Response to two classmates’ discussion on what is sociology. Responses should be at least 150 words each (put the word count in all responses). Replies should take the conversation further by adding questions or your own ideas in your replies. In addition, you can point out both strengths and areas of improvement on your peers' submission. Strong posts will demonstrate understanding and connection to course materials Classmate 1: Kia J Washington 1. I would be most interested in studying violence in society. While this topic is also quite broad, I would love to know more about violence in history across multiple cultures, as well as research on factors that feed into an individual's propensity toward it (or against it) and which mitigation efforts are most effective. 2. I am working toward medical school, with the end goal of being a forensic pathologist. Because my main motivation has been my background in social justice, it seems the most relevant chapter to me would be Chapter 12, Stratification and Inequality. Many of the consequences of marginalization (poverty, lack of access to adequate health care, isolation, mental health struggles, etc.) have clear links to untimely death. I think knowing more about why these inequalities happen is key to solving them. 3. Collins describes the experience of opening the “sociological eye” through experiencing a switch in our way of looking at things, as well as the path of social activism. I am more aligned with the latter (Collins 2013). Aside from issues relating to burnout, I imagine conflict can occur when critique of a group or individuals within it becomes necessary but is also seen as a detriment to the overall goal of the movement they support. 4. I most agree with Comte and the Law of Three Stages. It is very relevant to the present day. I do believe that the antidote to social chaos is the acceptance and application of the third (positive or scientific) stage, but I’m not confident that we’ll get there (McIntyre 2013). At the risk of outright pessimism, this is the same reason for my disagreement with Durkheim, who I feel may have idealized cooperation in premodern societies. 5. My Gemeinschaft relationships include those between myself and my friends, and between myself and my partner. My Gesellschaft relationships are with people such as my boss, or my academic advisor. I consider my Gemeinschaft relationships more important, as they are not contingent upon me being in a certain environment (working a specific job or being a current student). My personal bonds can and have transcended time, distance, and different stations in life. Classmate 2: Lisa Bogetto                              Discussion 1: what is Sociology? 1.      Some aspect of human society or social behavior that I think might be interesting to study would be. The behavior of marriage, the function of the human’s behavior from the start of the marriage to later in life. Also, the different kind of relatio.

1. Response to two classmates’ discussion on what is sociology.
Responses should be at least 150 words each (put the word
count in all responses). Replies should take the conversation
further by adding questions or your own ideas in your replies.
In addition, you can point out both strengths and areas of
improvement on your peers' submission. Strong posts will
demonstrate understanding and connection to course materials
Classmate 1: Kia J Washington
1. I would be most interested in studying violence in society.
While this topic is also quite broad, I would love to know more
about violence in history across multiple cultures, as well as
research on factors that feed into an individual's propensity
toward it (or against it) and which mitigation efforts are most
effective.
2. I am working toward medical school, with the end goal of
being a forensic pathologist. Because my main motivation has
been my background in social justice, it seems the most relevant
chapter to me would be Chapter 12, Stratification and
Inequality. Many of the consequences of marginalization
(poverty, lack of access to adequate health care, isolation,
mental health struggles, etc.) have clear links to untimely death.
I think knowing more about why these inequalities happen is
key to solving them.
3. Collins describes the experience of opening the “sociological
eye” through experiencing a switch in our way of looking at
things, as well as the path of social activism. I am more aligned
with the latter (Collins 2013). Aside from issues relating to

2. burnout, I imagine conflict can occur when critique of a group
or individuals within it becomes necessary but is also seen as a
detriment to the overall goal of the movement they support.
4. I most agree with Comte and the Law of Three Stages. It is
very relevant to the present day. I do believe that the antidote to
social chaos is the acceptance and application of the third
(positive or scientific) stage, but I’m not confident that we’ll
get there (McIntyre 2013). At the risk of outright pessimism,
this is the same reason for my disagreement with Durkheim,
who I feel may have idealized cooperation in premodern
societies.
5. My Gemeinschaft relationships include those between myself
and my friends, and between myself and my partner. My
Gesellschaft relationships are with people such as my boss, or
my academic advisor. I consider my Gemeinschaft relationships
more important, as they are not contingent upon me being in a
certain environment (working a specific job or being a current
student). My personal bonds can and have transcended time,
distance, and different stations in life.
Classmate 2: Lisa Bogetto
Discussion 1: what is Sociology?
1. Some aspect of human society or social behavior that I
think might be interesting to study would be. The behavior of
marriage, the function of the human’s behavior from the start of
the marriage to later in life. Also, the different kind of
relationships which would include a marriage of a man and a
man, women and women and the man and women. To see if the
relationship would be different because of the different
partnership of the two people involved. Also, it would be

3. interesting to see how the social behaviors differ from those
that are single and the same age and gender.
2. What is my major? I’m not majoring in anything
currently; my degree is Associates of intergraded studies. The
chapter that I think most relevant to what I plan on doing after
I’m done with my Associates. I would be chapter 10, which
talks about how socialization works when it comes to families,
school, workplace, and mass media. It does not relate, but I plan
on starting in the fall with Ashford University online to work on
getting my K-6th grade teaching certificate.
3. The two draws to sociology that Collins describes is the
following. In the book the practical skeptic readings of
sociology, Sociological eye and Social sociological. (McIntyre
2014), (Page. 401) The one of these that seems appealing to me
would be sociological eye, because you still have an open mind
to everything. With sociological eye anything you do is
possible, and it is still achievable. The potential conflicts
between these two is. In the book the practical skeptic reading
of sociology, social activism makes it hard for them to see any
other answer and their mind is already made up. (McIntyre
2014), (Page. 402). Were as sociological eye see’s things for
what they are at that time, and still gives then the time of day
and not have a final decision.
4. The most interesting theorist mentioned in chapter one is
Max Weber. In the book the practical skeptic core concepts in
sociology. He was intrigued with the Tonnies idea that people
act with a variety of motives and the different types of motives
make a difference in what they do. (McIntyre 2014), (Page. 19).
I liked that he believed that the rational behavior is the only
behavior that makes sense. I find that rational behavior is a
good way to live, having enough of food and money to survive
and a job was a rational behavior and most people have this.

4. The sociological theorist I find most uninteresting is Herbert
Spencer. In the book the practical skeptic core concepts in
sociology. He believes that the world was like a jungle and that
the superior would be the ones to survive and the weak would
not. (McIntyre 2014), (Page. 22). I don’t like his justification
that whites over black and rich over poor. I believe that
everyone has a right to be the best they can and no matter your
race, or how much money you have should not make a
difference.
5. The two relationships that are Gemeinschaft are emotion
based and communal relationship. In the book the practical
skeptic core concepts sociology. The two that were Gesellschaft
was the following rational which is having goal and writing
them out and achieving them. (McIntyre 2014), (Page. 18). My
relation to Gemeinschaft is the relationship with my mom she is
my bestfriend and we talk everyday. The other is with my
boyfriend of 10 years who is very supportive my finishing
school as well as my running half marathons. The other is non
rational which is to not achieve a goal but just to appreciate
what you have done. When it comes to the one that is more
important to me it would be Gesellschaft, because of the
rational relationship it helps with someone helping you to
achieve your goals. If it was not for everyone, I know I would
not be achieving my goal of finishing my Associates.
References
McIntyre, L. J., (2014). The Practical Skeptic: Core Concepts
in Sociology. Dubuque: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
McIntyre, L. J., (2014). The Practical Skeptic: Readings in
Sociology. Dubuque: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.