Two Define sociological theory. Course Objective
Three Identify major bodies of theoretical work in contemporary sociology and the
theorists associated with them. Course Objective
Four Analyze important developments in sociological theory, including
developments in European sociological theory that influenced the growth of
theory in the United States. Course Objective
Five Summarize historical theories and the manner in which their work continues
to hold relevance. Identify and discuss the major social issues that influenced the development
of sociological theory. Choose one of the two questions to write on. Essays must be at least 6 pages, and
double-spaced. Essays must be in APA format and sources must be properly cited. See
the syllabus and the Essay Grading Rubrics below for more information.
Questions (choose one):
1. After reading the section on the Commodification of Feelings on page 249, describe
the basic premises of the idea of the commodification of feelings and then present two
different scenarios that clearly demonstrate this concept. Your scenarios may be drawn
from news articles, Internet articles, movies, television, or your own personal experience.
2. In the field of ethnomethodology there is an emphasis on “accounting practices” (page
297). Describe what accounting practices are and how they can be both beneficial as well
as harmful. How do accounting practices fit within the larger realm of
ethnomethodological theory (in other words: describe the general framework of
ethnomethodological theory and its main premises)? Next, find a news article in which
different people give accounts of one event, such as an account from two different people
of the chaos in the streets of New York directly following the terrorist attacks on the
World Trade Center towers. Are the accounting practices of the two subjects similar or
different? How are they similar and/or how are they different? What does this say about
ethnomethodological theory?
How are they similar and/or how are they different?
