Virtual Explorations
created by Prof. Robert E. Wood
Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice
Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, Camden Campus
"Robert E. Wood was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Instruction Award by the American Sociological Association for his creation and authorship of the Virtual Explorations. Click here to find out more."
Explorations
B. Exploring Key Cultural Concepts on the World Wide Web
C. Social Interaction and Socialization: Web Resources about How People Become Social
D. Deviance: Criminal Justice Resources on the World Wide Web
E. Learning about Social Inequality on the World Wide Web
F. Race and Ethnicity: Identity and Group Process in "Real Life" and Cyberspace
G. Web Resources for Studying Gender and Inequality
H. Family: Studying a Changing Institution on the World Wide Web
I. Religion: A Global Survey via the World Wide Web
J. Studying Politics and Society on the World Wide Web
K. Using the World Wide Web to Understand and Promote Global Social Change
L. Population and the Environment--Web resources for the Planet
M. Aging and Society: Old and New Issues on the Internet
N. Economy and Work: The Internet and Globalization
O. Education and the Internet: Challenges and Potentialities
P. Health and Health Care: Information and Debate on the Internet
Q. Sexuality in Cyberspace: Communities and Controversies on the Internet
R. Science and Technology: Internet Explorations of New Social Problems
THESE EXERCISES ARE FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE USING ONE OF WADSWORTH'S TEXTBOOKS.
These eighteen Virtual Explorations have been designed to introduce you to some of the exciting resources for sociology on the world wide web. The websites that you will visit represent a broad range: official U.S. and U.N. sites, academic sites, advocacy sites, personal sites, and others. In many instances, these sites are interactive, responding to information that you provide. This interactive quality of the world wide web, even if it only means choosing which hyperlinks to pursue, represents one of its most educationally important features.
At each website that you visit, you will be asked to perform some sort of activity. This may be a matter of tracking down specific information, and you will be asked to use your common sense and ingenuity to find it. At other sites you will be asked to call up specific information, or to run data analysis online. You will be frequently asked to evaluate or analyze the information presented. Whenever you use the internet, it is important that you approach what you find with a critical eye.
The tours vary in length and how long they take to complete will also depend on such factors as your familiarity with the internet and the speed of your connection. On average, the tours should take no longer than one hour. No previous knowledge is required apart from the ability to recognize a hypertext link by the fact that it is (usually) underlined and a different color, and that your cursor will transform itself into a hand shape when it is moved over the words. Click on the links and explore!
Each Virtual Exploration is an online form, into which you can enter your answers directly, and which can then be emailed to one or two addresses that you provide at the end. (Check with your instructor about how he/she wants you to handle this.) Each time you click on a hyperlink on the Virtual Exploration page, a new window will open. When you are finished with this window, close it. Be careful however not to close the Virtual Exploration window, or you will lose the answers you have entered. For this reason, you may want to keep a handwritten record as well.
While every effort has been made to include websites that will remain available, webpages are occasionally taken down or have their addresses changed. In addition, the server on which they reside may be down when you try to access it. If you have problems of this nature, you should note them in the text box that is provided towards the end of the tour for this purpose.
We hope that your sociological Virtual Explorationing will be both fun and informative!