Choose one of the following questions, and answer it in a brief essay. This is not a research paper (even though you will want to check, and perhaps document, any facts that you cite). What matters is your ability to see an issue from a sociological perspective and to express the essence of your analysis clearly. You should not need more than about two pages, and you should write an initial draft which you then review and revise to be sure that your essay conveys your thoughts clearly and carefully. The essay is due, by email as an attached Word document to me (mervin.verbit@touro.edu), on the last day of class.
1. You are asked to study what makes some schools in New York’s public school system more effective than others. What factors–other than curriculum and teacher ability–would you include in your study? Explain why these are important factors in shaping educational success.
2. You work for a squinget factory. A member of the board of directors has suggested hiring a sociologist on staff. The CEO, knowing that you took a sociology course in college.
Write a brief memo explaining how a sociologist might be useful in a squinget factory.
3. When the coronavirus pandemic is past us and we can return to our more accustomed way of life, what are two or three of the research questions that sociologists might explore that have both sociological significance and day-to-day impact?
4. You head a major foundation that funds projects to encourage intergroup amity. The board has decided to do only one big project instead of a lot of smaller projects.
What would you do? Why do you think it would work?
Why is it more important than other projects that might be suggested?
