McGraw-Hill OnlineMcGraw-Hill Higher EducationLearning Center
Student Center | Instructor Center | Information Center | Home
Census 2000 Updates
Audio
Glossary
Career Opportunities
Internet Guide
Web Resources
Statistics Primer
PowerWeb: Sociology
PowerWeb: Violence & Terrorism
Learning Objectives
Chapter Outline
Multiple Choice Quiz
True or False Quiz
Flashcards
Interactive Activity
Internet Exercises
Crossword Puzzle
Audio Clip
Feedback
Help Center


Sociology: A Brief Introduction, 4/e
Richard T. Schaefer, DePaul University
Understanding Sociology

Internet Exercises

  1. Sociologists use three main theoretical perspectives when analyzing the social world, including events both historical and current. Log onto Yahoo! and choose one of the breaking stories from the "In the News" section. Follow the links given, reading articles and viewing pictures from online newspapers and networks on your chosen story. Next, apply functionalist, conflict, and interactionist perspectives to the story (Table 1-2 in your text will be especially helpful).
    1. How would Karl Marx and conflict thinkers view such an event? Is there tension and struggle between groups? Which groups?
    2. How would Émile Durkheim and functionalist thinkers examine the story? Can you apply concepts such as manifest functions, latent functions, and dysfunctions?
    3. What would be the perspective of George Herbert Mead and other interactionists? What symbols are being used to describe the story by the media? Can you apply dramaturgy to the events? Are players in the story trying to project a certain image using symbols?
    4. Which perspective did you find to be the most interesting? Is one perspective better suited than the others to analyze the story? Why or why not?
  2. Sociologists in the twenty-first century owe a debt of intellectual gratitude to early thinkers and pioneers such as Émile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber. To learn about many of the thinkers listed in Chapter 1, visit SocioRealm (http://www.digeratiweb.com/sociorealm/), a site constructed by Jessica Champlin. Choose two of the theorists offered and visit the links associated with them; read some of their original works and biographies. For each theorist, answer the following:
    1. When did the thinker live? What important historical events were occurring during this time? Did any of these historical events shape his or her sociological imagination and views on society?
    2. After reading some of the original works, how would you summarize this person's perspectives? Which of the three main sociological perspectives-functionalism, conflict, or interactionism-would you say this thinker is most associated with? Why?
    3. What facts did you find most interesting about this person in his or her life story or sociological contributions?
    4. How do the ideas of this thinker compare and contrast with your other selection? Which of the two thinkers' ideas did you like the most? Why?








Copyright2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
McGraw-Hill Higher Education is one of the many fine businesses of The McGraw-Hill Companies.