Class: Sociology

Grades: 11th and 12th Grades

Title: Society and Socialization

Unit Focus: The students will focus on the development and influence of socialization and society on their lives and those around them. In doing this, they will read, take part in group and individual activities, watch a case study video, hold a Socratic Seminar, and take notes.

Rationale: Reflecting on one's interactions with themselves and others makes them more sensitive to their surroundings and more aware of how they develop as humans.

Assessment: The class will be assessed in a variety of ways, including book reports, socratic seminars, group and individual projects, independent field research, reflections, quizes, discussions, and notes

Day One: Write Questions to Think About(See Appendices A) on the board. Give the students 15 minutes to answer the questions by themselves. Then, discuss the answers in class. Assign Examining Sociology Through Literature (See Appendices B), a book project over a book that has significance to sociology.

Essential Question: What is socialization?

Note: Depending on the book, students will address a variety of frameworks through the literature project.

CS.3.S.1 / Discuss the process of socialization in human development
CS.3.S.2 / Analyze the role of socialization agents in human development:
  • family
  • school
  • peer groups
  • mass media

Day Two: Create a Socialization web with notes from Chapter 3 as a class(see Appendices C). This web should be turned in at the end of the class and handed back the next day by the teacher.

Essential Question: What is socialization?

CS.3.S.1 / Discuss the process of socialization in human development
CS.3.S.2 / Analyze the role of socialization agents in human development:
  • family
  • school
  • peer groups
  • mass media

S.4.S.2 / Examine the roles and role expectations which can lead to role conflict

Day Three:The students willproduce a visual representation on butcher paperof each level of social development from the chart on page 57 in the book. This visual can be either pictorial or through words. Each level of social development should be labeled. Students may work in groups or alone. While they are doing this, the teacher should circulate around the room, answering questions and offering positive feedback. Students will be graded on representation of each of the levels of social development with at least one image and a clear label.

Essential Question: How did societies change over time?

SC.7.S.1 / Describe societal changes over time
SC.7.S.2 / Examine the factors that influence change in social norms over time

Day Four: Read Horace Miner’s Body Rituals of the Nacirema(a study of Americans) out loud in class and discuss its social implications beginning with the Discussion Questions (Appendices D).

Essential Question: How should you view societies that are different from yours?

FS.1.S.5 / Examine various types of sociological research methods
CS.2.S.3 / Examine the importance of norms and values to a culture
S.4.S.3 / Analyze various points of view relating to historical and current events

Day Five: Reading day for Examining Sociology Through Literature (Appendices B). Students are also expected to do a research project/journal entry as assigned every 2 to 4 weeks. They will choose, usually from two topics, which project they want to participate in. These projects will be assessed based on a write up of their experiences. Give the Class Journal Entry 1 assignment (Appendices E).

Essential Question: Why is sociology important?

Note: Depending on the book, students will address a variety of frameworks through the literature project.

FS.1.S.5 / Examine various types of sociological research methods

Day Six:View the movie A Class Divided from Frontline. The video can be streamed live from if it can’t be found elsewhere (at the U of A library). The video revisits the blue eye, brown eye experiment. Free write for the last 10-15 minutes of class (depending on when the movie is over) about thoughts, reflections, and questions that the experiment brought to mind. Then, explain to the class that they will take part in a Socratic Seminar the next day, and that they will be graded in part by their reflections they were working on. They make take these home and work on them.

Essential Question: How influential is socialization in developing your beliefs and tolerance?

CS.3.S.2 / Analyze the role of socialization agents in human development:
  • family
  • school
  • peer groups
  • mass media

CS.2.S.2 / Examine the effect of diversity and change on a culture
CS.2.S.3 / Examine the importance of norms and values to a culture
S.4.S.1 / Describe the effect of social status on social order:
  • upper class
  • middle class
  • lower class
  • professional
  • nonprofessional
  • unemployed

G.5.S.1 / Identify students as members of primary groups and secondary groups
G.5.S.2 / Examine the influence of group membership on student behavior

Day Seven: Socratic Seminar about A Class Divided (Appendices F).

Essential Question: How influential is socialization in developing your beliefs and tolerance?

CS.3.S.2 / Analyze the role of socialization agents in human development:
  • family
  • school
  • peer groups
  • mass media

CS.2.S.2 / Examine the effect of diversity and change on a culture
S.4.S.1 / Describe the effect of social status on social order:
  • upper class
  • middle class
  • lower class
  • professional
  • nonprofessional
  • unemployed

G.5.S.1 / Identify students as members of primary groups and secondary groups
G.5.S.2 / Examine the influence of group membership on student behavior
G.5.S.3 / Discuss the influence of formal organizations on the behavior of group members

Day Eight: The students will create a short playat least two minutes long of each of the forms of social interaction from the chart on page 62. They will divide up into 6 groups, and each of the groups will be assigned one of the forms. Their social interaction should be written in a list on the board and left there after they finish so that all of the six forms of social interaction can be read by the class. They will have 25 minutes to develop their play, and the rest of class for performances. Students will be graded on accurate depiction of their form of social interaction.

Essential Question: What is one type of social interaction?

G.5.S.4 / Examine social interaction:
  • coercion
  • conflict
  • conformity
  • cooperation
  • groupthink
  • social exchange

Day Nine: Students will go to the computer lab and take the Myers-Briggs personality test from Then, have them research their personality types, and summarize their findings. They should write a few sentences at the end of the summary reflecting on what has influenced the development of their personality.

Essential Question: How have you developed your personality?

CS.3.S.1 / Discuss the process of socialization in human development

Day Ten:Reading day for Examining Sociology Through Literature (Appendices B)

(Spring Break. Students have a week here to work on Examining Sociology Through Literature (See Appendices B)).

Essential Question: Why is sociology important?

Note: Depending on the book, students will address a variety of frameworks through the literature project.

Day Eleven: Answer the questions seen in Appendices G using the book. Students can work with a partner if they would like. These questions should be turned in on day thirteen with the quiz.

Essential Question: How do personalities develop?

G.5.S.3 / Discuss the influence of formal organizations on the behavior of group members
G.5.S.4 / Examine social interaction:
  • coercion
  • conflict
  • conformity
  • cooperation
  • groupthink
  • social exchange

Day Twelve: The students will create a visual representation of two of the four theories of social development seen on pages 66-71 (Freud, Piaget, Mead, or Cooley) on butcher paper. This visual be either pictorial or through words. Label the theories clearly. Students should work in groups of 2 to 4, and will give a one minute presentation at the end of class summarizing one of these theories. Students will be graded on presentation and visual representation. Students should study for a quiz tomorrow.

Essential Question: How do societies develop?

CS.3.S.1 / Discuss the process of socialization in human development
CS.3.S.2 / Analyze the role of socialization agents in human development:
  • family
  • school
  • peer groups
  • mass media

Day Thirteen: Quiz (Appendices H and Modified Quiz in Appendices I). After Quiz, students will create an expository text pyramid (Appendices J) to reflect their knowledge about the book they are reading for the Examining Sociology Through Literature Assignment (Appendices B). They may take this home and work on it if they need. It should be turned in tomorrow.

Day Fourteen: Students will perform bomb shelter activity in class(Appendices K).

Essential Question: What role does social status play in life?

CS.3.S.2 / Analyze the role of socialization agents in human development:
  • family
  • school
  • peer groups
  • mass media

S.4.S.1 / Describe the effect of social status on social order:
  • upper class
  • middle class
  • lower class
  • professional
  • nonprofessional
  • unemployed

Day Fifteen:Reading/preparation day for Examining Sociology Through Literature (Appendices B).

Essential Question: Why is sociology important?

Note: Depending on the book, students will address a variety of frameworks through the literature project.

Day Sixteen: Presentations for Examining Sociology Through Literature (Appendices B)

Essential Question: Why is sociology important? Depending on the book, students will address a variety of essential questions through the literature project.

Note: Depending on the book, students will address a variety of frameworks through the literature project.

Day Seventeen: Presentations for Examining Sociology Through Literature (Appendices B)

Essential Question: Why is sociology important?Depending on the book, students will address a variety of essential questions through the literature project.

Note: Depending on the book, students will address a variety of frameworks through the literature project.

Day Eighteen: Presentations for Examining Sociology Through Literature (Appendices B)

Essential Question: Why is sociology important?Depending on the book, students will address a variety of essential questions through the literature project.

Note: Depending on the book, students will address a variety of frameworks through the literature project.

Appendices A

Questions to Think About:

The following questions should be written on the board. When students come in, give them about 15 minutes to think about and answer the questions. Then, discuss the answers that the students gave.

1)Why do we form groups?

2)What groups are you in?

3)How do you socialize?

4)What roles do you play in your life?

5)What sorts of role conflicts do you encounter in your life?

6)What is status?

7)How do people develop personalities? Are they influenced by culture? Genetetics? Friends? Family? Church?

8)Do people ever judge you by who you hang out with? Is this fair?

9)What are the benefits of societies and groups?

Appendices B

Examining Sociology through Literature

Almost every book ever written was inspired by sociology. The subject does, after all, focus on the interactions of people and groups. Several of these books maintain significance over time, and have deeper meanings that can apply to the lives of people long after it is written. For this assignment, you will read one of these books, and evaluate the significance of their meanings in relation to sociology.

You have four weeks to read one of the following books:

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

The Chocolate Wars by Robert Cormier

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Native Son by Richard Wright

* Walden by Henry David Thoreau

* Passage of Darkness by Wade Davis and Richard Schultz

* Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich

* Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the American Dream by Adam Shepard

* My Tears Spoiled My Aim: Other Reflections on Southern Culture by John Shelton Reed

* Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing Our Daughters from Marketer’s Schemes by Sharon Lamb and Lyn Brown

If you want to read a book of your own choosing, see me, and we will talk about it.

I will give you class time once a week on Fridays to read. As you complete the book, you need to be thinking about the contributions it makes to the field of sociology. What statements does it make about society? Can it change the way people think about certain social issues?

When you have finished the book, you will need to present your findings to the class. You can present this in any way you wish, but….

  1. There has to be a visual aid.
  2. You have to summarize the book to the class
  3. You have to be able to talk about its sociological contributions and raise a discussion among your classmates about these topics.

If you wish, you may work in small groups of two people. Ideas for the presentation might include a mock interview with the author, a poetry reading of a poem you wrote inspired by the book, a PowerPoint presentation,or a CD of songs that tell a story similar to the authors (accompanied by an explanation of their relevance). Visuals aiding in your presentation might include an artistic interpretation through a painting, a collage, a poster, a video, or a computer compilation (PowerPoint, website, etc.).

Appendices C

Socialization Notes: Write a web like the one below on the board and have students copy it down, leaving room for notes. Then, using Chapter 3, have them write the definitions of the words in the boxes and provide examples of each.


Appendices D

BODY RITUAL AMONG THE NACIREMA
Horace Miner

From Horace Miner, "Body Ritual among the Nacirema." Reproduced by permission of the American Anthropological Association from The American Anthropologist, vol. 58 (1956), pp. 503-507.

Most cultures exhibit a particular configuration or style. A single value or pat-
tern of perceiving the world often leaves its stamp on several institutions in the
society. Examples are "machismo" in Spanish-influenced cultures, "face" in
Japanese culture, and "pollution by females" in some highland New Guinea
cultures. Here Horace Miner demonstrates that "attitudes about the body"
have a pervasive influence on many institutions in Nacireman society.

The anthropologist has become so familiar with the diversity of ways in which different peoples behave in similar situations that he is not apt to be surprised by even the most exotic customs. In fact, if all of the logically possible combinations of behavior have not been found somewhere in the world, he is apt to suspect that they must be present in some yet undescribed tribe. This point has, in fact, been expressed with respect to clan organization by Murdock. In this light, the magical beliefs and practices of the Nacirema present such unusual aspects that it seems desirable to describe them as an example of the extremes to which human behavior can go.

Professor Linton first brought the ritual of the Nacirema to the attention of anthropologists twenty years ago, but the culture of this people is still very poorly understood. They are a North American group living in the territory between the Canadian Creel the Yaqui and Tarahumare of Mexico, and the Carib and Arawak of the Antilles. Little is known of their origin, although tradition states that they came from the east....

Nacirema culture is characterized by a highly developed market economy which as evolved in a rich natural habitat. While much of the people's time is devoted to economic pursuits, a large part of the fruits of these labors and a considerable portion of the day are spent in ritual activity. The focus of this activity is the human body, the appearance and health of which loom as a dominant concern in the ethos of the people. While such a concern is certainly not unusual, its ceremonial aspects and associated philosophy are unique.

The fundamental belief underlying the whole system appears to be that the human body is ugly and that its natural tendency is to debility and disease. Incarcerated in such a body, man's only hope is to avert these characteristics through the use of the powerful influences of ritual and ceremony. Every household has one or more shrines devoted to this purpose. The more powerful individuals in the society have several shrines in their houses and, in fact, the opulence of a house is often referred to in terms of the number of such ritual centers it possesses. Most houses are of wattle and daub construction, but the shrine rooms of the more wealthy are walled with stone. Poorer families imitate the rich by applying pottery plaques to their shrine walls. While each family has at least one such shrine, the rituals associated with it are not family ceremonies but are private and secret. The rites are normally only discussed with children, and then only during the period when they are being initiated into these mysteries. I was able, however, to establish sufficient rapport with the natives to examine these shrines and to have the rituals described to me.

The focal point of the shrine is a box or chest which is built into the wall. In this chest are kept the many charms and magical potions without which no native believes he could live. These preparations are secured from a variety of specialized practitioners. The most powerful of these are the medicine men, whose assistance must be rewarded with substantial gifts. However, the medicine men do not provide the curative potions for their clients, but decide what the ingredients should be and then write them down in an ancient and secret language. This writing is understood only by the medicine men and by the herbalists who, for another gift, provide the required charm.