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SOC 1, ANSWER THREE Qs 1500 EACH - Coggle Diagram
SOC 1
NATIONALISM
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. Is it possible to understand nationalism without reference to the concepts of race and/or ethnicity?
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“It is nationalism that engenders nations, and not the other way around” (Gellner). Discuss
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“The uncomfortable truth is that, in terms of the global economy, nation states have become little more than bit actors” (OHMAE). Discuss.
“Nationalism is not the awakening of nations to self-consciousness: it invents nations where they did not exist.” (GELLNER) Discuss
What, if anything, is the relationship between industrialisation and the rise of nationalism?
DURKHEIM
“How does it come that the individual, whilst becoming more autonomous, depends even more closely on society? How can he become at the same time more of an individual and yet more linked to society?” (DURKHEIM) Evaluate Durkheim’s own answer to this question.
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Critically assess the value of Durkheim’s notion of ‘anomie’ for analysing the problems of modern society?
Do you agree with the view that Emile Durkheim’s notion of anomie is confusing and therefore does not lend itself to empirical investigation?
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According to Durkheim, what are the major problems of modern societies and how can they be resolved? Critically assess his account.
What role do legal codes play in Durkheim’s account of the transition from mechanical to organic solidarity?
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. What, for Durkheim, are the problems of modern societies, and how does he argue they can be solved? Do you agree with his assessment?
To what extent does Emile Durkheim argue that questions about the political direction of society necessitate empirical sociological analysis? Do you agree? Answer the question by referring to his Division of Labour.
Why does Emile Durkheim argue that both economic booms and economic recessions tend to be accompanied by higher suicide rates? Do you agree with his reasoning and do you find his empirical evidence persuasive?
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MARX
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For Marx, in what sense is capitalism alienating? Are you convinced by his argument?
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In what sense does Marx believe that capitalism appears like a just system but is actually exploitative? Do you agree?
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WEBER
Would you agree that Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a convincing rebuttal of Marx’s historical materialism?
Would you agree with Max Weber that Protestantism played an important role in the transition towards modernity?
According to Max Weber, what was the relationship between Protestantism and modern capitalism? Do you agree?
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Is Weber’s notion of the ideal type a useful tool for understanding society? Provide examples of Weber’s use of the ideal type to back up your answer.
What, according to Weber, is the role of unintended consequences in the relationship between Protestantism and capitalism? How persuasive is his argument?
Critically evaluate the arguments and evidence Weber offers in support of his thesis of the disenchantment of the world.
According to Max Weber, why is the Predestination doctrine important for understanding early capitalism? Do you agree?
Is Weber’s Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism a
speculative theory devoid of empirical evidence?
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How productive is Max Weber’s use of ideal types? Answer the question by referring to his Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism and his essay on “bureaucracy”.
GENDER & SEXUALITY
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What insights can intersectional feminism offer to the argument that the
control of sexuality is central to the persistence of women’s oppression?
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CLASS
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How does class matter in contemporary western capitalist societies, and can it explain growing inequality?
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What impact, if any, does social background have on an
individual’s chances of success in life?
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Why are individuals from well-off backgrounds more likely to end up in professional occupations than individuals from poor backgrounds?
WELFARE STATE
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The “welfare state is an active force in the ordering of social relations” (ESPING-ANDERSEN). Discuss.
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POWER
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Has the use of military power become more constrained, and if so why?
MEDIA
How convincing is the evidence for the claim that the
media can make a difference to electoral outcomes?
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SCANDAL
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Is the proliferation of political scandals in modern societies a
consequence of a decline in moral standards?
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SOCIAL INEQUALITY
How does the use of the ‘global’ scale help us understand social inequalities within specific nations?
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BECK
Critically examine the thesis that the industrial society of the nineteenth century has given way to the risk society of today.
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Are the risks we face today any different from the dangers that existed in the 19th century and before?
Are you persuaded by the argument that, while all societies face dangers, only modern societies face risks?
“Poverty is hierarchical, smog is democratic.” (BECK) Discuss.
Critically examine the thesis that the industrial society of the nineteenth century has been superseded by the risk society of today.
NEOLIBERALISM
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Do you agree that against neoliberal hegemony, resistance is futile?
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Has neo-liberalism become a dominant ideology, and if so why?
RACE
‘What would transpire if we were to regard whiteness less as a matter of skin pigmentation and more as an organizing principle in late modernity?’ (Anoop Nayak). Discuss
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DU BOIS
What, if any, is the political significance of Du Bois’s notions of double consciousness and the veil?
How useful is W.E.B. Du Bois’ ‘double consciousness’ for thinking about relations between different ethnic groups?
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SOCIAL RELATIONS
Do you agree that the state is the principal organization ordering social relations in today’s societies?
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GLOBALISATION
Globalisation’ is a myth suitable for a world without illusions, but it is also one that robs us of hope” (Thompson & Hirst). Discuss.
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INTERSECTIONALITY
What does the concept of ‘intersectionality’ contribute to our understanding of social inequalities?
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