Soc 280 Section 3, Fall 2006, Homework #1

On Friday September 1, bring this completed assignment to class with you. Handwritten is OK as long as its easily legible. Word processed is always good. Make sure your name is on it!! We will use this information to create groups for your lab projects for the class.

Identify THREE areas of interest for you in social research. For each of the three areas:

1. Identify the general topic and give it a name.

2. Within this general topic, articulate your specific area of interest, in the form of a research question if possible (if not, a statement is OK). What specific relationships (between/among variables/concepts, not necessarily between people) pertaining to social life are you drawn to? What do you want to know about this area/these relationships?

3. Why are this topic and this question important and/or interesting to you personally?

4. Why are this topic and research question important to social science, and to the world in general? (Why is it important for us to know more about it?)