Multimedia and Discussion Questions

Chapter 1: Taking a New Look at a Familiar World

- Video Links

- Florida Teen Commits Suicide with Live Web Audience (AP)
  News report about a man who broadcast his suicide via webcam. He’d told others in the chat room his intentions and then allowed them to watch him swallow an overdose of pills. No one tried to stop him.

Discussion Questions:
1. The young man was physically alone when he took the overdose, yet others were, in a sense, present. Use the sociological imagination to develop ideas about why no one intervened.

2. How do the people interviewed explain the suicide? Do they reference personal or social factors?

3. Durkheim cited “integration” as an important factor in suicide. How might the concept apply here?

- Country Boys
  This Frontline special project introduces us to Chris and Cody, two teens living in Appalachia. The program follows them for four years and documents their daily struggles and successes.

Discussion Questions:
1. Use the sociological imagination to describe how Chris and Cody’s lives were shaped by social forces.

2. How did Chris and Cody try to resist the effects of their environments?

- The Old Man and the Storm
  In 2005, the U.S. Congress designated $126.4 billion in aid money for Gulf Coast communities devastated by hurricanes Rita and Katrina. This program offers a glimpse into the politics of economic relief and rebuilding efforts that followed.

Discussion Questions:
1. Use the sociological imagination to explain the link between the individuals featured and society that is central to these programs.

2. Note and describe the social forces at work in the situation presented in each program.

3. How were these people affected by the larger social forces? How did they resist them?

- Audio Links

- “Tuition policy behind Korean student suicides?”
  PRI’s The World examines the pressure on Korean students to get “superior” grades. At KAIST, a number of students have committed suicide and many outside of the school point to the structure of the university—particularly its tuition fees—as at least partially responsible for the deaths. At KAIST, students with excellent grades have their tuition waived and this puts pressure on students to excel so as to avoid placing a financial burden on their families and bringing shame to the household.

Discussion Questions:
1. Drawing on what you learned about Durkheim’s study of suicides, analyze what is taking place at KAIST.

2. Use Durkheim’s classification system to identify the type of suicide observed at KAIST.

3. How might the structure of KAIST be modified to reduce the risk of student suicide?

- This American Life 322: Shouting Across the Divide
  This program presents stories of the difficulties that arise in communications and relationships between Muslims and non-Muslims. The program includes the story of a family that came to America in the late 1990s. After September 11, 2001, their otherwise happy life in this country became subject to a high degree of prejudice and discrimination. It also includes the story of an advertising agency who works on a project to promote American values to the Muslim world for the State Department.

Discussion Questions:
1. What was the effect of September 11th on the family? How did their behavior change? How were those around them affected by the larger social forces? How were they able to affect the larger social structure?

2. How were the employees at the ad agency expected to have an impact on the larger social context? How well did it work?

3. What differences do you find in looking at these stories sociologically as opposed to how you would have otherwise?

- This American Life 360: Switched at Birth
  This episode starts by recapping an unusual event that occurred on a summer day in 1951 when two baby girls were born in a hospital in small-town Wisconsin. The infants were accidentally switched, and went home with the wrong families. One of the mothers realized the mistake but chose to keep quiet. Until the day, more than 40 years later, when she decided to tell both daughters what happened. How the truth changed two families' lives—and how it didn't.

Discussion Questions:
1. What do you believe most influenced Mrs. Miller’s decision to not confront the delivery room doctor about the possibility that she took home the wrong baby?

2. What role do you feel biology/genes played in Sue and Martis’ upbringing? How does that differ from the sociological/societal impact on their upbringing?

3. The first chapter in your textbook stresses the significant impact society has on our lives and called for the readers to use their sociological imagination to see this influence. What might the sociological imagination tell us about this story?

- Web Resources
  Professional Resources

- The American Sociological Association (ASA)
  Founded in 1905 and based in Washington D.C., is a nonprofit membership association dedicated to advancing sociology as a scientific discipline and profession serving the public good. With approximately 14,000 members, ASA encompasses sociologists who are faculty members at colleges and universities, in addition to researchers, practitioners, and students. About 20% of the members work in government, business, or nonprofit organizations [self-characterization].

- American Sociological Association’s Section on Sociological Practice
  Sections are constituent parts of the American Sociological Association. The purpose of Sections is to promote the common interest of association members in specified areas of sociology. In addition to promoting networking among sociologists with common interests, they can also be a useful point of entry into a specific area of sociology for an “outsider”. Those sociologists who work outside of university settings or do “applied” work are often members of the ASASSP.

- The International Sociological Association (ISA)
  Founded in 1949 under the auspices of UNESCO. The association characterizes itself as representing sociologists everywhere, regardless of their school of thought, scientific approaches or ideological opinion, and to advance sociological knowledge throughout the world [self-characterization].

- The Society for Applied Sociology (SAS)
  Founded in 1985 and provides a forum for sociologists and others interested in applying sociological knowledge to social problems, policy, or organizational needs. The organization also houses the accreditation body for training programs in applied sociology.

- American Sociological Review and the American Journal of Sociology
  Much of the published work of sociologists appears in professional journals. A full list of journals published by the American Sociological Association.

- The American Sociological Review
  The flagship journal of the American Sociological Association. Founded in 1936, the Review’s mission is to publish original works of interest to the discipline in general, new theoretical developments, results of research that advance our understanding of fundamental social processes, and important methodological innovations [self-description].

- American Journal of Sociology
  Established in 1895 as the first U.S. scholarly journal in its field, the American Journal of Sociology is a leading voice for analysis and research in the social sciences, presenting work on the theory, methods, practice, and history of sociology [self-description].

- Contexts
  Contexts is a journal published by the ASA that is intended for a broader audience, and it may be especially interesting to undergraduates. Selected articles may be accessed online.

- The Socjournal
  Founded in 2010, The Socjournal is dedicated to the consideration of new and emerging communications media.

- Journal of Sociology
  The Journal of Sociology publishes theoretical and empirical work at the international cutting edge.

- Careers in Sociology
  Careers in Sociology is an online resource with chapters on eighteen different possible careers in sociology.

Data Resources

- The Statistical Abstract of the United States
  The Statistical Abstract of the United States, published since 1878, is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States [self-characterization].

Other Resources

- ASA Careers
  What can I do with a degree in sociology? According to Careers in Sociology, a publication of the American Sociological Association, this question can be answered in a multitude of ways. The booklet says it includes a fresh definition of sociology as a discipline and profession and profiles of students who talk about how sociology led to their current employment. It also outlines possible career paths and offers tips for how to apply to graduate school.

- AcademicInfo
  AcademicInfo is an online education resource center with extensive subject guides and distance learning information with a mission to provide free, independent and accurate information and resources for prospective and current students (and other researchers).