Choose one of the following four essay topics and write an essay. 1. The soc

Choose one of the following four essay topics and write an essay.

1. The sociological perspective helps us recognize that the forces of society shape the lives of individuals. Explain how the sociological perspective reveals “the general in the particular″ and ‘the strange in the familiar.’
2. What was the main aim of the residential schools? In what ways can the attitudes of colonial government officials, school authorities and teachers at the residential schools be described as ethnocentric? Discuss the long-term impact and consequences of the residential schools for individual survivors and their families. In answering the question, in addition to reviewing relevant literature, you may draw on the documentary presented in class under the title “the residential schools”.
3. What are the specific contributions to human development made by family, school, peer group, and mass media? Do these agents of socialization always convey the same lessons to people? In your response, outline some of the ways in which girls and boys (men and women) differ in their socialization experience.
4. Which of the following theories of deviance—differential association, labeling theory, social control, anomie and social disorganization, strain theory, and conflict theory—best explains the recent increase in cheating among college students? Why? In answering the question, in addition to reviewing relevant literature, you may draw on the documentary presented in class under the title “Faking the Grade”.

INSTRUCTIONS AND BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
Review the relevant chapter (s) from the textbook and also watch the respective lecture videos and documentaries.
Select relevant scholarly literature (at least two) and review them. The literature you choose can be peer reviewed journal articles or book chapters written by social scientists. Videos, websites, news and magazine articles may also be useful but they will not be counted among the 2 scholarly resources required.
Your essay must be a minimum of 1,500 and a maximum of 2,000 words in length. Type your paper in 12 point font, double-spaced, and use standard margins.
The bulk of your essay should be in your own words. Sentences copied directly from your sources must be enclosed in quotation marks. Use direct quotations sparingly and wisely (i.e. do not over use quotes) and incorporate them smoothly into your writing.
Sources used must be indicated with proper citations and a bibliography list using APA style. Use citation any time you refer to ideas or facts from outside sources, both when quoting directly and when summarizing the material into your own words. Include only the sources you read, used and cited in your paper in your bibliography list. Failure to include citations and a bibliography list is considered plagiarism, and listing sources in your reference list that you did not actually read or use to write your paper constitutes a form of cheating (because you would be pretending you did more research than you actually conducted).
OBJECTIVES AND CRITERIA FOR GRADING
Your paper should demonstrate your ability to:
Conduct library research to locate scholarly resources that are appropriate for sociological study and relevant to the topic chosen.
Explain and evaluate sociological research and analysis fully, clearly, accurately and succinctly.
Use sociological perspectives and concepts in an analysis of social phenomena or issues.
Develop reasoned arguments supported by evidence from the research.
Make inferences from the research, recognize the implications of issues raised and suggest recommendations.
Express ideas clearly in writing, organize points into coherent paragraphs and maintain an academic or formal tone.
Include proper citations to indicate sources of ideas, information, facts, and analysis presented, and provide a works cited list, formatted using APA style
TIPS ON WRITING YOUR PAPER

Reading and Preparation:
Be an “active reader”. Continually ask yourself questions as you read. What are the main points, central research findings or highlights of the discussion? What sociological concepts or perspectives are used in the analysis? How are the author’s arguments developed and what evidence is presented to support them? Think about how the research and analyses from various resources fit together. Do you see certain points repeated or patterns emerging in the work of various authors? Do the arguments support one another or are there differing views? Can points made by one author be expanded on using research or analysis presented by another author?
Create an outline of the subtopics to be covered in your paper. I cannot stress this enough as it is essential to a good paper. An outline helps you to organize and develop your points systematically and logically.

Writing the Essay:
Organize related points into paragraphs following your outline. You might start with the main points from the article you chose, then expand upon and extend the discussion, bringing in information from your other sources as needed to develop your points.
The introductory paragraph should tell the reader exactly what your paper is about, so it should contain your “thesis statement”. This is the central point or argument you will be developing in your paper. Formulate this as a sentence that encapsulates the main ideas in your paper or answers your central questions.
The body paragraphs should expand upon and support your “thesis statement” or the controlling idea of the paper, and develop your points in an orderly and logical way. Use your outline to organize your points and include as many paragraphs as you need. Each paragraph should have its own main point, with all other points in the paragraph relating to this “controlling idea” of the paragraph.
The concluding paragraph should briefly summarize the central points covered in the essay and leave the reader with something to think about. You might use this paragraph to make recommendations.
Edit your paper, correcting writing errors and mistakes. It is best to print your paper in hard copy for proofreading and edit it using a pencil, as it is easy to miss mistakes when looking at your paper on the computer screen. Be sure your points are succinct and that your sentences clearly convey the meanings you intend. Polish your essay by correcting errors in sentence structure, vocabulary usage and wording, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.