In this assessment, you will be required to write a sociological paper that explores an aspect of your personal experiences through a sociological lens. You will choose one topic from the list provided and develop a comprehensive analysis using sociological theories and doing website research. This paper aims to connect your lived experiences with broader sociological concepts and provide potential solutions to the issues discussed. This assessment will help you develop a deeper understanding of how sociological theories apply to real-world issues and personal experiences. It will also encourage you to think critically about potential solutions to societal problems.

Please choose one topic from the list below.

Topic 1: Your socialization experiences as a child focusing on learned gender roles

Topic 2: Your experience with stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination (based on race, gender, culture, sexual orientation, mental health, disability — including learning disability, and/or physical characteristics)

Topic 3: Your experiences with health/health care (think about access to health care/health care costs, or health and stigma)

Topic 4: Your experiences with social stratification/social inequity and access to educational opportunities

Your paper should include the following headings (shown in bold).

I.    Introduction to Topic (one page)

●      Clearly identify your topic

●      Discuss how the issue has impacted your life

●      Discuss ways you have adapted or dealt with the issue

II.    Theory (one page)

●      Choose one of the three main sociological theories and connect it to your topic:

                                       ○   Structural Functionalism, or

                                       ○   Conflict Theory, or

                                       ○   Symbolic Interactionism

●      How does this sociological theory apply to your experiences?

●      Use examples from your personal experiences to further illustrate your understanding of the theory.

●      Use your textbook for guidance. For example, how did the chapter on gender socialization tie in theory?

III.     Solutions (one page)

●      Research potential solutions by visiting various websites of non-profits, political, or educational organizations.

●      The organization you chose should address your topic with the idea/goal of reducing the problem on a societal level (for example, an organization created to promote gender equity/reducing the pay gap, or organizations to improve health and/or education access based on income inequality, or organizations that promote racial equality/tolerance).

●      Choose one organization to research in-depth and carefully explore its website.

●      Describe what the organization does. What are its goals? How is it trying to reduce the social problem?

●      What is one way the organization could improve? (For example, what additional resources could they offer, or what new goals should they address? Be specific. Pretend you’ve been hired by the organization to improve upon what they do.) Include the link to the website in your paper.

IV.    Conclusion (one paragraph)

●      Wrap up your ideas; include your final thoughts.

●      Three pages (at least; each section should be roughly one page)

●      Double-spaced

●      12-point font (no larger)

●      One-inch margins (no larger)

Rubric

Sociological Analysis of Personal Experiences

Criteria				Ratings	Pt s
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Topic/Ad apting	10 pts5 pts Full CreditPartial Credit The topic isThe topic is clearly andidentified but thoroughlylacks depth or identified. Theclarity and/or impact of thethe impact is issue on thediscussed but student’s life islacks depth or clearly andspecificity thoughtfullyand/or the discussed. Thestudent student clearlymentions discusses waysadaptation or they havecoping adapted or dealtstrategies but with the issue.lacks detail.			0 pts No Credit The topic is poorly identified or not clearly stated and/or the impact is barely mentioned or poorly explained and/or the student does not discuss adaptation or coping strategies.	10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Applicati on of Theory	15 pts Full Credit The student clearly identifies and accurately explains one of the three main sociologica l theories.	7.5 pts Partial Credit The theory is identified but not fully explaine d and/or the student applies	0 pts No Cred it The appli catio n of the theor y is mini mal		15 pts

 

	The student thoroughly and accurately applies the theory to their personal experience s, with clear examples. The student effectively integrates ideas from the textbook or other course materials.		the theory to their experien ces but with minor inaccura cies or lacking depth and/or the student refers to the textbook or materials but lacks integratio n or depth.		or uncle ar and/ or the stude nt menti ons the textb ook or mate rials but does not integ rate them effect ively.
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Selectio n of Organiz ation and Solution s	15 pts Full Credi t The stude nt thoro ughly resea rches and select s an appro	7.5 pts Par ial Cre dit The stud ent sele cts an appr opri ate org	t a	0 pt s No Cr ed it Th e stu de nt sel ect s an		15 pts

 

priate organ izatio n addre ssing the topic. The stude nt provi des a detail ed and clear descr iption of the organ izatio n’s goals and actio ns. The stude nt offers a well-t houg ht-out and specif ic sugg estio n for how the organ izatio n could

nizat ion but the rese arch is not thor oug h and/ or the desc riptio n is accu rate but lack s detai l or clarit y and/ or sugg estio n for impr ove men t is mini mal, vagu e, or not clear ly relat ed to the orga nizat

or ga niz ati on wit h mi ni m al re se ar ch or rel ev an ce an d/ or th e de scr ipti on is va gu e, un cle ar, or ina cc ur at e an d/ or th e su

 

	impro ve.		ion’s goal s.		gg est ion lac ks de pt h or sp eci fici ty.
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Conclusi on	5 pt s F ul l Cr e di t T he co nc lu si on eff ec tiv el y wr ap s up th	3 p t s P a r t i a l P o i n t s T h e c o n c l u s		0 p ts N o C r e di t T h e c o n cl u si o n is w e a k, u		5 pts

 

e es sa y, pr ov idi ng th ou gh tfu l fin al re fle cti on s.

i o n i s c l e a r b u t l a c k s d e p t h o r f i n a l r e f l e c t i o n s .

n cl e ar , or d o e s n ot ef fe ct iv el y w ra p u p th e e s s a y.

Total Points: 50
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