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 acts 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?

1. Consider what we learned in the textbook about the various types of social interactions that are studied: dyads, three-or-more groups, etc. How do relationships in this episode change based on how large or small the social groups are?
2. What types of common sense assumptions are confirmed or challenged in this episode?
3. Act Two follows how reality stars walk the fine line between making friends and making a name for themselves. In what ways does this Act relate to the concept of “sociological imagination”

1. Do these stories support the notion that human beings are social by nature? How?
2. 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?
3. What does Act Three "Unkindness of Strangers" tell us about conflict and change?

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, should 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.

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?

1. How does society try to eliminate meth use at the micro-, meso-, and macro-level?
2. What are some impacts meth has at the micro-, meso-, and macro-level?
3. One key benefit of the sociological perspective is that it allows us to understand people’s actions by recognizing that there are things completely under our control and other things that are completely outside of our control. How does this apply to the use and distribution of meth?

1. How do funeral rituals described by the Lynch family show our cultural values about death and dying?
2. How would a sociologist create a research question to systematically evaluate the claims that the Lynch family makes about death and dying?
3. The funeral industry arguably exists to serve micro-level relationships, consoling individuals who have just lost others central to their social existence. How is the funeral industry connected to institutions at the meso- and macro-levels?
4. While it seems like the funeral industry is very helpful and necessary, why do you think there is a stigma against it at the society level?

1. Consider the ways in which social forces are shaping each of these individuals’ lives. What are some of the causes and consequences of human behavior seen in these stories?
2. Pay close attention to the varying levels of social relationships seen here. How do experiences differ between small groups of people (like dyads), larger groups (like employees and local organizations), and the largest groups (ethnic groups and national organizations)?
3. List some similarities and differences in the social nature of people from different cultures.

1. Many instructors require their students to make YouTube videos as part of their class assignments. Do you feel that creating media as part of a class is a useful exercise? Why or why not? Is consuming media a useful exercise?
2. Is the sociological perspective more effective when used to evaluate media, or is it more effective when used to create media? How does this apply to what you see in the YouTube videos?

1. What are Professor Sharma’s theories about warfare at each level of analysis – e.g., dyads, 3-or-more group, local organizations, national organizations, and global organizations?
2. What does Professor Sharma say about the differences between “limited war” and “social war”? How does social interaction play a part in these two kinds of war?
3. Consider what we learned in the text about “environments”. Does Professor Sharma believe that environment plays a role in warfare? Why or why not?

1. How does Jackson Katz show that men’s behaviors are socially constructed and socially learned?
2. How does the Media, a key social institution, shape how we perceive men in American society?
3. One of Katz’s central arguments is that our society creates violence so that it is a normative expectation rather than an act of deviance or a social abnormality. How would a sociologist test this claim? Would methods of testing vary between applied and academic sociologists?

1. This clip suggests we can examine the corporation as an individual in order to understand it. Explain how this differs from the Social World model.
2. How would you examine the issue of global capitalism using the Social World model?
3. Several different individuals are highlighted in this clip. Which ones, in your opinion, are applied researchers and which are academic researchers? Explain. What are the job titles of all of these individuals? What does this suggest for the employment possibilities for sociologists

1. What does the sociology examine? Were you surprised by any of the topics that sociology studies? Why or why not?
2. What opportunities are open to people who major in sociology? Were you surprised by the any of the opportunities open to sociologists? Why or why not?
3. Examine the sociology classes offered at your college or university? Which of them are you interested in?
4. Which specific topics are you most interested in learning about in your introductory course?

1. Propose a study to scientifically examine the commonsense phenomenon of “The kindness of strangers.” What related questions might you be able to ask?
2. How would you set out to test your hypothesis and collect data? Would you use a survey, field observation, or a controlled experiment?

After listening to these stories, what do you think your results might be? Do you think they would be different in a scientific study compared to casual observations like the ones discussed here?

1. From a rational choice perspective, should American's use so many antibacterial products? Why do you think we do?
2. From a functionalist perspective, how do you explain our fear of germs?
3. From a conflict perspective, how do you explain the finding that women are primarily responsible for keeping their families safe from germs? What happens if they fail?
4. From a symbolic interactionist perspective, why do you think we're so willing to purchase apple cider given its inherent risks?

1. Given what you now know about theory testing, why do you think the theories these individuals had failed to work in practice? What steps of research were these individuals missing?
2. Which of the four types of sociology (scientific, humanistic, critical, or feminist) would you use if you wanted to analyze Steve Tobocman's experience in office? Why would you choose that type?

1. Examine this episode from the perspective of Conflict theory. Do the people followed in the episode seem to agree or disagree that conflict is inevitable?
2. What are the manifest functions of private military contractors? What are the latent functions? What are the dysfunctions?

1. What methodologies do the advertisers use to determine how to best market products to individuals?
2. From a rational choice perspective, what factors do you use to determine whether to purchase a particular product?

1. What would a functionalist theorist say about the actions of the family within this video?
2. What would a conflict theorist say about the actions of the family within this video?
3. What would a symbolic interactionist theorist say about the actions of the family within this video?
4. What would a rational choice theorist say about the actions of the family within this video?

1. Which of these statistics surprised you the most? The least?
2. What did you learn about the possible topics that can be studied using statistics?
3. What research method do you think was used to collect most of these findings?

1. What ethical violations in social science research has Dr. Dobson committed, according to Dr. Gilligan?
2. What does this example teach us about the research we read/hear?
3. As a researcher, what steps could you take to help minimize others misquoting your work?

1. Using symbolic interactionist theory, how would you explain how much you trust you place in the source of this video?
2. What critique do you have about these students’ presentation of the theory?

1. According to McCune, in what ways has research methods changed over the past 40 years? How has SAGE contributed to these changes?
2. In what ways do these changes represent improvements on the way the field used to be? How does SAGE hope to enhance scientific research in the future?

1. Were you surprised by some of these accounts of Paris and Parisian culture? Why or why not? How do you believe that cultures come to be romanticized? Does this distract from our understanding of cultures?
2. Contributor David Sedaris talks about his experiences assimilating to French culture after his move to Paris. What role does language play in his integration in the French culture?
3. We often think of culture as something that is shared and universal for all residents of a society. Is this necessarily the case? How so or how not? Should culture be shared and universal, in your opinion? Why or why not?

1. In your opinion, are the ‘hardcores' being ethnocentric or culturally relative? Explain. What about the ‘farbs'? Explain.
2. How do the cultural values of the present get socially constructed as part of our understanding or recreation of the past?
3. Are people able to reconstruct the culture of the past? Or is it something that will never be understood by people who did not experience life at that time.

1. How do these stories illustrate the evolution of culture over time?
2. How do beliefs and values come together in the stories of language in this episode?
3. What was the impact of the development and application of a label on society?

1. Do you agree that camps have a distinct culture? Why so or why not? What examples of non-material culture are used in the episode to convince you that they do? What about examples of material culture?
2. When listening to the camp stories, what do the listeners come to cherish and value about their camp experiences? Do these values mirror non-camp life? How so or not?
3. What role does ritual play in camp life? How does this contribute to the creation of the camp culture?

1. Could db drag racing be considered a culture? What kind, and why?
2. What seems to drive the people participating in these competitions? Do these reasons reflect at all on a larger culture?

1. What is the influence of pornography on American culture?
2. Given porn’s popularity, is it possible that pornography exhibits cultural values and beliefs supported by mainstream America? Why or why not?
3. Is pornography consumption subcultural, countercultural, or mainstream? Explain.
4. How would you apply the Social World model to understanding porn in the United States?

1. What role does the Internet play in defining youth culture? What about mainstream American culture?
2. In your opinion, does user-generated media play a different role in defining culture than non-user-generated media? Why or why not?
3. The video claims that the Internet has “created the greatest generation gap since rock’n’roll.” Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? Do you see differences between younger and older Americans in terms of Internet use as a social problem? Why or why not?
4. In your opinion, how problematic is the digital divide, or the inequalities that exist in access to media, both among groups in our nation and between affluent and less affluent nations?

1. Can social media sources sometimes provide a clearer picture of breaking news and current events than mainstream news media? Why?
2. What are the drawbacks of exclusively relying on social media as a source of news?

1. What is responsible for the creation of youth culture, according to Rushkoff? Do you agree with his assessment? Why or why not?
2. Although this film is from the 2000s, it is very dated in terms of describing youth culture. What does this say about youth culture?
3. What does youth culture look like now, i.e. what material culture defines youth culture? Are there similarities between the youth culture portrayed in the video and youth culture today? Differences? Explain.
4. Rushkoff suggests that individuals and entities who are non-members of youth culture play a large role in defining it. Should non-participants be able to define a culture? Why or why not? How are they able to do this?

1. In your opinion, do the Mormons represent a subculture, a counterculture, or mainstream culture? Explain.
2. What material and non-material elements are central to the Mormon culture?
3. How does the missionary work by Mormons address issues of cultural differences and cultural lag?
4. Religion as a social institution is unique because it often socializes people into other social institutions. How does this apply between the relationship between Mormonism and family life? Explain.

1. A lot of effort goes into trying to understand culture. What is the value of understanding culture from a business perspective?
2. Is manipulating culture for profit (like emotional branding and coolhunting) an ethical business practice? Are businesses able to market in a way that doesn’t interfere with the production and consumption of culture? Why or why not?
3. Is the modern American culture a consumer culture? Why or why not?

1. Are metal fans a subculture or a counterculture? Why or why not?
2. What norms, values, and beliefs define the metal community? What elements of material culture seem to define the metal community?
3. What gender differences do you notice among members in the metal community?

1. The Hippies are constantly framed as a counterculture. Would you agree with this assessment? Why or why not? Your text defines countercultures as groups with expectations and values that are in sharp contrast with mainstream society. Do you believe the Hippies exhibit differences from the mainstream culture in 1967? Describe the differences, if any.
2. What material and non-material elements define the Hippies?
3. Which theoretical explanation best explains the behaviors of the Hippies, in your opinion? Why?

1. Do you see Amish culture as being a subculture, microculture, or counterculture? Why?
2. Did the Amish teenagers who participated in Rumspringa have generally positive or negative experiences interacting with mainstream American culture?
3. Why do you think so many Amish teenagers return to join the church?
4. Are there any ways in which Amish culture influences mainstream American culture? Does American culture influence Amish culture in any way?

1. How do these individuals use the looking glass self to maintain their roles?
2. How do you think these individuals’ core selves are impacted by the roles that they have to play?

1. In Act One, David Sedaris discusses why he acted mean to other children at school. What caused him to act mean? What role did socialization play in making him dislike the way he was? What other processes of socialization affected David later at summer camp?
2. Act Three tells the story of a kindergarten teacher who set out to make her students be less cruel to each other. Was this teacher acting as an “agent of socialization”? What affect did her experiment have on the children?

1. What sanctions do these individuals receive that let them know that others view them differently than they view themselves?
2. What agents of socialization do you think have impacted these individuals’ personalities and behaviors the most? How did those agents of socialization contribute to the differences between the ways they view themselves and the ways others view them?

1. What encouraged Sam Slaven to try and change his outlook on Muslims? How exactly did Slaven overcome his feelings of hate?
2. Did any person mentioned in this story function as an agent of socialization? If so, who was it? Who did the agent or agents of socialization help socialize?

1. The chapter discusses the concept of a “total institution.” In what ways is a prison a “total institution”? How does this type of society differ from that of the outside world?
2. The chapter also discusses the process of “resocialization”. In what ways are prisoners “resocialized” when they enter prison? How are they resocialized when they re-enter general society? Does it seem like these prisoners are actually being resocialized after their release? What agents of socialization could be utilized to ensure resocialization takes place after prisoners are released?

1. How does the internet socialize adolescents?
2. Since the internet can have so much power over children, do you think the government should regulate internet content the way that they regulate television content? Why or why not?

1. Why does Christakis consider the kind of social networks he studies as "living things"?
2. According to the speaker, what is a major influence on a person’s location in a social network?
3. Why are social networks so important? Can you pinpoint examples of traits or emotions that spread through your own personal social networks?

1. Do you think these teens are being socialized into a real or artificially created version of adolescence by watching teen media and purchasing teen products? Why do you feel that way?
2. How do you think being socialized as a "mook" impact young men’s adult development?
3. How do you think being socialized as a "midriff" impact young women’s adult development?

1. Which agents of socialization have most affected these individuals?
2. How have the social changes that China is experiencing impacted these young people’s socialization experiences?
3. How does the socialization they have undergone differ from the way previous generations were socialized?

1. Would you consider a nursing home to be a total institution? Why or why not?
2. How was Elliott Haak socialized into the end-of-life process?

1. What role does music play in the intellectual, social, and cultural development of young children?
2. Could music be considered a type of “symbol”, according to George Herbert Mead’s theory?
3. After watching this interview, do you think music could be considered an “agent of socialization”? Why or why not?

Juliet Schor, Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture Schor examines the influence of the consumer society on children and how they are targeted to become desiring spenders.

Ben Bagdikian, The New Media Monopoly
This book details what happens when corporations own most of the mass media and the ways that the change from multiple media owners to a few corporate owners influences us as individuals.

1. What type of social interaction occurs in these stories? What is the larger social context for the interaction? How does the interaction vary from what is presented in the JenniCam story to the tale of the mother who sent an email to the wrong address? How is social status conveyed in these interactions (consider the Microsoft story)? How does the internet change interaction (consider the story about the chat rooms for gay men)? How does this relate to larger social issues (i.e., AIDS)?
2. Use a dramaturgical framework to explain the interactions in these stories
3. How has interaction over the internet changed in the ten years since this episode was produced?

1. What was John Brasfield's original intention for recording his wartime experience? What were the unintended consequences of this recording?
2. During the war, Brasfield embodied the role of a soldier, but also one of a father and husband. Do you see role conflict exemplified between any of Brasfield's different roles?
3. Could the incident that Brasfield recorded have caused role strain within one of his roles? Explain which one, and why.
4. Why did Brasfield’s opinion of the incident change?

1. According to the stories in these acts, the creation of in-groups and out-groups span the necessary to the mundane. When, if ever, is creation of in-groups and out-groups good for societies? Explain.
2. Is it ever possible to shift from being part of the in-group to the out-group? What social events tend to spur this?
3. What types of groups do you see individuals joining across the episodes? What examples make you categorize it this way?

1. How would you use dramaturgy to explain the central characters in these episodes? What about rational choice theory? Ethnomethodology?
2. We tend to assume that people are genuine when they are sending us cues about who they are, but this is not necessarily the case. Why do you believe it so easy to portray a false image of who we are to others?
3. How were in-groups and out-groups created in the various acts? How did these in-groups and out-groups shape the social relationships defined?

1. How does the creation of power relationships within an organization introduce complications into workplace relationships? When is it a benefit?
2. Where did you see role strain exemplified in this episode? What about role conflict?
3. How do the individuals in these stories use groups and statuses to define their relationships to one another? Does this vary across the workplaces examined? Why or why not?

1. Given the textbook’s definition of oligarchies, do you think that the American banking system – either before or after the crash in 2008-2009 – could be classified as oligarchies? Why or why not?
2. What role did social interaction, networking, and social statuses play in a few individuals negotiating secret deals that affected the lives of millions of people?
3. Do you think there was a state of anomie during the financial crisis? Why or why not? If you do, what do you think led to this breakdown, and what – if anything – led to its resolution? Also, how might that state of anomie have impacted the decisions made during the meltdown?

1. According to Ohanian, what is the key to launching an effective marketing campaign through social media?
2. Why might some large companies or organizations have a difficult time following the Ohanian's advice?

1. How do businesses negotiate the line between bureaucratic goals, like creating profit, while avoiding white collar crime (for discussion of white collar crime, see Chapter 6 of your text).
2. What is the role of reference groups in the instance of tax shelter abuse?

1. Is the role of bureaucracy more or less important in dangerous industries? Explain.
2. What are the implications of the problems in and dysfunctions of bureaucracy in places like McWane?
3. Routinization is often cited as one of the major dysfunctions of bureaucracies. However, can you see how it might be positive in situations like working at McWane? Why or why not? Is it generally a good practice to give workers agency in their jobs? Why or why not?

1. Is it possible to form in-groups and out-groups without conflict? In your opinion, to what extent is the genocide in Darfur an issue of in-group and out-group conflict?
2. How did groups form to react to issues in Sudan? How did this impact conflict in the area?
3. Apply the Social World model to the conflict in the Sudan. In your opinion, were there failures at any particular level that created or escalated the conflict? Explain.

1. When stepping back to evaluate this as a scripted first interaction, why do you feel that the producers chose to have her manage her impression this way? How would a dramaturgical analysis understand this video?
2. What is the appeal to individuals who post video blogs on public forms like YouTube? What is the appeal to presenting an online version of self, or presenting self to a mass audience?

1. How are teens using myspace.com and facebook.com to create a community and a place?
2. O’Reilly, in this video, is assuming that individuals use online communities for personal reasons. Boyd, on the other hand, is assuming that individuals use these sites for public reasons. Which are you more inclined to believe?
3. If you are interested in this topic, you can see a longer discussion with Danah Boyd at UNC-Chapel Hill at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QmxWVl6Euk&feature=user

1. How do young adults use Facebook to create and define social networks?
2. Are on-line similar or different to off-line social network? How is Facebook different from other social network sites, according to Stutzman?
3. What is the difference between strong and weak ties in social networks? When you use Facebook or other similar sites, do you look to build strong or weak ties? Why is this?
4. Social capital and social networks create us to other individuals. A latent function is of this is that it decreases our privacy, in that the more people we know the more people know about us. How does this impact our use of Facebook and social networking sites, according to Stutzman? How do we negotiate being a private and a networked individual simultaneously?

1. How do you believe we can improve on-line communities? Do you believe they will become more or less important to social interaction? Why?

1. What are the principles of McDonaldization? How are they exemplified in our modern culture?
2. How do you see McDonaldization shaping other segments of your life? Ritzer suggests religion, family, and education all show elements of McDonaldization. What elements do you see to support this in your experiences with these institutions?
3. If you had to ‘brand’ the American experience or American culture around one corporation, which one would you select? Why?
4. Should the corporation have the power to influence greater social trends?

1. After listening to these stories, what have researchers learned about why people commit crimes? Are any of the formal penalties imposed by the government successful deterrents?
2. Given what you learned about the social construction of deviance, what explanations can you think of for why someone would return to the scene of a crime? Which theory might best explain this behavior?

1. How might Durkheim explain this act of deviance in an area that does not seem to have the social problem of anomie?
2. Do you think changing the social capital of the family involved in the murder may have made a difference in the outcome of this story? Why or why not?

1. What social theories might explain why someone resorts Internet scamming?
2. The scam-baiters may not have been committing any crimes. However, could their actions have been considered deviant? By what standards?
3. What social theories might explain why someone becomes a scam-baiter?

1. Given the number of people who have been found not guilty following the introduction of DNA evidence, do you think we should continue to use the death penalty as a form of justice? Why or why not?
2. How would a conflict theorist explain why the 14 year old confessed?

1. Which of the social functions of prisons do you think art programs like this provide (if any)?
2. Do you agree or disagree that prisoners should have the ability to participate in programs like this? Why?
3. Which of the misconceptions about deviance do you think Jack Hitt believed before he learned about the types of crimes that some of these inmates committed?

1. Which social theory (if any) might best explain the government’s lack of response and involvement after the hurricane? Which theory might best explain residents’ actions and social interactions after the storm (e.g., looting, altruism, etc.)?
2. What are some common misperceptions about deviance that might be evident in this story?
3. What types of crimes were most commonly committed by residents after the storm (e.g., public order, predatory, etc.)?

1. From what you saw in the video, what impact can drug use have on other crimes?
2. From a conflict perspective, how would you explain the pharmaceutical industry's failure to cooperate with the DEA?

1. Is the imprisoning of mentally ill persons a form of blind justice? Why or why not?
2. How effective do prisons seem to be at meeting the rehabilitation needs of mentally ill prisoners based on what you’ve seen in this video?

1. What do these boys’ stories (and the stories of those like them) tell us about how well the juvenile justice system is serving the four functions of prisons?
2. How has living in a total institution changed these boys?
3. Why do you think the juvenile lifetime incarceration rate is so much higher in the United States than in all other countries combined?

1. In what ways does the growth of the internet encourage or discourage crime in America?
2. In what ways can the internet be used to help fight criminal activities?

1. From a conflict perspective, why do you think the United States was more reluctant to intervene in Darfur than in Iraq?
2. How would you apply the world systems perspective to the violence in Darfur?
3. Do you think the United States government should play a role in the world criminal justice system? Why or why not?

1. Some "teachers" were willing to continue administering painful shocks to the "learner" after the authority figure encouraged them to continue. What does this suggest about the nature of authority?
2. The "teachers" were not held against their will, and capable of leaving the experiment at any time. Why were some unwilling to simply leave?

1. Do you consider Eric's appearance deviant? Why or why not?
2. Do you think Eric would consider your appearance deviant? Why or why not?

1. Do you think that taking on characteristics (such as musculature) of another gender is considered to be deviant? Why or why not?
2. How might you use differential association theory to describe these women’s “deviant behavior”?

1. War crimes were not discussed in this chapter. After watching this clip (and perhaps doing a little internet research), how do you think they are similar to and different from hate crimes, predatory crimes, organized crimes, etc.?
2. The textbook did discuss “state organized crime”. Do you think that war crimes are included in “state organized crime”? Why or why not? Do you think that government and military officials should be prosecuted for committing state organized crimes or war crimes?
3. After watching this clip (and perhaps doing some more research), do you think war crimes are socially justifiable? What are some possible pros and cons to states committing such acts?

1. The prologue tells the story of people trying to win the lottery. Given what you learned about social stratification, conflict over resources, etc., which social class would be most likely to play the lottery?
2. What common aspects of Property, Power, and Prestige do you see throughout these stories? How do each of these relate to people trying to get rich quick?
3. How are these ideas of ‘getting something for nothing’ perpetuated throughout society? What could be done to give people (especially young children) a more realistic view of people’s access to resources and social mobility?

1. In your opinion, is social class something defined by how much money you have or other factors? Does quick inheritance of lots of money, then, equate to mobility? Why or why not?
2. Which story did you find most interesting? Why? Which story do you think reflects the most change due to shifts in income? Why?
3. The individuals interviewed in these Acts have vast differences in how they view money, how money should be spent, and the importance of money on social life. What creates these differences in your opinion? Explain.

1. How can the story of Maury Taylor, the Presidential candidate, illustrate the symbolic interactionist perspective on stratification (consider cultural capital)?
2. How would structural-functionalists explain the candidacy of Maury Taylor?
3. How would a conflict theorist explain the case of the wealthy man's suicide and the postmortem insemination?

1. When introducing the Act, host Ira Glass states that there are battles that are important for the Davids of the world but are unnoticed by the Goliaths. How is this exemplified in the Cambodian textile industry? What about in the fight for global economic development?
2. How did stratification in Cambodia shift when changes in the textile industry and trade relations with the U.S. shifted? How has this impacted garment workers?
3. What does the Cambodian experience suggest about fair trade and fair labor policies in poor nations? What does this mean for inequality?

1. How did Pickle transform the role of the worker in his factory? What was his motivation in doing this? Do you agree with his intent? Why or why not?
2. Do you believe that what Pickle did was ethical? Why or why not? What if Pickle had not displaced the workers to America and set up his plant in India. Would this have been ethical? Why or why not?
3. How has the Pickle case, ironically, improved labor cases since?

1. In your opinion, are the problems created by credit uniform across social classes? Why or why not?
2. Do you see credit literacy as a form of cultural capital? Is it uniformly available to all individual in the United States?
3. What role does credit play in the American social class stratification system?

1. Do you think the recession has had an impact on the way American society is stratified (i.e., how people are divided into categories, unequal distribution of resources, etc.)?
2. Do the changes discussed in this episode represent a change in individual’s social class? Is an economic recession (or an economic boom) able to affect the social mobility of individuals or even several generations?
3. What common themes of Property, Power, and Prestige did you see in this episode? What affects did they end up having on people when the economy was good, and then when it was bad?

1. What impact does living in poverty have on Cody and Chris over the course of their lives? How does it impact their life chances?
2. How do the social institutions in Cody and Chris's life (particularly work, education, and family) impact their chances for social mobility?
3. Chris and Cody have significantly different life trajectories. What differences do you see in the film that explain this?
4. This film only includes coverage of the boys lives though 2002. What do you believe they are up to now? Visit the Country Boys website and see how accurate you are. Chris: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/countryboys/chris/ and Cody: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/countryboys/cody/

1. We often think of economic position when we think of social class. What role does status play in social stratification?
2. Do marketers play on our insecurities (in terms of status and social class) when marketing their products? What does this do to the social class system?
3. Marketers often assume that we buy products because we identify with them. However, items must be bought, meaning that everyone does not have the same access to them. Do you think companies recreate the social class system through the pricing of their products? The marketing of their product? Why or why not?

1. Why is it so difficult to determine whether aid increases or decreases poverty?
2. What did Duflo's experiment on immunization uncover? What did her experiment on schooling uncover? What do her findings suggest about how aid should be distributed?

1. How does the experience of poverty vary in Bolivia from the United States?
2. Are there resources that should be entitlements to everyone, regardless of their ability to purchase them? If no, why not? If so, what are these resources and how do we provide them to people?
3. Why do you think the privatization of water in Bolivia went uncovered in the US news media? How do we feel about poverty abroad in the United States?
4. Would you classify the issue of water privatization a class issue? Why or why not?

1. What aspects of Marx’s concepts of Power, Prestige, and Property were evident in each of these clips?
2. What are the chances for social mobility (both downward and upward) for each of the people in these videos?
3. How would you expect the living conditions in each of these videos to affect the individual lifestyles, attitudes, religious and political behaviors of people living in these regions? For example, who would be more likely to be liberal or conservative?

1. How does stratification between nations vary from stratification within the United States?
2. How does global poverty differ from domestic poverty?
3. How does this video see the WB and the IMF in relations to global stratification? Would it be possible to reform their role in the global economy? Why or why not?

1. This cartoon is a dramatization of the Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx. How do the images shown convey the messages of Marx work?
2. What is the relationship between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie in modern capitalist society?
3. Marx was writing more than 100 years ago, do you feel that the relationship between power and capitalism has strengthened or weakened during that time?

1. What role does credit play in the social stratification system in the United States?
2. What social factors create the increased propensity towards indebtedness? Based on Warren’s projection, should we have expected this increase?
3. What social factors make carrying debt particularly threatening to middle class families?
4. What is the relationship between debt and mobility?
5. How does the changing stratification system impact other social institutions like the family?

1. The prologue tells a story of the designer of the U.S. Supreme Court making a wall decoration that is offensive to Muslims. Could this be considered symbolic racism, institutional racism, individual discrimination, or institutional racism – or none of the above? Why?
2. Act One tells the story of a women who promised her husband that if they moved to the U.S., their children would never encounter prejudice. Do you think that was true even before 2001? Do you think we will see a society which is free from prejudice sometime in the future? What can we do to create a prejudice-free society?

1. Tales of forced integration like the false one at the beginning of this episode seem absurd when we hear them, however we also repeatedly suggest that by just having more contact across racial groups, we will solve racial inequality. Why do we expect inequality can be addressed on the micro level? What can we do at the micro-, meso-, and macro-level to improve racial relations?
2. Act One of this episode examines race relations through the social institution of the family. What challenges emerge in this institution? What can be done in the family or through the family to address racial inequalities?
3. Act Two of this episode examines race relations through the social institution of education. What challenges emerge in this institution? What can be done in the educational system or through the educational institution to address racial inequalities?

1. How does South Africa and America's experiences vary when comparing the stories of Apartheid you hear in this episode to Jim Crow? What about post-Apartheid and post-Civil Rights?
2. In eight years, South Africa transforms rapidly in terms of race relations. For instance, one gentleman details how he would be killed for dating interracially during Apartheid, but it is welcome now. How does society reconstruct race and race relations? It is can be so easily ‘
3. How do Rich and Jason see race relations differently throughout their travels? Why do you think these differences exist? How do you interpret the stories they hear during their travels?

1. Were you surprised to hear that all of the individuals were having difficulty connecting to important ethnic locations and history? Why or why not?
2. Is ethnicity something that can be lost? Why or why not? Is it important to practice ethnicity? How can individuals do this?
3. If it is important to us to retain our ethnic identity, how can we do this? Is it possible to restore meaning to these vastly important historic landmarks to make sure they don't become just ‘roadside attractions'?

1. How do race and class intersect in the situation surrounding Harold Washington's campaign for mayor? Can you explain this story from a conflict theory perspective?
2. What were the importance of stereotypes and their alternatives in this story? How do institutional and ideological racism fit into this story?
3. How does the story of Harold Washington fit into the social world model?

1. This film discusses German and Jewish relations across the three generations since the Holocaust. How do these relationships vary over time?
2. In your opinion, how do symbolic efforts like the Holocaust memorial in Berlin, impact ethnic relations? Are they something that should be consistently pursued? Are there things groups can do to make them more or less effective? Explain.
3. The film pursues the issue of guilt throughout. In your opinion, why do negative emotions, like guilt, get associated with group relations? Is there a more productive way we could pursue relational repair? How so or why not?

1. How was Elliott able to socially construct differences for her class? Do you feel this is similar or different to how society constructs racial differences in the United States?
2. What, if anything, surprised you about Elliott’s experiment and findings? Explain.
3. People in Elliott’s studies seem to consistently react to the ‘fairness’ of the experiment. We do not, however, see this reaction on a day to day basis from the people who experience institutional discrimination. Why do you think this is?

1. In our society, we tend to think of color and nationality defining ethnic barriers, but how can religion create ethnic barriers? Are there other statuses that cause ethnic distinctions that you can think of? If so, what?
2. Israel’s far right is not characteristic of the majority of Jewish individuals in Israel. Can there be ethnic distinction within an ethnic group? Or does this necessarily cause division of the group? Explain.
3. The text describes several reactions minority groups can take to prejudice and discrimination? Which of these apply to the actions of Israel’s extreme right? How so?

1. Minority groups experience alienation from the mainstream culture, prejudice, and discrimination. How do we address this so that they do not seek radical retaliation like some of the militant Jewish terrorists described in the film?

1. Race played a central role in the coverage of Hurricane Katrina, particularly in the aftermath of the storm. How was race and racial divisions socially constructed in the coverage of Katrina?
2. How did institutional discrimination occur during Katrina relief efforts? In your opinion, could this have been avoided? Why or why not?
3. To what an extent was Katrina relief a product of institutional failure? Explain.
4. This episode does not cover the issues of the racial divide after Katrina as much as it covers the non-racialized aspects of FEMA. Why do you think this is?

1. According to Silver, what factors might make voters less inclined to cast their vote based on the race of a candidate?
2. How might a person's neighborhood influence the way they vote in elections? What social factors tend to decrease race-based voting?

1. Although O.J. Simpson is only one person, his prosecution became socially constructed as an issue of race relations. How did this happen?
2. How did the role of race differ from the perceptions of the white and the black communities?
3. What was the state of racial polarization in the United States at the time of the O.J. Simpson trial? How, if at all, has racial polarization changed in the time since the verdict?

1. What role did ethnicity play in the Bosnian war?
2. What form or forms of group contact occurred in Serbia and Bosnia between 1992 and 1995? Explain.
3. How are ethnic relations now in the area? Do you believe that the efforts in place to repair the ethnic relations will be successful? Why or why not?

1. In this speech, Barack Obama highlights how racial conflicts define the American experience. What evidence does he use to support this?
2. Do you agree or disagree with his assessment that racial conflict defines the American experience? Why or why not?
3. Do you agree with Obama that addressing racial injustices must take priority in American politics?
4. How does Obama address issues of privilege? How does this vary from your perception of privilege?
5. What role does institutional discrimination play in the current state of racial relations in the United States?

1. Given the context of business at The Weiner Circle, what do you feel is the role of language? Do the words used have the same context as they would in another context? Explain.
2. The workers detail their perspective of the behavior of the late night visitors to The Weiner Circle. Do you agree with their perspective? Why or why not?
3. Do you think that the culture of The Weiner Circle could be sustained without the hateful language emerging? Why or why not?

1. Is it right for a school or college to use a potentially offensive mascot? Who should determine whether or not ethnic symbols should be used?
2. Did you attend a school with a Native American mascot or share a conference with a school that has a Native American mascot? Was this a social issue for the school or the community? Why do you think this was?
3. Is there a way that a school or community could use a Native American mascot in a neutral or a positive way?

1. Given what you know about the glass escalator, how do you think male romance novelists would be treated? Why?
2. Why do you think romantic love is so feminized? What aspects of romantic love are considered masculine?
3. What do the experiences of the transsexual men tell us about "doing gender"?

1. What agents of gender socialization most impacted Rebecca's friend? Do any of these agents impact you?
2. How did Amy Sedaris respond to the beauty image imposed upon her by her father? Do you think her response was effective? Why or why not?
3. Why does Sarah Miller find it so difficult to "do masculinity"?
4. According to the definition of feminism in your textbook, do you feel that Elizabeth Joseph and her sister-wives are feminists? Why or why not?

1. According to symbolic interactionists, how does changing the definition of homosexuality from a mental disorder to a normal sexual variation impact the way people view sexual minorities?
2. Why do you think Alix Spiegel's grandfather chose to marry and have children if he considered himself to be gay?

1. Based on what you saw in the video, what elements of abortion are micro-level issues? Which elements are meso-level issues? Which elements are macro-level issues?
2. The group “Feminists for Life” argue that it is possible to be a feminist and against abortion. What do you think conflict theorists would say about this group?

1. After watching the segment, what gender expectations exist for women in polygamous Mormon marriages? What gender expectations exist for polygamous men?
2. How do you feel about the way the fundamentalist Mormon women dress? Who provides a better representation of the female body–a Mormon woman in traditional dress or a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader?

1. What stresses do Mormon women face? How is this related to the Superwoman or Beauty Image?
2. What societal pressures exist for Mormon women who must or who choose to work? What are the consequences of these pressures?
3. How might the treatment of Mormon gay and lesbian persons be related to the role women are seen to play in the Mormon church?

1. According to this experiment, how is homophobia related to homosexuality?
2. What alternative explanations might exist for why the homophobic men were physically aroused by the homoerotic videos?

1. Compare this version of Snow White to the Disney story. How do the two versions of femininity differ? How are they similar?
2. In fairy tales, women are often either saintly virgins or evil demons. Why do you think that these children’s stories present such a dichotomy of young girls?

1. What messages do these videos send children about heterosexuality?
2. What do children learn about gender roles from watching these videos?
3. What types of anticipatory socialization do children experience by watching these videos?

1. What socialization messages would these women, as parents, be sending to their children?
2. Would you allow your daughter to wear “boys’” clothes? Why or why not?
3. Would you allow your son to wear “girls’” clothes? Why or why not?

1. How do sex, race, and class intersect in the types of insults hurled by the patrons to the employees?
2. How would conflict theorists explain the fact that the employees are not, for the most part, using similarly racist and sexist insults?
3. How might patriarchy be contributing to the types of insults used by the patrons?

1. How does Jackson Katz show that men’s behaviors are socially constructed and socially learned?
2. How does a key social institution, the Media, shape how we perceive men in American society?
3. One of Katz’s central arguments is that our society creates violence so that it is a normative expectation rather than an act of defiance, or a social abnormality. How would a sociologist test this claim? Would it vary between applied and academic sociologists?

1. What aspects of subjugation do you see present in this video?
2. What is the dominant majority’s response to this event? What is the minority’s response to this?
3. Given what you learned in this chapter, what are some of the reasons for why women and girls are trafficked as sex slaves?

1. Describe the experience of teens finding a date and attending the prom in light of the three-stage mate-selection process mentioned in your text (stimulus, value comparison, roles and needs stage). Which stage(s) of this process best fit the experience of teen relationships?
2. Using the symbolic interactionist perspective, explain how seeing prom scenes in movies or on television impacts teen's expectations for their own proms.
3. What messages do you think high school proms send to gay or lesbian teens?

1. Can you use the symbolic interactionist perspective to explain the circumstances o the family that adopts Daniel, the baby from the Romanian orphanage? How effective is Daniel's family in socializing him after his experience in the orphanage?
2. How does having an autistic child change family dynamics and traditional notions of parenting?
3. How do these stories fit into the social world model?

1. What unintentional effects did Elizabeth's letters have on her daughter? Why did some of the letters cause Rebecca pain?
2. How was Rebecca's relationship with her father affected by the letters?
3. What benefits and drawbacks did the letters provide to Rebecca's family system?

1. How were various members of Josh's family impacted by his mother's substance abuse?
2. Which of the social functions of the family did Josh's mother fulfill for him? Which does he fulfill for her?
3. Would you have taken care of Josh's mom if you were in his situation? Why or why not?

1. The textbook states that all institutions are connected to one another. In what ways are families connected to the economy? How is the economy connected to families?
2. Which theory do you think best describes the practice of families going into business together? Why?
3. Did these families seem to have stronger ties to each other, or more conflict with each other? How would you feel about going into business with your family?

1. Whose responsibility is it to ensure that kids stay safe in cyperspace? Parents or the government?

1. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s definition of family (given in the text), would polygamous families be counted as a “family”? Would sociologists consider polygamists a “family”? 
2. The text lists seven reasons why all societies have families. Do the polygamous families in these videos fulfill these purposes?
3. Do you think there will be a time when society becomes accepting of polygamy? Why or why not? Do you think this would represent a threat to the structure and function of society, or provide a way to ensure more children and adults are socially, emotionally, and financially supported?

1. Why do you think those who have arranged marriages divorce so frequently? Is this a good thing of a bad thing?
2. Would you ever consider letting your parents choose your dates? Your spouse? Why or why not?
3. The video claims that “no expectations mean no disappointments” in terms of partner characteristics. Do you think these individuals really enter relationships with no expectations?

1. After watching this video, what special problems are faced by the parents of teenagers?
2. What differences do you see between the two families based upon their social classes?
3. Do you feel that this show provides a realistic portrayal of family life? Why or why not?

1. What types of religious associations do the featured individuals belong to?
2. How is the Left Behind phenomenon related to secularization in the United States?

1. How did the educational reforms affect the student's sense of self? How did the student's family situations affect their educational experiences? How did the school take this into account?
2. What changes in bureaucratic structure were important to the school reform? How can teachers resist school reform? How does centralized administration affect school reform? Can you find examples of teacher deprofessionalization in this story?
3. What informal system, hidden curriculum, and value climate can you observe in this school?

1. Is the 190 foot tall cross a part of the meaning system, the belonging system, or the structural system?
2. What commonalities to the Muslims and Christians find in their faiths? Are any of their similarities myths, rituals, or symbols?
3. How would you describe the experience of the white pastor in an all black church from a conflict perspective?

1. Does special education serve the functions of schools? How so or how not? Do they contribute to social inequality? How so or how not?
2. In your opinion, are the children in special education programs part of the culture and climate of the school? Why or why not?
3. How does the bureaucratic element of school systems shape special education?

1. Can the lessons we learn through this episode be incorporated into education practices? Why or why not? Is communication breakdown a central problem in education? Why or why not?
2. One of the hottest contested topic in schools is what should be included in the curricula and what should not. How do we determine what is appropriate for children and what is not?
3. How does seeing children as something different from adults shape the way we pursue educating them?

1. Your text explains how technology impacts religion. How do you think the technological nature of these crimes related to the rationalizations these individuals use to explain why their crimes are not sins?
2. How do the teenage boys draw the distinction between which behaviors are sacred and which are profane?

1. How does this episode describe the bureaucratic structure of schools? How does this change the climate of the school? How does this change the way the teachers identify themselves?
2. Many sociology majors end up working in human resources departments. How would you see the information you have learned in this class being helpful in human relations? Could you see sociological knowledge helping resolve one of the stories in the acts in a more positive way? How so or how not?
3. How could schools work with teachers in a way that addressed issues between teachers that uphold the educational climate and value climate of schools?
4. Does the Rubber Room serve any functions for the New York City Schools? What is the purpose for its existence?

1. According to Benscoter, what makes cults or extremist religious organizations so dangerous?
2. What aspects of the modern world could strengthen the appeal of cults or religious extremism?

1. This video discusses biological and physiological impacts on the teenage body. However, even with the heavy biological focus, do you notice social undertones creating these teens’ experiences or making them important?
2. Educators have to deal with cognitive issues when trying to convey material to students. However, most of their training is centered on education methods. Would it be fruitful for educators to learn and incorporate what we know about the functioning of the teenage brain into their teaching strategies? What are some changes you think we could make?
3. One thing the video showed was how important sleep is for teenaged individuals. What social pressures interfere with our ability to get the sleep that we need? In your opinion, does education interfere with our ability to rest? Why or why not?

1. How would a conflict theorist explain the power that priests have over their congregations and the suppression of abuse allegations by the church hierarchy?
2. Did Father Joseph sacralize his abuse of Paul? If so, how?

1. In your opinion, is ADHD a social problem or a medical problem?
2. Should teachers be able to diagnose or suggest medical attention for students who they perceive as having ADHD? If the child is a distraction to the learning environment, at what point does it become a social issue?
3. The Medicated Child serves somewhat as a follow-up to Medicating Kids. How is the medical industry treating children? In your opinion, how will this impact their educational experiences? Expand.

1. Which aspects of religious groups are required to organize and lobby against abortion- the meaning system, the belonging system, or the structural system?
2. How does the abortion debate represent the differences in interpretation in what is considered sacred or profane?

1. Given the increased presence of the Internet in the lives of youth, how do we expect this to transform education? Do you already see evidence of this in your own education experience? How so?
2. Teachers interviewed for the film argue that technology serves as a divide between them and their students. What can be done to bridge this gap? In your opinion, must teachers, students, and schools work simultaneously to address this divide? Or is there on level where resources would be best concentrated to close this divide?
3. Another issue the film discusses is the multi-functioning of the Internet as a source of information and a source of entertainment. Can Internet media serve both purposes simultaneously? Why or why not?

1. According to Coleman, what is the price of increased academic specialization?
2. Do you think a radical change in higher education, similar to what Coleman suggests, is even possible? Why or why not? What would some of the major obstacles be in establishing a new way of learning?

1. How would conflict theorists explain the inclusion of intelligent design into mandated curriculums?
2. With the growth of secularism, how do you explain the rise in the teaching of intelligent design?

1. Do you agree with the students interviewed in terms of what makes a good teacher? In terms of what makes a good student? Why or why not?
2. Ultimately, instructors create their philosophy of teaching only in part with what students recommend. Is teaching in a way that students like necessary for individual’s educations? The institution of education? Why or why not?
3. An interesting activity might be to visit Ratemyprofessor.com, visit an institution that you do not attend to look up professors with “Professor Strikes Back” video. Where do you see inconsistencies between what students expect and what teachers? In your opinion, which group is more interested in the institution of education? How so?

1. Iran is a strongly religious country that is governed by Islamic Law. The video states that police freely restrict Western hairstyles and clothing, yet there has been no equivalent restriction on plastic surgery. What do you think might account for this discrepancy?
2. Why do you think people in Iran have so freely embraced plastic surgery?

1. Do you believe that this accurately portrays your educational experience? How so and how not?
2. At the end of the video, it suggests that technology is revolutionizing education. What impact do you see technology having on your education? Is this advantageous and/or limiting, in your opinion?
3. Can many of the problems the video discusses be solved by technology? If so which ones? How so or why not?
4. If you were to create a university, what would it look like? What problems would you be certain to address? What problems do you anticipate would surface?

1. What does this video tells you about the social construction of religion?
2. What examples did you see of myths, rituals, and symbols?
3. Discuss how each of the three components of religion (meaning system, belonging system, and structural system) are supported through the rituals shown in this video.

1. The teachers of more than half of the states in the United States assembled to speak against the renewal of No Child Left Behind. What problems do they have with the policy? Do you agree or disagree that these are problems that need to be addressed? Why so or why not?
2. Accountability seems to be a major concern in NCLB. Is there a way we could address the issues these teachers seem concerned with while also ensuring that accountability standards be maintained? At what level of analysis should policy makers most strongly focus on accountability?

1. Why does former Mayor Giuliani favor school choice? In your opinion, will school choice solve problems experienced by the average student? Why or why not?
2. Former Mayor Giuliani also argues that bureaucracy is a major issue in modern education. In what ways can we ensure that bureaucracy fulfills the necessary functions within education without causing harm to students’ education?

1. What is the appeal to the Republican party for the majority of Americans, according to the guests on this program?
2. In your opinion, what values are important to American voters? How many of the key issues you come up with are related to social issues? How many are economic issues? Given the list that you created, are you surprised by Frank's findings? Why or why not?
3. Based on your understanding of these Acts, how real is the divide between Republics and Democrats in the United States? How is this divide impacting American politics?

1. This episode follows a somewhat counterintuitive notion that people who are heavily invested in politics can still be undecided for who they are going to vote for. How does this happen? If voting can be alienating for people who follow politics, how can we expect to bring in voters who are less informed about social issues?
2. What institutional efforts do candidates go to in order to gain votes? Is this ethical in your opinion? Why or why not? Is it characteristic of a healthy democracy? Why or why not?
3. Is the indecisiveness surrounding modern elections due to the changes in the political system? Why or why not?

1. We have had a series of close Presidential elections and are likely to have another in 2008. In your opinion, and based on this episode, what impact do close elections have on the American political system?
2. This episode looked across social institutions to understand the impact of the Presidency. How did the 2001 election impact other social institutions than politics?

How can people who live in the same society have such different perceptions about social justice concerning such major issues like the 2001 election? If we can disagree about what is happening, is it reasonable to assume that we can agree on how to address problems in the American political.

1. The text discussed the concept of the “nation-state”. This episode discusses the concept of “nation building”. What are the definitions of each of these terms, and how are they related?
2. What aspects of the concepts of power and authority do you see in this episode? What are the viewpoints of people in Afghanistan and Pakistan? What are the viewpoints of U.S. soldiers, generals, and politicians?

1. What makes the internet so effective at transmitting information and media?
2. How does new social media technology bypass traditional paths of power?
3. How is the nature of social media changing the nature of politics?

1. How do the governments of Iran and the U.S. vary?
2. This program examines a looming war with Iran as a real possibility for the United States. In your opinion, would war with Iran be best explained by a Functionalist or Conflict perspective?
3. Ideally, the U.S. and Iran would be able to avoid going to war with one another. What ways are they working to avoid war? In this seeming successful, based on evidence presented in this episode? Why or why not.
4. In your opinion, what, if anything, would justify war with Iran?

1. What type of economic system does the U.S. currently have? Do you think that type of system is more or less likely to result in economic crises such as the situation in 2008-09?
2. What role has the political system of the U.S. had in this situation? What did the Bush administration do? What is the Obama administration doing?

1. The text highlights characteristics of a democracy. Does the seizure of information promote or infringe on these characteristics? Explain.

1. We typically view our political system as polarized, or very divided between Republicans and Democrats. How is the global warming issue able to overcome polarization?
2. What role has science taken in the global warming debate? In your opinion, are there any issues that social scientists study likely to have as big of an impact on politics as global warming? Why or why not?
3. What factors beyond science and bipartisan support have made us willing to address global warming as a society?

1. How does Cheney’s law redistribute power in the United States?
2. We often think of the President as the most important political figure in American politics. Does this program question that in any way?
3. In your opinion, was Cheney successful due to his structural position in our political system, because of his individual efforts, or because of the structure of American politics? Explain.
4. How often is it necessary to examine the distribution of power in a society, in your opinion? Are there defining moments that make it more or less important? Should it happen in times of transition? Explain.

1. What role did the exercise of power play in the Darfur genocide?
2. What failures in national politics contributed to or escalated the conflict in the Sudan? What about failure in global politics?
3. Issues like Darfur often speak to the importance of legitimated power in a society. Would these issues have been avoided without political instability in the area? Why or why not?
4. How were forms of violence used in the Sudan to attempt to seize power? Was this power recognized? Would you constitute these efforts as terrorism? Why or why not?
5. Can you use the Social World model to explain the horrors of genocide in the Sudan? Why or why not?

1. How does China’s government vary from democracy in the United States?
2. What is the relationship between politics and the economy in China, according to Klein? Do you agree with her opinion? Why or why not?
3. In your opinion, which rights are most important for a political system to grant to its constituents? At what cost should states go to in order to offer these rights to their citizens?

1. What aspects of the sick role to Rebecca take on?
2. How do you think Rebecca's age, gender, and social class impacted the type of care she received?

1. What issues are pushing individuals from small towns or pulling them toward more rural areas?
2. Do the public housing projects represent Gemeinschaft or Gesellschaft to the teens?
3. What holds the small towns together? Mechanical or organic solidarity? What holds the public housing projects together?

1. From a symbolic interactionist perspective, do you think Dr. Deegan’s tapes will help mental health professionals treat their patients? Why or why not?
2. How do you think David’s experiences would have been different if a label would have been attached to his symptoms?

1. How would you apply conflict theory to the "fight between man and nature"?
2. How do you think bringing nature back to some urban spaces is related to Simmel, Wirth, and Fischer's ideas about human relationships within cities?
3. What urban problems are brought up in the segment on urban fishermen?

1. After listening to this episode, in what ways do you see the economy and politics being linked together when it comes to health care? In what ways are they separate?
2. What are some common themes in the discussions of how to lower costs? What are some drawbacks to these suggestions?
3. How are the concepts of power, authority, and negotiation each evident throughout this episode?

1. What factors do you think brought the migrants to the United States in the first place (push or pull)?
2. Which of the four primary theoretical perspectives would you use to explain why so many non-political citizens of Bristol County began attending protests?

1. After watching the program and looking at map 15.1 in your text, what relationship do you see between environmental problems and percent urban population?
2. How would conflict theorists explain the Bush administration’s attempts to censor scientific findings?

1. How does obesity affect the health of the American population?
2. How would you explain the contradictory messages the diet industry sends from a conflict perspective?
3. What symbols do you notice surrounding the diet products in this video themselves? What do you think those symbols mean?

1. How does alternative medicine differ from allopathic medicine?
2. Why do you think some U.S. doctors are so reluctant to accept alternative treatments? How is this mindset related to the history of the American Medical Association?

1. How would conflict theorists explain the fact that HIV/AIDS has disproportionately affected people in developing nations, particularly women and children?
2. What impact do you think the continuing spread of HIV will have on the mortality rates in developed countries? In developing countries?
3. What social factors have contributed to the end of needle exchange and sex education programs?
4. How has the nature of the health care system in the United States affected persons living with HIV/AIDS and their access to potentially life saving drugs?

1. How does the demographic rise of the "oldest old" affect other social institutions?
2. How would functionalist theorists explain the phenomenon of choosing quantity of life over quality of life?
3. How would rational choice theorists explain the phenomenon of choosing quantity of life over quality of life?
4. How would conflict theorists explain why people from industrialized nations live longer than people in most other countries in the world?
5. How do you think that the growing population of oldest old has changed the definition of what it means to be elderly in America?

1. How do you think the increase in labeling of children with this disorder has affected the way that they have been treated? Do you think they would be better off or worse off without the label?
2. Do you think that these children should have any say in whether they receive treatment? Why or why not?

1. What do you think the way that we treat the dead in the United States says about our feelings on mortality?
2. Given the current population trends in the United States, what do you anticipate will happen with the funeral industry in the future?

1. What do you think about the future presented by Topol? Would you want all of your vital signs monitored by a wireless device? What are the benefits or drawbacks of this kind of technology?
2. How would these new devices fit into the conflict perspective on health and illness?

1. How would you classify the type of health care system that each of these countries has?
2. Compared to the United States, which features of these systems do you think are better? Which features of these systems do you think are worse?

1. How would these new street signs cut down on accidents? Why?
2. How could new street signs alleviate the problem of traffic in crowded areas?

1. How might global health care be impacted by this cheap, yet effective therapy?

1. What audience do you think this song is trying to target?
2. Given that men are less likely to go to the doctor than are women, do you think this is an effective strategy for encouraging men to see a physician? Do you think a more "professional" message would work better? Why or why not?

1. What are the differences between a mob, riot, panic, fad, and fashion? Which of these concepts did you see in these stories?
2. Why were the people in these stories involved in mob-like actions? Were they working for social change? Were they successful?

1. This episode examines why people participate in social change from many different perspectives. In your opinion, drawing from your interpretation of the episode, why do people participate in social movements?
2. The various acts suggest that our actions are rarely interpreted in the ways they are intended. What implication does this have for social movements and social change?
3. Desire for social change does not always include a vision of desired change that most of us would perceive as ideal. Is there a way to censor social movements so that the ‘good’ movements (the ones in line with mainstream cultural values and goals) see more success than the ‘bad' movements? Why or why not?
4. What role do youth play in social change?

1. How does the situation of Hydar and his family fit into the social world model?
2. How would you classify the various social movements in this environment? What are the apparent stresses and strains in the society?
3. Can you think of any cyclical theories that could explain what you've heard in this story? How does globalization factor into the story? How does the story fit into world systems theory?

1. How did Geoffrey Canada enact change on the individual level, and the institutional level?
2. Can Canada's ideas be implemented on the national, or macro, level? What changes might be necessary? What problems could arise?
3. What theory of social change do you think most applies to Geoffrey Canada's Baby College and other programs?

1. This episode examines social acts on the micro-, meso-, and macro-level. Can meaningful social change, specifically acts that have the potential to transform society, occur at each level? Why or why not?
2. The fact that this episode follows do-gooders as a curiosity suggests that our culture is not necessarily committed to changing society for the better. Are we generally committed to doing good in American society? In the global society? Why or why not?
3. As this episode, social change for the better can experience differing levels of success and failure. How do you explain the variation of success between these two stories? In your opinion, is the potential for failure the biggest barrier for social action? Why or why not?

1. Immigration is likely to play a key role in social change in contemporary global society. How do barriers to citizenship impact the lives of immigrants? How does this impact the role immigrants will play in social change?
2. How do social movements surrounding the law impact the way structures interpret the policy? How was this policy able to engage people who were otherwise apolitical? Does this suggest the movement was successful? Why or why not?
3. There have been several changes to U.S. immigration policy since this episode was broadcast, given the incidents of September 11, 2001. What change do you foresee for immigrants in America?

1. How is strengthening global capitalism shaping social change? How is this impacting individuals? Nations? Companies? The global system?
2. How was Wal-Mart able to redefine the economy system? In your opinion, does this benefit nations like China who manufacture the majority of goods sold in Wal-Mart stores? Why or why not?
3. To address the title of the program, is Wal-Mart good for America? Why or why not?

1. In your opinion, what role does the media play in social change? How is this evident in News Wars?
2. This episode mainly focuses on the media and social change in the U.S. Is the media's role similar on a global scale? Why or why not?
3. The episode also examines the shift in the balance of power from print to online media. How does this reflect social change? In your opinion, is this a social problem? Why or why not?

1. Can you think of other social problems that have an obvious solution, but continue to stubbornly persist?
2. Why do you think the "last mile" is so difficult to overcome?
3. How does Mullainathan think that "last mile" problem can be overcome?

1. This video examines The Coca-Cola Controversy as both a national and a global issue. What factors make it a national issue in Columbia? What issues make it a national issue?
2. One thing that makes the issue with Coca-Cola so difficult is the lack of international laws regarding labor and/or industry. In your opinion, does a global body need to be created to monitor and create international law? Why or why not?
1. If one was to be created, how much power should they have? Who would serve on it? Who would sit their agenda?
2. As the influence of globalization spreads, is the need for a global government more or less necessary? Explain.
3. What role have social movements played in addressing this issue? Do you feel they have been successful? Why or why not?

1. What role does the legal system play in social change? When legal decisions create social change, do they tend to do this in conjunction with popular beliefs? Why or why not?
2. Social movements mobilized around abortion are some of the strongest in the United States. How have the Pro-Life and Pro-Choice movements worked to create social change around abortion policy? In your opinion, does it seem like one side is more powerful than the other? Why or why not?
3. Use the Social World model to examine abortion in the United States. What issues exist at each level of measurement?

1. How do the individuals profiled in the video deal with the social change they experience living in modern China?
2. Is social change experienced different between young and older members of a society? Why or why not?
3. What structural changes seem to be particularly guiding Chinese society? How are these shaping a different life experience between youth in China and their parents or their political leaders?
4. How is life different for youth in China and youth in America?

1. Consumption in modern capitalist societies is one focus of the environmental movement. Were you aware of the volume of goods Americans are consuming? Does this constitute a social problem?
2. Do you believe that movement effort to get Americans to consume less will be successful? Why or why not? Do you believe they are necessary? Why or why not?
3. Some scholars argue that consumption should be viewed as a choice and even a human right. Therefore, as large nations like India and China develop and gain economic resources, do you think they should be able to consume at the same volume as the United States? How do we allow this without harming society?

1. What role does technology play in addressing social problems related to food security?
2. What problems, beyond hunger, does food shortage contribute to in the global society?
3. In your opinion, should issues of food shortage take president over all other social movements? Why or why not?

1. Which theory do you think would best explain one branch of the government (in this case the White House) preventing another governmental organization (the EPA) from doing its job? Why do you think this was done?
2. What affect might leaving toxic chemicals undetected have on the population dynamics of a society? What effects might we see at all levels of society if companies were banned from using toxic chemicals of any kind?

1. This shot follows the 1999 World Trade Organization protests from the time where people start to gather to the point of police occupation of the area. Does this represent collective behavior or a social movement in your opinion? Explain.
2. Watching this video, are there points where the structure of the population creates social action? Can people just coming together create action? Or must there be intent behind it? Explain your position.
3. Do you see any stress or strain through the images of the protest that may lead to the eventual riot and resistance movements? What observations can you make about population and demography and the collective behavior?

1. In this series of lectures, Sachs discusses a plan of action for the next President that he feels will address development in the global society. What are your thoughts about Sachs plans? What is the likelihood, in your opinion, of achieving sustainable development?
2. What other social problems does Sachs believe can be addressed by sustainable development? Do you agree with his assessment? Do you see other issues that can be addressed by sustainable development?
3. The United States is often criticized for addressing global issues because efforts and funding spent is subtracted from domestic investment. What are the benefits and limitations of seeing global issues as domestic issues, in your opinion?
4. Do you agree with Sachs that development is a domestic issue? Why or why not?

Dan Clawson, The Next Upsurge: Labor and the New Social Movements
In this book, Clawson argues that labor movements fuse with social justice social movements in order to be successful. For this reason, Clawson suspects it will take several justice related social movements before labor unions have the membership or influence they had in Post-War America, if they are ever able to regain their influence.