Materials

 

Materials for this class: 

My platform: this one. 

(Mon Campus)

Book: let’s get it. 

Syllabus: let’s get it. 

Now, how do we work in this class?

What is Sociology?

 

WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?

You have 10 minutes to create your own definition of Sociology. 

You cannot use Google, ChatGPT, Wikipedia, or a textbook.

1. What does Sociology study?

2. What kinds of questions does a sociologist ask?

3. What makes Sociology different from Psychology, History, 

Economics or Political Science?

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The “Sociological Question”

Turn an ordinary question into a sociological question. (20 min.)

• Why is Sarah poor?

• Why does John use Instagram?

• Why do people get married?

• Why do students cheat on exams?

• Why do people vote?

Chapter 15. "Religion"

 

Chapter 15. Religion.

1. Explain the etymological definition of religion.

2. What is the sociological approach to religion?

3. Explain religious experience, beliefs, and rituals. 

4. Explain Durkheim’s notion of religion.

5. What is religion for Max Weber?

6. Explain Marx’s notion of religion. 

7. What is religion according to the functionalist 

approach?

8. What is religion according to the Conflict 

Theory’s approach?

9. Explain the concepts of Cult and Sect.

10. What is a Denomination?

11. What is Ecclesia?

12. Explain the concepts of Polytheism, 

Monotheism, Atheism, Animism, and

Totemism. 

World-Systems Theory -- Global Inequality

 

First Part: 0-7’: 

1. What is the purpose of the video?

2. Explain Modernization Theory. 

3. What is Structuralism (in the context of 

World Economy)?

4. What are Structural Adjustment Programs?

5. Explain the main points of Dependency Theory,

and why is it deeply related to Latin America.

6. Explain Wallerstein’s approach:

7. Core-Periphery, and Semiperiphery.

8. What are his “cycles” of History?

9. Compare Wallerstein’s system to Dependency

Theory. 

10. Why is Wallerstein’s theory still popular among 

Marxists?

………………………………………………………….

Second Part: 7’ - 14’:

11. Explain the main concepts developed in the 

book Why Nations Fail?

12. Explain the main concepts developed in the 

Book The Bottom Billion. 

13. If a low-income country were to suddenly discover 

substantial natural resource reserves, what are 

the challenges it would be likely to encounter? 

14. After reviewing Gary Gereffi’s study about transnational 

pharmaceutical corporations in Mexico, what can be 

said about dependency? Is it a systemic inherence of 

capitalism? What’s your opinion?

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“Firms may pay bribes to obtain government 

benefits or to avoid costs… Such payments can 

become routine, part of the normal cost of doing business.”

“Illegal payments are often hidden as legitimate expenses 

in company accounts.” 

(Susan Rose-Ackerman — 

Corruption and Government (1999))

Human. Part 1.

 

Story-telling

 

Narrative Research

1. How does narrative research reflect the sociological idea 

that reality is socially constructed?

2. What are the strengths and limitations of using personal 

narratives as research data in sociology?

3. How might stories provide insights that statistics cannot?

4. How do social factors (e.g., class, gender, race, culture) 

influence the kinds of stories people tell about their lives?

5. Are some narratives more socially valued or legitimized 

than others?

Living in Times of Exponential Growth

 

1. What is linear growth vs exponential growth? 

Can you give real-world sociological or 

technological examples of each?

2. Tyson suggests that many people think in linear 

terms, even when change is exponential. 

Why do you think that is?

3. What social or policy risks stem from underestimating 

exponential change (e.g., in technology, 

population, climate)?

4. Tyson walks us through innovation from the 19th 

to the 21st century. According to him, how has the 

pace of innovation changed? (Refer to the video’s 

timeline.)

5. Are our social institutions (education, government, 

business) structurally capable of responding to 

exponential change? Why or why not?

6. What reforms or new institutions might be 

necessary to deal with accelerating change?

7. Which social groups are most likely to benefit 

from exponential technological growth? Which 

might be disadvantaged?

8. Do you feel empowered or anxious about living 

in a time of such rapid change? Why?

9. What ethical dilemmas arise from rapid 

technological innovation (e.g., privacy, surveillance, 

job displacement)?