SOC 111: Introduction to Sociology:
Social Institution Paper #2 – Topic Choice
Class
Assignment Directions: To start out for this assignment you will need to write a 3-5-
page paper related to a social institution. Please choose a social institutions topic from
the list provided below:
Social Institutions for selection:
• The economy (Topic: Feminization of Poverty or Poverty)
• The education system (Topics: Inequality or School Violence)
• Healthcare (Topics: Inequality/Racial Disparities)
Next, you will need to locate at least three professional journal articles (in the
li
ary/Google scholar), and books (please do not use the textbook or course packet),
and/or the internet that is related to the chosen topic of interest to complete the
assignment successfully.
Following the format and organization below, write a 3-5-page paper (not including your
title
eference pages) discussing your social institution research topic. ** (This section of
the paper will be worth a maximum of 45 points):
• Problem Statement - in this section you will discuss what the topic is and its
significance to society.
• Literature Review/Discussion - in this section you will discuss at least three articles
(professional journals) related to the topic as well as discuss the topic in detail.
• Theory - in this section you will apply at least one of the three sociological theories
discussed in the lectures and/or in our text (Functionalism, Conflict, or Interactionism
theory) to the social issue you selected.
• Micro/Macro-Level factors - in this section you will discuss both the micro and
macro-level factors that can impact the chosen social institution as well as how
these factors affect the individual/group within the social institution.
• Conclusion – in this section you will discuss your personal opinion regarding the
issues related to the topic. Additionally, you will provide a personal opinion and
eview of the articles that you selected for the topic and whether you agree or
disagree with their conclusions.
• References - Include all references on a separate page.
Required Format: The paper should include a title page, be typed with 1” margins, 12
pt. font and must be double-spaced. Anything you use that is not your original work
must be referenced, both in the paper and in a reference/work-sited page (APA
Format).
It is also important that you make sure that your paper includes and uses the following
headings as an outline for the required information for the assignment:
Problem Statement
Literature Review/Discussion
Theory
Micro-Macro-Level Factors
Conclusion
References
Format for the Reference Page: Please use the example format for references
provided below.
Example (in-text citations only):
Author’s last name, First Initial, (Year).
Example (reference page only):
Author’s last name, author’s first name. (Year). “Title of the article
quotation marks. Title of the journal underlined. Volume number: pages.
Note: Please be sure to follow the directions carefully; points will be deducted if you do
not. This assignment is to help you understand the concept of research while increasing
your knowledge of Sociology and the social institution topic you have chosen.
It is also important that you understand that I will not accept emailed submissions of
your assignment or hard copies of your paper. If you email your assignment, you will still
eceive a zero grade.
*Remember all assignments must be submitted in Word.
Social Institution Paper #2 – Topic Choice Grading Ru
ic
Assignment Ru
ic for Grading: Below is the grading ru
ic for this assignment.
Please follow the assignment directions as well as use the grading ru
ic to complete
your assignment. Please follow the ru
ic and assignment directions to successfully
complete the assignment. Each section is worth a specified point total. Your paper will
e graded according to the grading ru
ic.
Grading Ru
ic Part 1: The paper is at least 3- 5 pages in length, typed and double-
spaced. The paper follows APA guidelines including a title, headings, and a reference
page with at least 3 references as well as provides in-text citations. Please note that if
one or more of these requirements are missing you will be deducted the full -5 points.
Grading Ru
ic Part 2: The paper must provide the required information in full detail
and follow the required assignment directions and format: (45 points total).
• Problem Statement - The paper provides a problem statement discussing an
issue related to the one of the required topics including its significance to society:
(5 points)
o The Economy: Feminization of Poverty
o Education: Inequality or School Violence
o Healthcare: Inequality/Racial Disparities
• Literature Review/Discussion - The paper provides a literature
eview/discussion section discussing three articles related to the issue discussed
in the problem statement and discusses the topic in detail (10 points)
• Theory - The paper provides a theory section that identifies and applies one of
the three major sociological theories to the issue selected (10 points)
• Micro-Macro-Level Factors - The paper provides a micro/macro section that
identifies and discusses the micro-macro-level factors that can impact the chosen
social institution as well as how these factors affect the individual/group within the
social institution (10 points)
• Conclusion - The paper provides a conclusion section that discusses your opinion
egarding the issues related to the topic, provides an opinion and review of the
articles you selected for the topic including whether you agree or disagree with
each of their conclusions (10 points)
**Please note that 5 points will be automatically deducted if the paper does not follow
the assignment formatting requirements such as providing title
eference pages, page
length, and the quality of your paper including organization, formatting and following
APA guidelines including providing headings and in-text citations.
**Feedback will be provided via Blackboard.
THE ROLE OF DEVIANCE IN SCHOOL VIOLENCE
The Role of Deviance in School Violence
[Student Name}
SOC 111
Professor Small
Wichita State University
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Problem
School violence has caught everyone’s attention in the United States. With the rampant
case of shootings in place, the public has become increasingly concerned about the well-being
and safety of their children. For everyone in the society, the school is supposed to be a safe
place for their children to learn and develop, yet, it has become now a place of fear. The
egularity of violent incidents that are reported across the United States, it shows that there is an
increase of violent acts in schools. However, statistics revealed form research that after its peak
in XXXXXXXXXXacademic year, the number of violent acts is not increasing but rather declining in
numbers. Despite this statistical decline of violence in schools, the public perceives that school
violence has significantly increased.
Literature Review/ Discussion
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated from its 2016 final data that the
United States has about around 38, 748 deaths by firearms alone wherein the deaths by firearm
per 100,000 population is 12 (National Center for Health Statistics: All Injuries, XXXXXXXXXXThe Gun
violence archive indicated that the last year 2018, the country experienced more than 300 mass
shootings. The Gun violence archive also created a list of mass shootings incidents occu
ing just
this year and in the latest was the mass shooting in 109 Pe
y St. in Petersburg, Virginia last Feb
9, 2019 (Mass Shootings in 2019, 2019).
Deviance is a visible disregard or resistance to the imposed conformity by the cultural
norms. Kendall describes deviance as “any behavior, belief, or condition that violates significant
social norms in the society or group in which it occurs (2018, p. 180)”. Kendall’s definition and
my definition show the
oadness of the scope of the definition since the context where the norm
itself falls is also
oad. One category explains in the book that is also an act of deviance is
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committing a crime. Crime is the violation of the laws imposed and enacted by the government
and the law. While deviance emphasizes the individual’s violation of certain norms, now all
having deviant characteristics could be considered a criminal act. For example, a person of
eligious devotion may talk about his and her religion because he thinks he has the right to do so,
however, in that type of community religious topics are not entertained. This person could be
considered deviant. Kendall explains that there are negative and positive acts of deviance. The
negative act of deviance includes rule-
eaking, stealing, assaulting, and driving while
intoxicated. The positive form of deviance includes actions of people that call for their rights or
those that challenge the society to engage in activities they believe right and beneficial for
everybody (Kendall, 2018).
Unlike the individual view of deviance, the sociological view of deviance states that
deviant behaviors are rather caused by the dynamics of the society rather than the individual’s
personal decision and traits. There is a huge connection between social structure and deviance
according to experts. This is very important to note that people in the United States live in a
stratified society. This means that people are segmented according to social classes and of course
people of the same classes share the same values, norms, lifestyles, and attitudes (Fox &
Harding, XXXXXXXXXXThose living in poverty are also forced to live in a neighborhood that
experiences inadequacy of housing, healthcare, and underemployment – this means that they live
in a stressful environment. Those children who experience poverty early on their life experience
a more on the impact of the behavior they have during the time they experience tremendous
poverty in their adolescents and adulthood (Cullen, XXXXXXXXXXAside from that, social structure is
said to influence the capacity of poor children to stay fit and earn high earnings when they grow
up.
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Theory
The concept of social process has been the foundation of many criminological theories especially
concerning people’s acts of deviance and commit of crime. The social process theories