ClassInfo

1) An Extended Reflective Work-related Autobiography. This option will follow the class lectures and discussions most closely as we together examine the changing U.S. occupational structure, work experiences, career development, post-graduate educational options (including graduate and professional school, technical training, etc.), occupational choice, and the way sociological knowledge, skills, and perspectives can be used in your future work careers. Students will write about their work-related experiences, including both paid and unpaid work (the latter including work in the family setting, internships, and volunteering) and how they influenced their development. They will also reflect on the benefits, rewards, and drawbacks of the occupations they are considering in the future, drawing on the assigned texts and other relevant literature.

2) An Extended Reflective Essay on the Uses of Sociology in Public Life. Specific topics could include: the status of social scientific research and writing in politics and public policy implementation; the ways in which sociological thinking and research inform movements for social change;
the presence (or absence) of sociological research and thought in popular culture and the mainstream American media; and others.

3) Service Learning Report or Action Project. This option will involve writing a sociological report based on community service learning with a local community organization of your choice. This paper will be based on a minimum of 30 hours of community service work completed during the course of the semester. The Community Service Learning Center will help you find a place, or if you're already volunteering they will help you formalize this so you can write on it.

Alternatively, instead of writing a report based upon the service experience, the final product will involve working on, and writing about, an actual project of direct relevance or immediate concern to your organization or agency. These projects might involve a variety of tasks such as writing a mission statement or action plan, creating program materials or a grant proposal, working on an evaluation study, or producing publicity information.