Visual Analysis of Poverty & Social Stratification

INSTRUCTIONS: Review the image above and develop a brief essay on the image. Each essay should be a sociological analysis of the image’s core components and their relation to depicting a social issue.

• Select a minimum of three (3) visual components of the image to build the essay on.
• First, provide an introduction discussing the discipline of Sociology and how sociologists study social behavior (5-7 sentences).
• Then, provide a thoroughly written representation[1] of the image (5-7 sentences) as a whole. Then give special attention to the three (3) visual components selected. In other words, describe each component separately.
• Next, provide a thoughtful discussion[2] of each of the three visual components selected and explain why it is significant to the image itself, and society’s understanding of the sociological concept(s) depicted in the image. The bulk of the essay should be focused here (i.e. about three paragraphs). Students are encouraged to employ a multidimensional (political, economic & cultural) perspective to their analyses on the intersectional nature social inequality in the United States.
• Finally, provide a concise conclusion summarizing the main points of your analysis (5-7 sentences).

Be sure to correctly identify the image (i.e. do not refer to it as a photo or painting, if it is not). Each essay will be scored based on evidence of the following criteria: (a) the student writing adheres to standard grammar, spelling, punctuation and formatting conventions of formal academic writing; (b) relevant key terms, content and concepts from the assigned readings are incorporated into essay where applicable; (c) a minimum of five (5) in-text citations with their corresponding entry on students' reference page are employed to support the student’s analysis. It is recommended that the bulk of the textual support comes from required readings but students are welcome to employ the provide media resources and/or supplemental readings. **Students are not allowed to use outside sources**

• [1] Describe the image in great detail.
• [2] The process of talking about something in detail, typically in order to reach an explanation, decision or to exchange ideas