Essay questions

Be specific about referring to the texts, citing page numbers where appropriate. Quotations from the text may not be longer than three words. The standards of acceptable collegiate writing contained in the syllabus apply to all written work.

1. Kluckholn argued that “each specific culture constitutes a kin of blueprint for all of life’s activities.” In a well organized essay, explain what he meant by this.

2. Your friend is a popular college chemistry professor who teaches chemistry at Big State University. This semester there are two women from Japan enrolled in his class. Normally, Joe expects students to call him by his first name, but these two exchange students persist in calling him “Professor Smith” and in being very formal. After several weeks of this, Joe concluded that they must dislike him intensely. What would you say to help him understand what is going on? Make use of what you learned in Hall’s article about the Japanese, and use appropriate sociological vocabulary in your answer. 

3. In a well organized essay, describe the most important functions and dysfunctions of the American myths discussed in Loewen’s article (10 points).

4. According to Newman and Lennon, why are African Americans at a disadvantage in employment even in Harlem where they are a statistical majority? 

5.  What did Kelley mean by the statement that black men are stereotyped as “hypermasculine”?