Goal: This assignment is meant to have you discover facts and interpretations of a current issue in the U.S in order to gain insight and understanding of race/ethnic relations; to increase your abilities to research a controversial topic; to explore the professional literature on issues of race and ethnicity, and to reflect on the issue by applying it to a particular race/ethnic group.
Assignment: Using the group you have chosen to learn more about, select one current social issue or controversy and write a 6 – 8 page paper (not including the references page). You can also choose to write on current major issues such as immigration reform in the US, international immigration crisis, or the “New Jim Crow” (mass incarceration in the US) regardless whether or not this topic relates to your chosen group.
Please choose an issue that is specific, not something broad or general.The issue you choose does not have to be unique to your group. An issue could be related to (for example), environmental justice/discrimination, low-wage labor, color-blind racism, redlining, language divide (or hostility to languages other than English), white privilege, housing discrimination, right to health care, laws or policies that shape immigration or the rights of immigrants, health policy, etc. For help choosing an issue, consult the library databases CQ Researcher or Opposing Viewpoints (both available from the databases list, http://www.emich.edu/library/databases/iadFullList.php).
1. Describe the issue you have selected in detail, using any class material, Schaefer and articles from CQ Researcher and any source from the Library Electronic Reference Sources page
2. Describe the effect the issue has had on the racial/ethnic group you have chosen, applying the concepts that have been used in class. Do NOT just speculate on the effects. Find evidence of actual effects from reliable published sources. This section will most likely be broken down into many paragraphs in which you lay out the different effects or different points of view about the effects. If it is something that has taken place for a long time, please place your descriptions in historical context.
3. What information to use: For this essay you must use at least SIX (6) different sources. Listing the sources in your reference list does not mean anything if you have not given evidence in your writing of how that source has contributed to your argument.
How to use the information: Be careful in your writing to show the difference between your own ideas and the ideas of others that you are writing about. Each time you write something that is not your own idea, you must mention the source and cite it correctly. Do not over-use quotations! When using a source, it is a good idea to mention or indicate in your discussion the kind of source it is (direct evidence, secondary report like an encyclopedia, census data, opinion essay, etc.) or otherwise indicate why it is a reliable or believable source.
Specifics: Use APA style (7th edition) for the paper format and citations. Type the paper in 12 point font with 1-inch margins, double spaced. Type your name, date, and assignment title in the left-hand corner of the first page. Please save your paper as .rtf .txt .doc or .docx.
Help: For help doing your research go to the research guide at Halle: https://guides.emich.edu/anth-socl214Links to an external site.
Here is a web page that explains how to integrate sources into your writing: https://guides.emich.edu/citingLinks to an external site.
For more on APA style, use one of these guides: https://guides.emich.edu/citing/apaLinks to an external site.
If you think you might need more help, contact the Halle Library, or make an appointment with your instructor.
