Sociological Journal Prompts, Introduction to Sociology ,  Santa Monica College, Professor Thing
The Sociological Journal offers students the opportunity to write about connections between their own lives (including our larger social world) and sociological concepts interrogated in class. Students will write a response to each journal prompt below. Please address the entire prompt and make sure to thoroughly elaborate on the examples discussed. Your journal entries should be well organized, well-structured, and well-written. College-level writing is expected for this assignment.
Upload as ONE document, with three separate journal entries. Due May 12th, 11:50 pm.
Format: This assignment is to be typed using Times New Roman, 12-point font. The document should be double spaced and have 1-inch margins all around. Each journal response should be between 1-1½ pages. The paper should have a title page, and use ASA (American Sociological Association) reference style – if you use citations in your journals. ASA Style Guide (Links to an external site.)
Each journal is worth 33.33 points.
Journal #1, Chapter 1 and Coronavirus
Define and describe the sociological imagination. Using the concept of the sociological imagination, discuss how our society’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic is shaping your life (remember, it is society’s response to the Coronavirus that is shaping our lives, not  only the virus itself*). Please address the economy, education, media, and/or family (choose two).
*Imagine living 1000 years ago:  The virus itself may not have spread as rapidly since (most) people did not live in large urban areas. The virus would not have spread across the entire world because there was not regular contact (through travel, commerce, etc.) between different countries or societies. People sick with the virus who needed respirator would not be in the hospital using a respirator because there were no hospitals or respirators. People would not have been getting information on the virus through the media, because there was no mass media. The social world affects the spread of the virus and how society responds to the virus.
Journal #2, Social Class, Race-Ethnicity and Coronavirus
Drawing from Chapters 7 & 8 AND a newspaper article or news story of your choice (from a credible source like the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Fox, CNN, etc. – make sure to provide a citation of your source) discuss how and why social class and/or racial-ethnic inequality are shaping the Coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. (You may focus on social class or race-ethnicity, or you may focus on both social class and race-ethnicity. You may focus on a specific U.S. city or state or the entire nation).
Journal #3, Theory and Coronavirus 
Drawing from any chapter you would like, discuss the major tenets of functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Discuss which theory you find the most helpful in understanding the spread of the Coronavirus and our society’ response to the virus?
*Hint: Chapter 1 provides an overview of the three theories. Also, in most chapters, there are examples of how the theories are applied to various social issues.
*Make sure you spend significant time understanding the three theories. Your journal must accurately describe and be applied to the theories.