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Sociology: A Brief Introduction, 4/e
Richard T. Schaefer, DePaul University
Social Interaction And Social Structure

Internet Exercises

  1. Our lives are both enriched and complicated by the vast array of social roles that we play. The text reveals how the variety of roles make us susceptible to role conflict and role strain. See how the terms from pages 112-113 can be applied to the social life of a former president of the United States by logging onto The Whitehouse. There you will find biographies and links on presidents from Eisenhower through George W. Bush. Choose a president and explore the material provided to answer the following questions:
    1. What political, family, educational, and social roles has the president played in his life? What statuses has he held? Which of these are ascribed and which are achieved?
    2. Has this mix of roles ever led to role conflict or role strain? How so?
    3. Before becoming the leader of the United States, did the person you selected have a master status? Why would the role of "president'' be considered a master status?
    4. Imagine you are a two-term president leaving office. How could you apply Helen Rose Fuchs Ebaugh's role exit model to the process?
    5. If you were president, what impact would this position have on the other social roles that you currently have? How would family life, friendships, hobbies, and other daily activities be affected?
  2. The concepts of Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft are crucial to the study of social life, especially when taking a historical viewpoint. As many nations continue to modernize, the Gemeinschaft way of life becomes less and less a part of daily experience. Explore the history of the Amish at http://www.amish-heartland.com/aboutamish.html and answer the following questions.
    1. Using Table 5-2 in your text, which of the features of Gemeinschaft communities can be applied to the Amish? Are there any features of Gesellschaft that could apply as well?
    2. Where does the Amish way of life fit best in Gerhard Lenski's sociocultural evolution model: hunting/gathering, horticultural, agrarian, industrial, or postindustrial? Why?
    3. What kinds of challenges do the Amish face as they try to maintain their way of life in the face of modernization, technology, tourism, and development?
    4. What part of Amish life interested or surprised you the most? Why?
    5. What are some of the benefits of adopting Amish perspectives? What are some of the drawbacks?
    6. Has the website and chapter changed the way you viewed the Amish? If you have seen the Amish portrayed in movies or television programs, how accurate were those portrayals in light of what you have now learned?








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