Sociology Assignment

1. Over the history of the census, how have racial categories changed? Provide examples. What does this suggest about the socially constructed nature of race?
2. What is a minority group and what are the key characteristics that define a minority group in the field of social science? Why might the term minority cause confusion?
3. What is group closure? Using an example from history or current times, describe how group closure is used to maintain racial inequality.
4. Define institutional racism and explain how it differs from racial discrimination at the individual level. Give examples of each (individual and institutional racism), specifying how your examples illustrate the difference between individual-level and institutional racism.
5. Using examples, compare overt racism with colorblind racism. Which do you think is more prevalent today? Which do you think is more damaging?
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Families and Intimate Relationships-Week 11: November 4-10
Unlocked: Tuesday, October 8, 2019 10:40 AM EDT – Sunday, November 10, 2019 11:59 PM EST. Must post first.
6. Describe Talcott Parsons’s view of the family. What are two criticisms of his approach?
7. Describe the symbolic interactionist approach to the study of the family. Use the studies mentioned in the textbook to illustrate your points. Discuss the approach’s weakness and potential blind spots when it comes to studying the family.
8. In the 2012 summer issue of Atlantic magazine, Anne-Marie Slaughter, who was the first female director of policy planning at the State Department, wrote an article titled “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All.” In the article, she argues that women today still struggle to balance a family and their career. Explain how a feminist perspective on the family may help shed light on this issue.
9. Discuss the differences in family patterns between white and black families.
10. Does cohabitation lead to divorce? What explanations have been proposed to understand the relationship between cohabitation and divorce? Please answer using research from the textbook.