ASSIGNMENTS:

Group Projects (two papers, one presentation) – Students will be assigned to five groups of roughly five persons each, reflecting broad themes pertinent to the class (due dates in parenthesis; first date is the date of the presentation):

1. Wealth, Poverty, and Inequality (Feb. 7; Feb. 28)

2. Demographic Changes (aging & immigration) (Feb. 14; March 21)

3. Urban and Suburban Problems (March 7; April 4)

4. Globalization, Work, and Families (March 28; April 18)

5. Race, Gender, and LGBT Discrimination (April 11; April 25)

Members of each group will complete a two-part project based on their group theme:

Assignment 1: News story (paper and presentation) THIS IS A “NEWS” ASSIGNMENT!

For this assignment, each member of the assigned group must search the major newspapers and newsmagazines or news journals (in any medium – so long as all the details are available and accurate) for a “story” (of trends, events, patterns, conditions, policies, legislation, movements) that is directly related to his/her group theme. The assignment comprises a 2-3-page explanation/analysis of the story and a presentation by group members in class sections. Students in a group can either agree to do a multifaceted presentation on a single issue making the news, each student taking on a different aspect of the issue, OR each student can find a different story related to the broader group theme. Either way, there must be consultation within the group for this decision and to prepare for the presentation. The 2-3-page summary must be submitted by each member of the group on the day of the presentation, with focus article and a listing of any other references attached. The presentation is worth 10 points and the paper, 10 points. ALL PAPERS MUST BE DOUBLE-SPACED WITH AN 11 OR 12-PT. FONT SIZE AND 1-INCH MARGINS. An appropriate citation style, to be discussed with your TA, must be used.

Assignment 2:  Doing a deeper investigation (paper)

THIS IS A SOCIOLOGY PAPER (using scholarly references) ASSIGNMENT!

For assignment 2, students are required to use the story showcased in Assignment 1 as the basis for a deeper investigation using scholarly research resources from the library or research reports from reputable research and advocacy organizations (a partial list of appropriate websites can be found below; many resources have already been uploaded on Blackboard). For this assignment, you must write a 5-page sociological analysis of the social problem or social trend you have selected to investigate, using at least two “scholarly” sources (which may include articles or “expert” research reports). Here again, you may work individually or do individual components of a unitary group project. This paper will be worth 40 points.

If you are not sure about the difference between Assignment 1 and Assignment 2, ASK your TA or the Instructor! There is an important difference. In Assignment 1, we want you to find a news story that illustrates the Social Problems framework or questions or issues we are examining in this class, and to tell us about it. In Assignment 2, we want you to delve a little more deeply, read what the sociologists have written, how they have analyzed the data (pertaining to the social problem or social issue) and applied a sociological framework, and to summarize the findings, providing your own insights and perspective. An academic paper is not the appropriate data tool for Assignment 1, but it is for Assignment 2!