Outline to follow:
I. Introduction
A. Overview of the Crack Epidemic in the United States
B. Thesis Statement: The crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s had profound sociological, historical, and economic ramifications on the Black community, exacerbating existing inequalities and perpetuating cycles of poverty and disenfranchisement.
II. Sociology: The Social Dynamics of Crack Addiction
A. Spread and Prevalence of Crack Cocaine in Black Communities
1. Disproportionate Impact on Urban Centers and Minority Neighborhoods
2. Influence of Social Networks and Peer Pressure
B. Familial and Community Disintegration
1. Breakdown of Family Structures due to Addiction and Incarceration
2. Loss of Trust and Social Cohesion within Communities
C. Stigmatization and Criminalization
1. Racialized Perceptions of Drug Addiction and Law Enforcement Tactics
2. Impact on Identity and Self-Perception within the Black Community
III. History: Roots of the Crack Epidemic and Systemic Inequities
A. Historical Context of Drug Policies and Urban Development
1. War on Drugs and Legislative Responses
2. Deindustrialization and Urban Decay
B. Role of Government Policies and Institutional Failures
1. Disparities in Sentencing Laws and Criminal Justice Practices
2. Neglect of Social Programs and Healthcare Services in Black Communities
C. Cultural Influences and Media Portrayals
1. Sensationalized Narratives and Stereotypes
2. Impact on Public Perception and Policy Responses
IV. Economics: Economic Fallout and Intergenerational Poverty
A. Disruption of Economic Opportunities
1. Decline of Legitimate Employment Opportunities in Affected Communities
2. Emergence of Underground Economies and Informal Markets
B. Economic Drain on Public Resources
1. Burden of Mass Incarceration and Corrections Spending
2. Strain on Healthcare and Social Welfare Systems
C. Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty
1. Impacts on Educational Attainment and Social Mobility
2. Legacy of Economic Disadvantage for Future Generations
V. Conclusion
A. Recap of the Crack Epidemic’s Multifaceted Impact
B. Call for Comprehensive Solutions Addressing Societal, Historical, and Economic Factors
C. Emphasis on the Importance of Equity and Justice in Policy Formulation and Community Healing.
Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2565489/
Instructions:
GOAL: To begin
to defend your position or thesis statement. To do so, you will synthesize and
organize the research findings and other relevant information. You will employ
an academic writing style to present the ideas and to develop the arguments.
GENRE/FORMAT: A formal, analytical
academic essay (~5 to 7 pages) adhering to APA guidelines.
REQUIREMENTS:
Cover Page. It must include the following information:
·
Title
·
Name
·
School
·
Date
Paper. It has three main parts: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion.
·
Introduction (2 to 3 paragraphs). It should include
the following aspects:
o The background and
context of the topic.
o Your topic and its relevance.
o Your research problem
o Your thesis or your position on the question (the central argument of
your paper)
·
Body (4 to 5 pages). The essay’s body presents arguments based on
evidence to support your thesis or position. The ideas and information should
be organized into paragraphs. There are many ways to structure and use the
paragraphs. You should choose a structure that allows you to present the
information to support your position better.
·
Conclusion (a paragraph). In this section, you must remind
the readers of the essay’s purpose and provide an answer, where possible, to
the research question. The conclusion section should draw together and highlight the
key elements of your essay, but do not repeat the fine details. Lastly, you
should never add any new information to a conclusion.
References. Present all sources cited in the paper in an APA style References list:
·
Alphabetical order by authors’ last names;
·
Hanging indent;
·
Single-spaced with a single line skipped between
source entries
ADDITIONAL REQUIERMENTS:
·
Your
paper should use a minimum of six
academic sources specifically
mentioned and integrated into the paper and not simply listed on the Works
Cited page.
·
Use proper in-text citations when
summarizing or quoting from your academic sources.
·
It’s
important to realize how the three
disciplines you have selected will help you to understand your issue and
argue your thesis statement from different perspectives. Be sure to make the reader aware of the different disciplines’
perspectives on the issue. For example, you may integrate the different
disciplines as you write. Use
language such as:
Smith (2001), from a psychological
perspective, argues that individuals who spend just ten minutes in quiet
meditation decrease their stress and lower their blood pressure. In her
sociological study, Jones (2006) also mentioned that students who participated
in ten minutes of quiet meditation engaged more in the group sports organized
in their physical education classes. Both studies thus support the positive
connection between mental and physical health. Of course, you will write in more
detail and expand.
Alternatively,
if you cannot integrate the different disciplines as you write, write down the author’s
disciplinary perspective in parenthesis. For example, Smith (2001)
(psychology) argues that individuals who spend even ten minutes in quiet
meditation decrease their stress and blood pressure. Additionally, Jones (2006) (sociology) mentioned that a group of
students who participated….
·
Include
anything cited in the paper in the Works Cited or References page.
·
Very Important
Consideration: Evidence
that you have read, understood and discussed the contributions of a minimum of six
academic sources.
FORMATTING GUIDELINES
·
Double space text; indent the first line in each new
paragraph (use the tab key to do so)
·
Times New Roman font size 12
·
Page numbers on the top right-hand side of the page
·
When quoting or paraphrasing from your sources,
follow APA style guidelines for in-text citations.
·
An overview of APA formatting guidelines can be
found on the Purdue OWL site: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
FORMAL WRITING GUIDELINES
Tense
APA style requires the use of the past
tense or present perfect tense
when citing an author’s work:
·
Past:
“Leroux discovered…”
·
Present
perfect: “The work of Ahmed and Patel has demonstrated…”
Quotations
Quotations must be smoothly
incorporated into your text and clearly explained. It is your job as the writer
to make it clear to the reader why you have chosen to include a quotation and
how it helps to make your case. If you quote a text but choose to delete parts
of the text from your quotation, you must make this clear to the reader using
square brackets […] – see the example below:
Moisson (2010) has suggested that “students
with part-time jobs […] may have difficulty carrying a full course load”
(p. 76).
Long quotations should be used
sparingly. When quoting a passage over 40 words long, the quotation must be
displayed as a freestanding block of text, indented without quotation marks.
The citation for a quotation of this length should appear after the punctuation at the end of the
quote – see the example below:
Jones’s
(1998) study found the following:
Students often had difficulty using APA style,
especially when it was their first time citing sources. This difficulty could
be attributed to many students failing to purchase a style manual or to
ask their teacher for help. (p. 199)
Using full names
Scholars should be referred to by
their full names the first time they are mentioned in your essay and afterwards
by their last name:
·
First
mention: “Antoine Blouin has explained…”
·
Next
mention: “As Blouin has noted…”
Initial Draft Examples.
Topic: Meditation in Physical Education
Classes
Example 1.
If
you are ready to develop a strong thesis, the Initial Draft should focus on building
an argument to support that thesis.
Introduction section:
Introduce
the issue and state a possible statement thesis. Direct your reader to what the
paper argues and in what order it will do so. Example: Even though
Canadians still perceive meditation as an alternative and foreign practice,
meditation must become part of the physical education curriculum because it
ensures each student’s mental, physical and social health.
Integrate
all the aspects relevant to a proper introduction.
Next paragraph or
section:
Begin
to address the first “step” of your thesis. Explain the position that
most Canadians hold that meditation is only for those who embrace a New Age or
alternative lifestyle. Integrate one to two sources, for instance, a history
article about the origins of meditation and a sociology article analyzing the
actual reality of mainstreaming meditation among Canadians.
Next paragraph or
section:
Begin
to address the second “step” of your thesis. Explore the relationship
between meditation and mental/physical health. Integrate one to two academic
sources. For instance, one from history explains the growing acceptance of a
connection between mental health and physical well-being and a psychology
article concerning how being physically healthy relates to being mentally
healthy.
Next paragraph or
section:
Continue
your conversation about the second “step” of your thesis. This
paragraph continues to explore the link between meditation, mental health and
physical health. For instance, include another sociology source that discusses
a case study on a school that did include meditation in physical education
classes and the outcome of that. It can also integrate a psychology article
that says that mindful awareness and stillness help de-stress teens and
increase self-confidence to participate in group activities (such as group
sports).
Example 2.
If you are still not at the point of
having a solid thesis, set that concern aside for the moment and reflect on the
main goal: to answer questions about your issue. Use questions you wrote in
your Annotated Bibliography assignment.
Remember
you are writing a paper, so you must transform these separate questions into
proper paragraphs and have them flow from one to another. Do not include the
specific questions in the body of the paper. The questions are only helpful in
that they will get you started writing.
Introduction
section.
Introduction:
Explain the issue’s importance and possible arguments you can make about it.
Integrate all the aspects relevant to a proper introduction. (My example is
making meditation a part of the physical education curriculum in Canadian
elementary and secondary schools.)
Next paragraph or
section.
Address
the question: How is meditation perceived in the general Canadian society?
Write elegant and analytical sentences explaining this and integrate one to two
academic sources.
Next paragraph or
section.
Address
the question: How does meditation help mental health? Write elegant, analytical
sentences explaining this connection and integrate one or three academic
sources. For instance, a history article and two psychology articles link
mental health to mindfulness (meditation) awareness.
Next paragraph or
section.
It
continues to address the same question but begins to link it to the need to
have it as part of the curriculum in physical education classes. For instance,
a sociology article and another psychology article.
