2PRs (Two-Page Reports)Introduction
to Sociology
SOCI 101
SUNY Morrisville
Professor Kurt Reymers
2PRs (Two-Page Reports)
Two 2PRs (Two-Page Reports) will be assigned during the semester. The first will ask you to demonstrate your understanding of the sociological perspective and the second is designed to get you to apply that perspective. They will be assigned at least two weeks before the due dates.
Two-Page Reports are due on Sept 25th and Oct 30th.
They will be graded on a 20-point basis. See the “Late Paper” policy section in the syllabus regarding late submissions.
In the first two-page report, you will need to become a sociologist and describe both a local everyday setting and another individual's culture using the sociological perspective. This report should utilize both non-participant observation and participant interview methods to help you become familiar with the types of evidence collected by sociologists to study society.
Step 1: Non-Participant Observation
Task: Choose a public place (such as a residence hall common area, a dining hall, a store, an athletic facility, etc.) and spend a certain amount of time observing people's behavior. Take detailed notes on their interactions, body language, and social dynamics.
Goal: To understand how social norms, roles, and institutions play out in everyday settings.
Reporting Actions: Summarize your notes in one page describing the norms, roles, and institutions in the setting you observed. Be explicit in defining how expectations on social behavior are conveyed and how the role being played in that setting is maintained by the social actor(s) you are describing.
Step 2: Interview with a Cultural Group
Task: Interview a member of a cultural group different from your own. Ask them about their beliefs, traditions, values, and experiences within their community. How do your interview subject's cultural experiences reflect their identity and behavior? Are there aspects of identity they feel they need to hide or change from the larger society, and, if so, why?
Goal: To gain insight into the influence of culture on identity, socialization, and worldviews.
Reporting Actions: Summarize in one page the differences and similarities between the culture you are most familiar with and the cultural experience of the person you have chosen to interview.
Step 3: Submit the Report
Task: (a) Your report should be two-pages in length (approximately 750 words), should have a brief heading with your Name, Course, Instructor, and Date, and should be formatted using a readable font and layout (for example, Times New Roman 12-point font and 1" margins).
(b) Save your two-page report as a PDF file (in MS Word, select the "Save As.." menu; in Google Docs select "Download"). Then upload your PDF file to Brightspace.
Goal: To fulfill the rubric categories in your two-page report.
Rubric:
1) Does the non-participant description of a local setting use the terms "norm," "role," and "institution," and are the definitions of these terms consistent with what was learned in the first three weeks of the course? (see Step 1)
2) Does the non-participant description of a local setting sufficiently use specific examples of behaviors with the context of the scene being described? (see Step 1)
3) Does the participant interview with someone from another culture address the similarities and differences between that culture and your own? (see Step 2)
4) Does the participant interview with someone from another culture address the issue of identity and belongingness both within that culture and outside of it? (see Step 2)
5) Is the file formatted according to the submission guidelines? (see Step 3)