SOC 495: Sociology Senior Capstone (Professor Angélica Ruiz)

For full assignment guidelines, please consult Canvas.

OVERVIEW

Final Paper (60pts) & Presentation (20pts)

In the final paper, you are arguing for an advocacy position on an issue of your own choosing. After years of training in the major, this final paper/project is an opportunity to ask yourself the following critical questions:

• What would I like to see change or improve in society?
• For whom in particular might such changes and improvements make a helpful difference?
• Where and when would such changes and improvements be most/ least effective?
• Why should institutions, organizations, policies, and practices - and the people that influence them - have stakes in the changes and improvements you propose?
• How should these changes and improvements take place?

You will do the scholarly work involved in building a case for your advocacy position based on your analysis and reflections on these questions. Your paper will examine how historical systems of power based on race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, etc. have shaped contemporary systems, policies, organizational practices, behaviors, and attitudes in terms of the published research scholarship on that issue.

You will use 10 to 12 scholarly articles (i.e., peer-reviewed academic articles from your annotated bibliography). The final paper should be approximately 10-12 pages (3000 minimum words and no maximum – so write freely!), double-spaced, and use 12pt. font with 1-inch page margins. The final paper will also include a works-cited page at the end (not included in the word count/page minimum).

Final Paper Presentations

Students will present their scholarly findings and advocacy position to their fellow students during weeks 14 and 15. Students will sign up to present during week 9. Details and guidelines on student presentations will be provided during week 9.

STRUCTURE OF THE FINAL PAPER | Outline

Introduction

This includes your stakes (personal, academic, and/or career), advocacy position, argumentation pattern, and thematic organization. ALL of these components must be included. [Suggested length: 1 -2 page]

Argumentation/ Literature Review

At least three themes/ aspects that highlight your argumentation (or reasoning) based on your annotated notes of 15 scholarly sources that you analyzed in-depth. Explain your reasoning for your advocacy position, drawing from the structure of your annotated notes and any life experiences or observations thoughtfully edited to support your argumentation. Here’s where your skills at writing to convey an argument should shine! [Suggested length: 7-8 pages]

Significance Section

Explain why further study and research into your advocacy position may be essential to expanding academic research in related areas. Propose new research ideas - in Sociology or in other disciplines and fields - and how they could be carried out in better ways, informed by your thoughtful review of published scholarly research...AND gut feelings! Aim for at least three. [Suggested length: 1 page]

Implications Section

On any practical actions that you would recommend in everyday life - and explain why. Propose actions at varying levels – individual, interpersonal, organizational/ institutional/ systemic, policy recommendations – all informed by your thoughtful review of published scholarly research... AND gut feelings. Again, aim for at least three. [Suggested length: 1 page]

Conclusion/Future Directions

On the advocacy position, your individual intellectual growth, and any “knowledge gaps” beyond the scope of your focus. Showcase your vision and “outside the box” thinking as a future college graduate in your field! [Suggested length: 1 page]

References (10-12 scholarly sources)

Use the American Sociological Association (ASA) or American Psychological Association citation styles (APA). Resources in Canvas and the Library will be provided to help you cite your sources. Remember that there is a style for citing in the body of the paper as well!

For full assignment guidelines, please consult Canvas.

OVERVIEW

Final Paper (60pts) & Presentations (20pts)

In the final paper, you are arguing for an advocacy position on an issue of your own choosing. After years of training in the major, this final paper/project is an opportunity to ask yourself the following critical questions:

• What would I like to see change or improve in society?
• For whom in particular might such changes and improvements make a helpful difference?
• Where and when would such changes and improvements be most/ least effective?
• Why should institutions, organizations, policies, and practices - and the people that influence them - have stakes in the changes and improvements you propose?
• How should these changes and improvements take place?

You will do the scholarly work involved in building a case for your advocacy position based on your analysis and reflections on these questions. Your paper will examine how historical systems of power based on race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, etc. have shaped contemporary systems, policies, organizational practices, behaviors, and attitudes in terms of the published research scholarship on that issue.

You will bring the reader into the world of the place that you have been studying. You are producing an ethnography of your field site and presenting a constructive critique of scholarly literature that engages with the concerns evident at your internship. You will use 5 to 6 scholarly articles (i.e., peer-reviewed academic articles from your annotated bibliography). This paper should present a clear thesis about your internship field site, and it should relate to a more general field of sociological inquiry. You should draw on the concrete examples you used in your fieldnotes and your analyses in your journal writings. The final paper should be approximately 10-12 pages, double-spaced, and use 12pt. font with 1-inch page margins. The final paper will also include a works-cited page at the end (not included in the page minimum).

Final Paper Presentations

Students will present their scholarly findings and advocacy position to their fellow students during weeks 14 and 15. Students will sign up to present during week 9. Details and guidelines on student presentations will be provided during week 9.

STRUCTURE OF THE FINAL PAPER

I. Introduction

A clear thesis statement to orient the reader as to the focus of your paper. This will include your stakes (personal, academic, and/or career), advocacy position, argumentation pattern, and thematic organization. [Suggested length: 1.5 -2 page]

II. Literature Review and Analysis

You will locate, identify and write about scholarship related issues and themes that emerged in your internship experience. The result should be a detailed consideration of what the scholarly literature tells you to help explain your patterns or address (or partially address) the questions that you want to examine based on your experiences. [Suggested length: 4 pages]

III. Internship Overview

Reflect on your 50-60 hours of internship experience – what your work was, highlights, and challenges. Describe patterns of observations or questions that emerged for you at your internship site. You will use qualitative data from your notes and observations in this section. Focus on your role in the field and be reflexive about your experience. You must consider the role of intersectionality. It is recommended that you use at least 3 scholarly sources to help bring depth to this reflection. [Suggested length: 5 pages]

IV. Conclusion | Future Directions

You’ll address the following:

• As you consider your role is as a public sociologist or public criminologist you’ll reflect on your individual intellectual growth.
• You’ll showcase your vision and “outside the box” thinking as a future college graduate in your field!
• You’ll share what you learned by being in the field (internship) and connecting your work to academic scholarship?
• You’ll state recommendations that could be used at your internship site and are based on scholarly research and experiences at the site?

[Suggested length: 1-2 pages]

V. References (minimum 6 scholarly sources)

Use the American Sociological Association (ASA) or American Psychological Association citation styles (APA). I have provided resources in Canvas and the Library to help you cite your sources. Remember that there is a style for citing in the body of the paper as well!