Homework #1
All of the experiences presented in path 1 were really interesting, but one of them particular caught my interest. This experience was shared by Cameron Day who had an interest in criminal sociology and was interested in finding the reasons behind certain criminal behaviors. The reason I am particularly interested in this experience because criminal behavior is something which I have always been curious about. When I was little, I used to have a friend and we were really close. As we grew older, he moved to a different place and after many years I came to know that he was arrested for a robbery charge. This experience makes me curious about what could have happened which made such a person do a thing like robbery. If I ever got a chance, I would like to investigate this incident sociologically.
Path #2
Emile Durkheim’s idea that ‘Ties that Bind’ is the one which fascinates me the most out of all the theorists in the presentation. The reason is that this idea seems very practical and can be observed in daily lives. These ideas can easily be applied to the system in which we live. People use relations and references to get things done in each and every aspect of life. Taking a much generalized example, you are more likely to help a person you know than helping someone who is a stranger. This trend can be seen all over the world, which further strengthens grounds for this theory.
Path #3
The Most interesting key question was ‘who benefits and who losses?’ This is because this question forms the basis of any action taken by a person. If this question is considered before taking any important decision, I believe that the answer may help to take better decisions. For example if I get involved in the habit of smoking and I consider this question, I will come to the conclusion that this habit will benefit the Cigarette manufacturer and retailer. However, I will lose health and it will also leave a harmful impact on the environment as well as other people around me.
Path #4
‘Things are not what they seem’ is one of the most useful sociological phenomena which help us understand the world and people around us. Mostly we judge people on the basis of their looks, their occupation and their social status. However, there is much more to that and this can only be found when one looks beyond the popular thinking. Taking an example, a popular assumption about people in prison is that they are criminals, who have committed dangerous crimes. However, little is known that how many of them have actually committed an offense and if they have done so, what were the conditions which led them to do so. By understanding their condition we might change our perception and develop a more humane behavior towards them.
Path #5
The most important issue which caught my interest was the addiction to prescribed medication and heroin. This is because addiction is becoming common day by day, especially in the young generation. There are many other issues which require sociological attention and I believe many sociologists would also be interested in addressing them. These include the uncontrolled population growth, human behavior which damages the envoirment, social media addiction and the parenting issues in the new generation.
Path #6
As my major is entrepreneurship, sociological knowledge holds a special place in my future profession. All kinds of businesses requires customer dealing which will require me to deal with people from different ethnicities and races. Hence, sociology can help me understand this diversity and help me in dealing with these customers effectively.
