Five pages paper.

Introduction to Sociology

Instructor: Glenna L. Simons

Paper #2—the Culture and Social Structure of an Organization

For paper #2, students are to do a sociological analysis of the culture and social structure of an organization in which you are or have been involved—this could be a club, sports team, place of employment, church, etc. –any type of organization.

You should discuss the following points:

–Culture—what are the norms, values , symbols of your organization? Depending upon what you choose to write about, you may be able to discuss both material and non-material culture.

–Socialization—how are new members socialized into the group or organization, and what are the sanctions invoked when a member does not comply?

–Social structure—what are the roles and statuses in the organization, and how do these interrelate?

–Formal vs. informal norms, structure, interactions—again, depending upon your organization, you may be able to identify both formal and informal rules and processes. (Example: what is the formal structure of the organization, or perhaps the formal rules, vs. how do people actually operate or find “informal” ways to deal with situations outside the formal structure?)

The criteria, as always, are as follows:

1. The paper must be clearly written—proper grammar, sentence structure, etc.

2. The paper must be well organized—an introduction, a body, a conclusion.

3. The paper must make good use of source material—cite concepts from the text and reading materials, and APPLY THEM TO YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE EXPERIENCE.

4. The paper must be responsive—cover the topics listed above—do not go on and on about things that are not relevant to a sociological view of the organization.

5. Creativity, originality—in the examples you use, the way you apply concepts, etc. Show me that you understand the concepts we have discussed in class, and that you can identify and discuss these in a real life context—develop your “sociological imaginations” and look at a familiar phenomenon in a new and different (read: sociological) way.