Identify a sociologically relevant topic or problem of your choosing. For your final project, you must link that topic/problem to the wide range of tools of sociological thought you have learned this semester in a presentation (e.g., PowerPoint) or written review. Your project must substantially fulfill the following requirements:
Give a background of the topic or problem you have chosen and discuss why it would benefit from being understood through a sociological lens. What assumptions do people make about it that sociology can inform (or change)? What does sociology bring to the table that differs from people’s everyday social and cultural assumptions?
Discuss how two sociological theories can be applied. In doing so, you should make clear that you understand how the core perspectives of the theory can connect to and offer insight into the real-world example you have chosen. In other words, how would this theory interpret your topic?
It may be easiest to choose from the major theories (Structural-Functionalism, Symbolic Interactionism, and Conflict Theory*), but recall that there are some other theories presented in your readings.
Discuss how two sociological concepts can be applied. In doing so, you should show how these concepts can be seen at work inside the topic/problem you’ve identified. Use them to zero in on aspects of your example and interpret them. You may choose from the following list of concepts:
Social Structure
Culture
Socialization
Social inequality*
Social identity
Including groups and categories
Power and authority (counts as one)
Deviance
Social change
(*Important: note that if you choose Conflict Theory as one of your theories, you may not choose social inequality as one of your concepts.)
