General Instructions

This assignment requires students to research a current news item or event, apply sociological theories to analyze the item or event, and engage in self-reflection regarding the topic of the item or event. The media survey is a pretty straightforward assignment (think of it as a stepped-up ‘Current Event’ from your high school days). The assignment requires students to write three sections (no less than 500 words total).

The paper must be typed and written in proper English in prose form. The use of computerese, e.g., using u for you, is unacceptable. Think carefully about what you are writing and correct any misspellings, punctuation, or grammatical errors. All sources must be fully cited according to a noted style guide such as ASA or APA.

The assignment must be written in your own words. Cutting and pasting any material is plagiarism. Any student caught plagiarizing will be subject to disciplinary action.

Students will be evaluated based on the quality of their assignment in terms of the insight and analysis they present (including clear indication of having read and understood the material) and based on following the specific instructions for the assignment.

Specific Instructions

Locate an article in a mainstream media source that is no more than 3 months old (you can go back as far as mid-February with your search).

The news story you choose should relate to the sociological topics:

Religion in society

The paper must be constructed as follows:

Section 1 – Summary

Summarize the news story in your own words and provide the basic details (who, what, when, why, and how).

Section 2 – Analysis

Analyze the news story using one of the following sociological theories (functionalist, conflict, interactionist) learned in chapter 2, or some of the ideas about religion in society discussed in chapter 16 of the textbook. Discuss how the theories or ideas apply to your news story?

Section 3 – Sociological Imagination

Discuss your thoughts about the content of the news story combined with your sociological analysis. Use your sociological imagination to interpret the meaning and create innovative insights. In other words, what are your views about the news story in consideration of the sociological theory that you’ve learned?

Other

A copy or link to the article must be provided.

The assignment is worth 15 points and will be graded according to the rubric located in Files > Assignments . Students will receive a maximum of nine points for content and two points each for organization and appearance, mechanics, and citations.