You will write a paper in which you use sociological concepts, ideas, or theories to explain a social pattern, trend, or a relationship between two (or more) sociologically relevant variables. More specifically, you are required to find a table or chart that presents data on a pattern, trend, or relationship between two or more social variables then offer sociological explanations of them.
The paper should show how the pattern, trend, or relationship can be explained by one or more of the following
(1) social systems and structures such as political, economic, religious, educational, and familial institutions;
(2) group and organizational structures such as group relationships and dynamics, bureaucratic structures, social networks, statuses and roles);
(3) systems of stratification and inequality including economic, racial, gender, and age stratification;
(4) demographic factors like population composition and change; and/or
(5) cultural factors such as ideologies, beliefs, values, and norms. The best papers will also be able to link the pattern to one or more of the sociological theories discussed in class. The focus is not on how many resources you use (although you should use and correctly cite empirical research and theoretical work from other scholars to support your arguments), but on how well you frame and explain the topic sociologically. The paper should be 5-7 pages long (excluding references, tables, or graphs).
