Here are the results of 20 years of this activity:
From times 71, here are the sums:
16. Traveling poet Mr. Carpenter: 41
At the macro level, sociologists look for large-scale forces influencing groups or individuals. So, for simulation, let’s look at the similarities in who got off the boat in your class compared to other classes I’ve taught.
Our class is made up of different people than any other class, including mine. In fact, this class is so different that the students are from a different generation! For example, I’ve been doing this long enough that two of my students have gotten married! in 2002 they met in my class as a football player and cheerleader, and continued dating after college, in 2012. got engaged and asked me to marry them! Even though they are old enough to be a different generation than my current class, patterns still emerge. Why do these patterns persist from generation to generation? There are social forces that lead/construct similar outcomes.
Social construction of reality
How is the experience of those on board shaped by the larger society? What are the meanings of each person’s status on board? The onboard conditions create a very real experience for the people involved in the simulation.
Students keep saving characters they find useful, especially the medical student and Nobel laureate in physics. In addition, students constantly reject the elderly and the sick (resort, college student). These decisions are driven by macro-sociological forces. Despite the differences, what does our class have in common with all the other classes I’ve done this with? All students participating in this simulation are American. I believe they are shaped by cultural values.
Sociological imagination
How can this activity be useful elsewhere? How might different cultures make a decision about what to push aside?
How might it appear at other times? How would Americans from another era, such as the 1920s, make the decision?
A microsociological perspective
At the microsociological level, sociologists study how groups interact in face-to-face conversation. In face-to-face communication, the words we use matter – they have shared meaning and values. Also, how we use words matters, like: who makes eye contact, how loudly people speak, where they sit, who is the leader, etc… Thus, the micro-sociological data from each activity performance can vary from interaction to interaction. This includes the words students use. For example, if the poet focuses on the presence of a the poet, people may find it undesirable and push it back. But if the poet reinforces that he is useful because of his sailing skills, it can save him, because utility is a common value of our culture.
By applying it to your life
This activity is a metaphor for whatever group you belong to; all the groups that shape you are governed by both macrosociological and microsociological forces. For example, apply this to college. If we look at these two levels in college, there are certain macro-sociological values that you can expect to find wherever the school is: grades, learning expectations, homework, rules, etc… So as you move from one course to the next, you’ll see these macro-sociological values . On the other hand, every classroom is different because of the micro-sociological dynamics within that classroom: some teachers are lax, some teachers use rows instead of the horseshoe shape, some classrooms have a few loudmouths, while other classrooms may. usually there are girls or guys etc.
Can you see these two levels in your life? Maybe in the family, classes or circle of friends, or at work?
How is one of your groups doing shaped by larger forces such as cultural influences?
How is the group formed by the interaction of its members? For example, how do they treat each other based on each person’s status?
