Part 1: Sociology and You

Review the material in Openstax chapters 9, 11 and 12. Choose one sociological concept or theory from each of these chapters (3 in total) that explains something about social stratification across generations in your family. Explain these concepts/theories in your words and describe specifically how each of these concepts/theories apply to you and prior generations of your family.

PART 2 - Social Mobility Tree

Did the social standing of your parents differ from the social standing of your grandparents and great-grandparents? Track the social stratification of your family tree. For this part of the project, start by creating a traditional family tree that traces your family back for as many generations as you can. You can either make an illustration, graph or written list for this. For each generation, list, draw, or graphically indicate the direction of their social mobility. Include your family tree within the body of your paper or as a separate attachment.

PART 3 - Research

Prior to completing this portion of your paper, I want you to identify two elder family members or people that are from an older generation than your own that you can briefly interview. Ask them about the following topics:

Have they experienced any changes in status as a result of social mobility in their lifetime?

Have there been changes in society that impacted their opportunities in life over time?

What has been the pattern across generations for their family? Have people moved up, moved down or stayed the same in terms of their social mobility?

Compare and contrast the responses you received in your interviews. Using your sociological imagination, explain how the lives of these individuals were shaped by the society they lived in.

PART 4 - Conclusions

Do you think you will experience social mobility in your lifetime? How might social stratification affect your chances? What sociological factors might affect this for you? Be specific and reference the material from the assigned readings.