Ashford 2: - Week 1 - Instructor Guidance Source:http://www.palomar.edu/sociology/ SOC 120 Ethics & Social Responsibility Week 1 Guidance Source: http://www.skillsandethics.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/ethics-paid-for.jpg Weekly Activities Here is what you will be doing this week: · Post your Introduction (Day 1, Tuesday), · Read Chapter 1 in the text: Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility · Read Chapter 2 in the text: Ethical Questions in the Public Square · Post to Discussion Board 1 on Theory, Evidence, Beliefs and Bias (Day 3, Thursday) · Post to Discussion Board 2 on Three Classical Ethical Theories (Day 3, Thursday) · Respond to two discussion posts by classmates in each discussion (by Day 7, Monday) · Week One Quiz (due by Day 7, Monday) Brief Introduction to Sociology For those who have not taken a Sociology course previously, here is a brief introduction to the discipline... Sociology is the study of the relationship between individuals and their social contexts (Mills, 1959). Like other social scientists, sociologists are interested in understanding human behavior, and Sociology is focused on the social causes of human behavior. Humans are by nature social beings; we cannot survive unless we interact with other humans. But our interactions are not random, they are shaped by our social context, which consists of our relationships with others, our cultural values and beliefs, the rules of institutions (e.g., family, religion, government, economy) we participate in, our position in social hierarchies, and our experiences in previous interactions, among other things. All of these exert influence over our decisions and actions, by shaping how we perceive and interpret the actions of others around us. Our relationships, social groups, organizations, social class, institutions, and culture―which taken together form the structure of our society―are created as we interact with others. Our experiences within our social structures always guide us as we interact with others, and by “acting normally” within the parameters of our social context, we reinforce all of the structures that constitute the context. Thus, our interactions are both shaping our social context, and also shaping us at the same time. Our social context and structures influence our own personalities, identities and worldviews. And these guide us in making decisions and in acting. People experience interaction within these social structures over the course of a lifetime, beginning with interaction in the family, then among their neighbors, then with their teachers and classmates at school, perhaps in their church, later in the workplace, and so on. So, most of us do not think of ourselves as constructing the institutions―they are already in place when we are born and we live our lives within their rules. But, in fact, every time we adhere to time-honored means of interaction, we are essentially recreating that rule, and thus recreating the institution. So.

1. Ashford 2: - Week 1 - Instructor Guidance
Source:http://www.palomar.edu/sociology/
SOC 120 Ethics & Social Responsibility
Week 1 Guidance
Source: http://www.skillsandethics.org/wp-
content/uploads/2011/05/ethics-paid-for.jpg
Weekly Activities
Here is what you will be doing this week:
· Post your Introduction (Day 1, Tuesday),
· Read Chapter 1 in the text: Introduction to Ethics and Social
Responsibility
· Read Chapter 2 in the text: Ethical Questions in the Public
Square
· Post to Discussion Board 1 on Theory, Evidence, Beliefs and
Bias (Day 3, Thursday)
· Post to Discussion Board 2 on Three Classical Ethical
Theories (Day 3, Thursday)
· Respond to two discussion posts by classmates in each
discussion (by Day 7, Monday)
· Week One Quiz (due by Day 7, Monday)
Brief Introduction to Sociology
For those who have not taken a Sociology course previously,
here is a brief introduction to the discipline...
Sociology is the study of the relationship between individuals
and their social contexts (Mills, 1959). Like other social
scientists, sociologists are interested in understanding human
behavior, and Sociology is focused on the social causes of

2. human behavior. Humans are by nature social beings; we cannot
survive unless we interact with other humans. But our
interactions are not random, they are shaped by our social
context, which consists of our relationships with others, our
cultural values and beliefs, the rules of institutions (e.g.,
family, religion, government, economy) we participate in, our
position in social hierarchies, and our experiences in previous
interactions, among other things. All of these exert influence
over our decisions and actions, by shaping how we perceive and
interpret the actions of others around us.
Our relationships, social groups, organizations, social class,
institutions, and culture―which taken together form the
structure of our society―are created as we interact with others.
Our experiences within our social structures always guide us as
we interact with others, and by “acting normally” within the
parameters of our social context, we reinforce all of the
structures that constitute the context. Thus, our interactions are
both shaping our social context, and also shaping us at the same
time. Our social context and structures influence our own
personalities, identities and worldviews. And these guide us in
making decisions and in acting.
People experience interaction within these social structures over
the course of a lifetime, beginning with interaction in the
family, then among their neighbors, then with their teachers and
classmates at school, perhaps in their church, later in the
workplace, and so on. So, most of us do not think of ourselves
as constructing the institutions―they are already in place when
we are born and we live our lives within their rules. But, in fact,
every time we adhere to time-honored means of interaction, we
are essentially recreating that rule, and thus recreating the
institution.
Sociologists apply this logic of construction and socialization
(the effects that participating in social structures has on
individuals) to better understand human behavior, human
interaction, and social structures. Sociologists are particularly

3. interested in how our interaction creates institutions that are
unequal in nature―they are organized in hierarchies, with some
individuals getting more and others getting less of whatever is
valued in the society (money, prestige, material goods, or
power, for example). Some inequality is functional―societies
work better if some leaders make decisions, so everyone does
not have to do so. When inequality becomes too extreme, or
when it begins to serve the interests of particular individuals or
groups rather than the society as a whole, then inequality erodes
social functioning and individuals suffer.
For more information on the discipline of Sociology,
have a look at one of the following resources...
The American Sociological Association’s
definition of Sociology:
http://www.asanet.org/about/sociology.cfm
Some of the basics of Sociology from the
British Sociological Association:
http://www.britsoc.co.uk/what-is-sociology.aspx
A definition of Sociology from the Sociology Department
at the University of North Carolina:
http://sociology.unc.edu/undergraduate-program/
sociology-major/what-is-sociology
Source: http://zze.st/timeless-ideas-
philosophers-teach-us-to-be-happier-wise/
Studying Ethics and Responsibility from a Sociological
Perspective
SOC 120 addresses ethics and social responsibility, and while
much of the material from this course is drawn from the
perspective of Philosophy, we want to understand the social
functions of ethics and the importance of responsibility in
mitigating the negative effects of extreme inequality. While it is
philosophers who most directly study and write about issues
such as ethics, morality, and responsibility, these concepts are

4. also important social concepts and are fundamental to how we
interact with each other in social contexts. The topics of ethics
and social responsibility provide a great opportunity to examine
how our interaction with others both shapes and is shaped by
our social structure, which is one of the fundamental insights of
Sociology. How are individuals tied to their social settings?
Ethics help us to understand a part of this connection.
Sociologists study social interaction, social structures and
social change (how social structures evolve over time). Notice
that the emphasis is on studying society―this means that
sociologists do not write about their own feelings and beliefs;
rather, sociologists study social interaction to develop theories
(or explanations) about how and why people interact with each
other in the ways that they do (Ragin, 1994). In this course, you
will be provided with the opportunity to learn some of these
theories, particularly those related to ethics, and will be able to
apply these theories to real world situations.
In your posts to the Discussion Boards and in the papers you
write for this course, you should strive to take a sociological
perspective. That is to say, you should look at the topics as a
sociologist would, not simply as someone who lives in society
would look at things. For example, if the discussion asks you
about a particular situation, you should aim to go beyond your
own feelings and opinions, or even your own experiences
interacting with others in different contexts. Instead, you should
discuss the theories and ideas that you read about in the text,
and apply these to the discussion and paper topics. Remember
that you are not discussing the specific issue that is addressed
in the writing prompt or paper topic; instead, you should focus
on discussing the theoretical issues and concepts from the text,
and use the topic to illustrate your points.
Introduction to Ethics and Society
Ethics refers to a set of guiding principles that help individuals
negotiate their way through social settings without disrupting
social order and functions (Mosser, 2013). But when individuals

5. interact they apply various ethical principles to help them
understand their own social context and their actions within
their context, as well as the consequences of their choices and
actions. Many people think of ethics as an individual
characteristic or individual choice (e.g. to act in a way that is
either ethical or unethical), but ethics has a clear social
dimension as well. For one thing, although people may have
their own ethics, not every person is unique in this respect. In
fact, we can identify patterns that represent different ethical
views that people adhere to. These patterns are social
phenomena, and are elements that link people to each other.
So, ethics is not wholly a matter of personal choice. Rather,
ethics are embedded in social statuses and roles, and establish
the link to responsibilities attached to those statuses and roles.
Statuses and roles are elements of social institutions, such as
family, economy, government, and schools. Statuses are the
positions we hold within institutions; for example, statuses in a
family might be mother, brother, or cousin. Roles are the
expectations that others put on us based on a status. So in
school, in your status as student, a teacher has expectations that
you will pay attention to the lessons, that you will do your work
and submit it on time, and that you will ask questions if you
don’t understand something. All of these form the role of being
a student. Institutions create the statuses and roles that we
occupy in social life, and in so doing, institutions provide the
basis for social order and a smoothly functioning society. The
linkages and connections between various positions (statuses)
that make up an institution are shaped by ethics, which are
adopted by individual agents. Without ethics, institutions could
not function optimally.
There are various ways that we can think about and apply ethics
to real world situations. All of these have social aspects or raise
social questions. Utilitarianism argues that an ethical approach
maximizes the utility of the greatest number of people
(Bentham, 1776/1977). While this may be the best outcome for
the largest number of individuals in a particular setting, it may

6. or may not contribute to the overall social good. In contrast,
deontology focuses on rules and more directly addresses the
social good by focusing on common forms of social control
(Kant, 1785/2002); however, in some settings rules can also
constrain opportunities for some while reinforcing privileges for
others. Virtue ethics focuses on individual characteristics and
personal traits, and how these may shape the social good
(Anscombe, 1958; Slote, 2001). The focus on individuals makes
ethics a more concrete link between individuals and society than
the abstract frameworks under deontology and, to some extent,
under utilitarianism.
For more information on utilitarianism, see:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/utilitarianism-history/
For more information on deontology, see:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/
For more information on virtue ethics, see:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/
Source:
http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/LX/PhilosopherKing.html
The three alternative approaches discussed in the text also have
social dimensions. Like virtue ethics, relativism has a more
personal dimension, focusing on individual interpretations
rather than collective principles. But, what is sometimes
overlooked is that interpretations are socially constructed in a
given context, and have real consequences for individuals and
the social good. Emotivism also focuses on individuals, but sees
ethics in emotional terms, as a “feeling” of right or wrong.
Sociologists would argue that these feelings respond to external
conditions, and are internalized as byproducts of the processes
of socialization. Perhaps the most individualistic vision of
ethics is expressed in the ethical egoism approach. Ethical
egoism offers a vision of ethics that is similar to
utilitarianism―individuals should strive to maximize their well-

7. being―but the focus shifts from individual utility serving
collective interests to self-interest and individual needs.
Make sure you distinguish between the theories of
ethics―utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics―and the
three approaches to ethics―relativism, emotivism, and ethical
egoism. We will be using these concepts for the entire term and
they will reappear in each chapter of the text. It is important
that you develop an understanding of the theories and
approaches early in the term, and how these theories and
approaches are applied to real-world situations to analyze and
evaluate the ethical aspects of a given circumstance. As you
read about the topics in Chapter 1, such as in-vitro fertilization,
oil spills, immigration, bullying, and discrimination, pay close
attention to how the author applies the theories and approaches
to the specific cases. What questions is the author implicitly
addressing in his analysis? How does he apply the theories and
approaches to better understand the ethical aspects of the case?
As you read the cases, consider how you would apply ethical
theories and approaches to analyze the same case.
For more information on relativism, see:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/relativism/
For more information on emotivism, see:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/emotion/
For more information on ethical egoism, see:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/egoism/
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_happiness
Then, put these insights into practice by responding to the
discussion prompts. The best way to learn how to apply the
theories and approaches to the real world is to practice doing so
in your discussion posts. Remember, when creating your
discussion posts and your responses to classmates, you want to
focus on ethical theories and how to apply them. Mastering
these theories now will help you throughout the course.
References

8. Anscombe, G. E. M. (1958). Modern moral philosophy.
Philosophy, 33, 1–19.
Bentham, J. (1776/1977). A fragment on government. New
York: Oxford University Press.
Kant, I. (1785/2002). Groundwork for the metaphysics of
morals. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Mills, C. W. (1959). The sociological imagination. New York:
Oxford University Press.
Mosser, K. (2013) Introduction to ethics and social
responsibility. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Ragin, C. C. (1994). Constructing social research: The unity and
diversity of method. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
Slote, M. (2001). Morals from motives. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Requirement:
Book: Living language: an introduction to Linguistic
anthropology. Laura M. Ahearn
Must read the book, Write one page about communication and
gesture, the essay must connect to book; there are three kinds of
gestures.
Week 1 Discussion 1
Crystal Schroder
3/27/2017 11:18:24 AM
What is a theory? A theory is a based upon a person's own
hypostasis and backed by evidence. Which Means it can

9. describe a behavior and it can be backed with futurepredictions
and with the behavior patterns. From the assigned reading I
can now tell if a theory is valid by using the three types that
they speak about in pg. 1.6 of Ethic and SocialResponsibility
(Kurt Mosser).1. utilitarianism suggest that there is an obvious
solution that is fair, and it may be one that appeals to common
sense as well 2. deontology which means "duty"focuses on what
we are obligated to do as rational moral agents. 3. virtue ethics
which Seeks to determine notwhat makes an act good but what
makes a person virtuous. It also talks about a sort of choice
one can make to distinguish whether or not it is a theory I
believe this is where he says to use this term" dialectical.
theory that cannot be applied is not very helpful, but trying to
understand ethical problems without some sort of theoretical
apparatus is to risk proceeding without any guidance at all."
2013 Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Which means that we should
see if it is a fact or an opinion. Because sometimes we can
assume things like just because girls like dresses that all girls
should wear dresses. Which is just an opinion and not a fact.
And we have to distinguish that so we can see if the
conversation can move forward so to speak. This is how we can
be able to distinguish whether or not a conversation has validity
or if you should probably just not endorse the idea all together.
Retrieved from :
https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUSOC120.13.2/sections/fm
Theory, Evidence, Belief, and Bias
Courtney Vasques
3/29/2017 9:09:46 AM

10. Using concepts from the assigned readings, define what a theory
is.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary theory is “a
supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something,
especially one based on general principles independent of the
thing to be explained.” The goal of a theory builds upon a
hypothesis and backed by evidence. A theory presents a concept
or idea that is debatable (Cherry, 2016).
Describe how you can know if a theory is valid.
Validity is “the characteristic of a deductive argument requiring
the truth of the conclusion if the truth of the premises is
accepted” (Mosser, 2013). To test if a theory is valid one must
first ensure the premises are all true, if the premises are true,
then the conclusion must be correct. A deductive argument
should always be valid and sound.
Offer one example of how a personal belief may differ from a
theory. Note: Do not use the same example that one of your
classmates has used in a previous post.
A belief is a claim that is held to be true regardless of
evidence. An example of how a personal belief may differ from
a theory could be how the world was created. One theory of how
the world came to be is the Big Bang theory, which is supported
by mathematical theories and models and involves science. My
personal belief comes from my religion; I believe God created
the earth not the Big Bang theory.
Cherry, K. (2016). What Exactly Is a Theory in Psychology?
Retrieved March 29, 2017, from
https://www.verywell.com/what-is-a-theory-2795970
Mosser, K. (2013). Ethics and Social Responsibility. (2nd). San
Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc

11. SOC120: W1D2
Tuan Pham
3/31/2017 12:13:44 AM
Identify and define each of the three dominant ethical theories
in Western philosophy.
The three dominant ethical theories in Western philosophy are:
Utilitarianism, Deontology, and Virtue ethics. The
“utilitarianism” theory is based on the fundamental principle
that given a choice, the act that yields the best outcomes for the
greater good of everyone is the correct choice. The
“deontology” theory states that as a rule, duty and obligation is
the reason for the course of action of the principles mentioned
above (the greater good of all). “Virtue ethics” is not an action
like “utilitarian & deontology.” It is a trait characterized by
moral compass. Someone who can distinguishes right/wrong
and portrays virtuous personalities. Taxation can be used as an
example of all three ethical theories. Whether we like it or not,
the federal and state withholdings of our income are for the
benefit of the local and national level as a whole. As a
socialistic nation it is our duty/obligation to pay taxes for our
infrastructure, civil servants, and social welfare programs. A
virtuous/moral person would not have a problem withholding
their taxes and would go above and beyond by contributing
further to those in need.
Describe a situation that you have faced recently that presented
an ethical dilemma.
In my field as an insurance broker, I deal with ethical concerns
quit often. Sales is a numbers game, the more the quantity of
sales the more profits you will yield. A company I once worked
for as an agent requested that we add supplemental (gap)
insurance as a package for our clients. They were great
policies, but they just weren’t for everyone. The ethical

12. concern is the clients budget. Do I sell a low premium policy
with higher out of pocket cost and a supplemental policy or do I
sell her a higher premium plan with lower out of pocket cost
and no supplemental policy? In the end, I sold her a package
that was just a little above her budget. It would be the right
choice 6 month down the road, as she told me her family had a
history of cancer. She was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She
had a high deductible plan which she is responsible for $6500 of
the medical bill, even though she can make payments, it was
still a large amount of money she did not have. However, she
purchased a $60,000 benefit critical illness policy along with
her health plan. Which covered her deductible, her lost income,
and to fly her son home to stay with her during her treatment.
How would you evaluate your actions in this situation to
determine whether or not they were good or virtuous?
As I mentioned before regarding the supplemental plan, “it’s
not for everyone.” There is a list of questions we ask to see if
they are a fit for theses policies and we always take into
account their budget. Though it was out of her budget, she
agreed it made sense, as the reward outweighed the risk. Do I
feel good or virtuous? It’s hard to say, in our job, we believe in
what we sell are for the benefits of our clients. At first it was
about the sell, in that sense, “I did not feel virtuous.” Though
cancer is not a reward. Not having to worry about bills or
putting undue stress on my clients made me feel good in the
end.
- Tuan Pham
Ashford 2: - Week 1 - Discussion 2
Lori Smith
4/2/2017 12:08:11 AM

13. Three Classical Ethical Theories
Identify and define each of the three dominant ethical theories
in Western philosophy. Describe a situation that you have faced
recently that presented an ethical dilemma. How would you
evaluate your actions in this situation to determine whether or
not they were good or virtuous?
This is the fundamental principle of utilitarianism: One should
choose to do that which produces a better outcome for the
largest number of people. (Mosser, 2013).
Perhaps the most famous of these is deontology. Coming from
the Greek deon, which means "duty," deontology (sometimes
referred to as duty ethics) focuses on what we are obligated to
do as rational moral agents.( Mosser, 2013).
According to virtue ethics, possessing all the characteristics of
a virtuous person and having all but one in the proper
proportion. Virtue ethics emphasizes the moral, or virtuous,
person who exemplifies moral behavior (Mosser, 2013).
Presently at work we are faced with some issues regarding a
yard being closed and those drivers being placed with us. The
others are not pleased with the fact that the new recruits have
more seniority then them and are afraid of being bumped. I
stated to them in the meeting that this is the same way I was
treated when I transferred here from that recently closed yard,
two years back and it was not fair to me then and this is not fair
now. The importance of me saying that was to let them know
that I can relate to the new drivers because I was treated the
same way.
Many were upset but I was trying to get them to see it from my
point of view what if you were to be in their shoes. Its not easy
having your job in jeopardy and the only resort is to merge with
another company where the employees are not trying to be
considering of others feelings and hardship.
I think I lost some colleagues that day but I don’t care because

14. some have backed down from their unfair behavior and has
since been kinder to the new recruits but the others that started
this are still complaining and acting like children. I am glad to
see some of my old coworkers and new faces and don't really
understand what the big deal about numbers on a roster,
seniority is not based on pay, as long as my salary is not
affected I see no need for the division.
Without understanding the rules of what this course is teaching
me I exercised the principles of utilitarianism, deontology, and
virtue ethics.
I think I handed it with clear judgement and motives it wasn't
received they way I thought but it was understood and
something good came as a result.
Reference
Mosser, K. (2013). Ethics and social responsibility(2nd ed.)
[Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/