Journal Reflection Prompt: Guiding Questions
First Set of Questions (“Introduction”):
1. Why study sociology?
2. What does it mean to have an expert’s mind versus a beginner’s mind?
3. Would you say that the sociolog
...
Journal Reflection Prompt: Guiding Questions
First Set of Questions (“Introduction”):
1. Why study sociology?
2. What does it mean to have an expert’s mind versus a beginner’s mind?
3. Would you say that the sociological imagination is the same as the beginner’s mind?
If so, why? If not, what are the differences?
4. How do patterns allow sociologists to make inferences about social phenomenon?
5. Out of the three main sociological theories (structural functionalism, conflict, and
symbolic interactionism) which one resonates with you the most?
6. What other takeaways have you gained from either the textbook or class lecture?
Second Set of Questions (“Culture and Media”):
1. What does American English, particularly slang, tell us about American culture?
2. What role does media like newspapers, television, and the internet play in making
the modern world the way it is?
3. What happens when so much of our communication happens on a "mass" basis,
between people who do not see or even know each other?
4. What are the dominant and marginalized images in mass media?
5. What impact is mass media having on social life?
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Third Set of Questions (“Socialization”):
1. Do you think that our society gives more freedom to males than to females? Why or
why not?
2. Do you think that most people in our society feel that they have some control over
their lives or not? Why?
3. Has learning about socialization increased or decreased your feeling of freedom?
Why?
4. School plays an important role in our socialization. Think about the way socialization
works: What are some of the things we learn from schooling (e.g., the first years in
elementary school), and how does this learning differ from what we are taught by our
teacher?
5. What do sociologists mean by “social construction of reality”? How does the idea of
social construction bring into question certain elements of everyday life?
Fourth Set of Questions (“Sex and Gender”):
1. How do you identify in terms of gender?
2. How does your gender identification help you understand your own experiences?
3. If a sex-based division of labor is no longer a societal necessity, why does it
continue to exist?
4. Why do men reinforce female gender norms? Why do women reinforce male gender
norms? Who do we reinforce gender norms on members of the same sex?
5. Why do we police each other?
6. What is the trend in gender inequality and politics?
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