For this assignment, you will compare the
social characteristics of two groups of the same age in two different time
periods in the
U.S. – namely, today’s younger generation and the
Baby Boomers – and
make a hypothesis that explains why the different generations have different
behavioral patterns by using your “sociological imagination.” The major goals of this assignment are to
demonstrate your critical thinking and understanding of the concept of
“sociological imagination” defined by C. Wright Mills.
1. choose ONE of the following statements that you
identify as true, and the two groups were most significantly different. *For
this assignment, the two different age groups are defined in the following
ways: “Today’s younger generation” includes those who were born in
the late 1990s or early 2000s. “The
Baby Boomers” are those who
were born from the mid-1940s to the mid-50s: thus, they were adolescents from
the mid-1960s to the mid-70s. (If you don’t know anyone in this age group,
compare your generation and your parent’s generation.)
• Today’s younger generation change their
jobs more frequently than the Baby Boomers did when they were adolescent.
• They
are (physically and/or psychologically) closer to their parents than the Baby Boomers when
they were adolescents.
• They
are less likely to attend religious services and activities than
the Baby Boomers when
they were adolescents.
2. Write your essay in two paragraphs and at least 500 words total in the
following order. Your
initial comment will be graded out of 5 points. 1 point
will be deducted from your original score if you did not conduct a spell check
before submitting your work or follow the instructed writing
format.
In your first paragraph
Identify the social aspect that you chose and briefly
discuss how the aspect shared among today’s younger generation is
different from that of the Baby Boomers along with some
specific examples. Interview some
of your family members and friends who belong to those different generations to
enhance your argument in this section. (For instance, present how many times
your interviewees had switched their jobs by the age of 22 if you chose the
first option.) (1 point)
In your second paragraph
Define “sociological imagination” according to the
reading assignment. Then, present one hypothesis that explains why you
think the aspect is different among the two different generations by using your sociological
imagination. Your discussion should include some specific examples that
illustrate your argument. (4 points: 1 point for the definition and 3
points for discussion and examples)
Note:
The major goal of this assignment is to demonstrate your
understanding of “sociological” perspectives. In your second
paragraph, make sure to discuss changes and differences in social surroundings
between the two generations in one of the following social institutions.
– technology (such as cell phone, the Internet,
social media, home electronics, etc.)
– education system and requirements
– economy (e.g. price of necessities, college tuition,
cost of raising children)
– science (e.g. development of child psychology and
American Academy of Pediatricians’ recommendation)
– work environment and job opportunities
– family laws and regulations
– laws regarding business hours on Sundays and religious
holidays
– feminist movement and improvement of women’s rights
– civil rights movement and anti-war movement
– growing crime rates involving children and teenagers
– the ways in which the media (TV, movies, social media,
and magazines) portrays “ideal family” and “ideal parents”
– the ways in which the media portrays materialism
– LGBTQ movement and legalization of same-sex marriage