culture 1

Signature Assignment: Culture Shock Analysis

SOCY 100: Introduction to Sociology

In just about any circumstance in life, one has the potential to experience culture shock, either on a small or large scale. Think about a culture shock scenario that you had at any point in your life. Examples of culture shock that are appropriate for this assignment can include migrating to a new country, going on vacation, trying a new cuisine, converting to a new religion, or going to college, just to name a few. Sociologically analyze your culture shock experience by incorporating several sociological concepts/theories from Chapters 1, 3, and/or 4. Write a 2-4 page paper by following the outline below.

I. Background:

Briefly explain one culture shock experience you had. Include the setting, people involved, and main event(s). Include enough details so the reader can vividly imagine what is happening.

Il. Analysis: In this section you will be applying sociological concepts in order to reach a deeper level of understanding of your experience(s). Make sure this section is very well developed, well-organized, and well-written since your grade depends mainly on your sociological analysis of the culture shock experience.

a. Analyze your culture shock experience by using at least four sociological concepts/ theories learned from Chapters 1, 3, and/or 4. For each concept/theory, you will need to demonstrate that you understand the concept/theory and provide appropriate examples of your culture shock in order to illustrate that you can use the course material to reach a greater depth of understanding. Concepts/theories

must be bolded or underlined in your paper, or they will not be counted in the quota.

The best papers will be those that choose concepts about which you can say something interesting and insightful about your experience with culture shock by looking at it through that particular conceptual/theoretical/sociological lens.

b. In addition, examine the outcomes of your culture shock. What was your reaction to this experience? Were you ethnocentric or culturally relativistic, and how? Also, why you were ethnocentric or culturally relativistic? Be sure to apply your sociological imagination when responding to these questions. Include specific examples or illustrations.

c. Concepts/theories MUST be from Chapters 1, 3, and/or 4 from your textbook.

d. Include an engaging and stimulating conclusion paragraph that summarizes your paper. Demonstrate evidence that you can make connections between all of the main ideas.

A few notes about the assignment:

· You should only be using your Textbook for your source. There is no need to use other material to complete this assignment. If, however, you do use outside/additional sources, you MUST BE SURE TO CITE. Using the ideas of others without giving the proper credit (citing) is a form of plagiarism which, according to Montgomery College policy, will result in an F for the assignment and perhaps an F for the course.

Remember — every time you use information from another source including your textbook, whether you are directly quoting your book, paraphrasing something, or summarizing, you MUST cite both in the text of your paper as well as include a references/citation page at the end of your paper!

APA Style is preferred, however if you are more accustomed to MLA, you are welcome to use MLA instead of APA. For help with citation procedures, please check out some of these websites: http://libguides.montgomerycollege.edu/apa http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/. http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/integrity/pages/cite/.

· Your assignment should be typed, double-spaced, 12-point font. Although the paper should be about 2-4 pages, I care much more about quality than the number of pages.

· Please remember to include your last name in the title of your word document, and your full name on the first page of your paper.

· You must submit your paper via our Blackboard page by Friday, January 24, 11:59pm. (Attaching your paper as a word document is preferable.) Late papers are highly discouraged; points will be deducted for late papers.

· Read, re-read, and re-read. Make sure that you have proofread your paper! Pay particular attention to spelling and grammar. Use this paper as a way to practice getting your writing very clear and concise.

GRADING STANDARDS

Sociology

General Grading Guidelines

Winter 2020

A: An "A" paper demonstrates a very thorough understanding of the sociological concepts/perspectives and is thoughtfully engaged with the course substance. Students are able to made creative and insightful connections between the course content and past and/or present social phenomena. These papers are exceptionally written, logically organized, free of grammatical and spelling errors, and clearly articulate the main arguments so they are easily understood.

B: A "B" paper contains a number of the strengths of an "A" paper, but often lack the thoughtfulness, originality, and full development of the superior paper. The student has been able to clearly articulate a good understanding of the sociological concepts/ perspectives and makes reasonable connections between the course content and past and/or present phenomena. B papers are well written with only minor organizational, grammatical, or spelling issues.

C: A "C" paper shows an understanding of the assignment and demonstrates some understanding of the sociological concepts/perspectives. The student may begin to make some connections between the course content and past and/or present phenomena, but may lack a depth of understanding of the concepts in order for those connections to be fully developed. These papers are moderately well written, and able to be understood, but may have some organizational, grammatical, or spelling errors.

D: A "D" paper demonstrates a basic understanding of the assignment requirements but may not have all required elements. The student may show a poor understanding of the sociological concepts/perspectives and although attempts may be made to connect the course material to past and/or present social phenomenon, the connections may be superficial or incorrect because of a lack of a full understanding of the course material. "D" papers may contain a number of organizational, grammatical, and spelling issues and may struggle to articulate a clear argument.

F: An "F" paper may not have included all of the assignment requirements and/or did not follow the instructions for the assignment. "F" papers typically show little understanding of the course material and are unable to make connections between the sociological concepts/perspectives and social phenomena. These papers also typically contain many organizational, grammatical, and spelling issues and may be difficult to be understood by the reader.

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