U3IP:PerspectivesOfSociology

Unit:  Social Institutions
Deliverable Length:  2-3 pages 

 
Choice 1:
Deliverable Length:   2-3 pages
The family is the oldest and most important and influential socializing agent for an individual.
In a 2-3 page paper, address the following questions:

How can the three sociological perspectives (e.g., social functionalism, social conflict, and symbolic interaction) be used to conceptually understand the family?
What fundamental changes to the family have been made over the last 40 years?
What is the “family”? Use the 3 sociological perspectives to explain.

Make sure your Individual Project includes references using APA standards. 
For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course materials.
-OR-
Choice 2:
Deliverable Length:   2-3 pages
The mass media teaches us about politics, our identity, our gender, what to believe, and what to value, and not to mention it perpetuates stereotypes about social groups.  It is no surprise that it is the most controversial of all the socializing agents!
For your research, spend some time watching TV.  In a 2-3 page paper, address the following questions:

Why is our media (e.g., television, radio, the Internet, magazines) identified as a major agent of socialization?
What do children learn from the mass media about American culture (some ideas to include in your response are gender norms, values, violence, ideas about democracy and equality, and issues of social class).  
What are some common stereotypes portrayed in terms of race, gender, social class, ethnicity, and sexual orientation?

Make sure your Individual Project includes references using APA standards.