Questions For Sociology Class

1- Describe what sociologists mean by the ‘gendered division of labor’, and explain why it emerged after the Industrial Revolution.

2- In the past, people often married for less ‘romantic’ reasons (such as money or pregnancy). It seems today that most people in Western societies marry for love. How can we explain this change over time?

3- School plays an important role in our socialization. What are some of the things we learn from schooling, in addition to what we are taught from our teachers (some sociologists refer to this as the ‘hidden curriculum’)?

4- How can we understand teenage pregnancy as a ‘socially constructed’ problem?

5- Based on the graphs from the Pew Research Center we examined in class this week, explain the connection between geographic location and religiousness.

6- Why do you think religious attitudes are such a strong predictor of political affiliation? Provide an example to explain your answer

7- What do you think are the main causes of aging populations in Western societies? Outline the biggest challenges you think our society faces in managing the ‘greying’ population over the next 50 years.

8- How can we explain this paradox: ‘It is the deviants among us who hold society together’?

9-  Explain the difference between material and non-material culture, and provide an example for each.

10- Parents of different social classes socialize children differently. For example, middle-class parents are more likely to stress independence and self-direction, whereas working-class parents prioritize obedience to external authority. Using this example, how does socialization through families potentially reproduce social inequality?