Soc 305 week 2,3 & 5 assignment ( outline, annotated bibliography &

Week 2

Final Paper Preparation

To prepare for your Final Paper (due in Week Five), complete the following assignment and submit it to your instructor for feedback. Your paper should include a problem statement, outline, and annotated bibliography.

Problem Statement: Describe the social problem selected for your paper.

Outline: Using the sample below as a guide, provide an outline for your Final Paper. Remember that papers are expected to define a significant problem faced by the justice system, describe the scope and consequences of the problem, and discuss society’s responses to the problem (including public policies and other less formal responses). Your paper should also present a clearly reasoned alternative, supported by scholarly research.

1. Title

2. Abstract

3. What is the problem? Be sure to narrow your problem enough to allow a focused examination.

4. What are the individual and social implications of this problem? Discussion of implications should be supported by accurate research data.

 5. What do the experts say about the problem?

6. What have we, as a society, done about this problem? Consider public policies and other, less formal responses.

7. How are public policies and other, less formal responses working?

8. Describe an alternative solution to the problem.

 9. Discuss why the alternative is, or can be, an effective response to the problem. Remember to consider negative consequences of the alternative response.

10. Conclude with your thoughts about your chosen social problem. This is a good place to include personal opinions, assuming you wish to share them in a research paper.

11. References

In short, define a problem, discuss the response, and provide alternative responses to the problem. For example, your problem could be drug use/abuse, with a focus on prescription drug abuse among teenagers. Your description of the problems should be fact based, relying on expert opinion. Your alternative can be an adjustment of current policy or a new direction. For example, your may propose longer prison sentences, or legalization of all drugs. Be creative, although suggestions must be supported by scholarly research.

Annotated Bibliography:

The purpose of creating a list of sources is to assist you in organizing and evaluating your research. The list should include the following information for each source (minimum of five):

a. Name of the source, including the complete bibliographic citation in proper APA format.

b. Summary of the source (at least one paragraph) including how this source will contribute to your paper.

The paper must be three to five pages in length and formatted according to APA style. You must use at least five scholarly resources (at least three of which can be found in the Ashford Online Library) other than the textbook to support your claims and subclaims. Cite your resources in text and on the reference page. For information regarding APA samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar, in your online course.

Week 3

Myths and Reality of Crime

As we learn in the video, Crimes of the Powerful, our justice system tends to focus on street crime, often ignoring much more significant problems such as white-collar, corporate, and state crime. The video also discusses euthanasia, although the point of this reference is to illustrate how the law can be used as a tool for social change. The video also discusses moral values with a focus on media coverage of harm to children. Laws have changed in direct response to these incidents and the resulting media coverage. In effect, this coverage becomes an engine for social change. The video ends with a discussion of crime theory, reminding us that many criminological theories fall short when applied to people with wealth and high status.

Write a paper discussing the myths and realities of crime. Please elaborate on the following points in your essay:

a. Imagine asking 100 strangers to describe a criminal. Predict whether those descriptions would be likely to focus on street criminals, or the variety of topics covered in this video.

b. Describe how society defines crime. Do not provide a definition – instead, explain how the definition is reached.

c. Discuss how society decides what to define as a crime.

d. Present a clear statement about a particular crime, something we know to be absolutely true. Illustrate how we know that this is an accurate statement.

e. Present an example of a widely held myth or misconception about crime and society. Determine how we know that this is a myth. Explain why this myth is so difficult to abandon.

The paper must be three to four pages in length and formatted according to APA style. You must use at least two scholarly resources other than the textbook to support your claims and subclaims. Cite your resources in text and on the reference page. For information regarding APA samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar, in your online course.

Week 5

Focus of the Final Paper

 Select and then define a significant issue faced by the justice system, describe the scope and consequences of the issue, and discuss society’s responses to the issue (including public policies and other less formal responses). Papers should also present a clearly reasoned alternative, supported by scholarly research.

While the following example can be modified to suit your needs, this outline is likely to result in a high-quality Final Paper:

1. Title

2. Abstract

3. What is the problem? Be sure to narrow your problem enough to allow a focused examination.

4. What are the individual and social implications of this problem? Discussion of implications should be supported by accurate research data.

5. What do the experts say about the problem?

6. What have we, as a society, done about this problem? Consider public policies and other, less formal responses.

7. How are public policies and other, less formal responses working?

8. Describe an alternative solution to the problem.

9. Discuss why the alternative is, or can be, an effective response to the problem. Remember to consider negative consequences of the alternative response.

 10. Conclude with your thoughts about your chosen social problem. This is a good place to include personal opinions, assuming you wish to share them in a research paper.

11. References

In short, define a problem, discuss the response, and provide alternative responses to the problem. For example, your problem could be drug use/abuse, with a focus on prescription drug abuse among teenagers. Your description of the problems should be fact based, relying on expert opinion. Your alternative response can be an adjustment of current policy or a new direction. For example, your may propose longer prison sentences, or legalization of all drugs. Be creative, although suggestions must be supported by scholarly research.

The paper must be eight to ten pages in length (excluding the title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style. You must use at least five scholarly resources, at least three of which can be found in the Ashford Online Library, to support your claims and subclaims. Cite your resources in text and on the reference page. For information regarding APA samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar in your online course. Please visit the Academic Research section on your course homepage (accessible through the Student Responsibilities and Policies tab on the left navigation toolbar) to review what types of materials are not acceptable for academic, university-level research.

Writing the Final Paper

The Final Paper:

1. Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

2. Must include a title page with the following:

a. Title of paper

b. Student’s name

c. Course name and number

d. Instructor’s name

e. Date submitted

3. Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.

4. Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.

5. Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.

6. Must use at least five scholarly resources, including a minimum of three from the Ashford Online Library.

7. Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

8. Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.