He Who Has the Gold Makes the Rules?
Please choose one discussion prompt below to respond to:
A – Group Conformity and Leadership Style, Or, B – He Who Has the Gold Makes the Rules? After identifying which discussion prompt you are responding to and making your initial post, be sure to make at least one of your response posts to the other discussion question prompt.
A – Group Conformity and Leadership Style
This discussion addresses module outcome 1. In this discussion you will address how order is maintained within the context of the group. You will apply sociological theories to explain why and how conformity occurs and the role of authority figures in society. Make sure that you have read Chapter 4 and viewed this video (Links to an external site.) [Video, 3:28 mins] before you begin the activity. You will discuss leadership styles and the role that authority and power play in the group process. Each group, regardless of size, develops a culture for interaction. Each group establishes norms, or rules for behavior within the context of that group. Each group selects a leader and the leader establishes the interactions to maintain the cohesion of the group.
Before beginning this activity, be sure to read the Module Notes and the assigned readings and viewings. Use as much detail from the readings and other learning materials in the module as possible to answer the following questions.
- Describe a group norm or rules for behavior for a group of which you are a member or one that you lead.
- What style of leadership does the group leader employ (Charismatic, Instrumental or Expressive)?
- What types of sanctions are used within the group?
- How effective is the leadership style? Why does it work or not work with this group?
OR
B – He Who Has the Gold Makes the Rules?
This discussion addresses module outcome 2. In this discussion you will apply the theories of deviance to explain crime. You will use these theories to explain why age, class and race are important factors in the creation of the definition of deviance as well as the use of sanctions to maintain social control. Be sure that you have read Chapter 6 and viewed this video (Links to an external site.) [Video, 2:25 mins] before you begin. The saying “He who has the gold makes the rules” suggests that social norms are created by the wealthy in society. Some sociologists argue that this means that laws serve the needs of the wealthy at the expense of the poor. This means that the poor are more likely to be deviant due to bias in the laws. Others argue that laws serve the greater good and are not biased. Still others argue that deviance is a function of individual choices.
Before beginning this activity, be sure to read the Module Notes and the assigned readings and viewings. Use as much detail from the readings and other learning materials in the module as possible to answer the following questions.
Pick one type of crime and describe it. Then, answer the following questions about the crime that you have chosen.
- Is this crime associated with age, class and race? If so, what is that association?
- Discuss explanations for this crime within the context of strain theory, paying attention to age, class and race.
- Once you have applied strain theory, select any other theoretical approach that you have learned about and provide an alternate interpretation.
- Which theory would you say provides the best explanation for this type of crime?
Your initial post should be at least 250 words and must substantively integrate the assigned readings with proper APA (Links to an external site.) style formatting.
