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Kuperberg, A., & Stone, P. (2008, June 5). The media depiction of women who opt out. Gender & Society, 22(4), 497–517. doi:10.1177/0891243208319767

Through a content analysis of print media and a comparison of media images with trends in women’s behavior, the authors of this article explore the rhetoric and reality surrounding the exit of college-educated women from the workforce to become full-time mothers, a phenomenon that has been dubbed “opting out”.

Questions to Consider

1. According to this article, how has the media’s depiction of working mothers changed over the years?
2. How does the media’s depiction of working mothers influence women in general, ranging from those who work to those who choose to stay home?
3. This article highlights the use of content analysis as a research method in sociological studies. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this research method?

Corcoran, K. E. (2013, July 11). Divine exchanges: Applying social exchange theory to religious behavior. Rationality and Society, 25(3), 335–369. doi:10.1177/1043463113492306

This article applies principles from social exchange theory to religious behavior and argues that the same mechanisms that reduce uncertainty in social exchanges also reduce uncertainty in ‘religious’ exchanges, resulting in higher levels of religious commitment.

Questions to Consider

1. According to this article, what are the rewards of religious participation?
2. How can the social exchange theory help us to understand religious behavior as well as other types of human behavior?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this research method in sociological studies?