SOC-384-OL: Final Paper Guidelines
The synthesis/final paper is your partial demonstration of completion of course objectives. Each objective can serve as a section of your paper. However, if you desire, you may select another format but each objective should be clearly addressed in your synthesis paper.
Length is not as important as quality, however you cannot address the issues in the depth required in less than 2 pages per objective, after editing. Remember it is a synthesis and as such should make minimal use of adjectives and adverbs.
Course Objective: By successfully completing the learning activities of the course, you should be able to:
1. Explain the current status, historical growth, and projected trends of gang membership in the US and locally. (1-2 pages)
2. Describe current research on gang formation and the implications for society and community, local and national.
3. Identify and classify the types of gangs common in various geographical or societal communities and their effect on social, educational, and criminal justice systems, including social service and health providers, police, courts, and schools. And the problems encountered in classification.
4. Assess various approaches, programs, and policies for responding to gang formation and activities.
5. Synthesize relevant issues in gang formation and functioning and create recommendations for community response.
6. Synthesize relevant issues in gang formation and functioning and create recommendations for community response.
Synthesis Outline:
I. Opening position statement: A brief statement of your view of the current
state of gangs and gang membership in the US. (refer to course objectives)
A. Identification of research or projects (3-6) that have offered the most
relevant information into gang formation and gang functioning. Select
the research from the text or your research that appears to provide the
most beneficial information to understanding gang formation, behavior
and activities.
1. Identify the research, its purpose and findings
2. How it contributed to knowledge about gangs
B. Learning gained, and why it is important
II Table of Contents (major topics or issues to be addressed (Can be course
objectives)
A. Identification of the topics to be addressed, including your area of personal
interest; also indicate at least 3 points to be covered (under each topic)
B. Include citations and references.
III. Summation and Recommendations
A. Brief statement of your points that support your position statement
B. Your recommendations of policies, strategies and programs that address
gangs and gang membership for a long-term positive community effect.
1. Focus: which type (street gangs for social, criminal or economic
reasons) and aspect of gang program or policy: intervention,
prevention, community or correctional efforts
2. Purpose of that policy, strategy or program: its reason for existence
3. At lease 3-4 desired outcomes (specific and measurable or
observable)
4. How will success be measured?
IV. Bibliography/References
There must be a reference section of the final paper, using the APA citation
format. If you do not know what the APA citation format is, then look at your
textbooks and see how these authors cite the works on which they relied to
write their documents.
