Identify a sociologically relevant topic or problem of your choosing.
For your final project, you must link that topic/problem to the wide
range of tools of sociological thought you have learned this semester in
a presentation (e.g., PowerPoint) or written review. Your project must substantially fulfill the following requirements:
Give a background of the topic or problem you have chosen and
discuss why it would benefit from being understood through a
sociological lens. What assumptions do people make about it that
sociology can inform (or change)? What does sociology bring to the table
that differs from people’s everyday social and cultural assumptions?
Discuss how two sociological theories can be applied. In
doing so, you should make clear that you understand how the core
perspectives of the theory can connect to and offer insight into the
real-world example you have chosen. In other words, how would this
theory interpret your topic?
It may be easiest to choose from the major theories
(Structural-Functionalism, Symbolic Interactionism, and Conflict
Theory*), but recall that there are some other theories presented in
your readings.
Discuss how two sociological concepts can be
applied. In doing so, you should show how these concepts can be seen at
work inside the topic/problem you’ve identified. Use them to zero in on
aspects of your example and interpret them. You may choose from the
following list of concepts:
Social Structure
Culture
Socialization
Social inequality*
Social identity
Including groups and categories
Power and authority (counts as one)
Deviance
Social change
(*Important: note that if you choose Conflict Theory as one of your theories, you may not choose social inequality as one of your concepts.)
If you do a presentation, remember that you will not
actually have the opportunity to present it to your instructor in
person. This means that you cannot explain what’s on your slides.
Therefore, you should not use them as rough, illustrative guides. While
they do not have to read like a paper, they must contain all the content required for the project.
A few brief sentences will not adequately meet each requirement; you
will be evaluated on how thoroughly and how well you meet these
requirements. Accordingly, use as many slides as it takes to fully
present your work and your thought. If necessary, err on the side of
“too much”!
If you choose to do a written paper instead of a presentation, it must be 5 pages in length (Times New Roman, 12-pt font, double spaced, 1″ margins).
Whichever option you choose, please provide a list of references at
the end and be sure to disclose in the body of your presentation or
paper where you have used words, figures, ideas, or any other material
from your sources. You are not required to use any references other than
your textbook, but you are required to identify this and any other source that you use.
Last Completed Projects
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