SOCI1101: Analyzing Current Events Through a Sociological Lens

This assignment examines a news article about Amanda Todd's mother speaking about bullying on Pink Shirt Day, analyzing it through a sociological lens. The paper, written for a SOCI1101 course, introduces the event and discusses its relevance to Canadian society. It applies sociological concepts including feminism, functionalism, and interactionism, to understand the impact of bullying and the importance of communication in addressing it. The student emphasizes the role of social interactionism in helping victims overcome mental health issues related to bullying. The assignment demonstrates an understanding of sociological theories and their application to contemporary social issues, referencing relevant sources to support the analysis.

Running Head: LOOKING SOCIOLOGY IN CURRENT EVENTS
LOOKING SOCIOLOGY IN CURRENT EVENTS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note:

1LOOKING SOCIOLOGY IN CURRENT EVENTS
Introduction
The selected article for this assignment is entitled as ‘Amanda Todd’s mother speaks
about bullying on Pink Shirt Day’ (Vancouver Island, 2020). It was an activity initiated to reduce
the activity of bullying. Here Carol, Amanda Todd’s mother raises the importance of anti-
bullying day or Pink Shirt day to increase mutual respect for all the living entities of the society.
There is no prescribed schedule for celebrating this activity. Different places have different dates
to celebrate the activity. However, the originator David Shepherd and Travis Price declared
every second Thursday of September will be celebrated as Pink Shirt Day.
Brief discussion of sociological concepts
Sociological concepts refers to the notion of measuring any consequences of daily life
with humanistic perception (Wang et al., 2018). With the current event about Pink Shirt Day, the
three sociological concepts can be attached. It includes – Feminism, Functionalism, and
Interactionism.
Feminism – There is a miss conception about feminism that only incorporates rights for the
feminine gender. The truth is, feminism seeks for gender equality.
Functionalism – It is a theory that is based on considering an object from the aesthetic
consideration rather than its functions (Sjursø, Fandrem & Roland, 2019).
Interactionism – In terms of sociology, the concept of interactionism is an activity that stresses
on human interaction for greater interpersonal relation.
Summary

2LOOKING SOCIOLOGY IN CURRENT EVENTS
The sociological theory of social interactionism is directly applicable for the chosen
article. Carol, Amanda’s mother, mentioned about communicating with each other about the
steps to be taken to reduce bullying from the society. She explained how communicating with the
right person can help the victim to overcome the mental condition and bring back the mental
peace. Hence, from the sociological lens, the thought of Carol will be helpful for the victims of
the activity of bullying.

3LOOKING SOCIOLOGY IN CURRENT EVENTS
References
Sjursø, I., Fandrem, H., & Roland, E. (2019). “All the Time, Every Day, 24/7”: A Qualitative
Perspective on Symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress in Long-Term Cases of Traditional
and Cyber Victimizations in Norway and Ireland. International Journal of Bullying
Prevention, 1-10.
Vancouver Island. (2020). Amanda Todd's mother speaks out about bullying on Pink Shirt Day.
Retrieved 27 February 2020, from https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/amanda-todd-s-
mother-speaks-out-about-bullying-on-pink-shirt-day-1.4828738
Wang, C., Li, Y., Li, K., & Seo, D. C. (2018). Body weight and bullying victimization among
US adolescents. American journal of health behavior, 42(1), 3-12.