Category: Social Sciences : Sociology

Objective/Topic
As noted in this week’s reading (see especially p. 49), those who study sociology are uniquely equipped to recognize and inform the public about how there’s more to health and illness than just the biomedical factors. That’s something we’ll consider throughout the quarter (including in the context of your project). There’s a great deal of information on social media that seeks to promote social change around health and illness in some way. This board is an opportunity to consider and discuss the effectiveness of how this information is presented.
Instructions
Find a piece of social media content that has something to do with promoting change around health- and/or illness-related issues (whether it be at the level of individual behavior change, community-based interventions/improvements, or structural/societal-level change).
This content can be in any format (text, infographic, image with captions, video, etc.) and can be from any social media platform where posts/feeds are widely available to the public (TikTok, Instagram, X [Twitter], YouTube, etc.). Then please include the following in your post to our discussion board:
A link to the piece of social media content you’ve chosen (or you can also use the Embed toolLinks to an external site. here in Canvas)
A brief description of who created or posted the content (Are they a medical professional or organization? Government? Social scientist? Activist? Concerned citizen? Celeb/influencer? etc.)
At least one way in which you think the content is valuable and/or effective in communicating info about creating health-/illness-related change.
At least one suggestion of something that might be added or changed to make the content even more effective. 

Continue to expand my paper “Situation Analysis of Electric Vechiles”.
The prompt is as the following:
The Substance:
Lay out the situation
This can be a broad issue or something very specific
Can be based on a real life scenario or made up.
Explain which POV you’re taking
Private Sector, Political Entity, or Third Party Stakeholder.
Must be a different POV than your Stakeholder Memo.
What are you hoping to achieve & why?
How will you achieve it working with a wide array of stakeholders?
Articulate who the stakeholders are, and why they are important.
How will you utilize various engagement, collaboration, research and dissemination strategies to achieve your goal?
Hint – Slides 8-14 of the final class walk you through this in greater detail, and Slide 24 has helpful suggestions.
From a formatting perspective, please note the following:
This should be no longer than 5 pages.
This should include a top-line executive summary (no longer than 2-3 sentences or bullets) & a final recommendation/conclusion.
Note – it’s not a memo but rather a strategic plan, and I should clearly know who you are and what POV you’re taking.
The body of the paper can be done in sections, using paragraphs or bullets; and really organized in any way you see fit.
Feel free to use maps/graphics/data to illustrate your points.
It’s always nice to bold/underline/highlight key points.

Write a 400 words research paper The topic of the social problem. The social problem should be based on the lack of access to education mainly in Canada and write the paper around the following questions:  Which problem would you choose, and why? What is the historical context of this issue? When did it arise? How has it changed over time? What are the impacts and consequences of this social problem on the individual, the family, and society? What steps would you take to alleviate this problem? What theories best help you understand the problem? Paying attention to the intersections of social class, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality, how would you measure your success or failure in reducing or eliminating the problem? Make sure the research essay incorporates as appropriate, an analysis of social class, gender, ethnicity, power, and neoliberalism. 
 Provide a basic outline of the argument, including a thesis statement and topic sentences that outline the argument.   Provide a list of the references for the paper. Use a combination of monographs (books written by scholars) scholarly research articles and high-quality online resources to construct the proposal. Have at least eight scholarly references (journal articles and books.

This assignment requires you to write a paper on a sociological topic of your choice. The paper should be between 5-6 double spaced pages. The paper should take a position/make an argument and demonstrate a degree of critical analysis. Papers should include a proper introduction with a thesis statement, conclusion and sections of the paper with an argumentative structure. You may wish to use subheadings to break up your work. In addition, the paper should include a title page and a reference page that has correct citations for each of the articles selected. The paper must include a minimum of five scholarly journal articles from sociological academic journals. Examples of scholarly journals in sociology include Canadian Journal of Sociology, Deviant Behavior, Social Problems, Gender & Society, and Social Forces, among many others. 

This week, you will submit a rough draft of your final project in this course by developing one of the short answer questions from the worksheets in weeks 2 and 3 or the analysis of the social issue you analyzed in the week 3 and 4 discussion into a draft essay of at least 400 words.
Choose one (1) of the following topics:    
Do you agree with the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis that language shapes our perception of ourselves and of our reality? Why or why not? For example, does language impact how we think about gender, race, and/or ethnicity? If so, how so? If not, why not?
Explain the concept of culture shock by imagining that a person who lived in the United States in the 1860s time traveled to the United States of today. What are some aspects of American culture that might shock this visitor? Are there any aspects of American culture that might not be surprising? If you were the time traveler, do you think you would adapt to modern American culture, or would you engage in ethnocentrism?
What does “socialization” mean? Why is the family considered by most sociologists and psychologists to be the most important agent of socialization? Do you agree? What do you think are some other significant agents of socialization?
Consider the psychological and sociological theories of human development and socialization. Which do you find the most compelling, and why? Be sure to briefly explain the theory you chose in your response.
What does Max Weber mean by the term “life chances?” Do you think life chances impact social stratification in the United States? Why or why not? Try and develop your response with concrete, real-life examples from your life, culture, and community.
What does it mean to say that race is a social construct? Does this mean that race is not real? Why or why not?
Consider the functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist approaches to racial and ethnic relations. Which do you find most compelling, and why?
Define ethnic pluralism and discuss what might be necessary to achieve it in the United States.
Imagine you are a sociologist who works for an elected official who has no background in sociology or a related field. You have been assigned the task of identifying an important example of social stratification that impacts the elected official’s constituency. Identify two sociological approaches that would take different approaches to the issue and develop an essay that compares and contrasts how you think the perspectives might analyze and approach the example of social stratification you discussed in your memo. 
Here are the guidelines for your essay draft:
Your draft should have a thesis statement, i.e. the main point of your essay.
Your draft should have at least four paragraphs: (1) an introductory paragraph that engages the reader and discusses why the topic is important; (2) two supporting body paragraphs that develop the main point, and (3) a concluding paragraph.
Your introductory paragraph should engage the reader and discuss why the topic is important.
Please include a list of References that you plan to use. At minimum, you should include the textbook and at least one of the online lecture pages in correct APA citation. If you can identify a scholarly article from the South University online library that is relevant to your topic, great! If not, your instructor will assist you in identifying a relevant scholarly article.
It is recommended that you also submit your rough draft to our tutoring services for additional feedback. The LIVE Tutoring link in the course navigation bar is a free essay review service accessed right from your classroom. It is easy to submit a draft for review and get extra feedback sent directly to your email inbox!

Final Draft of Research Paper
This week, you will submit the final version of the essay draft you submitted in week 4. This is your opportunity to take your instructor’s feedback and make that draft even better. 
Here are the guidelines for your final essay:
Begin by reviewing your instructor’s comments and suggestions on your draft. If you submitted the essay to our LIVE Tutoring services, review that feedback, too.
Next, try and choose some ideas and analysis from a scholarly article (the one you chose in week 4, or one that was suggested by your instructor) that support your thesis, i.e. the main claim of your paper.
Remember to cite anything you quote or paraphrase from the article, textbook, and online lectures in correct APA citation.
If you have not already done so, add the scholarly article to your list of references.

This worksheet consists of short answer questions (2-3 sentences each). You may use your book, online lectures, and notes to complete the worksheet. Please explain the ideas in your own words, discuss your perspective on the questions, and use examples when relevant.
1.    What does Max Weber mean by the term “life chances?” Do you think life chances impact social stratification in the United States? Why or why not? Try and develop your response with concrete, real-life examples from your life, culture, and community.
2.    What does it mean to say that race is a social construct? Does this mean that race is not real? Why or why not?
 
3.    Consider the functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist approaches to racial and ethnic relations. Which do you find most compelling, and why?
 
4.    Define ethnic pluralism and discuss what might be necessary to achieve it in the United States.
 

The final paper integrates class readings (from all required sources), demonstrates analytical understanding of migration-related themes, and assesses immigration policies in terms of whether they advance social justice and human rights.
 
WEEKLY TOPICS 6–10:
(a) How is family’s gender equity affected by migration and settlement experiences? What do the studies (Espiritu, Menjivar, Barajas & Ramirez…) find on whether families become more equitable in gender relationships? Compare the variant experiences within a specific nationality (e.g., race, ethnicity, class, transnationalism)?  What is the home-host dichotomy? How do all the readings critique it?
 
(b) How are identities shaped in-between worlds (give examples)? What is transnationalism and what facilitates and hinders it? How does the transnational experience affect views of home (i.e., feeling a sense of belonging)? What is nepantla and how do transnational migrants reflect this experience?
 
(c) How were the “Illegal Alien” and national boundaries socially constructed?  What context gave rise to national borders? How have borders changed across time? When was the concept of “illegal” introduced and when did it become popular in usage? What are the effects of its usage?
 
(d) What is the working definition for nativism? How do racist and ethnocentric nativism affect migrants/society? What are common themes associated with nativism?  The UC Davis Dean of Law School, Kevin Johnson gave a CRISJ talk on “The KKK, Immigration Law and Policy, and Donald Trump” (videoLinks to an external site.).  What is the nature of nativism that our nation faces today?
 
(e) How is your policy related to and/or disconnected from sociological facts about migration?
Reflecting on your Immigrant Policy Report, how do Topic 10 readings assess the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of your policy?
 
A TWO-PART FINAL, TAKE-HOME PAPER:
Part I (4-6 pages).
Answer the questions above for three weekly topics (see above a-d), and discuss key themes and concepts from the readings. A minimum of 9 different reading sources expected for this part, and must come from SOC 122 class reading sources: books, course reader, and canvas readings.  Videos used in class also accepted as a reading source.
     
Part II (1-2 pages).
Analyze your group policy report by informing it with sociological knowledge about immigration processes [see readings from “e”, topic 10].   Briefly, identify the objectives of the policy, assess its limitations/strengths and consequences, and advance recommendations for humane policies and programs that lessen racial, gender, and economic relationships of exploitation.  [A minimum of 3 reading sources expected for this part; can include videos as a source of reference]  
 
Special Instructions:
Paper must be about six-eight pages, formal margins, double-spaced, 12-point font size, and also include a title page and reference page. Choose a style—ASA, APA, Chicago, etc.—and be consistent in listings.  Remember to number your pages.  Plagiarizing (copying/using others’ work without acknowledgement/ quotes) will result in an automatic course failure and administrative disciplining. 

What is the essence of human nature? Please invoke the lecture material on Karl
Polanyi and exchange theory in your response. Both try to explain social
interactions like reciprocity, but in very different ways. How are the theories
different? Which theory do you believe is most correct? Are social relationships
the same as economic relationships? Explain

Option 2:  Describe and analyze the process of socialization.  For this option, you will analyze the process of socialization in a fictional character.  Select a character in a book, a movie, or a television show (it should be a character that is central to the story).  First, provide a brief description of the selected character.  In your description, make sure to incorporate the concepts we have addressed in the course, such as the roles, statuses, and group memberships of the character.  Also make sure to identify the movie, show, etc. that you are describing.  This portion should be at least 1+ page in length. 
Next, analyze at least 4 agents of socialization that have seemingly impacted the development of the character (such as family, religion, education, peers, or the media).  Describe the socializing agents and analyze what seems to be the impact of those agents on the selected character.  Your analysis of the process of socialization should be 3+ pages in length and incorporate at least 4 additional sociological concepts or theories covered in this course (hint: sociological concepts should be clearly identified and then applied. You are encouraged to use and cite sources here. Any paraphrasing or direct quotes used from another source should include APA formatted in-text citations and a full reference at the end of the essay. Examples of related concepts and theories include the self, moral development, nature and nurture, and resocialization).
Assignment adapted from An Introduction to Sociology: Socialization Exercise
General requirements:
Submissions should be typed, double-spaced, 1″ margins, Times New Roman, Calibri, or similar 11-12 pt font, and saved as .doc, .docx, or .pdf. Do not include a document link; upload the document directly.
Use APA format for citations and references.
View the grading rubric so you understand how you will be assessed on this Assignment. 
Disclaimer- Originality of attachments will be verified by Turnitin. Both you and your instructor will receive the results.