Please choose ONE of the following “Data Workshops” from The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology where you submit a formal essay that reports and analyzes your findings. Be sure to read the detailed description and instructions in each data workshop in order to better understand the assignment.
NOTE: You must select one of the options below. If you complete the other data workshops, you will not receive credit. Page numbers are not listed because they change depending on the edition you’re using. However, the titles are the same.
Chapter 7: Advertising and the American Dream
Attachments: Ads
Chapter 8: Does TV Reflect the Realities of Race?
Attachments: Informal Notes
Chapter 9: The Second Shift: Gendered Norms and Household Labor
Attachments: Questionnaire and notes/transcript from interview.
As the “Do-It-Yourself” option states, you are writing a 3 – 4 page essay along with an attachment that provides your images, informal notes, or questionnaire/notes. The page requirement of 3 – 4 pages does not include your attachments. Please double space your essay and use a 12-point font.
Here are some tips on how to complete this assignment:
Carefully read the entire description of the workshop before gathering your data and spend extra time reviewing the questions that are being asked. By having a good handle on the questions, you will be able to keep your observations focused.
Once you collect your data, begin answering the questions posed in the textbook as a way to gather the possible “pieces” that you want to include in the essay. In other words, even before starting the essay, jot down answers to the questions posed in the data workshop. By answering these questions in a thorough manner with specific examples for your observation, you have identified what will be the “body” of your essay.
Your next task will be to arrange these pieces into one cohesive narrative that includes a thesis, main points that support the thesis, and a conclusion. In other words, how will you arrange the pieces of your essay to tell an “organized story”? Simply answering all the questions and stringing the paragraphs together will NOT be considered an essay!
When submitting your essay, please upload it as a PDF or Word file. You can submit the essay separate from the attachments or as one file.
Your writing assignment will be graded upon:
Defining the appropriate key concepts relevant to your data workshop.
Using your example to illustrate the key concepts.
Integrating course material to develop your analysis.
Organization and grammar of essay (i.e. introduction, thesis statement, topic sentences for paragraphs in body of essay, conclusion)
Inclusion of attachments
