Chapter Discussion Questions 2

Explain the course ideas in your own words; do not answer in direct quotes from the textbook. I expect that each answer will be well thought out, organized, and substantial. I expect that each answer will be at least a full paragraph, meaning 5-7 sentences. You should answer each question in complete sentences, in paragraph form
Example Question:
What is culture? Why is it important to study it?
Bad answer: Culture is what people do everyday. We study it so we know what it is.
Better Answer: Culture is what people do everyday, things like language or clothes. We study it so we can know why people do what they do.
Best Answer: Culture is what humans use to get by in their daily lives. It is the sum total of all our experiences, our material objects, and our interactions. We learn culture from all the individuals in our lives. It is very important to study culture because we as human beings rely on it. If we have different kinds of cultural elements then we will be different people. If we understand this we can understand people and be able to understand our similarities and differences to get along better.

Chapter Discussion Questions
1. (Ch. 2) Sociology as a discipline is commonly divided between those who use qualitative methods and those who use quantitative ones. Describe the differences between the two approaches and explain the one goal they always have in common. 5pts.


2. (Ch. 2) Each method of social research comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. This means that there is not necessarily a “right” answer to the question of which method should be used for a project. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of ethnography and survey research. 5pts.


3. (Ch. 3) Culture is a very broad concept, usually divided into material culture and symbolic culture. List and describe the major components of symbolic culture. 5pts.


4. (Ch. 3) Explain the difference between subcultures and countercultures and give an example of each. 5pts.