WRITING ASSIGNMENT WEEK #3, PART 2

1.Name and describe the contributions of three different sociological theorists

that we have learned so far in this course.
1. George Simmel - is one of the Micro-sociologists that played a substantial
part in developing small group research. He argues on the point of view that
everything interrelates with something else in one way or the other.
2. Herbert Spencer - known for his contributions to evolutionary theory and for
applying it outside of biology, to the fields of philosophy, psychology, and
within sociology.
3. Charles Horton Cooley - contributed to the development of the interactionist
perspective. He is also known for his development of the looking glass self.
He was one of the first to define the importance of society in forming the
individual or self and the importance of primary groups.

2.How is social conflict functional for society?

 Conflict sets boundaries between groups by strengthening group
consciousness and awareness of separateness from other groups. Black
Lives Matter is a social movement that protests violence against black
people. The movement's supporters continue to demonstrate when black
people are killed in situations that are perceived to be non-threatening. Like
the civil rights movement that came more than 60 years before, Black Lives
Matter is another example of a social revolution after years of unequal
treatment.

3.Describe an experience from your childhood that illustrates one of Mead’s

three stages of role-taking. Explain your answer.
 The Play Stage- As a child I loved to play pretend. My mom gave me a baby
alive doll which simulated all the things that real baby did. I would hold the
baby and pretend as if I was her mom. I would also put pretend the
microwave was her crib because the light would come on when the door
opened and off when the door closed. (No dolls were injured during the
stage)

4.Charles Horton Cooley introduced the concept of the “looking glass self,”
which says we develop our sense of self according to how we believe others
perceive us. Can this idea help us understand how social status and economic
class are related?
 Yes, this idea helps us to understand why people who drive BMW’s or
Lexus’s are more socially accepted than people who choose to drive
Toyota’s or Honda’s. People who choose to live in big homes with no
furniture and can barely pay the bills but appear to be living high class care
more about how they are perceived to than rather or not they can afford their
house.