American Sociological Association

Knowing certain societal constructs and expectations can be a major burden on every individual within that society. In Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” we see a young girl named Pecola Breedlove struggling with her community’s beauty standards, causing her to consistently beg for blue eyes. While the poem “Much Madness is divinest Sense” by Emily Dickinson shows that while the majority who follow all of the “rules” may be the truly be the ones that are mad, the ones who go against the grain are…

In society today education has many influences. Each generation is taught in different ways, but for some reason they still encounter the same distractions. Most people feel as though education is not really needed in the future since there are so many other ways to find jobs. There are opinions on what is the purpose of education, what role does the teacher really play and what should be taught. Some would say it is better for individuals to learn about independence instead of learning to…

This question focuses on how other peoples’ action and inaction affects one’s obligation. In this essay I will explore the consequences of both inconveniencing yourself with picking up the litter along with the leaving it on the beach. This scenario postulates over collective responsibility and whether one person’s individual actions make a difference to the overall outcome. I will argue from the stance that one is obliged to pick up the litter, regardless of others’ inactions as each of us…

Society creates a format in which individuals are expected to craft themselves in order to live up to society’s expectations. People act a certain way or reflect in a manner that is constructed through what is understood as social norms. When that social construction is not practiced, these individuals are punished under the law. This paper will discuss how sex work involving adults should be normalized, such that activities associated with Adult Prostitution, such as advertising sex for sale or…

In the movie Divergent, the setting is in the futuristic and post-apocalyptic Chicago. The society is divided into five factions based on human virtues: Amity, Abnegation, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite. Individuals who don’t belong to any of the five factions are called Factionless. People choose their factions at the age of 16 after their psychological aptitude tests. The test indicates what faction for which they are best suited and people normally choose according to the test result, though…

Social identity is a person’s sense of who he is based on his social group membership. Social identity theory is a theoretical framework developed by Tajfel for the study of intergroup relations. The theory is based on the assumption that people want to improve their self-image through enhancing their self-esteem. The group people belong to is a source of self-esteem. The group people chose to belong to gave them their social identity and a sense of belonging. In order to improve the image of…

Many of us have our own responsibilities that we have to deal with and fulfill. We all know that the responsibilities that we have are important, and that is how we live our daily lives by the responsibilities we have. The standard in which we go throughout each and every day is most likely determined by our responsibilities. I am going to give you a couple of responsibilities that we can use in our daily lives. They are Personal Responsibility, Ethics, Integrity, respect for Intellectual…

Peer Group Rejection in Childhood: Effects of Rejection Ambiguity, Rejection Sensitivity, and Social Acumen. (Report)(Author Abstract) Journal of Social Issues, March, 2014, Vol.70(1), p.12(17)[Peer Reviewed Journal] Abrams, Dominic; Killen, Melanie; Nesdale, Drew; Zimmer-Gembeck, Melanie J.; Roxburgh, Natalie This article displays the study of children between the ages of 6 and 12 toward peer group members who have either accepted or rejected them provided the children 's reactions were…

Sociological Imagination Striving to understand why things are the way they are, why people act the way they do, and the effect that relationships and society have people’s lives is the main goal of sociologists. Sociologists and other people that are able to see the answers to these question, have the ability to access sociological imagination. The article “The Promise” by C. Wright Mills explores the definition of sociological imagination, the impact of history and biography on our lives, and…

their life through the idea of sociological imagination. Which Mills describes as something that “enables its possessor to understand the larger historical scene in terms of its meaning for the inner life and the external career of a variety of individuals” (2014, 3). A concept as broad as the one presented to us by Mills is something that is open for interpretation and further development. One can elaborate that not only does Mills identify this as a sociological…