Exam Notes and Essay Options

Individual Behavior and Socialization

• Individual behavior is shaped by socialization.
• Example needed from family or school.

Exam Structure

• Section 1: 20 points
• Section 2: 20 points
• Section 3: 20 points
• Section 4: 40 points (Essay)
• Essay should fill the provided space, using normal font size (e.g., 11 point).
• Essay should consist of at least two to three paragraphs.

Essay Options

• Choose one essay option to write about (A or B).

Option A: Social Construction of Gender

• Describe how gender is socially constructed.
• Explain social construction theory.
• Explain how norms, media, and institutions contribute to gender expectations in society.
• Media and institutions reinforce social constructions by dictating how men and women should act.

Option B: Poverty as a Structural Problem

• Explain how poverty is more than an individual issue; it's a structural problem.
• Relate to sociological imagination: personal troubles versus public issues (e.g., eating disorders and beauty standards).
• Use at least one sociological theory (conflict theory or structural functionalism) to explain your argument.

Structural Functionalism Perspective:

• Explain the function of poverty and who benefits from it.

Conflict Theory Perspective:

• People are in competition for scarce resources, creating winners and losers.
• The impoverished are the 'losers.'