SOCIOLOGICAL REFLECTION PAPER
Sociological Reflection Paper Directions The “Sociological Reflection of Your Life” is an exercise designed for you to THINK about and APPLY the future acquired sociology key concepts. From the beginning of this course, the focus will be on the individual and society. • You will be introduced to key concepts regarding Culture in Chapter three, specifically on page_____. • In chapter four, you will be exposed to socialization throughout the life course, page _______. • In chapter five, you will learn how social interaction influences your everyday life, page ______. • Chapter six will introduce you to the power and influence of groups, networks, and organizations emphasizing key concepts, page _____. • Finally, you will be introduced to chapter seven regarding conformity, deviance, and crime, pages ______. Based upon your new understanding about social life, use the material from the lectures, lecture slides, and textbook in writing your paper. After reading the above, initial and achieve points:_______. Assignment Objective From the outset, understand this assignment is challenging. It requires you to THINK about aspects of your social world that you may take for granted or aspects of your social life that does not seem obvious. Therefore, keep in mind the above objective! The goal is for you to THINK about how you the individual have been shaped by society. Also, the goal is for you to THINK about how you as the individual shape society. You are required to THINK about the process of how you have been socialized into a member of society. As the course progresses, you should have a different set of lenses in how you view society. The goal of this assignment is to provide you an opportunity to demonstrate that new way of understanding social life by taking a closer look at your life from birth up until your current age. After reading the above thoroughly, initial and achieve points:________. Paper Outline The stages are the following: • Childhood (from birth to 5 years old); • Childhood (from 6 years old to age 12); • Adolescence (ages 13-17); • Transitional Adulthood (ages 18-30). Using your best memory for each stage, you are required to THINK of one value, one norm, and one material good that you were taught during that particular time of your life. You are required to name and define that value, norm, and material good. For each value, norms, and material good, THINK of one agent of socialization responsible for introducing you to that value, norm, and material good. However, values are the standards by which you define as desirable or undesirable, good or bad, beautiful or ugly. Values drive your preferences, guide your choices, and drive your behavior. Norms are the expectations and rules of behavior. You have lived everyday for a number of years. You have followed a set of “normal behavior” patterns routinely since birth. You may choose any one norm. The material goods in your life are the physical objects such as houses, cars, hairstyles, clothes, jewelry, I Pods, laptops, machines, weapons, utensils etc. Choose and discuss any material good. After reading the above thoroughly, initial and achieve points:________. Your paper should follow the above stages of your life addressing in each stage a value, a norm, and a material good. Also, discuss which agent of socialization influenced that particular value, norm, and material good. Therefore, structure your paper using the following outline: 1. Discuss the nature and nurture debate on page_____. Summarize in your own words the arguments for each side. State your position and state why. 2. Childhood (from birth to 5 years old) 3. Childhood (from 6 years old to age 12) 4. Adolescence ( ages 13-17) 5. Transitional Adulthood (ages 18-30) After reading the above thoroughly, initial and achieve points:________
