Sociology – 2/17/2016

I.  Bellwork

Explain a time when the place or situation you were in made you act differently than you normally do.  Explain how and why this caused you to change.

II. Objectives:

• Explain and distinguish between a sociological perspective and a sociological imagination
• Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem

III.  Discussion & Classwork

Sociology: The Stanford Prison Experiment (Documentary)

•   https://www.prisonexp.org/

1.  What was the purpose of the experiment?
2. What are the effects of living in an environment with no clocks, no view of the outside world, and minimal sensory stimulation?
3. Consider the psychological consequences of stripping, delousing, and shaving the heads of prisoners or members of the military. What transformations take place when people go through an experience like this?
4. How did the student prisoners act towards the new prisoner when he rebelled against the guards and prison? Why do you believe they behaved in such a manner?
5. Most prisoners believed that the subjects selected to be guards were chosen because they were bigger than those who were made prisoners, but actually, there was no difference in the average height of the two groups. What do you think caused this misconception?
6. What do you believe made the student guards act in such a brutal and evil manner toward the student prisoners?
7. How do you think you would have behaved if you were a prisoner in this situation?

Sociology W2016