waiting period from the initial searches, what ads/pop-ups/emails did you see that were directly related to your searches? Were those ads/pop-ups/emails different than the ones recognized initially? Did they originate from the same entity (companies/websites), or were there additional entities (companies/websites) included after that wait period? · Share how you recognized the application of “nudging” applied after your searches. Did those “nudges” entice you to continue your search/make additional choices or purchases? Did you ever feel your privacy was violated after recognizing how the algorithms and “nudges” were related directly to your original searches? Explain why you feel this way.
· Suggest in your own opinion how the current laws/regulations regarding the application of these algorithms should be changed (or should they?) to maintain our individual privacy over the internet.

Assessment 3 follows on from Assessment 2, the research proposal. Assessment 3 is a research essay on a topic within the sociology of knowledge. You should choose something that is of interest to you. And you should avoid topics that are either too large or too small and difficult to find resources on.
You should set out the major question or questions that you are seeking to answer, and tell the reader why these are important. 
You should summarize some of the important literature around the topic. Here, database searches should be very helpful. I find both Proquest and Web of Science very useful. 
You may be guided by certain paradigms or concepts, and you should outline these. Here, you could draw on the work that you did for Assessment 1. 
There are a variety of types of essays that would work for this piece of assessment. You might choose a topic that allows you to identify a corpus of work that you could analyze. Or your essay may be more theoretical, seeking to explain and evaluate a particular knowledge issue. 
To help you choose a topic, look through your lecture notes, as well as the required and recommended readings. 
The following are examples drawn from topics covered in the lectures:
“Cultural Marxism” within far-Right discourse;
Transformations in religious belief in this country;
“Resilience” as a contemporary keyword; 
Indigenous thought and science in Aotearoa; 
Memes as modes of knowledge circulation;
Utopian appeals in National Party campaigning; 
Debates over “toxic masculinity”;
The role of certain intellectuals and organizations in neo-liberalization in Aotearoa; 
The role of mindfulness in contemporary counselling practice; 
Colonial monuments and memory in Aotearoa;
Bodily knowledge and martial arts;
Debates around “culture wars”, such as disagreements over “cancel culture”.
We will have a Zoom workshop on this assessment. I will post the details as an announcement on Nuku. You are also free to contact me to discuss your topic.  
This was my assesment two: ‘Woke,’ originally an African American colloquial expression, has transcended its initial context to become a significant keyword in broader cultural and political discourse. This term now encapsulates a complex spectrum of social awareness and progressive viewpoints, often associated with social justice movements (Gonazles, 2023). Given its pervasive influence, it is critical to examine how social media platforms have catalysed the evolution and dissemination of ‘woke’ ideology. This study aims to dissect the mechanisms through which social media contributes to the shaping and contestation of ‘woke’ ideology, reflecting on its implications for societal norms and political debates (Castells, 2013). 
Research Questions:
How has ‘woke’ emerged and evolved within cultural and political debates on social media?
What roles do social media platforms play in both the spread and contestation of ‘woke’ ideology, influencing public perception and discourse?
Literature Review:
The literature on the intersection of ideology and social media highlights the transformative role of digital platforms in shaping public discourse. Studies such as those by Tufekci (2017) demonstrate how social media facilitates rapid ideological dissemination, allowing movements like Black Lives Matter to gain prominence and redefine terms such as ‘woke’ (Jackson Et al., 2018). However, while existing research explores the mobilisation aspects of social media, there needs to be a discernible gap in understanding how these platforms also serve as battlegrounds for ideological contestation and resistance (Van Dijck, 2013). Few studies delve into the nuanced ways social media may simultaneously empower and undermine ‘woke’ ideology, particularly in how counter-narratives are formed and spread (Benkler Et al., 2018). This research aims to fill these gaps by analysing the dual role of social media in promoting and challenging ‘woke’ ideology, providing a comprehensive view of its impact on cultural and political landscapes.
Theoretical Framework:
This research will be grounded in Karl Mannheim’s theory of ideologies, which suggests that ideologies are not mere reflections of social conditions but active forces shaping societal structures (Mannheim, 1936). Mannheim’s insights into ideologies’ conscious and unconscious influences on behaviour and thought processes are particularly pertinent to understanding how ‘woke’ functions within social media environments (Loader & Mercea, 2011). Complementarily, Raymond Williams’ concept of keywords will be used to analyse the evolution of ‘woke’ from a linguistic perspective. Williams’ methodology focuses on how certain terms capture and reflect the complex interplay of social forces at particular historical moments, providing a nuanced tool for dissecting the cultural shifts associated with ‘woke’ (Williams, 1976).
Methodology:
This study will utilise qualitative content analysis to systematically examine the text of social media posts, comments, and hashtags on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, focusing specifically on those related to ‘woke’ ideology. This analysis will identify prevalent themes, frequency of terms, and the context in which discussions occur, helping to map out how ‘woke’ is portrayed and engaged with online (Krippendorff, 2013). Additionally, discourse analysis will be employed to delve deeper into the linguistic and structural elements of communication, uncovering underlying narratives and counter-narratives (Fairclough, 1992). This approach will allow for a detailed understanding of the rhetorical strategies and framing techniques used by different social media actors in shaping or contesting ‘woke’ ideology (van Dijk, 2015).
Expected Outcomes:
This study expects to uncover how social media both promotes and undermines ‘woke’ ideology, illustrating its complex role as a battleground for ideological contestation. The findings will likely highlight the nuanced ways digital platforms facilitate discourse evolution, enabling both the reinforcement and critical reassessment of contemporary social and political ideologies.
Conclusion: 
This research will contribute to the sociology of knowledge by elucidating the dynamic role of social media in shaping contemporary ideological formations. It will underscore how digital platforms disseminate and critically shape and contest ideologies, significantly influencing societal discourse and cultural evolution.

Text:    Steinberg, Laurence. 2023. Adolescence.
13th Ed. McGraw Hill.
Second, students will turn in a précis (pronounced pray-see)
for each textbook chapter covered in the syllabus. A précis is a summary
of an article, chapter, or other written work.  For this class, a précis
is a summary of a textbook chapter.  You can format your précis in a
couple of different ways; 1) a narrative outline, in which you structure the
précis as an outline, but include narrative explanation of important points; or
2) a narrative summary, in which you format the précis in paragraphs explaining
the important points.  Either format is fine.
I think the
easiest way to complete the précis is to read through the chapter and when you
come to an important point, highlight it (there will be many important
points).  When you have finished reading the chapter, go back and type up
the things you highlighted in whatever format you choose, with narrative in
your own words. A thorough précis will be at least 3 full pages, double-spaced,
and will usually be longer.
Precis are not
meant to torture students. The purpose of a precis is to help you summarize and
synthesize course material. Think of a precis as a study guide for the chapter.
Imagine that you have an exam coming up that allows whatever notes you want to
bring. The precis should be those notes.

Create a sociological research project from Chile that includes demography, economics, and political science. The project must incorporate statistical, quantitative, and qualitative data.

For your final paper, I expect you to engage with, and demonstrate an adequate understanding of, one or more of the texts on race, gender, class, and intersectionality covered in this class. This also means working with the concepts associated with that text/perspective. For example, if you choose to write about an individual author like W. E. B. Du Bois, I expect that you’ll discuss at least some of his key concepts (e.g., the veil, double consciousness) as they become relevant when fleshing out your argument. If you choose, for example, to analyze the Black Lives Matter Movement through an intersectional lens, I expect you to address some of the different axes of oppression (e.g., race, class, gender, sexuality, and/or disability) that are central to the concept of intersectionality.
Beyond these minimal expectations, you will have the freedom to reflect on the main aspects of this course in any number of creative ways. Potentially fruitful paper ideas include:
Critique: assess the strengths and weaknesses of a certain text or framework covered in class
Compare/contrast: discuss the similarities and differences between two texts or approaches; assess their relative strengths and weaknesses
Application: use a particular text or framework covered in class to explain some current event or social problem (e.g., police violence, education inequality, sexual harassment, etc.)
After the proposal and peer review processes, you will complete a full, five- to ten-page, double-spaced paper. I will be available to work with you further as you construct your final draft. You are encouraged but not required to send me a rough draft at any point prior to the final deadline, and I will try to give you prompt feedback. Note that I may or may not have time to provide you with detailed feedback on more than one of your drafts.
References Required: 
Simone De Beauvoir, “The Second Sex” 
Candance West and Don H.
Zimmerman, “Doing Gender.” 
Judith Lorber, “Night to his Day’: The Social Construction of Gender”
Ive attached the rubric and the reference we need to cite or paraphrase from. Please make sure its a full five pages. 
I have also attached my paper proposal and the feedback my proffesor gave me was this:
This looks very promising so far! It looks like you
have multiple distinct but related ideas floating around, and I’m interested to
see how you pull those together. You might consider reorganizing your
paragraphs to be oriented around different themes (e.g., gender as a social
construct, women’s otherness, etc.) instead of having discrete paragraphs for
summarizing vs. comparing vs. contrasting. Does that make sense? If not let me
know and I can elaborate. Overall, you’re definitely on the right track, and I
look forward to seeing the final version. Feel free to reach out if you have
any questions during the writing process or if you’d like me to take a look at
a rough draft at some point! I should also add that your discussion of Israeli
soldiers and other current events/problems sounds like a good idea and one that
would make a fine topic on its own!
Drop box link refrences:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gqmyk6n0z41x64jevn9m5/West-Gender-1987.pdf?rlkey=okkt29bb0n2l663ybeckc0x3b&st=grdvho73&dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3ak72o6odj8m41mvxm65p/de-Beauvoir-The-Second-Sex-Introduction.pdf?rlkey=6mpser5ijc507f56r1h46o9ft&st=udsfyfey&dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2spc5lig1v1iom3g9df9s/Lorber-Night-to-his-Day.pdf?rlkey=iw5f43o0m6ufyi7w2dclg10fl&st=cwjq0r54&dl=0