Discussion Questions

  1. Compare and contrast the way theft would be explained by a structural-functionalist, a conflict theorist, and a symbolic interactionist. What would each say about why someone steals? What would each say about how the crime is punished? What would each say about the impact on the community when theft happens?
  2. How has rationalization affected society since the Industrial Revolution? Does it still affect us today? How?
  3. Do you think the Tuskegee syphilis experiment has any lasting impact today? Are people suspicious of researchers because of experiments like this?
  4. If you were going to be a participant in a research study, which type of research methodology would you want to be a part of and why?