MCC Impact Associated with Relocating from A Familiar Culture Analysis

Writing Assignment 

In this module, you will work on your writing assignment. This is an opportunity to apply concepts from the modules you have completed to demonstrate that you’ve met the learning objectives and can apply them to your own experiences/society in a more in-depth and analytical way than discussion posts allow for. Please choose one of the two following paper topics:

 

1. Social Movement Analysis OR 2. Culture Shock Analysis.  

Details on the papers are below. When you have read through the instructions, you can click on the arrow to the next page to submit your paper.
 

**Papers should be 1.5 spaces, 12 point font, 1 inch margins, at least 3 full pages**

 

1. Social Movement Analysis 

Write a 3-4 page analysis about a recent (2011-present) social movement (may be of any size local, state, national or global) utilizing at least 2-3 sources which may include: books, article(s) (NOT WIKIPEDIA), video(s), websites/blogs and/or documentaries.

 

Research: Research a social movement (consult the CORE readings in module 5 to make sure your choice fits the definition of a social movement) that began in 2011 or later. The movement may be from anywhere in the world.

 

Your research must include at least 1 book OR article from an academic journal OR major news source, such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The Root, NPR, Al Jazeera, among others.

 

The objective of this assignment is to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to apply sociological perspectives and concepts to group behaviors within the context of recent real-world situations.

 

1. Background (1 page): 

Briefly describe the social movement including why it was created and its purpose.  Address whether it is a local, state, national or global movement.

 

Identify the type of social movement it is: reform, revolutionary, religious/redemptive, alternative or resistance, explaining your choice. When you describe the situation, do not plagiarize – describe in your own words! Make sure you include a well-developed thesis statement which informs the reader in one sentence which 4 sociological concepts you will be applying to the social movement in your paper.  The thesis should be placed at the end of the Background section.

 

Go to this link for assistance: http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/writing-the-paper/thesis-statements.

 

1. Assessment (2-3 pages):  This is the core of your paper.  Make sure this section is very well-developed, well-organized, and well-written since your grade depends mainly on your sociological analysis of the article. Discuss the social movement in further detail applying four key concepts learned from any of the previous modules.  You will be graded by how you apply the key concepts to the article you have selected.

*Key concepts must be bolded or underlined in your paper, or they will not be counted.

 

Discuss how the situation is presented by your sources.

 

• Are there any stereotypes or biases present?
• If so, what kind?
• Are the authors directly affected by the social movement?
• How might this affect their perspective(s)?

Important: you are asked to analyze both the content of the article of your selection as well as how it is presented. Presentation in sources usually reflects ideology and subtle power relations.

 

III. Conclusion (1/2 – 1 page): Include an engaging and stimulating conclusion paragraph that summarizes your paper.  Demonstrate evidence that you can make connections between all of the main ideas.   

*Make sure to include the URL of the article in your list of “References”

 

The paper should be logically organized in well-constructed paragraphs/sentences, have relevant content, and be easily understood.  There should be few or no errors in format, sentence structure, grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.  These errors should not hinder comprehension of your writing.

 

Citations 

In accordance with the Montgomery College Code of Conduct, there is ZERO tolerance for plagiarism, so always cite the original source if you are “borrowing” information.  If you are citing sources, there must always be in-text citations and a list of “References” in APA style.  Sources must be in alphabetical order in the list of “References.”  For assistance on APA style, refer to these websites:

http://libguides.montgomerycollege.edu/apa

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/.

 

 

2. Culture Shock Analysis: 

In just about any circumstance in life, one has the potential to experience culture shock, either on a small or large scale.  Think about a culture shock scenario that you had at any point in your life.  Examples of culture shock that are appropriate for this assignment can include migrating to a new country, going on vacation, trying a new cuisine, converting to a new religion, or going to college, just to name a few.   Sociologically analyze your culture shock experience by incorporating several sociological concepts/theories. Write a 3-4-page paper by following the outline below.

 

1. Background (½ to 1 page): 

Briefly explain one culture shock experience you had.  Include the setting, people involved, and main event(s).  Include enough details so the reader can vividly imagine what is happening, but do not go beyond the 1-page requirement. Make sure you include a well-developed thesis statement, which informs the reader in one sentence what the paper is about.  The thesis should be placed at the end of the Background section.  Go to this link for assistance:

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/writing-the-paper/thesis-statements.

 

1. Analysis (2 to 3 pages):  This is the main part of your paper.  Make sure this section is very well-developed, well-organized, and well-written since your grade depends mainly on your sociological analysis of the culture shock experience.

Analyze your culture shock experience by using at least five key terms learned from previous modules. For each key term, you will need to provide examples of your culture shock in order to illustrate that you can use the course material to reach a greater depth of understanding.  You must go beyond just describing your culture shock experience.  Key terms must be bolded or underlined in your paper, or they will not be counted in the quota.  

In addition, examine the outcomes of your culture shock.

• What was your reaction to this experience?
• Were you ethnocentric or culturally relativistic, and how?
• Also, why you were ethnocentric or culturally relativistic?

*Be sure to apply your sociological imagination when responding to these questions.  Include specific examples or illustrations.

 

III. Conclusion (1/2 -1 page): 

Include an engaging and stimulating conclusion paragraph that summarizes your paper.  Demonstrate evidence that you can make connections between all of the main ideas. 

The paper should be logically organized in well-constructed paragraphs/sentences, have relevant content, and be easily understood.  There should be few or no errors in format, sentence structure, grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.  These errors should not hinder comprehension of your writing

 

Citations 

In accordance with the Montgomery College Code of Conduct, there is ZERO tolerance for plagiarism, so always cite the original source if you are “borrowing” information.  If you are citing sources, there must always be in-text citations and a list of “References” in APA style.  Sources must be in alphabetical order in the list of “References.”  You will be required to utilize the SafeAssign.

 

SafeAssign is a plagiarism detection tool designed to protect your work as well as the work of others by ensuring that only original papers and reflections receive credit. For assistance on APA style, refer to these websites:

http://libguides.montgomerycollege.edu/apa

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/.

 

These assignments were adapted from Montgomery College Sociology Discipline Signature Assignments.