WestCoast SOC280 Assignments Latest 2021 September (Full)

SOC280 Sociology

Week 1 Assignment

Sociology Major Theoretical Perspectives Essay

This week, you read about the major theoretical perspectives in sociology (functionalist, conflict, feminist, queer, and symbolic interactionist).

Write an essay defining and interpreting each perspective. Paraphrase each perspective, using your textbook as a resource. Do not copy the definitions from the text, but rather paraphrase in your own words and provide citations in APA format where necessary. Additionally, briefly explain the importance of the perspectives to the field of sociology.  

Your essay should be 1–2 pages in length. Compose your essay in APA format with a title page, introduction, conclusion, and references section. Cite at least one scholarly reference in APA format. An abstract is not necessary.

 

SOC280 Sociology

Week 2 Assignment

Virtual Environments

A virtual environment is an online environment where things can be posted, participated in, and manipulated by the users. Virtual environments encompass things like virtual reality, multi-user games, shared communities or similar.  When you complete this week’s assignment, think about what virtual environments you spend time in. Below are some links to examples of virtual reality environments.

Oculus Rift: (Links to an external site.) Next generation virtual reality

HoloLens:  (Links to an external site.)Holographic computer that allows you to interact with hologram

Active Worlds: (Links to an external site.) Users create their own worlds and custom 3D content

Write a 2- to 3-page paper in APA format that describes the pros and cons of this type of environment. Make sure to include the following information within your paper.

Describe what virtual environments you use (e.g., World of Warcraft, fantasy football, Second Life).

Share how long you spend in these environments. Fun fact: The average American spends nearly eight hours a day staring at screens (computer, phone, TV, etc.).

Is new virtual reality technology, such as Oculus Rift, the same as an environment such as Fantasy Football or Facebook? Why or why not?

How might you apply the functionalism theory to explain the virtual environment experience for someone with social anxiety issues?

Include how each of the perspectives explains the concept of virtual reality/environments. Try to view the problem from each perspective by asking the kinds of questions a theorist would ask if they were a functionalist, conflict theorist, or symbolic interactionist. For this this assignment, you could ask yourself:

What is the function of virtual reality/environment? What role does this play in our culture? (Functionalism)

What conflicts arise because of virtual reality/environments? How do you feel about the technology gap? Is there inequality present? (Conflict theory)

What does virtual reality/environment mean to us as a society? When we interact on the Internet, explore virtual environments, and make connections online, what do these relationships mean? (Symbolic interactionism)

 

SOC280 Sociology

Week 3 Assignment

Research Question and Literature Review

Submit your research question and a review of the literature for your research paper.

Write a literature review that includes the following:

Your problem statement (thesis)

Your hypothesis

The research question you intend to address with the sources you chose

A list of 3 to 5 key words/phrases used to search the research question

The APA reference for the sources you chose

A review of the literature that includes:

A comprehensive analysis of the data (include in-text APA citations as needed)

A review of the validity of the data and the findings

An assessment of the relevance of the source in addressing your problem statement (thesis)

Your unique contribution: Identify ideas not addressed, gaps in the data or analysis, or new problems that emerge from your review of the literature

 

 

SOC280 Sociology

Week 4 Assignment

Research Paper Rough Draft

The purpose of this assignment is to draft and submit a comprehensive and complete rough draft of your research paper in APA format. Your rough draft should include all of the research paper elements required in the final draft.

Include the following in your rough draft:

Title page

Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

References

Tables

Review the rubric for further information on how your assignment will be graded.

 

SOC280 Sociology

Week 5 Assignment

How Does Society Deal With Inequality

Examine the website: http://www.eeoc.gov/ (Links to an external site.)

Write a 1- to 2-page paper in APA format that answers the following questions:

How does this website relate to what you read this week? Make sure to explain the purpose of the organization’s website. You may want to look at the About EEOC page. Copying from the page will not be tolerated.

What does this site allow someone to do? How does someone do this? What ways are there of doing this?

For which types of discrimination can someone file a complaint?

Do you think having this site online and accessible to anyone is a good thing? Why or why not?

Do you think you might use a site like this if the situation arose? Why or why not?

According to the site, which U.S. law or act is responsible for preventing discrimination and is responsible for the creation of this organization?

 

 

SOC280 Sociology

Week 6 Assignment

What Is the Role of Government, Politics, and the Economy in the Healthcare System?

Go to this website: Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator (Links to an external site.)

Use the following data in the subsidy calculator to research the cost of a policy for a family with these characteristics. Submit a response that answers the listed questions.

New York zip code 10001

2020 Dollars

Total Annual Income $55000

Available Coverage: No

Number of people in family: 4

Which members of your family are enrolling in Marketplace coverage? Two parents + children

What percentage of the Federal Poverty Level is this couple’s income? Give your answer in percentages and explain what the percentage means.

What percent of your total income do you need to pay for health care?

How much would you have to pay per month for health care if you did not receive a subsidy?

What would your subsidy be in dollar amounts and how much would you have to pay per month after the subsidy?

Now change the state to Alaska and keep everything else the same. What changes? Why do you think this happens?

What happens if the couple’s income goes up $1,000? Or $10,000?

What is the connection between government, economy, and politics? Examine your personal data and then answer the following question: Do you think the costs of insurance in this program are manageable?

Finally, describe the website and its overall purpose. How did you feel about navigating the website to obtain the needed information?

 

SOC280 Sociology

Week 7 Assignment

Education and Health Care

Read the following blogs and consider the author's opinions:

Challenging Medical Racism and Physicians’ Preference for White Patients

https://archive.thinkprogress.org/challenging-medical-racism-and-physicians-preference-for-white-patients-59bec589df88/ (Links to an external site.)

Four Ways Racism Continues to Influence Modern Medicine

http://racerelations.about.com/od/diversitymatters/a/Four-Ways-Racism-Continues-To-Influence-Modern-Medicine.htm (Links to an external site.)

The Hidden World of Medical Racism in the United States

http://theconversation.com/the-hidden-world-of-medical-racism-in-the-united-states-9113 (Links to an external site.)

Bias, Black Lives, and Academic Medicine

https://westcoastuniversity.on.worldcat.org/oclc/5802903425 (Links to an external site.)

After you read the author's opinion blogs, write a 1– to 2–page paper in APA format that includes a brief explanation of the overall problem discussed throughout these blogs. Find your own academic sources using the WCU library that helps you explain why this problem might exist. Come up with a five-point action plan to reduce racism in the field of medicine. Justify your plan. Make sure to explain how you would teach each of the five points to those currently working in the health care field. (When you do this, think about what you have learned throughout the course about education, racism, and other areas that may affect your program.)

 

SOC280 Sociology

Week 8 Assignment

Research Paper Final Draft

This week, you will submit the final draft of your research paper.

Your paper must be minimum 8–10 pages, not including your title or reference pages. You should include at least five recent references (published within the last five years), and the paper must be presented in APA format (see rough draft requirements in week 4).

General Requirements:

The paper must be 8–10 pages, not including a title page, and should include an abstract, acknowledgements (if any), references, and tables.

Title page

Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

References

Tables

General Writing Instructions:

Once your proposal has been approved, you can begin the task of researching and writing a thorough literature review of your topic. Remember to use scholarly sources and APA style throughout your paper. You should continue to develop your outline as you find more articles. Your outline will help to keep your thoughts and your writing organized. I will be happy to review your outline as your paper topic develops. You must start your paper early and work on it gradually throughout the course.

Responding to all the comments from your rough draft will help to ensure success on the final draft of your paper. Do not lose momentum. Continue to work consistently on your paper; you may turn it in before the due date. The final paper will include a well-developed introduction, body, and conclusion. It will be at least 8–10 pages in length (of text) and include at least 5 scholarly references. Your final draft should be free of grammatical errors, and APA style errors should be corrected at this point. You should have a good grasp of your subject matter, and your writing should convey that. Keep your writing clear and concise. Long and awkward sentences are not impressive; good and clearly expressed ideas are. Again, checking the grading criteria will help to ensure that you earn a good grade on your paper.

Checklist for your Paper

I. Organization

Does the paper have (in this order) a Title, Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, References?

II. Style

1. Is everything (yes, everything!) double-spaced?

2. Are all measurements and units in metric?

3. Are the units abbreviated (m for meters, mg/l for milligrams per liter, etc.)?

4. Use italics where needed (please see http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/italics/)

5. Is everything correctly spelled?

III. Content

1. Does the title strike a balance: general enough to interest readers but specific enough to describe the contents?

2. Does the abstract adequately present the goals, methods, key results (with some actual data such as counts, averages, etc.)?

3. Does the introduction set the stage for the topic as a whole?

4. Does the introduction end with an explicit description of the hypothesis and the objective of the study?

5. Have I kept results from sneaking into the Methods section?

6. Are the methods sufficiently described so that someone else could repeat the study, or fully evaluate what we did?

7. Are all the important results expressed in words (that is, not hidden in a table and merely referred to in the text)?

8. Are all results expressed in the past tense?

9. Have I kept speculation and interpretation out of the results section?

10. Does the discussion review and interpret the key results rather than reviewing only other published studies?

11. Make sure you discuss the inadequacy of the study in the discussion?

IV. References

1. Are all papers cited in the text found in the references (and vice versa)?

2. Have I limited my use of secondary sources and used primary sources?

3. Are all references formatted in APA style?

4. Have major points been backed up with appropriate references rather than forcing the reader to take my word for it?

V. Tables and Figures

1. Are all tables and figures necessary? Could the information be easily expressed in the text? Is there duplication between tables and figures?

2. Are the tables and figures organized to minimize space?

3. Do all tables and figures have fully self-explanatory captions? That is, could a reader understand the figure or table without reading the rest of the paper (and vice versa)?