Religion, Politics, Gender and Class

The first set of topics includes two major areas of sociological interest: religion and politics. We may not ordinarily think of popular music as an important feature of these two social institutions, but it certainly is. Music functions as a powerful tool for accomplishing religious and political tasks. This power comes from music’s ability to provide meaning for theology and ideology. Please indicate/reference the reading and page numbers in parentheses where you find the material in our books. Read Ch. 5 in Understanding.
(1) Briefly define religion sociologically. What are the five ways music relates to religion? Give an example for each from the reading
(2) Briefly describe John Michael Talbot. Why is he considered a postmodern case of authenticity? Google JMT and examine his homepage and view some of his recent cable TV program. How has he incorporated contemporary media logic into his ministry? How does he and his ministry compare to your religious/spiritual upbringing
(3) Briefly define ideology. How can popular music be used for conservative as well as liberal/progressive purposes? How does the concept of hegemony fit in with this discussion? What side would you take, and what music fits your ideological position?
(4) What is the sociological definition of institution? How does American Idol support conservative values in America? In what ways is The Voice, American Idol and other competitions like the American presidential election process?
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The second set of topics includes two areas of sociological interest: gender and social class. The purpose of this array of topics is to show how central popular music is to structural sociological analysis, that is, those aspects of society that reflect society as a whole and are closely related to macro ideas such as status differences and inequality. Please indicate the page numbers of the readings where you find the material. Read Ch. 6 in Understanding.
1) Summarize the West Memphis Three situation. How does this unfortunate situation illustrate the limits of community? Explore the Internet to see if there is any update on the case.
(2) What do sociologists mean by doing gender? Give another example of a current prima donna, besides Jessica Simpson. Name one male musical performer who can be considered a prima donna, and why?
(3) What is the sociological definition of authenticity? Briefly discuss Katy Perry’s and Billie Eilish’s authenticity. In your opinion, has authenticity among women musical artists changed recently?

You are to analyze how an author uses certain literary devices to show how a specific character in Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Choose one character from one text and write an essay that closely examines the choices that they make. In your essay consider whether:
 These actions are justifiable. If so, what makes them justifiable?
 Our emotions cloud our judgment. Do characters make decisions based on how they feel?
 Each character thinks their actions through. Do they think about how they will impact others?

Compare/Contrast Death of a Salesman and The Doll’s House.
Compare and contrast the two plays, focusing especially on themes/ideas the two plays share in common or help illuminate. We will cover some of these in class, but a partial list would include such things as the divided life/identity; false dreams of self-fulfillment; the hunger for status, especially related to a certain amount of wealth and possessions; the fragmentation of family; the fundamental human drive for happiness; and so forth. The Actor’s Social/Cultural or
Political reflection
This paper will focus on cultural/political/social reflection and the influence films and
actors have had. Students choose one of the following actors and their films
listed, watch the film, do some brief research and write about the
cultural/political/social impact the star and film had relevant to the film’s era. Why
was the actor in this film important? What barriers did both the actor and film
break? Again, this is not entirely a research paper. It’s important to see your own
reaction to the performance and how you see the effect of the actor/film in regard
to cultural/political or social influence. As with Response 1, it’s integral to see the
actor in this film through your eyes!  The minimum word requirement is 600 to 750
words but feel free to expand if needed. Cite

Your task for this assessment is to write an answer to the following question:
 ‘We are all internationalists now, whether we like it or not”’ (Blair, 1999).
What is the relevance of international relations for thinking about politics
today?
For this assessment, you are being asked to reflect on what an international
approach adds to the study of politics. You need to support your answer with
evidence from the academic literature. Remember you need to provide
references for all of your sources of information.
This assignment is designed to assess your ability to:
1. Show understanding of core political ideas (learning outcome one)
2. Demonstrate the capacity to form a political argument (learning outcome
four)
3. Understand and apply academic conventions relating to writing,
referencing and critical analysis (learning outcome five)

Decisions are made every day in organizations, some are individual and others are group decisions. There are different variables and influencers that affect how decisions are made within a criminal justice organization.

Write a paper about decision-making in your organization or one of which you familiar. In your paper include:

The power and political elements of your organization.
Communication channels within your organization and how you feel they could be improved.
One successful and one unsuccessful experience with group decision making.
Discuss the factors that affected the group’s overall effectiveness, drawing from concepts in your readings.
Include at least two peer-reviewed resources in your paper.