This assignment supports the following unit objectives:
· Understand how to interpret social structures society using analysis
Project Overview
This final project is an opportunity to demonstrate that you understand and can interpret social structures and phenomena from a sociological point of view. Your paper will focus on responding to whichever selection you make and the specific criteria outlined in the Project Details section listed below.
Deliverables
A 4-page (minimum) Word document in 12-point font, double spacing, APA citations (including a title and reference page), and utilizes paragraph format with complete sentences.
Please keep in mind that the length requirement for this paper is 4 pages, not including either your title page and/or reference page. This project also requires the use a minimum of 3 resources that can include but not be limited to the web, and or traditional media such as television news, the newspaper, magazines and or resources from the library.
Project Details
Choose one (1) of the three (3) options to explore in your final paper. Develop a complete essay that focuses on the impact of Covid-19 in American life.
Step 1: Choose an Essay Prompt and Write Your Essay
Option 1 – The Sociology of Covid-19
2 years ago life as we knew it changed dramatically. The seemingly impossible has happened: borders closed, nations locked down, and individuals socially isolated for the collective good. It is fair to say that the Covid-19 pandemic presented the profoundest public health, social, and economic crisis of our times. Almost 1 million Americans have died and almost 7 million deaths world-wide! Even now, with vaccines turning the tide, a whole new set of issues has cropped up. It is not exaggeration to say that we are in the midst of an unprecedented social experiment, ripe for sociological analysis.
The American Sociological Association has produced a comprehensive study of Covid-19 on various aspects of American social life. You can find the resources by clicking this link:
https://www.asanet.org/covid-19-asa-journalsLinks to an external site.
Please peruse
section to see how sociologists are approaching the study of life in the time of the Coronavirus. There are articles about Covid-19 and just about every facet of society: race, economy, the elderly, emotional health, education, the health professions, etc. Feel free to talk about the politics of Covid-19, the controversies over the vaccine and its rollout, the impacts to education, entertainment, and other institutions. No topic is off the table.
Though you are free to consult any resources you choose for this assignment, this is a great place to start or generate some ideas.
In a four (4) page essay, please choose any aspect of society and examine the impact that Covid-19 has had on it over these last 16 months. Be sure to combine research and personal experience in your answer.
Option 2 – the Impact of Covid-19 on our Relationships
It is clear that living with Covid-19 has profoundly affected our social relationships, According to University of Georgia researcher, Richard Slatcher, “this prolonged experience will impact us in ways we don’t yet fully understand.”
This new way of life has had a major impact on all types of relationships. The way you interact with your friends, family, coworkers, roommates, and romantic partners may now be entirely different. As COVID-19 continues to unfold, we can see the effects of lockdown and social distancing on our connections with others.
Are people feeling more or less connected to others? How are couples feeling about working from home together? What are the effects of people working full time from home while also caring full time for their children? What are the effects of living alone right now? How has the pandemic impacted our professional relationships and work environments?
Here is a link to Slatcher’s research website
Love in the Time of Corona.
https://loveinthetimeofcovid.me/?fbclid=IwAR0z1_YvFxDO6xKQfymOQU3oazQa-5gejYqV2CZqVGWKwa7gH4vOese_37ULinks to an external site.
All of these questions, and more, are worth exploring from a sociological point of view. In a four (4) page essay that answers the following two (2) prompts:
1.
1.
Using a combination of research and personal experiences, discuss how Covid-19 has impacted / affected our social relationships
2.
Which, if any of these changes, do you feel will become permanent and/or permanently alter the landscape of our relationships
Option 3 — the Impact of Covid-19 on our Mental Health
I dare you to find anything else that has helped exacerbate people’s stress and mental health concerns in this country better than Covid-19. The last 2 years has pushed the mental health sector to the breaking point as people faced crisis after crisis brought on by the stressors of Covid-19. Though many were short -term in nature, Covid-19 has caused chronic stress and inflicted trauma on millions of Americans. Moreover, for those already suffering from mental health issues, Covid-19 was an accelerator and exacerbator for so many people. To learn more, please begin your research by checking out the two links below.
Here’s a link to an American Sociological Association briefing about Covid and mental health issues.
https://www.asanet.org/news-events/footnotes/apr-may-jun-2021/features/covid-19-and-sociologys-mental-health-momentLinks to an external site.
Here’s a link to an American Psychological Association briefing about Covid and stress.
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2020/10/stress-mental-health-crisisLinks to an external site.
All of these issues, and more, are worth exploring from a sociological point of view. In a four (4) page essay that answers the following two (2) prompts:
1.
1.
Using a combination of research and personal experiences, discuss how Covid-19 has impacted / affected the mental health of Americans?
2.
Which, if any of these changes, do you feel will become permanent and/or permanently alter the landscape of our collective mental health?
