Identify and briefly explain three social foundations for deviance.
What is meant by the term medicalization of deviance? Provide two illustrations.
Describe the characteristics of the typical street criminal.
What are the four justifications for the use of punishment against criminals? What evidence exists for their relative effectiveness?
Describe Thomas Szasz’s view on mental illness and deviance. What is your opinion of his arguments?
Durkheim said that deviance performs four essential functions. What are they? Do you think he was right? Why?
Do you think violence on TV affects personality development?
Review the research by Harry and Margaret Harlow on social isolation. What were the important discoveries they made?
Discuss the cases of childhood isolation presented in the text. What are the important conclusions being drawn from these cases?
According to the text, what are the four important agents of socialization? Provide an illustration of how each is involved in the socialization process.
What is a total institution? Does resocialization change personality in positive ways?
Would total individual freedom be an ideal way to raise children? Issues?
Define master status and role conflict.
What are three ways in which language functions to define the sexes differently? Provide an illustration for each.
Describe what is going on in the story at the beginning of the chapter regarding Harold and Sybil. Why do you think men tend not to ask for directions?
What is ethnomethodology?
What are the basic characteristics of humour? Write out a joke and analyze how it manifests the characteristics discussed in the text.
How do emotions affect even the most important decisions in life? Explain through an example.
In what ways do bureaucratic organizations in Japan differ from those in Canada?
Describe Milgram’s controversial study and the findings.
What are the general characteristics of the McDonaldization of society? Provide an illustration of this phenomenon in our society based on your own experience.
What are some paths to humanizing organizations?
What are the six characteristics of bureaucracy? More computers, less bureaucracy?
Define these terms in your own words and use examples: Primary group, secondary group, group conformity, in group, out group, bureaucracy, oligarchy.
