How to Write Papers for Sociology 101
-Casey Shaw
1. Brainstorm your topic
-must have a sociological basis
2. Determine areas of the topic that will be discussed
-keep in mind, the topics will need to be analyzed sociologically
3. Brainstorm a list of concepts that go with your topic
-recommend at least 7-10 concepts/terms
-go through chapters of text/notes
-hint: at the end of each chapter is a list of concepts
4. Formulate an outline, matching topic areas with concepts
-concepts must be throughout paper
5. Begin writing!
-don’t forget a strong thesis, including areas of topic covered and the main
concepts that form the structure of the paper
-be sure to maintain a focus – when reading over the paragraph, ask “does this
relate to the thesis?”
Basic Steps within a paragraph/idea:
- 1. Make a statement that involves a sociological concept/term with the topic
-use some piece of literature about the topic
- 2. Define the concept/term using text
- 3. Explain why the concept/term goes with the topic/defend statement made in step 1
-use the definition of the term to reinforce the statement
-be thorough in explanations – try looking at it from different angles
– look at it from ALL aspects
Example:
[#1. statement] Saint Joseph College, with about 62 departments and services on campus, can be said to exhibit qualities of structural functionalism (www.sjc.edu, 2009). [#2. define concept/term] Structural functionalism refers to a framework that sees society as complex, yet its parts work together to promote stability (Macionis, 2001). [#3. explanation] The roughly 62 departments on the Saint Joseph College campus, all take responsibility for some aspect of students, staff, and/or faculty needs so that not one department carries all of the weight. Due to this division of labor, each need can be addressed with care and quality, keeping SJC stable and running smoothly…[more]
