Sociology 211
Social Problems
Presession 2002
Dr. Scott SchafferFirst Paper Assignment -- Identifying Sociological Problems
Due Date: Mon May 20/2002 at the start of class. No late papers will be accepted without a compelling reason and convincing documentation. Should you be unable to make it to class on this day, you must email your paper to me as a Microsoft Word attachment prior to the start of class.
The Rules of the Game: This paper must be a minimum of three (3) full and complete pages in length. There is no maximum length for this paper, so you should write until you've completely answered the question. Your paper must be typewritten, double-spaced, on 8 1/2" by 11" paper. Your paper must have a cover page, on which a creative title ("First Paper Assignment" is simply not creative enough), your name, and any other pertinent information should appear; your name should not appear anywhere else in the paper.
Your paper must be spell- and grammar-checked; papers that have copious errors will automatically lose one full letter grade. Receiving two "spelling and grammar" deductions during the course will translate into a zero (0) on the second assignment and any further assignments after that. You should follow all guidelines in the "How to Write a Schaffer Paper" handout; these guidelines will serve as the basis for my evaluation of your work. And finally, no direct quotations are permitted in this paper; any materials you use to support your argument must be paraphrased and cited following to guidelines in the paper-writing handout.
The Assignment: You should write a well-argued paper that answers the following question:
To what extent do you typically view what we call "social problems" as caused by individuals, and why do you think that is?
In order to successfully complete this paper, you must do the following:
Discuss the basic issues surrounding three (3) of the social problems discussed this week (globalization, the various forms of inequality, the family, and education);
Identify the sociological problem discussed in at least three (3) of the readings for this week (SPSS chs.1-14), making sure to show it is you're using the readings to identify the particular sociological problem you attribute to the social problem being discussed;
Discuss the understanding you had of this particular kind of social problem prior to doing the readings for this week;
Develop a clear and direct response to the question above by answering both parts of the question and mobilizing the evidence presented in your paper to support your answers.
You should think of the bulleted list above as a brief outline of the paper assignment and follow it carefully, making sure that each claim leads logically to the next, that each paragraph follows from the previous paragraph, and making sure to show how it is that each sentence or paragraph you write contributes something to answering the assigned question.
Happy writing.