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“Doing Sociology” Project Three

This project will engage with a current “hot button” issue that encompasses American institutions or ideology. Typically, much of what we understand as normal or traditional is informed through public debate over various topics of personal belief, e.g. if you are raised being told that marriage is strictly between a man and a woman, it is likely you will heed and agree with politicians, journalists, public figures, etc. that espouse a similar belief. The challenge then becomes understanding why you hold this belief and knowing whether or not you opinion can be swayed, relaxed or outright changed by engaging with the public debate over an issue from an objective standpoint.

The goal of this project is not to attempt to change your mind or rid you of any deeply held beliefs, instead the goal is to help you understand why you, and by extension other members of American society, hold those beliefs in the first place. It is likely that you will come to find that what you may have thought was a simple “black and white” issue is much more complicated than you first thought. Investigating the complicated structure of our society and questioning our taken for granted reality is the basis for sociological research as well as the cornerstone for developing critical thinking abilities.

To complete this project the student will need to investigate a “hot button” issue, either through print or online news sources or through television news and documentary sources or any combination thereof. The purpose here is to engage with mainstream news outlets using the sociological concepts we have discussed in class to investigate how they are framing a debate, what sides or particulars they tend to present, if any bias is clear or indicated, etc. Students will be expected to engage with terms and concepts from the text and from classroom lectures and apply them through an analysis of their findings.

It is expected that students will consult at least three sources, investigate their topic, and present the findings in essay form. Additionally, each student must preface their project by informing the instructor about any preconceived notions regarding the topic they choose before they began their investigation, where their understanding of the concept originated (parents, friends, church, school, etc.) and provide a reason why they chose the topic. Students must conclude their project with an explanation of where they now stand on the issue after having conducted their research.

All topics and news sources must meet with the approval of the instructor. Informal outlets, e.g. blogs, social media sites, Wikipedia etc. are not acceptable sources.

Format: 3 typed, double-spaced pages minimum. 12 point font, Times New Roman