CAPSTONE ESSAY

Guidelines for Capstone Essay

Due: April 18

· Written Assignment: 50 points

· Presentation: 1-5 Extra Credits at the Instructor’s Discretion

The distribution of justice in our society is not always fair and inequalities exist in relation to race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation and age. Discriminatory practices and social injustices are inherent in the major institutions of our society: the workforce, educational system, criminal justice system, the legal system, religious institutions and the media. Social injustices have serious consequences on the life experiences of individuals. This capstone essay challenges students from all three concentrations to discuss a current social injustice in the United States .

Social Injustice vs. Social Problem

· A social injustice occurs when certain members of a society do not have access to an equal distribution of wealth and resources and are denied opportunities by an institution . Unfair treatment and denial of one’s civil rights may be based on one’s age, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity or religion.

· A social problem is behavior that has negative effects on an individual. Addiction, partner violence and child maltreatment negatively impact an individual and may have consequences for their family and friends.

Drawing from previous coursework and prior research answer one of the following questions that apply to a social injustice in our society:

1. Are all groups that become involved with the criminal justice system treated equally?

Consider one of the following issues and include them in your discussion.

· differential rates of arrest and incarceration among minority groups

· disparity in sentencing practices for minority groups

· abuse of racial profiling as a scientific tool

2. Illegal immigration is currently a major concern in the United States. Discuss discriminatory practices that affect the undocumented in the United States and the positive and/or negative consequences of illegal immigration on the undocumented and on society at large.

3. Do Juries reflect the diversity of local communities and protect an individual’s constitutional right to a fair and impartial trial? Please include the possible consequences of the current system of jury selection in your essay.

4. Does discrimination in the legal professions give rise to specific social injustices?  You may concentrate on either the legal or paralegal profession or compare and contrast both. Your discussion should address the following issues: 

· Differential rates in hiring practices, promotion, and pay scale among men and women. Is there a “glass ceiling” for women?

· In what other ways does discrimination manifest itself in the legal environment?

5. Choose a social injustice that you feel passionate about and present a proposal to your course instructor for approval.

Only two students can select the same question for numbers one through four. Please use your instructor’s sign in document to select your choice. Once you select your topic, you will not be able to change that choice.

Include in your Capstone Essay discussion:

· Historical References to the social injustice

· The Institution that perpetuates the injustice

· The minority group most affected by the injustice

· The negative outcomes or personal consequences suffered by those who are targeted

· The cost/s of this injustice to society (financial, loss of human capital/resources)

· Solutions or alternatives to the problem/s that you have identified: new policies, legislation, social movements, public opinion

Students will be required to submit a 5-6-page essay on their selected topic . They must use at least 3 recent scholarly sources as explained on page 21 of the Hacker and Sommers Manual. You may use government websites in addition to their scholarly sources to quote statistics. All sources must be cited in-text and students must submit a separate reference list.

· The APA Manual of Style required for this course will be the only APA source used to grade this assignment.

· All written work is to be typed using 12 font, one inch margins and double spacing.

· Please utilize grammar and spell check before submitting your paper.

· You must submit an electronic copy to Turnitin on or before the due date.

Students are permitted to draw upon research papers that they have submitted in previous course work. Prior work can be used as a foundation to build their new research project . Turnitin will determine how much of the paper is new material and how much is from former work. More than 50% of prior work is unacceptable.

ESSAY FORMAT

· Please note that an essay is a continuous flowing paper.

· Your writing should reflect a sequential thought process.

· There are no section headers or sub-section headers in an essay.

· Follow the format instructions for the Analytical Essay on pages 69-73 of the Hacker and Sommers required manual of style. No other format will be accepted.

For help organizing and writing your Capstone Essay

Contact: The Center for Writing Excellence

Bohn Hall, 5th floor

PHONE: (973) 655-7442

EMAIL: cwe@mail.montclair.edu

Rev. 8/18 (fcr)