Selection and Data Collection Proposal

Topic Selection and Data Collection Proposal, law homework help

TOPIC SELECTION AND DATA COLLECTION

By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assignment criteria:

• Competency 1: Describe theoretical ideas of power in relation to policy.
  • Choose a research method that is appropriate and sociological in scope and describe this method.
• Competency 2: Identify historical and contemporary influences of discrimination in American culture.
  • Summarize the issue and explain its importance.
  • Summarize three sources that will be used.
• Competency 3: Analyze the effects of social policy using aggregated data.
  • Select and discuss an appropriate measurement tool.
• Competency 4: Analyze how laws are applied based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, and social class.
  • Refer to relevant sociological theories or concepts from the course reading.
• Competency 6: Communicate effectively in a variety of formats.
  • Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.

This assignment is the proposal for your final course project, Measuring Diversity in a Social Environment. Listen to Final Project Overview, located in the Resources, for a description and expectations for the final project. You should also review the course project description so that you can better judge how this assignment will fit into it.

The first step in preparing your proposal is to select a topic that interests you, which should be a topic that connects to the themes and concepts of this course. For the final project, you will collect data based on your topic and use this data to understand how people perceive or react to elements of diversity: race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or social class. A few examples include:

1. Focusing on perceptions of a policy, such as affirmative action or early retirement.
2. Examining a particular social issue, such as gender or age discrimination in the workplace, racial profiling, or interracial relationships.
3. Analyzing how different social groups interact with one another in a particular setting, such as a shopping mall, the workplace, a concert, a sporting event, et cetera.
4. Observing how children of different races, ethnicities, or genders play and interact.

There is a fair amount of flexibility for the setting and variable of interest you choose, as long as the topic connects to the sociological study of diversity. Contact your instructor if you have questions or need assistance with topic selection. See the Resources section for help on how to do observations, questionnaires, and content analysis.

Once you have chosen your project topic and a tentative data collection tool, complete your proposal by including the following four sections, clearly labeled in your proposal:

1. Introduction: Write a paragraph that explains what your topic will be, why you have chosen it, and why it is important and relevant to the sociological study of diversity.
2. Data Collection: Discuss in detail (in 2–3 paragraphs) how you plan to collect data on your topic. Describe the observation tool or the questionnaire you will use to collect your data. A more detailed explanation of this component can be found below, or in the Measuring Diversity in a Social Environment course project description, located in the Resources section.
3. Resources: Locate three sources you plan to use for your project. Briefly describe each source and why it will be helpful for your understanding your topic. You may use up to two chapters from the course texts or two of our assigned articles. At least one source should be a scholarly article or book from the Capella library. One source can be a popular media source, such as a newspaper article, radio, program, or television news segment found online. Do not use Wikipedia, Buzzle, About, or other encyclopedia-style Web sites, as these are often incorrect and are not considered academically valid.
4. Theories: Identify at least three sociological concepts or theories that you plan to use to interpret and analyze your findings. Include a sentence or two describing how you will apply these concepts or theories. These concepts or theories should come from the assigned course readings. Examples of concepts include prejudice, stereotypes, minority groups, sexism, cultural pluralism, assimilation, structural mobility, modern racism, social distance, et cetera. Examples of theories include Marx's and Weber's theories of inequality, Park's race relations cycle, Gordon's theory of assimilation, human capital theory, the scapegoat hypothesis, and the theory of authoritarian personality.

Submit your paper in APA format, with a title page and a reference page. Include in your references the full citations of each of the resources you discussed in Sections 3 and 4 of your proposal.

REQUIREMENTS

• Provide a summary of the project focus and present its importance and relevance to the sociological study of diversity.
• Choose a current research method that is appropriate and sociological in nature.
• Select an appropriate measurement tool: an observation checklist, content analysis, or questionnaire (see Resources).
• Summarize three academic sources.
• Make a reference to applicable sociological theories and concepts from the course.
• Cite sources in correct APA format.
• Ensure the proposal length is 2–3 pages.