Sociology Question of the Week

As a high school student in the early 21st century, in what ways does the movie Mean Girls seem realistic to you? In what ways does it seem to be way off the mark?

World History Question of the Week

The image to the right shows a basic map of Silk Road land and sea trade routes that were commonly used in the ancient world. As far back as Egyptian, Greek and Roman times, these trade routes carried goods from China in the east to Rome or Alexandria in the west and back. These trade routes connected East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, The Middle East, North Africa, East Africa and Southern Europe in cultural and economic ways. Who is conspicuously left out of this vast trade network? What do you think caused the trade to stop where it did and not continue on?



Let's take a look at the map below and try to figure out what about the climate/vegetation of Africa might have prevented the interior part of Africa and by extension the western part of Africa from participating in this vast trade network.

World History Test Results (B block)

Below are the test results from Thursday's test. The first column is your ID number. The second column is the matching section (out of 20) the third column is the multiple choice (out of 20) the fourth column is the short answer section (out of 35), the fifth column is the bonus section (out of 4) and the last is of course your grade.

1601, 18.0, 16.0, 31.0, 3.5, 91%
1604, 10.0, 10.0, 23.0, 0.0, 57%
1611, 16.0, 16.0, 29.0, 1.0, 83%
1613, 18.0, 20.0, 32.0, 1.0, 95%
1618, 16.0, 14.0, 32.0, 0.0, 83%
1628, 8.0, 12.0, 12.0, 1.5, 45%
1629, 16.0, 14.0, 30.0, 0.5, 81%
1631, 16.0, 16.0, 31.0, 1.0, 85%
1632, 14.0, 16.0, 27.0, 0.5, 77%
1643, 12.0, 10.0, 21.0, 0.0, 57%
1652, 16.0, 20.0, 35.0, 3.5, 99%
1658, 16.0, 14.0, 29.0, 0.0, 79%
1662, 14.0, 12.0, 28.0, 0.0, 72%
1669, 12.0, 18.0, 32.0, 1.5, 85%
1670, 14.0, 16.0, 35.0, 1.5, 89%
1681, 18.0, 20.0, 29.0, 3.5, 94%
1686, 10.0, 18.0, 28.0, 1.0, 76%
1688, 16.0, 16.0, 35.0, 0.5, 90%
1692, 16.0, 20.0, 35.0, 3.5, 99%
1693, 16.0, 16.0, 33.0, 1.5, 89%
1695, 12.0, 18.0, 31.0, 2.0, 84%
1696, 6.0, 10.0, 27.0, 1.0, 59%
1697, 10.0, 14.0, 32.0, 1.0, 76%
1705, 20.0, 20.0, 28.0, 1.5, 93%
1706, 14.0, 16.0, 26.0, 2.5, 78%
1711, 14.0, 20.0, 30.0, 1.5, 87%

Last Minute World History Questions

Sorry folks, meant to post this earlier. Any last minute questions before the test? Now or never =)

I will post a few things to think about in about an hour when I get home, for anyone who is still up...

Sociology Question of the Day # 3

Most people view themselves and other people as members of different groups. Most people have a primary group (a group of people who they most closely associate themselves with) one or more secondary groups (groups who they identify with, but who are not their primary group) and a reference group (a group who they look at as the best example of who they would like to be).

What are your primary, secondary and reference groups and what impact do they have on your life, beliefs and behaviors?

Sociology Question of the Day # 2

Role Strain occurs when a role (expected behavior of a social status) requires you to do or believe incompatible things. For example a doctor is expected to save lives, but she is also expected to minimize suffering and she may experience role strain when she has to help a family decide whether or not to keep a loved one on life support.

Can you think of an example in your life when you have experienced role strain?

Role conflict is when a person has two or more roles with conflicting expectations. For example, a scientist who is also a fundamentalist Christian would experience conflict over the theory of Evolution, which scientists believe and fundamentalist Christians do not.

Can you think of an example in your life when you have experienced role conflict?

Sociology Question of the Day # 1

What three nouns that you would you choose to identify who you are? Which of those three nouns describe aspects of your identity which are "not chosen and unchangeable" (ascribed status), that is, you did not choose to be that and you can't choose to become something different. Which of those three words describe aspects of your identity which are "chosen and changeable" (achieved status), that is, you choose to be that way and you can, if you want to, change that.