S assess 3

In this course, you are learning how a society’s social structures and culture can influence peoples behavior. Social structure guides our behavior, and our position in the social structure affects our attitudes, behaviors, and ideas. For example, our culture’s focus on the use of technology affects how we communicate with other people. Similarly, our roles and status, as well as social categories like social class, ethnicity, and gender, affect how we relate to one another in everyday life. Our membership in primary and secondary groups also influences our behaviors and interactions and may create pressure to conform to group norms and expectations. In this assessment, you will continue your field research by observing social interactions and analyzing the sociological factors that influence these interactions.

Note: The course assessments build upon one another and must be completed in sequence.

Overview

Preparation

Review the sociological concepts and theories you have learned about in this course, focusing especially on the readings in your Sociology: The Essentials textbook, and review one or more of the examples in this reading list to see the different sociological approaches to field research:

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Download the and save it to your computer in a place for easy access. If you have questions on how to get started, please view the media and the “How do I get started on my assignment?” information.

Start your field research by completing one observation, following these guidelines for your second observation:

• Focus on observing two or more social interactions between two or more people. For this observation, you can choose from many possible settings: (1) a public setting (a park, grocery store, library, shopping mall, et cetera), (2) a social event, such as a birthday party, family dinner, or book club meeting, or (3) a place where you work or volunteer. The interactions can take place in person or via an online meeting environment (such as a Zoom or Teams meeting). Try to be as objective as possible as you observe but be aware of how your own biases or experiences might shape your conclusions.
• Spend at least 30 minutes observing in your chosen setting.
• Use a sociological perspective to observe people’s behavior in the setting you have chosen. Below are some questions you can use to guide your observations and note-taking:
  • What social interactions do you see? As you observe, consider both verbal and nonverbal communication and people’s use of space.
  • Do you notice any role or status differences affecting how people behave or interact?
  • How are people collaborating, managing conflict, and/or problem solving?
  • What norms (rules for social behavior) are apparent in the interactions you are observing? Also consider how the setting itself affects how people behave.
  • What social categories (such as gender, age, race or ethnicity, and social class) are relevant for understanding the interactions you’re observing?
  • What cultural elements influenced the interactions?
• As you observe, take notes (called field notes) in a notebook, phone, laptop, or tablet. These notes can include your observations as well as your thoughts about how those observations illustrate certain concepts or theories we’ve covered in this course.

Instructions

Follow the directions in the worksheet to complete each section, typing directly on the worksheet. Include answers to each question, and do not delete any instructions or questions.

• Describe the setting that was observed.
• Explain the influence of culture on a setting or individual or group behavior.
• Describe a social interaction using a sociological concept or theory.
• Explain an example of collaboration, conflict, or problem solving using a sociological concept or theory.
• Write field notes that describe the setting, people, behaviors, and interactions observed.