Sociology Objectives

Unit 1
Sociology Then & Now
Students will develop a basic understanding of sociology, culture, and societies.
• Define sociology, illustrate its historical development, and compare past perspectives to present
theories.
• Describe the components of culture, analyze two primitive cultures, and design a fictional culture.
• Show understanding of social structure, and evaluate its impact on societies.

The Sociological Point of View

Students will define sociology, illustrate its historical development, and compare past perspectives
to present theories.
• Define sociology.
• Explain the historical theories of Comte, Durkheim, Marx, Weber, & Spencer.
• Illustrate the modern perspectives of functionalism, conflict, & interactionism.
• Compare the past theories to the modern perspectives.

Culture, Diversity, Conformity, & Adaptation

Students will describe culture, examine cultural diversity, and analyze cultural adaptation.
• Describe the components of culture.
• Design a fictional culture.
• Analyze variations in cultures using two primitive cultural examples.
• Summarize the values and norms that shape American Culture.
• Relate the values & norms to the foundation of American Culture.

Social Structure
Students will understand social structure and evaluate its impact on societies.
• Explain the social structure of different types of societies i.e. pre-industrial, industrial, agricultural,
horticultural, & postindustrial
• Compare & contrast the social structures of different types of societies, focusing on American social
structure.
• Describe the different types of social interaction i.e. exchange, competition, conflict, cooperation, &
accommodation.
• Use examples of the different types of social interaction.

Unit 2
The Individual in Society
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the stages of human development, the socialization
process, and deviation from the norms of society.
• Demonstrate an understanding of human personality and socialization.
• Understand adolescence, its uniqueness, and problems associated with it.
• Describe adult male and female development, and assess the impact of work and aging on that
development.
• Explain and analyze the nature of deviance, its impact on society, and evaluate methods of social
control societies implement.

Socializing the Individual

Students will demonstrate an understanding of human personality and its development.
• Describe the Nature vs. Nurture debate on personality development.
• Understand how personality can be affected by an adverse environment.
• Describe the explanations given by Locke, Cooley, & Meade for the development of self.
• Demonstrate how personality differs from self.
• Identify and explain the various agents of socialization, and the process of socialization itself.

The Adolescent in Society

Students will describe adolescence, its development, and the problems associated with it.
• Describe the characteristics of adolescence and how they lead to adolescent development.
• Relate their own experiences of being an adolescent to that of others.
• Analyze adolescent drug use, sexual activity, & suicide.
• Evaluate the consequences of adolescent drug use, sexual activity, & suicide.

The Adult in Society

Students will analyze adult human development using accepted theories of human development.
• Describe the phases of Daniel Levinson’s theory of adult male development.
• Describe the phases of Irene Frieze’s theory of adult female development.
• Analyze Erik Erikson’s Eight Ages of Man theory.
• Collect and interpret labor force data.
• Discuss gerontology and the challenges faced by the elderly.

Deviance & Social Control

Students will understand deviance, its components, and evaluate the impact it has on society.
• Explain the nature of deviance.
• Identify the types of crimes i.e. white collar, violent, victimless, property, & organized.
• Provide evidence of the positive and negative consequences of deviance.
• Explain the functions served by punishments in society.
• Evaluate the methods of social control and devise a strategy to deal with deviance.

Unit 3
Social Class, Stratification, & Roles
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the American class system and assess its impact on
poverty, race, gender, & the elderly.
• Identify ranking systems, and describe the American class system.
• Demonstrate the relationship between the class system, minority groups, and the patterns of
minority treatment.
• Explain and analyze gender, age, & health issues in the United States.

Social Stratification
Students will demonstrate an understanding of class ranking systems and the American class
system in particular.
• Describe the different ranking systems.
• Analyze the positives and negatives of ranking systems.
• Describe the American class system focusing on social stratification.
• Illustrate the relationship between a class system and social standing.
• Create a plan to solve the poverty problem in America.

Race, Ethnicity, & Minority Groups

Students will relate the stratification of individuals with the formation of groups and analyze the
treatment received by those groups.
 • Illustrate how an ethnic group differs from a race.
• Describe the social characteristics of major minority groups in the U.S. i.e. African- Americans,
Latinos, Native-Americans, Asian – Americans, & white ethnics.
• Discuss the 3 predominant sources of prejudice & discrimination i.e. stereotyping, scapegoating, &
social environment.
• Prepare examples of each source of prejudice & discrimination.
• Explain & interpret the patterns of minority treatment.

Gender, Age, Health

Students will identify the various roles played by men & women in society, analyze the impact of an
aging population on the U.S., and demonstrate an understanding of the health care issue.
• Describe traditional gender roles and how they have changed.
• Argue for or against the view that American women face gender inequality.
• Analyze how longer life expectancies create changes for society.
• Produce a display detailing the major issues in the debate over health care in the U.S.
• Explain how the changing roles of men, women, and the elderly may change society.