Project 1:

For this assignment, you are to select ONE (1) of the following Case Studies for the project. A Case Study is an assignment in which a situation (a case) is provided and is analyzed through a series of questions. You will need to answer these questions as you would a short answer question or essay question (depending on the length of your response) for an assessment. The questions and subsequent answers should be placed within a word document with proper headings, title page, and reference list (if outside sources are used). Use APA style formatting for this assignment.

The Case Study is the first entry in what is to be a portfolio for this course. There are a total of four portfolio assignments, with the other assignments meant to test your ability to apply the information you learned to the environment around you. This skill is important as it will allow you to perceive the changing world around you and apply the concepts of sociology in your everyday life. The ability to apply these concepts to the world around you can also be transferred to other courses as well.

Case 1

John Rommel was born in 1955 to a lower class family in New York. His father had immigrated over to the United States from Germany prior to the rise of Hitler in 1933. He desired to show pride in his new country, so he worked hard at the docks to earn a living for his family. While he was never made much, he always stressed pride in his work and obeyed the law. He believed this was a firm foundation for becoming successful.

John always showed a bright mind and highly intuitive nature, but he never showed any desire for schooling. He saw society as an unfair, unforgiving system that repressed those of lower social status. John was not a violent person; he considered himself very honorable, but he did not have a desire to work like his father did, earning low wages for hours of tedious work to support his family. Instead, he opted for more illegal endeavors-gambling, stealing, and even dabbling in organized crime. However, he never told his father because he did not want to disrespect his family. When he turned 17, he became a drug-runner for the Gambino family because a couple of his close "brothers" had become involved in the business as well.

Soon John became involved with more than just drug running; he began to assist the family with offering "protective services" to different shops and businesses in Brooklyn's lower east side. Should the businesses miss a payment or refuse their help, he would instigate certain actions against the business to cause severe damage, enough to ensure the business owner would seek their protection from then on.

Eventually, John's employment with organized crime caught up to him as he was arrested at the age of 25. When he appeared in court, his defense suggested that he plead guilty as the prosecution had enough evidence to convict him anyway. When he was sentenced the judge decided to send him to prison for five years, with a potential of being released after three years for good behavior. John noticed his parents sitting in the audience at the hearing, and he began to feel a great sense of shame for what he had done and believed he had brought shame to his family.

Based on what you have just read, and using your textbook as a reference, answer the following questions:

1. Why would John be considered a deviant? What social foundations of deviance appear to be evident in this case?
2. Examine the three theoretical foundations of deviance (structural-functional, symbolic-interaction, and social-conflict). Determine which foundation applies to John's situation and why. Give specific examples.
3. Choose three theories, one within each theoretical foundation, that apply to this case. If a foundation does not have an applicable theory, state why and what behavior could have been exhibited that would have reflected that.

Portfolio Project 2

This is to be the second entry in your portfolio, which showcases your ability to decode the concepts from this course and effectively apply them to the world around you. This project entry deals with sociology within a historical sense. For example, what would have happened if Clara Barton never started the Red Cross or if Florence Nightingale never pursued nursing? Those are just a couple examples of historical persons who affected society as a whole.

Using the Internet, research a significant person or organization in history that assisted people, or was an advocate against inequality. Whether through philanthropy, civil rights, teachings, lifestyle, etc., this person/organization has had a significant impact upon people. Answer the associated questions below.

Organization:

1. Describe the mission and purpose of the organization.

2. Who started the organization? Describe him or her (only if applicable).

3. What changes have occurred in society based upon the work of the organization?

4. What, if any, influence has the organization had?

1. Describe his or her lifestyle.

2. Discuss what led him or her to become an advocate for those in lower social standing.

3. What do you believe we can take away from this person and apply today?

4. Did his or her advocacy invoke a change? Have others followed in his or her footsteps?

5. What, if any, influence has the person had on others?

Portfolio Project 3

The third portfolio entry requires the construction of a document that reflects the information you have learned in Unit V. The assignment will also test your ability to think critically about the concepts within the unit. This portfolio entry should be in one word document with proper headings for each section.

This project allows you to develop some interviewing skills, generate tables, create a timeline, and write a debate. These different mini projects allow you to think outside of the box of the traditional assignment and assessment format, stretching your academic capabilities and applying them to the sociology discipline.

1. Ask five people how they would define racism, religion, and family, and then summarize the definitions. Identify the similarities and differences in the definitions. Provide your own definitions of each and how they relate to each other.

a. You can use any means you want to interview people. Social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), email, or personal interviews are all acceptable.

2. Generate a table with a list of the different patterns of interaction between minority and majority groups. The table should have three columns:

a. One column for the models

b. One column providing three facts about each model

c. One column providing two different examples for each model

3. Develop a K-W-L table for each of the racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Create three columns for each table with the following categories: What I KNOW (K), what I WANT to know (W), and what I LEARNED (L). Complete the "K" and "W" sections, listing at least three things you know and three things that you want to know about each of the racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Then, perform research on the different associated cultures, and list three things you learned about the different cultures, and fill them in the "L" section.

4. Create a timeline listing the different stages of family life. Make note of any events, significant milestones, or problems that may occur.

5. Argue both sides (supporting and rejecting) the following statement in one to two paragraphs: The religions in the world will never get along because they are too different.

Portfolio Project 4

The fourth portfolio entry requires the construction of a document that reflects the information you have learned in Unit VI. This portfolio assignment requires you to develop tables dealing with various concepts, comparing and contrasting economic systems and developing your own definition of various concepts in Unit VI. This portfolio entry should be in one word document with proper headings for each section.

1. Create a three-column table regarding the Industrial Revolution and how it changed the economy:

a. In the first column, provide what was changed.

b. In the second column, provide a brief explanation on how it changed the economy.

c. In the third column, provide an example from 1900 and an example from today.

2. Research and record three definitions of revolution and terrorism, and then develop your own definition of each. Describe what each means to you, and provide examples.

3. Compare and contrast the various economic systems across the globe. Generate at least three examples of each, and discuss their similarities and differences.

4. Develop another three-column table, this time dealing with the different types of political systems and the analysis of power.

a. In the first column, list the different types of political systems.

b. In the second column, list the associating source(s) of power for the system (Pluralist, Power-Elite, or Marxist).

SOC 1010, Introduction to Sociology 5

c. In the third column, provide example(s) of each political system; these should not come from the textbook.