for MADAM-PROFESSOR

For many of us, one of the most
interesting and fun aspects of studying sociology is how relevant the
discipline is to our everyday lives. This is even true of the methods we
use to study sociology. Hardly a day goes by without reading or hearing
about research that can help explain our lives: for example, we are
learning that life expectancy in the U.S. is on the decline, which may
seem counterintuitive. After all, we are the richest nation on earth
with excellent medical care. But when we look a little deeper, we learn
that for the wealthiest Americans, life expectancy is on the rise, while
for those with the lowest socio-economic status (SES), it is on the
decline. Since there are far more people of lower SES than the highest,
the overall rate is pushed downward.

Describe a current, personal experience that is relevant to research
methods. You can describe something that “passes for knowledge” that you
observed at home, work, or the community; something you saw or heard in
the media, or some other current event. Include a description of the
information, how you think that information was created, and your own
reaction to that information (to quote a scene from Freaky Friday, how does that make you feel?  Do you trust that information and to what degree?).

The text of the answer should be at least 250 words in length to get
into the kind of depth you need. Include the source(s) in APA style
after the text of