#2: ETHNOGRAPHY

Out of Class Assignments for Introduction to Sociology

The following out of class assignments require the student to define/utilize/and apply many relevant sociological concepts presented in the course. These activities are intended to be interesting, fun, and enlightening. Your written response for each assignment below should be between 1.5 and 2 pages in length (typed, double spaced, 12 point font, 1 inch margins). Assignments must be completed in the order on the syllabus schedule, and they must be submitted electronically to the appropriate PILOT drop boxes. Late assignments will NOT be accepted after each drop box closes without a written, medical excuse. Each assignment is worth 2 percentage points toward your course grade. #1: SURVEY Create and conduct a brief survey regarding an issue or topic of your choice related to sociology. Look at the chapter

titles in the book for ideas. In your assignment summary paper, summarize your findings, draw conclusions regarding

your research, and include a blank copy of the survey you created.

Step 1. Choose a research question and conceptualize your variables

(E.g. Does respondent age (IV) effect political orientation (DV)?)

Step 2. Consider how you will operationalize your IV and DV (E.g. I will measure respondent age in whole years; I will measure respondent political orientation with a likert scale of responses, ranging from strongly liberal to strongly conservative)

Step 3. Create your survey instrument using no fewer than 5 questions (e.g. 1 question per variable, plus other demographic questions)

Step 4. Collect data using your survey from a convenience sample of at least 25 people

(Collect data yourself from respondents; do not hand out surveys and ask for returns)

Step 5. Write your assignment summary paper, summarizing your findings and discussing conclusions (Remember to include a blank copy of your survey at the end of your paper!!)

#2: ETHNOGRAPHY Conduct a participant observation (ethnographic study) wherein you study through participation in a particular cross-

cultural group event or social organizational meeting. Samples of events may include a visit to a religious group other

than the one you usually attend, hanging out at a greasy spoon café or coffee shop and observing tipping behavior,

attending a cross-cultural sporting event (e.g. if you are American, perhaps soccer but NOT American football or

baseball), or volunteering with an organization that serves a cultural population somehow different than your own. To

complete the assignment paper, first consider what cultural norms may be different from your own and discuss them in

writing. Then, participate in the event, writing down your observations, noting any patterns you observe, and pointing

out any observations or patterns that particularly surprise you. Why are they surprising to you? What might be the

purpose(s) behind the perceived difference? Throughout your paper, you should reflect on your own cultural identity

compared to the group being observed. Additionally, you should apply Sociological theory in an attempt to explain

multicultural and global diversity.

#3: BREACHING EXPERIMENT Conduct a non-intrusive “breaching experiment”, wherein you attempt to validate the existence of a particular norm.

This may include singing on the bus, singing in an elevator, not talking to anyone for a day, or any other informally

deviant activity. No formal deviance (crime) allowed! In writing your assignment paper, describe your experiment and

the specific norm that you will attempt to breach. Consider in writing the potential reactions you will receive while

conducting your breaching experiment, and attempt to explain these potential reactions using Sociological theories.

Report people’s actual reactions to your behavior during your breaching experiment, and discuss conclusions that you

have reached about the relative importance of the social norm being studied.

#4: MEDIA ANALYSIS Evaluate a book, movie or television show episode/series. In writing your assignment paper, do not simply summarize,

but rather interpret the book/movie/episode/series in terms of sociological concepts, phenomena, and research

addressed in the text and in class. Any genre of media is acceptable (e.g. Hollywood action film, fiction novel, TV

show episode/series, biography (or autobiography), documentary film, independent or foreign film, etc.). For the

purpose of the media analysis assignment, substantive media must be used. In other words, no YouTube videos or

other short clips will be allowed!

#5: SOCIOLOGICAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY Write a short autobiography wherein you highlight, explain and discuss important sociological factors that have

influenced your life. Those may include social class, religion, race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, position in the

global social structure, or any other sociological topics covered in the course. You do not necessarily have to cover

your entire life story in the assignment paper, although you may do so (concisely!) if you wish. In-depth discussion and

analysis of one or more major life events that have shaped your social/self-identity will suffice.