Sociology 211
Social Problems
Fall 2002
Dr. Scott Schaffer

Term Research Project

Due Date: The draft of this paper is due on Mon Nov 25 at the start of class, and the revised version of this paper is due on Mon Dec 9. Failure to submit a full and complete draft of this assignment will result in a zero (0) for the final paper assignment and failure in the course, as will failure to submit a revised version of the paper on that due date.

Guidelines: This paper is to be a minimum of ten (10) full and complete pages in length; there is no maximum page count, so write until you have completed your argument. Your paper is to be typed, double-spaced, on 8 1/2" by 11" white paper, spell- and grammar-checked, proofread, and covered with a cover sheet, which will be the only place your name appears on the paper. All other listed requirements and deductions for missing elements for papers in this course, discussed on the course syllabus and elsewhere, pertain to this assignment.

This is an outside research project that requires you to develop an analysis and response to the big question as listed below. You must also utilize course readings in the development of your argument. You may choose to pursue your research on either fundamentalism (defined in the ways we will discuss during the last segment of this course) or on one of the social problems discussed in Social Problems and Social Solutions book.

The required sources are as follows:

• Elements of the following: the Heiner book, and/or at least two of the three books on fundamentalism;
• At least one scholarly book published in the last ten years dealing with the topic you have chosen for your research;
• At least five scholarly journal articles (i.e., peer-reviewed or refereed journal articles) dealing with the topic you have chosen;
• And at least three other sources you find in your research. You may use newspaper articles, web resources, and other resources to count for those, or you can find other sources meeting the requirements listed above.

You are required to cite all sources you utilize for this paper, and you are required to have a bibliography (following the format included in this handout) listing all sources you used. As this is a research project, you may judiciously use direct quotations from other sources; however, do not rely on these to make your argument for you.

The Question: Your paper will be a research-based argument that responds to the following questions:

How would your solutions to the social problems discussed in this course be better than the ones currently in place, and why?

In order to successfully and completely respond to this question, you must do the following:

• Go through the "sociological problem to social problem" analysis of the social problem you have chosen for your research, making sure to discuss the way in which American society prioritizes particular structural norms in developing its solution to this sociological problem, as well as how that prioritization results in the social problem you're researching;
• Discuss the ways in which American society attempts to solve this social problem, utilizing evidence from your research to demonstrate the ways in which you are seeing this solution to the social problem operating;
• Highlight the element of the "sociological problem to social problem" analysis in each case that you would change, discussing what you would change about it and how it would lead to a better solution to the social problem (making sure to give the principle and evaluation criteria you're using to show how your solution is better). You should attempt to make the principle and evaluation criteria you use here consistent, i.e., the same for both cases;
• And finally, discuss what the macro, meso, and micro levels of your better society would look like -- in other words, the social structures, the ways in which people would interact, and how the people would think of themselves.

You should treat the above bulleted list as the basis for your outline and develop it according to your thoughts on the matters presented here and the research you've done.

Evaluation Criteria: All criteria for the evaluation of your papers are listed on the front side of this page, as well as in our discussions of the midterm paper and the syllabus.

One thing you should note: This paper is not about showing that you've read a bunch of stuff. A "book report" will do no better than a D for this paper. Instead, as with all forms of knowledge, the point is to do something with it. This paper is your first -- and hopefully not your last -- opportunity to do so. If you are unclear about the requirements of the assignment or what would constitute an argument, PLEASE COME SEE ME ASAP. It is very likely that, with a fair amount of effort on your part and regular consultations with me regarding the project, you can receive an A -- but you have to be sure to challenge yourself to do this.

Timeline: This schedule of "due dates" is intended to do three things: break down the scope of the project, help you improve your work, and think about the research process in a different way. These due dates are completely voluntary and heeding them will help your participation grade; failing to submit these tasks on the dates listed bears no penalty. Work submitted on these dates will be returned as quickly as possible, generally in the next class session.

M Oct 21: Final paper assignment handed out and discussed
M Oct 28: Research question, research topic due
F Nov 1: Library class - meet in front of Ganser Library
M Nov 4: List of references, refinement of research question and delineation of topic due
M Nov 11: "Sociological problem to social problem" sketch analysis due
M Nov 18: Sketch outline, path of argument due
M Nov 25: Mandatory draft of assignment due at the start of class
M Dec 9: Final version of assignment due at the start of class

Term Project: Reference Sources, Citation Guidelines

Your best bet to find research materials for your term papers is through the MU Library web site, http://library.millersville.edu. There are two avenues for you there: The main library catalogue, searchable by author, title, or subject keyword; and the electronic resources. Most of the electronic information resources are subscription-based, meaning that you can only access them from the library's computers or through your Marauder account. The good news: Many of the electronic resources have full-text articles online, and most allow you to e-mail the entire article to your e-mail account for free, making it easy to print out.

Good resources to use (all available through the MU library computing system):

ABI/Inform (now ProQuest Direct -- major business journals, on the order of 1300 of them)

Anthropological Index Online (free on WWW)

CARL Uncover

Chicano Database

Congressional Quarterly (CQ) Library

Cross-Cultural CD-ROM (available only in Library North 106)

EconLit

Environmental RouteNet

Expanded Academic ASAP (my favourite -- many full-text articles, and can be e-mailed)

FactSearch (statistical statements on current social issues -- goes back to 1984)

Index to Legal Periodicals and Books

JSTOR (by far one of the best -- many journals have their entire post-WWII catalogues on here as full-text)

LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe

NTDB/STAT-USA Internet

PapersFirst and ProceedingsFirst (conference papers and proceedings published online)

Social Sciences Abstracts (gives you the abstract of the article, which allows you to decide if you want to xerox it)

Sociological Abstracts (same kind of thing -- used to be SOCIOFILE)

Ulrich's Periodicals Guide (SilverPlatter -- guide to major periodicals)

US Government Periodicals Index

Women's Resources International (available only on campus, not through Titan Access)

Your use of these resources should be determined by your topic. Each of them can be searched by author, title, or subject keyword. Just make sure to choose your references carefully. If you have any questions about using these resources, see me or the reference librarian.

Citation Guidelines: In the bibliography, be sure to alphabetize references by author's last name.

In-text: (Author Year: Page) (note: for web sites, use paragraph number instead of page number)

Book: Author. Year. Title of Book. City of publication: Publisher.

Book section: Author. Year. "Title of section." In Editor (ed.), Title of Book. City of publication: Publisher.

Journal article: Author. Year. "Title of article." Pages in Journal Title, volume #: issue #.

Web site: Author. Year of last update. <Organization's name> web site. URL (the address of the page you reference)

Evaluation Guidelines: Your work on this assignment will be evaluated based on the following criteria, treated in decreasing order of importance:

• The strength and cohesiveness of the argument made in response to The Big Question;
• Utilization of the evidence found to support your response to The Big Question;
• Accuracy and presentation of the materials found during your research;
• Presentation issues;
• And meeting the minimum requirements of the paper assignment as listed.

In general, grades on papers indicate the following (and note that failing to meet these criteria will generally result in a failing grade):

• "A" -- directly answers the assigned question; well-argued in a logical order, making clear how the evidence presented is utilized
• "B" -- evades answering the assigned question; fairly well-argued, but reasoning process or analysis of the evidence weak
• "C" -- no attempt to answer assigned question; assumption that the evidence will make the argument for you.
• "D" -- an extremely well-written book report on the sources found.

Potential deductions: Failure to follow the guidelines listed here and on the syllabus will result in the following immediate deductions:

•  Not using minimum number of sources: -1/3 letter grade per source you're short;
•  Not including a full and complete bibliography: -1 full letter grade;
•  Not proofreading your work: -2 full letter grades, unless this is your second offense;
•  Not meeting minimum page count: -1/3 letter grade per page the paper is short;
•  Plagiarism: immediate failure on this paper, probable failure in the course, and referral for disciplinary proceedings.

A Final Note: This assignment is where everything comes together -- your knowledge, your increased theoretical and analytic sophistication, and your own ideas of how the world should work. You can do amazingly well on this assignment -- the easiest way is by embarking on it now and consulting with me as soon as any question or issue comes to mind for you. This paper is also one of the few times in your university career in which you'll be able to say how it is that you think the world should run and be able to defend that claim, so you should do your best to enjoy the challenge presented to you here. As always, I am here to help you do the best work you're capable of; please feel free to utilize me as a resource for improving your work.

I wish you luck, and look forward to reading what you have to say.