Multimedia and Discussion Questions

Chapter 3: Building Reality: The Social Construction of Knowledge

- Video Links
  - Confederate Flag Causes Controversy
    The Confederate Flag was raised over a Texas courthouse and residents were divided as to whether or not this was appropriate as they did not share the same definition of the symbol. In this clip, a black Vietnam veteran and a white Civil War re-enactor offer different meanings of the flag.

Discussion Questions:
1. Though the people being interviewed were looking at the same physical object, they had very different understandings of what it “is” and what it “means.” (The Vietnam veteran said, “I don’t think of the flag that way.”) How can we account for this?

2. One man who was in favor of raising the flag explained why others objected. He said that opposition is the result of a “lack of education” and that when teaching about the flag, schools offer a “biased point of view.” How would a sociologist explain his ideas?

3. Is there a single “correct” meaning for the Confederate flag? Explain your answer.

- Millions Irrationally Feared Dead In Minor Train Accident
  Satirical look at how television news programs treat tragedies. In this fake news segment, the topic is a train derailment. The hosts speak with a disaster “expert,” use pie charts, and take calls from people who fear for the safety of their loved ones.

Discussion Questions:
1. What is this “fake news” segment drawing attention to?

2. What elements of “real” news casts are they borrowing in order to make the point?

3. Television news programs often use maps, graphs, pie charts, and interviews with “experts” in their coverage of stories. How do these lend credibility to the story?

- News War
  This program examines how larger social forces shape the media we consume. It considers how political, legal, economic, and technological forces have influenced the last forty years of journalism.

Discussion Questions:
1. How do the events described in this program relate to the notion that reality is socially constructed? Give examples.

2. Did you learn anything about the production of “news” that you found surprising?

- The Persuaders
  Influencing opinions is big business and a great deal of money is spent on attempts to shape consumers’ attitudes. Elaborate and sophisticated marketing campaigns are not limited to brands and products; they are increasingly part of American politics. This program examines how the techniques of the advertising and marketing industries are used in the political arena.

Discussion Questions:
1. How does this story relate to the notion that reality is socially constructed?

2. Do any of the actors in these situations fit the profile of moral entrepreneurs?

3. Can you find any examples of a self-fulfilling prophecy in this program?

- Revisiting the ‘Crack Babies’ Epidemic That Was Not
  This video is part of a New York Times series that revisits old news stories. In the 1980s there were numerous reports about the ways in which a woman’s use of crack cocaine during pregnancy would damage the developing fetus. The research on which these claims were based was seriously flawed. This video updates the news story and highlights not only the importance of conducting good research but the ways in which scientists and journalists shape our understanding of reality.

Discussion Questions:
1. Why do you think that the “crack babies” story gained such traction?

2. What role did the reporters play in perpetuating the myths?

3. Why is it so difficult to correct misperceptions about social phenomena once they are in place?

- Audio Links
  - 'Funemployment' And More Slang For A Recession
    A review of slang that has emerged during and as result of the recession.

Discussion Questions:
1. Had you heard any of these words or expressions before? If so, which ones?

2. Prior to the economic collapse, people had spent their vacations at home for financial reasons, people had gotten excited about receiving tax credits…Yet, clever expressions were not in common circulation. Why did words for these emerge with the economic downturn?

- Regional Food Names: When Is a Milkshake Not a Milkshake? Minicast
  Fun discussion of how names for foods vary by region and also the different types of foods available in different areas.

Discussion Questions:
1. Had you heard of these dishes before? If so, which ones?

2. If the same dish is served in two areas, why would it go by different names?

3. Are there dishes that are popular where you come from, or within your family, that people others probably have not heard of? If so, give an example.

- This American Life 328: What I Learned from Television
  This program addresses the role of television in the lives of everyday people. It includes stories of how we watch television and what the images do to our understandings of the world around us. From a general sense of who we are and how we relate to others to such divergent topics as Thanksgiving and sexuality, the program explores the function of television in defining the world around us.

Discussion Questions:
1. Based upon the story about the woman’s conception of Thanksgiving and the man’s sense of his own sexuality, explain the role that television can play in the social construction of reality.

2. Can you find comparable examples from your own life that fit into the stories from the program? If so, what are they and how do they relate?

3. How do language and culture fit into these stories?

- This American Life 88: Numbers
  Numbers lie. Numbers cover over complicated feelings and ambiguous situations. This program is about quantifying data that is hard to quantify. Several people presented in this episode, including Andrea, Alex, Jerry and Will, attempt to quantify things such as love and productivity in private and family relationships.

Discussion Questions:
1. This chapter in your course textbook addresses qualitative versus quantitative sociological research. How does this episode compare to what is presented in the textbook?

2. Are there any sociological benefits to quantifying personal relationships?

3. What specific research methods were used to collect the data presented in the show?

- Web Resources
  Professional Resources
  - ASA’s Code of Ethics
    The American Sociological Association’s (ASA’s) Code of Ethics sets forth the principles and ethical standards that underlie sociologists’ professional responsibilities and conduct. These principles and standards should be used as guidelines when examining everyday professional activities. They constitute normative statements for sociologists and provide guidance on issues that sociologists may encounter in their professional work [self-characterization].
  - Comparative and Historical Sociology
    Mathematical Sociology
    Methodology Section
    One of the distinguishing characteristics of sociology as a discipline is the rigorous and self-conscious application and development of empirical methods of data collection and analysis. Several ASA Sections are dedicated to advancing the discipline’s methods.
  - ASA Science, Knowledge, and Technology
    Sociologists also apply sociological theories and methods to the study of science and knowledge themselves as a social process. These sociologists are organized in the ASA Section on Science, Knowledge, and Technology.
  - American Evaluation Association
    One way to use a degree in sociology and do research is to become a program evaluator. Program evaluation is a form of applied social science research. The American Evaluation Association is the professional home for evaluators in the United States.. The web site has career information, professional guiding principles and other resources.

> Data Resources

- ICPSR
  The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) is a repository for many of the most important data sets used by sociologists in their research. The ICPSR Web site has a search utility that can help you locate a data set that meets your needs.
- NORC
  Perhaps the single most used source of data for sociological analysis is the General Social Survey (GSS), an annual survey of a representative sample of Americans conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago.
- American Religion Data Archive
  An example of a data archive on a particular topic is the American Religion Data Archive, a repository for data collections on American religion. The site allows users to search for topics of interest, download data files for analysis, and conduct basic statistical analyses on the site itself.
- Social Explorer
  Social Explorer provides easy access to demographic information about the United States, from 1790 to present [self-characterization].

> Other Resources

- SocioSite
  SocioSite, previously introduced in Chapter 2, provides a brief yet compelling claim of the validity and social importance of the theory of Social Construction of Reality written by Peter Berger and Thomas Luckman.
- AIM
  Accuracy In Media is a nonprofit, grassroots citizens watchdog of the news media that critiques botched and bungled news stories and sets the record straight on important issues that have received slanted coverage [self-characterization]. It is typically characterized as politically “conservative.”
- FAIR
  Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), the national media watch group, has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986. The group works to invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press and by scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints [self-characterization].
- Project Censored
  The Primary Objective of Project Censored is to explore and publicize the extent of censorship in our society by locating stories about significant issues of which the public should be aware but is not, for one reason or another [self-characterization].
- The Knowledge Base
  The Knowledge Base was designed to be different from the many typical commercially-available research methods texts. It uses an informal, conversational style to engage both the newcomer and the more experienced student of research. It is a fully hyperlinked text that can be integrated easily into an existing course structure or used as a sourcebook for the experienced researcher who simply wants to browse [self-characterization]. This site is particularly useful for helping students learn the language of social research.