Assignment

For this final assignment, you will conduct an observational only study. This study will be 100% achievable via observation only, with no interaction between you and the participants.   

You will choose from one of the observations listed for you’re here for your sociological observation. (If you are deployed and unable to meet any of these requirements, please contact your instructor for an alternative option for this assignment). 

1. Spend a few hours observing children in a kindergarten or special day class and keep track of how many can sit still and follow instructions. This can be charted, and your paper can discuss the possibility of ADHD with children who are out of their chair, moving about the room, and not following directions. 

2. If you are interested in gender and the toys a young child might choose to play with, this can be an interesting observation. Might small boys pick up a doll, or a little girl play with a dump truck? Unless children are told specific toys are for boys and girls, you might observe they enjoy playing with them. This observation can be completed by observing a pre-school or kindergarten classroom or perhaps a day-care.

3. Spend a few hours at your local mall observing how many people you see who are glued to their cell phones and rarely look up. Chart your findings and discuss the latest research for distraction using cell phones. What might you observe? The mall is an interesting place to observe age groupings. Might younger people be on their phones more, or perhaps younger parents with children pay more attention to their phones? Also, you might observe older individuals and couples. Chart if technology is used differently. 

4. Staying with cell phones and / computers / iPads, you might choose a coffee shop like Starbucks. Observe and chart for discussion how many people come in alone, to meet others, and see how many speak to one another without using their phones. This is interesting in observing modern communication. 

5. If you live near a resource center for new immigrants, you might wish to observe the social interaction you see there. Are cultural differences evident in family or community interactions? What are the similarities? 

6. You might find observing the elderly at Walmart or Church to see how they are treated and respond to others. What might the attitudes be toward the elderly? Might you recognize ageism?

7. Visit a local park or playground where parent(s) / care-giver are with young children and observe if they put their phones away to play and bond with their children. What response do you see from the children and parent? Sometimes parents are on their phone and you might observe the child wanting their attention. There are some parents who visit among themselves, and not play with their children. What might you observe? 

8. You might find visiting a local Gym interesting. Note the amount of cell phone use among individuals working out. Does checking the phone diminish the work-out purpose? In addition, note how many individuals stream music while working out or perhaps plug into the music or television while they exercise at the equipment. Might there be a difference between men and women vs. usage.

Submit a six to eight -page paper which combined will include: title page, body of assignment with introduction, statement of problem; description of the observational investigation, discussion, analysis, and findings, and a strong conclusion which will tie your paper together. Be sure to include at least two primary resources within the last 7-years, with supportive APA citation(s) which will match your reference page. 

Students will submit assignment in a Word document to the Course. 

APA Assistance

1.  Helpful videos:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8F43A67F38DE3D5D

2. General guidelines:

https://www.liberty.edu/academics/casas/academicsuccess/index.cfm?PID=11960