Reflective Assignment

Directions:
In this paper, you will draw on readings and lessons from this semester to articulate a clear, original, and literature-supported theory about race and racism in America. Before you begin writing the paper (suggested, not required):

1) Make a list of every term, concept, idea, and/or lesson learned this semester in this class. Think of the homework readings and class discussions. Your goal should be to make a list of at least 30 items.
2) Go through your list from #1 and identify four concepts for which you have the greatest understanding and command over. These four concepts will be the basis/foundation of your paper. Therefore, ensure that they are broad enough that you can write a page or two about each. The following could be potential good concepts: federal government housing policy, race-based residential segregation, the short-term and long-term effects of slavery in America, race-based wealth inequality, the relationship between slavery and the development of American capitalism and global power, the invention of whiteness and race in the American colonies, the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Bacon’s Rebellion, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the historical distinctiveness and uniqueness of American slavery (a.k.a. America’s identity as a hypocritical society that champions freedom for all whilst enslaving millions of African men, women, and children – see Fields 2001), etc.
3) For each concept, you are to provide a literature review of at least five articles (20 articles in total, minimum).
4) Using these four concepts, you will articulate a unified theory – one that
combines all four concepts – into one overall idea that attempts to offer a new
way of looking at race and racism in America.
5) If you are struggling to create a list of concepts, here are some reminders about what we have learned this semester (not an exhaustive list):
– DuBois:
o Reconstruction, the veil, double consciousness, federal government
incompetence (Freemen’s Bureau) and treatment of African Americans
(Lincoln’s idea to return African Americans to Africa),
– Morrison
o Mental effects of slavery, physical effects of slavery (baby’s demise, tree-
like whiplashes, fog of consciousness (some have suggested Morrison’s
broken and confusing writing style is a deliberate attempt to communicate
the mental confusion and wariness associated with enslavement), rape,
parent-child relations (not only Sethe’s family but the white graveyard
worker and his white son who raped Sethe), collective trauma, guilt, etc.
– Rothstein
o Federal government policy contributing to: race-based residential
segregation, race-based wealth inequality, race-based educational
inequality, race-based income inequality, race-based health inequality,
race-based hate and ignorance; Supreme Court decisions
– Assorted news and academic articles (beginning of semester)
o Slavery, capitalism, and American global power; the political legacy of
slavery
– The 1619 Project
o The long-term effects of slavery on culture, economics and global power,
voting and politics, etc.Directions:

SECTIONS OF THIS PAPER
I. Title of Paper (up to 12 words)
This is the very first page of the entire assignment. Most importantly, it includes a word count on the title page. The word count applies only to the main body of your paper (Introduction section through Conclusions section) and does not include any other sections, i.e. Bibliography, abstract, last page, etc. In addition, the title page includes the title of your paper/study, abstract (100–200-word summary of the paper), date, name of our course (SOC490, Spring 2023), and these words: “Final Paper”. Again, do not write your name on this page.
Abstract:
The abstract is a concise summary of your paper. I recommend reading
abstracts of academic articles to get a sense of how this section is done
(indeed, this advice applies to every section of this paper). (150-250
words).
II. Introduction
Your first few paragraphs should be an introduction to your theoretical argument. Many people write the introduction after writing the rest of the paper! Information in your introduction should provide a foundation for your theory. Briefly summarize your theory with great clarity and precision – and briefly summarize the various parts of the paper (give the reader a clear plan of what is to follow in your paper). In your introduction, your goal is to convince readers that your theory is (a) interesting and (b) important. You
may choose to include a story, quotation, or relevant statistics about your topic.
III. Literature Review
You should provide a literature review of prior scholarship that relates to your theory. Specifically, you will review, or summarize, prior research done on each of your four concepts. The information you present should be from academic articles and/or academic books. Make sure it is clear to the reader how the information is related to your theory. To make this section of your paper effective, you should explicitly relate information from various sources to each other and to your theory. You can proceed through your literature review one concept at a time like so:
Concept #1: XYZ
Summarize literature on concept #1
Concept #2: XYZ
Summarize literature on concept #2
Concept #3: XYZ
Summarize literature on concept #3
Concept #4: XYZ
Summarize literature on concept #4
IV. Formulation of a Theory
In this section, you will explain your theory to your reader. In one or a few sentences, how would you summarize your theory? Answer with clarity and precision. Most importantly, provide a real-world illustration of your theory. We can discuss what this might mean in class (if you bring it up in class). Ideally, you will provide several real- illustrations or demonstrations of your theory (2-3). Did you explain how the four concepts connect into one overall theory? Make sure you do. It is advised that you provide a visual diagram (i.e., a “flow chart”) illustrating your theory. If you don’t know what I mean, ask me in class.
V. Formulation of a Hypothesis
In this brief section, you formulate a hypothesis or research question. The
hypothesis/research question is essentially asking whether your theory is empirically true. For example, suppose I theorize that student socioeconomic status is positively associated (correlated) with high school teacher’s perceptions about professional autonomy/freedom. In this case, my research question/hypothesis would be: “Is student socioeconomic status positively associated with teachers’ perceptions of professional autonomy, and if so, how?” This section need only be one sentence long.
VI. Proposed Method (should be no more than 2 to 3 double-spaced pages)
The purpose of this section is to design an empirical study (of any method – quantitative or qualitative, or mixed methods) that tests your theory. It would be appropriate to label this section of your paper “Proposed Research” or “Method”, using the level of heading that was used for the title of the paper. Identify your theory (or what we might call a hypothesis at this point): “Based on the theoretical argument articulated in the previous section, I propose the following hypothesis…” It is a good idea to highlight the way in which your study will test your theory or hypothesis. It’s possible you may say how it will extend prior research and scholarship (though this might not be appropriate in every case). If appropriate, you could include a one-sentence statement claiming that past research has focused on _____ but left out _____. The first paragraph or two of this section should include your hypothesis and your reasoning (theory). The next paragraphs should present information about your research method.
Type of Study
– Is your study quantitative, qualitative, or both? Why is this method appropriate for answering your research question?
Participants
– You should include information about who the participants will be in your
experiment. How many participants will be in your study? Summarize whether
you want a certain number of men or women, a certain number of people from
different races, and so on. How will participants be recruited for your study?
Summarize whether you will place ads in the newspaper, recruit in online
chatrooms, ask for volunteers in class, and so on. Will participants receive
compensation for being in your study?
– If using databases, where and how will you get your data?
Data Analysis
– How will you analyze your data?
– If you have interviews, how will you transcribe them?
Plan of Work & Time Schedule
– You should include a chronological timeline of the various stages of your
hypothetical research project including doing the research (collecting data),
analyzing data, and writing your final research paper (again, this is just a
hypothetical research project). Your research should be completed within one to three years. Be precise in your timeline (include months and years).
VII. Bibliography
You must include a list of references to key articles and texts discussed within your research proposal. For help, see: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/583/01/
Last Page
– Put your name on this page (Last name, First name).
– Restate the paper’s word count (introduction through “Proposed Method” se

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