Mass Media

a. Introduction: Tell what the overall paper will focus on. Briefly outline the main points of the paper. This section of the paper should include:

Description, discussion, and analysis of a selected social subject/topic related to how technology may or may not reinforce inequality in society (examples are above)? This section should also examine the ways in which, stratification might exist and how at least one social institution shapes the design and consumption of the selected technology topic that might affect social structure, cultural and social experiences (think sociologically). The introduction should end with a 1 to 2 sentence thesis or research questions (described in section b).
b. The thesis statement or Research question: Think about your selected topic area and develop a specific question or thesis statement that you intend to research for the final project. Examples of possible research questions based upon various topics include: how ideas of gender and sexual identity are implanted in technological artifacts? How does technology impact intellectual property, online learning, etc.); how might virtual engagement (recreation, games, dating, family, etc.) be impacted by gender, race, social class, etc; How is technology used in law enforcement that impacts certain neighborhoods (ex. tracking, DNA, crime detection, GPS, etc.)? Does technology impact the quality or accessibility of health care; or music and entertainment (availability, production, ownership, etc.)? This section of the paper should include:
a 1 or 2 sentence thesis statement or research questions that intend to research
c. The Body of the Paper: Conduct a review of relevant social scientific literature, based upon your topic selection, research question or thesis statement. Select at least 2 articles from social science journals and at least 2 articles from other reputable news sources. (See Sinclair’s Library for your social science journal resources on the selected topic). These main 4 articles and resources should be different than any that may have been included in the course materials. NOTE: Many sources can be found online, but not all are acceptable to use as sources in your college career. If you are not sure as to whether or not a website you found is a reliable source, send me an email with the URL and I will check it out for you as soon as I can. You are not limited to 4 sources. Citations should be included.

Discuss the significance of the topic and theoretical analysis within the body of the paper that clearly provides history, data, statistics, and facts that help interpret the topic. The main points of your paper should be clearly stated and have examples, details, and explanations to support. Be specific in your explanation: what did you learn from each reading. You will also clearly state how each sociological perspective (Structural-Functionalism, Conflict, Symbolic Interactionism) applies and relates to the topic that you have selected. This section of the paper should include:

Clearly present the main points of the paper as listed in the thesis
Give strong examples, details, and explanations to support the main points
Clearly present the sociological perspectives – (structural-functionalism, conflict, symbolic interactionism) that apply to the thesis
Consider any counterarguments and refute those arguments
Use strong evidence from sources—paraphrases, summaries, and quotations that support the main points
Include in-text citations to support sources used in this section
d. CONCLUSION: You will need to include a general conclusion will tie everything together. This section of the paper should:

Restate your thesis from the introduction in different words
Briefly summarize each main point discussed in the body of the paper (avoid going over 2 sentences for each point)
Give a statement of the consequences of not embracing the position
End with a strong clincher statement: an appropriate, meaningful final sentence that ties the whole point of the paper together (may refer back to the attention grabber in the introduction).
e. REFERENCE LIST page: Include full citations for all resources using ASA formatting.

Other requirements for the written, research paper include:

The research paper should be written in paragraph form and comprehensively address all of the required parts which are stated above.
The research paper should use ASA formatting for all sections of the paper
The research paper should be typed (double spaced, 1″ margins) and proofread for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes
The research paper should be submitted to the dropbox by the due date