Next week you will need to submit your project proposal, in which you will propo

Next week you will need to submit your project proposal, in which you will propose the sociological topic you want to focus on for your social issue blogs project and find at least one academic article about that topic.

This discussion board is to get you to start thinking about topic ideas and to give and receive feedback from your classmates. It is also for you to make sure that you are able to access information through the Cuyamaca library online — being able to do so is required for this semester-long project.

Choosing a Sociological Topic

Are you struggling to come up with ideas for a topic to focus on? Please don’t worry! It is still early in the semester and you are just beginning to learn about sociology, so it is understandable to not yet have an idea.

The following is to help you decide on a topic for your project.

To start thinking of ideas, you can:

• look for ideas on the List of Topic Options in the Social Issues Project module.
• use a helpful database through the Cuyamaca library called “Opposing Viewpoints in Context”. This is a helpful and easy-to-use database that provides a very helpful long list of topics. To access this list, do the following:
  1. Go to the Cuyamaca College Library website. Go to Cuyamaca.eduLinks to an external site. –> Academics –> Scroll to “Library” –> Click on “Library Services”
  2. Click on “Research” in the Related Information list
  3. Click on “Databases”
  4. Look at the A-Z bar at the top and click O then click on “Opposing Viewpoints in Context.” If you are not on campus, you will likely need to sign in with your gcccd information. Here are some tips to do so (then go to #5):
     • • Username is your first name(dot)last name. Use the same username you use to sign into Self-ServiceLinks to an external site. and into your gcccd email. Note that the username here may be different from your username for your library account.
       • Password the 1st time you enter is your birthday 6 digits (mmddyy), not your Canvas 8 digit password.
       • For help, go back to the page where you clicked on the “Databases” panel and click “Ask a Librarian” instead.
  5. Once you are in the Opposing Viewpoints in Context database, click on “Browse Issues.” There you will see a long list of all kinds of topics that you can explore. Take your time as you read through this list. Click on whichever topics interest you, and you will then see a general introduction of that topic. Then, if you scroll a little more down, you will see categories of information under “On this Page, which includes some (but not all) academic journals that exist for this topic area.

Step 1: Your Post

This step 1 is worth 5 points. For more information on points, scroll down to the “Grading” section.

Scroll down to click the “Reply” button. You will then see a text box, where you will write your answers to the following questions. After you have finished typing your answers, click “Post Reply” (the blue box on the bottom right corner of the text box). If you need more help on how to reply to these questions on a discussion board, click hereLinks to an external site..

After you have posted your answers to these questions, you will see your classmates’ answers. You are then ready to do Step 2 below.

1. What sociological topic or topics are you considering focusing on for your Social Issues Blog Project? You can list them here. If you already know your topic, you can write just that topic.
2. Choose at least one of the topics you listed and tell us why you are interested in this topic. Please answer in at least 2 sentences.
3. How do you know this is a sociological topic? Please answer in at least 1 full sentence. In your answer, be sure to demonstrate that you understand what makes something sociological, as opposed to, say, psychological.
4. What is at least one question you have about this topic?

Step 2: Respond to 2 Classmates

This step is worth 5 points. Scroll down to “Grading” for more information on points.

For instructions on how to respond to a classmate’s post, click hereLinks to an external site. and scroll down to “Thread a Discussion Reply.”

Respond to at least 2 classmates’ posts by doing the following:

• Try to respond to classmates that do not already have a lot of responses.
• Answer the following 3 questions in your responses (in addition to anything else you’d like to say):
  1. Do you have any familiarity with any of the topics your classmate listed?
  2. What is something you would be interested in knowing about at least one of the topics they listed?
  3. What is at least one question you have for your classmate, based on what they wrote in their initial post?

Grading