Sociology Project Instructions
Choose ONE of the Two Sociology Project Options.
ALL sociology students are required by the department to complete a sociology project each semester.
This project counts 20% of your entire grade, so sufficient time and planning should be implemented.
Late projects will not be accepted. Please submit your project early, in the designated forum, on the Discussion Board.
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SOCIOLOGY PROJECT OPTION ONE: Community Service and PowerPoint Presentation
NOTE: Most students report that this is the easier and least time-consuming of the two sociology project options, and more importantly, they report it was their favorite part of the semester!
Three Hours of Community Service and the creation of a 7-Slide PowerPoint presentation.
1. COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS: Complete at least three hours of community service.
Students should choose a non-profit organization, and then complete three hours of service.
❖ If a student is tied to an organization that provides community service, he, or she may continue to work with the same organization.
❖ The hours credited must be completed during the semester the student is enrolled in the course.
❖ Community Service for this project may not be a part of court-ordered community service.
❖ Students may not receive payment of any type.
❖ Safety is always a concern and should be at the forefront of the student’s mind throughout the assignment.
2. POWERPOINT PRESENTATION: Students must create a 7-slide PowerPoint Presentation after completing three hours of service and submit it on the discussion board. The following list describes what you should include on each slide of the PowerPoint.
What to include on your PowerPoint Presentation Slides:
Slide 1: Introduction of Your Organization
Place the Name of the Organization and Your Name Underneath the title.
Include bullets with the supervisor’s name, e-mail address, and the Mission or Goal of the organization in summary form.
This slide should contain a photo of you with the supervisor (with their badge in view, or nameplate in view, or other identifiable part of the building or event in view).
Slide 2: Micro/Macro
Students should address Micro/Macro issues of the organization’s goals with definitions and application of each term. DEFINE AND APPLY these terms specific to the organization! (e.g., Volunteering at a Food Bank, students can focus on hunger using micro and macro level of analysis. See the Sociological Imagination video on Obesity in the posted Resources in Unit 3 for example of using Micro/Macro.)
Slide 3: Manifest/Latent Functions
Students should address Manifest/Latent Functions of the organization with definitions and application of each term. Manifest and Latent Functions are discussed in your textbook in chapter one and throughout. DEFINE AND APPLY these terms to the organization!
Slide 4: Additional Photos for Proof of Service
Add two more photos showing yourself at work and describing briefly what you did. These photos must clearly show the facility/organization/event. For example: Just showing yourself with a broom our outside picking up trash will not suffice. Identifiable signs or aspects of the organization must be evident in the photos. Some students have shown their hand putting tape on a box, or a leash on dog, without their body in the photo. This type of photo will not suffice. If you are at the Humane Society, show yourself working in front of the kennels. Or if you are at the Food Bank, show yourself working among all the other workers. If you are at a College Event, show yourself with others working at the event with signs in the background. Your photos must be of yourself with other volunteers or with a supervisor in identifiable parts of the organization. The point of this slide is to show proof of service without any question that the work was completed. Choose your photos carefully. If there is any doubt about your service hours, the instructor may not accept your project, so plan carefully.
Slide 5: Web Research
Complete a Web search to research the importance of community service or volunteerism. Title this slide with: Why is it Important to Volunteer? Include bullets with the most pertinent reasons you have learned for completing community service. Include the web link at the bottom of this slide for the referenced material.
Slide 6: Give an overall summary of your experience. Explain the sociological significance of the organization and what you learned from this experience.
Slide 7: Have the supervisor sign a sheet of paper using their letterhead or another form that confirms your three hours of service. Take a photo of this page with your phone and insert it in the PPT for the final slide.
Last requirement: YOU MUST reply to two other students’ sociology projects. Each reply is worth ten points and must be a lengthy, substantive reply using at least 200 words.
Where can you do your three hours of community service?
Option One: Site Choices—Choose one site.
Site 1: Humane Society
You must sign-in each visit and sign out to get credit. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Humane Society at 409-833-0504. You must get the supervisor’s signature on their letterhead to confirm your hours served.
Important: If you live in a different area and prefer to do your hours at a local animal rescue, animal shelter of humane society, provide contact information so I can speak directly to the person in charge. This information will be on Slide One of your PowerPoint.
Site 2: Food Bank
Food Bank of Southeast Texas (Beaumont)
Go to their website: https://setxfoodbank.org/get-involved/volunteer/
For more information, contact: Volunteer Department at 409-839-8777 ext. 104
You will be able to sign in and sign out on your visit when you walk in, or on your smart phone once you sign up online. Walk-ins are welcome but are not always needed. It is better to sign up online, but it is also fine to try the “walk-in” since few hours are needed in the mini semester.
Important: You may choose a food bank near your home if you live in a different area, but I must have the contact information to speak with the person in charge. Include that contact information on slide one.
Site 3: A NON-PROFIT Organization of Your Choice – This choice must be approved by the instructor, and it must be a NON-PROFIT organization.
This option is available if students have a favorite organization. Examples would be Alzheimer’s Association, American Cancer Society, Boys and Girls Club, etc.
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SOCIOLOGY PROJECT OPTION TWO: Research Paper
If you are unable to get to an organization to do community service hours, you may complete the following alternate assignment. Students, please be aware that Option 1 (Community Service) will be the least time-consuming option. Option 2, the research paper, will be graded very strictly according to posted instructions.
Instructions for the Option 2 Sociology Project Research Paper:
Complete a 5-page Research Paper.
Your paper should have:
1. Cover Page
2. 5 FULL pages of content (the body of your paper, not counting the cover page and reference page should be a full five pages). (-10 points) for each missing page or (-5 to -10 points) for each page that is partially complete.
3. Reference Page (-5 for missing reference list)
❖ This paper must be written using APA formatting.
❖ An abstract and running head are not required.
❖ This paper will be submitted on the discussion board under the forum titled: Sociology Project.
❖ Submit your paper as a WORD document or Rich Text Format (rtf).
❖ Other students will comment on your paper, and you will reply to at least two other students’ projects with 200 words. Each reply is worth ten points.
❖ This project will be graded strictly by the instructions presented.
What will your paper topic be?
This paper must address one of the following topics using a sociological lens:
1. A Sociological Perspective on Racial Inequality.
2. A Sociological Perspective on the use of AI (Artificial Intelligence)
3. A Sociological Perspective on the use of Physician Assisted Suicide
Your paper should include:
a) Opening Paragraph. Introduce your topic in your own unique way and state which Sociological Perspective/Theory you will be applying [Conflict Theory, Functionalism, or Symbolic Interactionism] to your topic.
b) Theoretical Perspective: Define and Apply the chosen Theory. Apply the theory by providing your observations with specific examples. (i.e., if you choose the Conflict Theory, what competition among classes do you see related to your topic? If you choose Functionalism, what are the parts of society that are working together for the whole? If you choose Symbolic Interactionism, how do personal views or understanding of situations affect behaviors?)
c) Define and Apply the Micro and Macro perspective to your topic. Put both terms in bold print.
d) Include 8 more Sociological Terms from your textbook. Include textbook reference support. Look for terms that apply to your topic. Define and apply them to your paper’s topic and place the terms in bold print. Add the textbook to your reference list. Any terms in the textbook will be accepted if they are appropriately applied to your chosen paper topic. You may include more than these 10 terms, but all terms must be placed in bold print.
e) Include information from at least one credible web site in an appropriate place in your paper to provide support for your assertions. You may use more than one web site. DO NOT copy and paste information from the web site. This is plagiarism, a serious academic offense. Instead, put the information using your own words and use an in-text citation to note from where the information was taken. An APA paper template is provided in the Start Here section of the online course.
f) Concluding paragraph. Summarize what you presented. This is not a place to include new information.
g) End with a Reference list in APA format. The reference list should have an entry for every in-text citation.
Paper Checklist:
✓ Topic: ________________
✓ Chosen Theory to Apply (Conflict, Functionalism, Symbolic Interactionism): __________
✓ Opening introductory paragraph____
✓ Textbook material used to Support Topic: _______
✓ Web site(s) to support your chosen theory: _____
✓ Micro perspective____
✓ Macro perspective ___ (both terms defined and applied within the paper with terms in bold print)
✓ 8 additional sociological terms from any place in the textbook: ___, ___, ___ (terms should be in bold print)
✓ Concluding Summary Paragraph___
✓ Reference List ___
✓ Two replies (200 words each) to two other students’ projects (each reply worth ten points).
Your paper should start with an introduction, include all other information in the body of the paper, and end with a concluding paragraph. A reference list must be placed on the last page of the paper. Please make sure to proof-read your paper and correct spelling, grammatical, or punctuation errors before uploading it to the discussion board.
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT COPY and PASTE from web sites. This is considered plagiarism, a serious academic offense. The instructor may check your paper for originality.
See this link for information on using APA in-text citations:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/refe rence_list_electronic_sources.html
See the APA Paper Template in the Start Here section of the online course.
Do not attempt to complete the Sociology Project at the last minute! This project should be given ample time and counts 20% of your entire grade.
You may submit this project early.
Do not forget to reply to two students’ projects (200 words per reply). There will be a minus ten points for each missing reply.