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Research Assignment

Assignment:

Go to: www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/Jtypes1.htm

Click on “Do it!”

Take the test and click on, “Score it!”

Print out your results and bring them to class on Monday, April 23rd.

You can use the results of this as a piece of data so as you process it, think about what you learned about yourself and how that might play out in terms of your inquiry.

In addition, bring to class copies of your journal entries so that you can use them in your group discussion together.

Research Journal 3

Assignment:

Given the discussion in your online group and your ongoing reading for your research, bring a revised version of your research question to class on Friday, April 20^th.  This version should be as well worded as you can get it to accurately reflect what it is you will try to explore. In your working group, you will further refine it. Everyone should leave class “good to go” with a research question.

Posting to blackboard: post to your group’s space the “final” wording of your research question. (By Monday at 5 p.m.)

Research Journal 2

Assignment:

Given your topic and your position on it, what areas of your work are you looking to improve or understand better?  What are you genuinely puzzled about? Should be about 1 page.  Post to Google by 5 p.m. the Thursday, April 19^th.

Research Journal 1

Assignment:

Write a “thick description” of why you chose your topic. While it is possibly something you are very familiar with, assume that the reader has no sense of it.  Write your description in such a way as to give the reader a flavor/feel of the topic. You are also involved in the research of the topic so it would be helpful if you included yourself as a participant in the research process as well: what is your position? How do you see it? How do you feel about it?  Aim for about 2 pages.  Post it online by 5 p.m., Friday, April 13^th.

Guide for Selecting A Topic

Culture
Cultural sociology is one of the most commonly used disciplines of sociology. It covers analysis of a society's macro level and micro level cultures, including their values, beliefs, norms, material and non-material culture etc. Normally cultural sociology is read through the eyes of famous sociologists including Marx, Webber and Durkheim. Topics within this area that could be used for your sociology dissertation are:

·         Analyzing the validity and application of Marx's 'Conflict Theory' in society?

·         Is Webber's theory of rationalism applicable to the social structure of the?

·         Analyzing the changing trends of the high culture over the years?

·         Is the popular culture the same as it was few decades ago?

·         What are the impacts of cultural invasion from immigrants on the US's indigenous values, norms and beliefs?

·         What are the dimensions and types of cultural shock that a foreigner from Asia or the US can have?

·         Analyzing the cultural lags in US society?

·         Tracking the changing elements of counterculture in the US?

·         On a geographical basis, what are the different subcultures prevailing in US society?

·         Identifying the positive and negative aspects of inter sub-cultural social interaction.

Education
Sociology of education studies the impact of various social elements on the education system of a society. These elements may include individuals of a society, public policies for education, structure of education and public sector institutes. It includes public sector schools as well as higher, further education and continuing education systems. Topics within the sociology of education that could be used for your sociology dissertation are listed below.

·         A historical study of education and the sociology of its policy in the US since the Second World War?

·         Analyzing the link between a teacher's motivation level and class performance in a public school?

·         Analyzing the structure of the education system in public schools with relevance to socially excluded young people?

·         Examining the structure and impact of social guidance and counseling in primary schools?

·         The effect of the school environment on children's perception of the macro level society?

·         Analyzing the fees/scholarship policies in higher education systems, with relevance to social stratification in US society?

·         Examining and determining the ways and amendments through which a school system itself can narrow the gap in education outcomes for vulnerable groups?

·         Examine the readiness of the public school environment to create and develop inter-faith harmony and understanding among children?

·         Exploring the Marx's Conflict Theory in education - Is the US's public school system maintaining the social status quo?

·         Analyzing the focus of the national curriculum towards sociological outcomes, as compared to economic outcomes, for students?

Religion
Sociology of religion encompasses a vast range of issues related to the impact that different elements create on religion and the impact that religion creates on various social issues. For instance, it includes the study of various beliefs, values and structures of religions in society, along with the impact that social elements like social interaction, media and politics impose on religion. Similarly this field of sociology covers contemporary issues like the impact of social issues like gender, inequality and stereotyping on religion. If the area of sociology of religion interests you when it comes to writing your sociology dissertation, the following topics may prove useful to you.

a.       Comparison of cross-religious beliefs and values in the US.

b.      How have print and electronic media in the US created perceptions about different religions?

c.       Analyzing the common religious grounds for developing inter-faith harmony in the US.

d.      How has social interaction between people from different religious backgrounds lead to religious diffusion?

e.       Analyzing the link between gender and sexual issues with relevance to different religions.

f.       Is there any link between religion and social change?

g.       A critical analysis of religious organizations in the US and their impact on social structure.

h.      Identifying the link between religion and political behavior in the US.

i.        Identifying the impact of religion on marriages in the US.

j.        Exploring the relationship between religion and education as a social institute.

Family and Marriage
This branch of sociology is related to study of a family and marriage system of a society. The topics include the structure of family, number of children in a family, parent-child relationships, intra family gender dynamics, family internal and external social interaction, effect of social change on family, marriage system, dynamics and types of marriage and rituals and post marriage social interaction. This area will enable you to make comparisons between different cultures, or different periods in history. Some possible topics for your sociology dissertation include:

·         Historic analysis of basic family size and structure in the US.

·         Analyzing the impact of periodic social change on family structure in the US?

·         Comparison of benefits and costs of living in a nuclear family system or extended family system?

·         Exploring intra household dynamics of child-parent relationships in a typical US household?

·         Analyzing the trend of fertility rates in the US and the causes behind any changing trends?

·         Comparative study of marriages in various sub cultures of the US?

·         Historical analysis of changes in the rate of divorces and its main causes in US society?

·         Exploring the nature and outcomes of residential patterns in US society?

·         Identifying the social causes of domestic violence in a family?

·         Examining the impact of domestic violence on the children of the family?

Economic
This field of sociology examines economy as a social institute that organizes a society's production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. It caters different economic systems such as socialism, communism and capitalism, corporations, social organizations of labor markets, types of jobs, labor migration, sociological dimensions of consumer spending and social aspects of money and informal economy. You could base your sociology dissertation on any of the following topics:

·         Comparative study of communism and capitalism as economic models and their impacts on social hierarchy.

·         Is there still a blue collar and white collar social divide in the contemporary US economy?

·         Analysis of the US economy with relevance to Marx's critique on capitalism.

·         What are the social changes that were generated from transition of the US's economy from industrial revolution (capitalism) to recent informational revolution?

·         What are the social impacts of increased international labor migration on US's society?

·         Can the communism model be applied to US society? A critical analysis.

·         Can informal economy generate local socio-economic development?

·         What are the main sociological dimensions of consumer spending in the US?

·         What are the potential detrimental effects of the recent economic slump in social status of members from the secondary labor market?

·         Identifying the intra household economic relationships of a US family.

Crime/Deviance
This field of sociology is focused to understand the nature and social dimensions of crime, concept of deviance, types of crime including youth crime, gang crime and large scale crimes and old and contemporary crime control mechanisms such as state punishment. With crime becoming a prominent and much talked about topic in modern society, a sociology dissertation on the sociology of crime / criminology may prove useful and well read.

·         What are the key social factors behind increasing knife crime in the US?

·         Are the criminal statistics of the US valid and are they giving the actual picture - Critical analysis of criminal data collection methodology?

·         What are the main dimensions of deviance in US society?

·         Historic analysis of social causes behind street and gang fights in the US?

·         Are there any signs of abuse in crime reporting?

·         Are there any ethnical, gender and religious dimensions to crimes in the US?

·         Is Durkheim’s idea of Anomie the main cause behind increased youth crime in the US?

·         Critical analysis of the Government's crime prevention reforms and policies.

·         Is punishment the only solution to stop crime? Exploring the social alternatives of crime prevention.

·         Is alcohol consumption the main social and behavioral cause of street crimes in the US?

Industrial
Industrial sociology is also known as sociology of work. This applied field of sociology explores social and human relationships within a workplace. It includes a range of issues such as productivity, motivation, unionization, corporate citizenship, line manager-worker relationships, social structures of organizations, social groups in organizations, and cultural diversity in the workplace, technological advancement and social impact on workforce, inequality and anti-discrimination laws. For your sociology dissertation, the following topics could be considered.

·         What is the social structure of a typical large scale US organization?

·         What are the changing trends in the role of trade unions in the social well being of workers in the US?

·         Is there any link in cultural sensitive organizational policies and worker satisfaction and productivity?

·         What are the ways through which organizations can create cultural harmony and management of cultural diversity?

·         What are the social impacts of automation in workplaces on workers?

·         Has the social organization of a British firm guided the macro level societal norms, values and social status?

·         What are the key features of industrial societies like the US?

·         What is the link between motivation of a worker and productivity?

·         What are the social dimensions of communication within an organization?

·         Should a line manager-worker relationship be based on social requirements or organizational goals? How can managers create a balance?

Political
Political sociology deals with complex relationship such as power, authority, individual and group interests and social change. It may cover the historical journey of political movements generated by social forces as well as the contemporary impact of politics on society due to the power politics between individuals, groups, political institutions and economic interests. If you are interested in creating a sociology dissertation based on political sociology, the following topics may help you to narrow down your research.

·         To what extent is power politics in the US generated by social forces?

·         Is politics in the US a based on social class theory of power struggles between elites of the society? A critical analysis of the US's politics on the basis of Marx's views?

·         Is democracy an applicable political model in a capitalist society?

·         What is the appropriateness of 'pluralism' as a political model in US society?

·         What are the gender dimensions of voting in the political system?

·         Critical analysis of the US welfare state system.

·         What are the intersecting links of religion and politics as major social institutes?

·         Considering American society, is the charismatic leadership or rational-legal model more suitable?

·         What is the scope and importance of ethnic minorities in mainstream American power politics?

·         What are implications of globalization in modern nation-state and politics?

Comparative
This field of sociology deals with the comparison of various modes of societies such as capitalism, socialism, communism, welfare capitalism and state capitalism. It also deals with cross society comparisons regarding social institutions such as education, economy, family, marriages, health, religion and comparison of social issues such as race, ethnicity and gender. For ideas for your sociology dissertation, see below.

·         Comparative study of social inequality - Capitalism vs. Communism

·         Comparative study of labor markets and labor market movements in the UK and America

·         Comparative study analyzing the well being of citizens The US as a welfare state vs. Japan's State Capitalism?

·         Is the US holding its own traditional culture - Comparing diffusion of multiple cultures in contemporary American society?

·         Comparative study of gender issues between US society and Africa.

·         Comparison of marriage as a social institute in US and India.

·         Comparing the role and strength of religion in shaping a American society and Arab society?

·         Comparative study of family structure in US society and Russian society.

·         Comparing the education system as a social institute for shaping the societal norms in the UK and North America?

·         Determining the well being of a citizen and social development - Comparison of the democratic system vs. totalitarianism?

Gender
Sociology of gender has been one of the most common fields of sociology for a long time. Academically, most of the work in this field is done in the context of developing countries, where complex gender relations are prevailing in their societies. It includes intra household gender dynamics as well as the role of males and females in societal functioning. However, feminist school of thought has taken sociology of gender as a study of analyzing patterns of discrimination against females. This could be an interesting area for you to base your sociology dissertation on.

·         What is the extent of female bargaining power within a household in a developing country?

·         What are the reasons behind discrimination against women within a rural household in a developing country?

·         What are the social forces that shape gender relations in a society?

·         What are the links of patterns of inheritance with defining the gender roles?

·         What are reasons behind women's exclusion from access to education?

·         What are the sources of discrimination against women in workplaces?

·         How can religion shape gender relations and roles?

·         How can women be incorporated in income generation activities?

·         How power politics of a society can determines role of females in a society?

·         What is the role of the media in shaping gender roles of a society?