Each student will write a sociological research paper on some aspect of either your field
placement or a general topic related in some way to your internship. The length of the
paper is determined by how many credits you are receiving for your internship. A 3-
credit internship demands an 8-10 page paper; a 6-credit internship requires a 16-20 page
paper or two separate 8-10 page papers.
This paper is a research paper, requiring a review of the literature as it relates to your
central topic. All research papers must include a complete list of references used; all
citations throughout the paper must be properly listed in a bibliography. This paper is
not a re-write of the journal you are keeping. Your journal and your research paper
should be completely different. Late papers will NOT be accepted.
Before you begin writing, email me with your proposed thesis for your paper. I will
formally approve your paper, and then you can get started.
What should you write about? Well, if you are working in the District Attorney’s Family
Violence Unit, you may want to investigate the topic of child abuse in the United States.
Questions of interest might be: how widespread is child abuse? Who are the offenders?
Who are the victims? What short-term and long-term consequences are there for the
abused? These are only some of many possible questions to explore. While the work
you do at your placement may be very specific (and you will be writing about this work
in your journal), your paper topic should be much broader, yet still focused enough for
you to do a good job researching. That is, you should not try to cover the whole of a
topic such as child abuse, but focus in on one aspect.
This paper is a review of academic resources. Refer to and use academic journals (e.g.,
Gender and Society, Social Problems, Journal of Health and Social Behavior), not
opular references (Time, Newsweek, People) in researching your paper. You must use
at least 10 sociological/CJ references – these may be books or articles as long as they
are sociological. If you can find no sociological references on a proposed topic, you must
find another topic where sociological information is available. Consult with me if you
are unsure if I would consider a source sociological.
Grading of Research Paper
Your grade is based on several criteria:
Content of paper: How well did you understand and organize the readings from you
literature review? Did you stay focused around your central thesis? How clear is your
writing? Did you revise the paper so that it reads well? Did you spell check and edit it for
grammatical and spelling errors?
Format: Did you follow the directions for formatting the paper? Are your citations
correct? Is your bibliography appropriately organized? Did you include page numbers?
Did you include a title page with your name and class information?
Overall Project: Does the finished paper represent your best work? Is it clear that you put
time and effort into making the paper clear, well written, and organized
Thesis: While emergency shelters provide a vital safety net, Philadelphia’s emphasis on them inadequately addresses the complex needs of chronically homeless individuals, as permanent supportive housing offers a more effective pathway to long-term stability.
Goal: This paper will analyze the effectiveness of Philadelphia’s current approach to homelessness, specifically the prioritization of emergency shelters over permanent supportive housing. It will explore the limitations of emergency shelters for chronically homeless individuals and present evidence supporting the benefits of permanent supportive housing in achieving lasting positive outcomes.
Additional Information:
The paper will examine the social and psychological impacts of chronic homelessness.
It will explore the economic benefits of permanent supportive housing compared to the long-term costs associated with homelessness (e.g., healthcare utilization, crime).
The research will consider potential challenges in expanding permanent supportive housing options in Philadelphia.
By critically evaluating both approaches, the paper aims to contribute to the ongoing conversation about effective solutions to chronic homelessness in Philadelphia.
