In this assessment, you will be required to write a sociological paper that explores an aspect of your personal experiences through a sociological lens. You will choose one topic from the list provided and develop a comprehensive analysis using sociological theories and doing website research. This paper aims to connect your lived experiences with broader sociological concepts and provide potential solutions to the issues discussed. This assessment will help you develop a deeper understanding of how sociological theories apply to real-world issues and personal experiences. It will also encourage you to think critically about potential solutions to societal problems.

Please choose one topic from the list below.

Topic 1: Your socialization experiences as a child focusing on learned gender roles

Topic 2: Your experience with stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination (based on race, gender, culture, sexual orientation, mental health, disability -- including learning disability, and/or physical characteristics)

Topic 3: Your experiences with health/health care (think about access to health care/health care costs, or health and stigma)

Topic 4: Your experiences with social stratification/social inequity and access to educational opportunities

Your paper should include the following headings (shown in bold).

I.    Introduction to Topic (one page)

●      Clearly identify your topic

●      Discuss how the issue has impacted your life

●      Discuss ways you have adapted or dealt with the issue

II.    Theory (one page)

●      Choose one of the three main sociological theories and connect it to your topic:

                                       ○   Structural Functionalism, or

                                       ○   Conflict Theory, or

                                       ○   Symbolic Interactionism

●      How does this sociological theory apply to your experiences?

●      Use examples from your personal experiences to further illustrate your understanding of the theory.

●      Use your textbook for guidance. For example, how did the chapter on gender socialization tie in theory?

III.     Solutions (one page)

●      Research potential solutions by visiting various websites of non-profits, political, or educational organizations.

●      The organization you chose should address your topic with the idea/goal of reducing the problem on a societal level (for example, an organization created to promote gender equity/reducing the pay gap, or organizations to improve health and/or education access based on income inequality, or organizations that promote racial equality/tolerance).

●      Choose one organization to research in-depth and carefully explore its website.

●      Describe what the organization does. What are its goals? How is it trying to reduce the social problem?

●      What is one way the organization could improve? (For example, what additional resources could they offer, or what new goals should they address? Be specific. Pretend you've been hired by the organization to improve upon what they do.) Include the link to the website in your paper.

IV.    Conclusion (one paragraph)

●      Wrap up your ideas; include your final thoughts.

●      Three pages (at least; each section should be roughly one page)

●      Double-spaced

●      12-point font (no larger)

●      One-inch margins (no larger)

Rubric

Sociological Analysis of Personal Experiences

Next