Homework: Sociology
Answer all three of the following question prompts in paragraph formation. Be sure to write in complete sentences. You should cite from at least one of the assigned readings or videos provided in Module 4's Learning Homeworks, at least two times for each question prompt (i.e. that's at least two parenthetical citations in each of the three prompts). Your answers should be between 350 and 475 words in length for each question prompt. When you are finished, please submit your answers as one Word or PDF document before the deadline posted on the course schedule.
a. Who owns the media? Approximately how many entities dominate media ownership? Who are they? How does this affect what narratives and messages we are exposed to --and how does the limitations of possible narratives and messages then affect our broader society? Using the conflict perspective, explain how the dominance of the media by a few conglomerates is an example of the manipulation of society's members.
b. Explain what Farhad Manjoo means by "Tech's Frightful Five". Who are the five companies? How do they influence social interaction? More importantly, how do they dominate our economy? It has been said that these five companies are almost as powerful as the government. In what ways is that true? What is their influence on the broader society? Briefly explain whether or not this concerns you and why or why not.
c. How does what you buy and consume and our economy's reliance on obsolescence affect not only your personal finances, but also the economy? How does our economy's reliance on obsolescence affect our physical environment? What is the relationship between spending and the consumption of products and the American Dream? How is this different for poorer people than for richer people?
At the end of this activity, students should be able to do the following through writing:
a. Describe the domination of media ownership in our society.
b. Summarize and explain how the largest technology companies dominate the domestic (and in part, the global) economy and broadly explain the impact of that on society.
c. Expound on the repercussions of the individual human consumption of "stuff" for broader societal features like the environment and/or the economy.
Format your homework according to the give formatting requirements:
a. The answer must be double spaced, typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
b. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the course title, the student's name, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
c. Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.