Marijuana: Sociology and Social Issue

The Preparation 1. Consider a social issue in which you are interested. See the list below and find something that you 1) are already familiar with or 2) would like to know more about.

2. You can pick one of the social issues here or you can try to combine social issues to narrow your focus. For example, you might be interested in “marijuana use” and “crime.” Both can be studied as separate social issues but can be combined for a narrower focus.

3. Read, read, read and make notes of what is striking you as important or repetitious in the literature. This does not mean look at the first three articles you find in the database and write about them. In doing sociological work, you will read far more than you will write.

4. Before you begin the actual writing process, write an outline to follow.

I. Introduction
A. Premise/Thesis
B. Statement of points
II. Body
A. Point 1
1. Supporting Information
2. Supporting Information
B. Point 2
Supporting Information
Supporting Information
III. Conclusion/Summary
A. Summary of supporting information
B. Conclusion reached
(Restatement of premise)
IV. Citations
The Writing 5. The first thing you want to do in your paper is define and give some background about your social issue. What is it? What is significant about it? What’s your thesis? What are you going to do? Why you decided on this particular issue. (See introduction)

6. What does the literature /research say about your social issue? Discuss what is known and unknown about your particular issue? (see body of outline above)This will be the bulk of your paper. You don’t have to include every single thing that has been written on your topic but include a good wide range to give the reader a good idea of what the research says. (point 3)

7. Describe how your issue fits into the field of sociology. Re-read the definition of sociology. What are its main tenets and how does your issue fit? What makes it a sociological issue? (point 4)

8. What sociological theories and terminology from the text apply to your social issue? The three main theoretical frameworks we have covered are structural functionalism, conflict theory and symbolic interactionism. You can try to apply all or one of these theories to your social issue. In addition, the book has introduced other theories that are relevant to the various topics. Explain how they may be applied to your topic. (point 5)

9. Conclusion

Marijuana

Citations: The Writing 5. The first thing you want to do in your paper is define and give some background about your social issue. What is it? What is significant about it? What’s your thesis? What are you going to do? Why you decided on this particular issue. (See introduction) 6. What does the literature /research say about your social issue? Discuss what is known and unknown about your particular issue? (see body of outline above)This will be the bulk of your paper. You don’t have to include every single thing that has been written on your topic but include a good wide range to give the reader a good idea of what the research says. (point 3) 7. Describe how your issue fits into the field of sociology. Re-read the definition of sociology. What are its main tenets and how does your issue fit? What makes it a sociological issue? (point 4) 8. What sociological theories and terminology from the text apply to your social issue? The three main theoretical frameworks we have covered are structural functionalism, conflict theory and symbolic interactionism. You can try to apply all or one of these theories to your social issue. In addition, the book has introduced other theories that are relevant to the various topics. Explain how they may be applied to your topic. (point 5) 9. Conclusion Marijuana