Research Paper: For the term research paper, students will use a sociological perspective to neutrally analyze a social problem that is of interest to the student. You can analyze any topic that you like, but I encourage you to select one we cover in the course to make your life easier. For example, a student might want to analyze gender/sex, poverty, crime, education, healthcare, etc. Papers must be 5 full pages in length (not including any title page or bibliography). Students can write more if needed but must meet the minimum.
For the final paper I am primarily interested in the quality of your research and how analyze the social problem by looking into how it is defined, why it may be ignored by society, how it is politicized (both sides), and how it is trying to be solved/addressed. Also, I am looking to see how to apply the research you do to your topic to cover all sides of the social problem. For example, if you were discussing poverty I would want to hear about research related to social welfare programs as well as free market capitalism. In essence, try and cover all sides of the social problem no matter your stance. There are several things that I will be looking for in the papers:
Research/Analysis: Briefly outline the social problem, main aspects of it, and any key words or terms that may be related. Most of the paper should be reserved for analysis of research and applying this to the social problem at hand.
Discuss strengths and weaknesses: Make sure to specifically state points about strengths and weakness of the research and how it relates to the social problem. Using the example above, what would be the pros and cons to a capitalist solution to the social problem. I will be looking for developed arguments for why a certain element/solution of social problem may have strengths/weaknesses, rather than simply stating what they are. Also, make sure you use your research to back-up your analysis. For example, don’t just tell me that capitalism can solve poverty; use research to back up your point.
Connecting ideas: I should see a clear connection between each supporting point you use, the specific topic/problem you’re discussing, and the research you are applying. I am looking for your paper to flow as you develop your case study.
Additionally, each paper must:
1. Include a title page, introduction, body, conclusion, page numbers, and bibliography
2. Include at least four (4) additional academic sources (journal articles or books) besides the class readings.
3. Be formatted in APA style (be sure to visit the John Jay library website to learn more about APA if you are unfamiliar)
Be typed in 12-point font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins
Run 5 pages long, not including cover page or bibliography
Be submitted via Blackboard in WORD or PDF format
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