Episode 75 – "Kindness of Strangers"
http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=75

This episode presents stories of people who don't really know each other, how they relate to each other, and what results. From an actor welcoming a troubled boy into his home to an obnoxious neighbor, the concept of people as social beings is explored.

• Do these stories support the notion that human beings are social by nature? How?
• What are the dyads, small groups, and larger institutions in these stories? How does the experience of Jack with Canada Lee in Act Two "Runaway" fit into the social worlds model?
• What does Act Three "Unkindness of Strangers" tell us about conflict and change?

Episode 250: The Annoying Gap Between Theory … and Practice
http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=250

This episode investigates why it is that how the way we think things will happen can be very different from what actually happens.

1. In many ways the gap between theory and practice describes the difference between common sense and scientific reasoning. Do the individuals in these stories use common sense or scientific reasoning? In the ones that use common sense, sould the issues told in this episode be avoided or altered if individuals had thought more scientifically about the situation?
2. How do decisions these individuals make at the micro-level come to have influence on the meso- and macro-level?
3. How would you apply the sociological perspective to explain what happens to the individuals at the center at each of these stories? Explain.

Episode 355: The Giant Pool of Money
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=355

This episode explores the financial crisis created by the sub-prime mortgage situation.

1. Evaluate the credit crunch from the micro-, meso-, and macro-level. How do actors at each level of analysis contribute to the credit crunch?
2. The sociological perspective works to understand how life chances are the product of your personal experiences and greater social factors. What social factors contributed to the current fiscal state of our society? How do individuals contribute?
3. How would a sociologist evaluate the credit crunch? What questions would they ask? How would this vary from the questions an applied sociologist would ask?

Episode 245: Allure of the Mean Friend
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=245

This episode discusses the cultural values of meanness and niceness.

1. How are people using common sense to explain social behavior in this episode? How could you reframe these questions to make them worthy of sociological inquiry?
2. Two of the episodes actually use quasi-scientific research the value of niceness and meanness. Does this make you have more faith in the conclusions? Why or why not?
3. We commonly understand that people come together for the benefit of others in the group. However, this episode suggests that this is not always the case. Why is this? In your opinion, does meanness fit in or undermine the assumptions of sociology? Why or why not?