I've got to do a research project for sociology and no idea what to do it on, any suggestions?

Question

something interesting that I can do questionnaires and interviews for and plenty of info as background.

Answer 1

Look into the perception of gender roles among different age groups. You could also add to that by analyzing how men and women are portrayed on TV commercials or in sitcoms, for example.

Answer 2

Ageism directed at women. For an example a 62 year old woman had a baby and there was a lot of ageism directed at that lady, whereas a man like Des O Connor has a child at about 72 and he didn't experience so much ageism. You could talk about the double standards, how society is more critical about women the longer lived sex having children late, you can talk about pressure women have to go through. You can interview women about the pressure they have as they enter their forties to settle down and have a family whilst they can. Scientists will stop the menopause from happening in the future, but at this moment in time, this is a very stressful problem. You can do qualitative research by interviewing women in their 40s who don't have partners and are thinking about having to became a single mother before an option is taken from them.

Answer 3

The day-to-day prejudice and bigotry that women have to deal with even from people who love them and don't realize they're doing it.

For example, a very intelligent and sensible woman could have a woman friend or family member who is married to a guy with an awful track record of bad decisions and personality problem - and yet that woman may question what the sensible, intelligent, woman says and, when faced with deciding whether to believe what she says versus what the husband says, will believe the misguided husband because he's a man.

Another example: The solid, mature, intelligent, strong woman may have people who care about her (but don't necessarily see the real her) correct what she says even if what she says is about herself! She could have had the flu and be getting better and know she's getting better, but because she sounds hoarse someone else could disregard the fact that she says she knows she is better and keep thinking she's getting worse!!

This is the hidden, day-to-day, lack of respect for women (particularly feminine women) by people who don't realize what they're doing.

There can be removal of glass ceilings all over the place and laws that protect women, but as long as this prejudice is going on on a day-to-day basis it can affect a woman's life in ways far more serious than people generally realize; and it is harder to battle than policies, which can easily be changed on paper.

Answer 4

Research Stanly Milgram's study of conformity, see the link below. Maybe you could ask people what they would do if asked to do what Milgram asked his participants. If you asked someone if they would submit a potentially lethal electric shock to a person in an experiment, they would reply no, but Milgram's experiment shows that the majority actually would due to obedience. It's very interested to see how people react in situations like this. When somebody thinks that they would act in a particular way, but do the complete oposite. It shows how little we know about ourselves.
There are many things which you could do but this is an idea, I won't be offended if you don't like it hehe!

Answer 5

If you live in or near a town that's on a commuter belt, finding out how the pressures that lifestyle affect people and what family life they have, not to mention how they relate (or don't relate) to the dormitory town they're living in .

You could do something with immigrants e.g. the Poles and find out how they're getting on etc.

I'm racking my brains trying to remember what my friends who did Sociology in Uni did their projects on. I know they all had to do a participation observation thing where they observed the way people in a club/society behaved. Maybe you could expand on that, even with something like the local football team.

Answer 6

The epitome of a sociology research project! - Gender roles in society Other than that, -How the rich get richer and the poor get prison (Good book) -You could research how minorities are more likely to get arrested, and more likely to serve more time in jail once convicted, and how hard life is after they get out of prison.

Answer 7

i think socialization is a good subject cos you can cover so much on it. You can discuss what role our parents, education, and peers have on this. You can interview people to see how they were brought up, if their parents worked, or didn't, what family traditions they have that are unique to their family. We get taught about culture, the correct way to behave in society and about crime and deviance by all these people, develop an argument within you research and bring in some theorists to back you answers up

Answer 8

People's attitude towards risk.

Are we infantilised by regulated conditions? Is it advantageous to make environments safer, or do we merely lower the threshold at which regular users of that environment are able to operarate? For example, do people drive more carefully on dangerous roads?

Answer 9

Do research on why American women do so little, but receive so much.

Do research on why supposedly "equality minded" American feminists are not marching on Capitol Hill demanding that women be required to enter the draft.

Answer 10

How the drugs culture has affected individuals & communities?

How percieved 'stranger danger' affects the way we treat our children?

Just a couple of possibilities. I did an HND in social sciences