This course will guide you through the process of writing your senior project paper, a graduation requirement for all Sociology majors. The class will structure your work as you select your topic, write a draft, and polish your paper. In conjunction with Career Services in CLA, the class will also help students to prepare for the job market---thinking through your career goals and career choices, developing resumes, and getting ready for job interviews. Presentations and discussions by students are organized in class to help them learn from each other. This is a writing intensive class with a total of six writing assignments. The class is organized into three parts.
Part One (weeks 1-3) is a recap of sociological knowledge. What is sociology? What are the key elements of a sociological analysis? What are career choices for a sociology major? These three questions are focused in lectures and in-class discussions. The last lecture is a description of three options from which each student chooses for his/her senior project paper.
Part Two (weeks 4-6) is focused on expectations and requirements of your major project. This project should be the capstone expression of your "sociological imagination." It should show the knowledge, skills, and ethics that are central to the practice of Sociology. Examples of each of the three different kinds of a major project paper are discussed in lectures.
Part Three (weeks 7-14) is designed for the development and finalization of your senior project paper. Each student is required to schedule individual meetings with your chosen Instructor to discuss the issues and challenges that the students encounter during their work progress toward the completion of the senior project paper.