Multidisciplinary Analysis of Human Sexuality and Diversity

Learning Objectives
Critically analyze information from academic/professional sources.
Use electronic databases to find articles.
Practice reading professional writing and recognize valid research and understand the results.
Practice using good writing techniques to support a thesis.
Use multiple perspectives to look at a single issue of culture and gender.
Practice reflection and self-assessment on how research on a topic influences personal opinion.

General Instructions
Select one of the topics listed below and develop a paper that analyzes issues of human sexuality from multidisciplinary perspectives. Apply concepts from three distinctly different disciplines of human study to analyze the particular phenomenon, see listing below one from each column. Incorporate theoretical frameworks, theoretical constructs and other “explanations” that have been used by these disciplines to create a perspective that will provide a possible “explanation” for the issue. This should be the way the discipline approaches the topic, it should not be a listing of findings. For example do not give a historic account of the topic but rather how historians synthesize the historical significance of the phenomenon. The last part of the paper is reflective.

Selected Topics
Marriage and divorce

Disciplines/Perspectives
Social Sciences
Applied Sciences
Diversity Component
(must use a view different from own personal experience)
Psychology
Sociology
History
Evolutionary Theory/Anthropology
Journalism, Media Studies & Communication
Biology/Physiology
Law/Political Science
Education
Medicine/Health Sciences
Economics
Cultural and Ethnic Studies
Gender and Women Studies
Religious Studies

Content of your Paper
Please use subject headings when you change topics. When writing, make sure to clearly demonstrate which disciplines’ perspective you are analyzing. You should have a minimum of one source for each discipline.
Suggested Outline of paper
Title page (include word count)
Abstract: Summary of your paper including your thesis statement (italics) https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html
Introduction
Introduce topic
Introduce the chosen disciplines/perspective
Social Sciences discipline
In-depth look at the disciplines perspective of the topic
Comment on how this perspective is different from other disciplines
Applied Sciences discipline
In-depth look at the disciplines perspective of the topic
Comment on how this perspective is different from other disciplines
Diversity framework
Use insights from own cultural rules and biases to examine the topic
Use at least one other United States culture/gender/ethnicity/religions framework to examine the topic
Self-reflection
Reflection on how self-perspective of the topic is changed after researching the topic
Reflection on self as a learner; skills acquired from the assignment, insights into the research, and writing process
Evaluate own learning from perspective of envisioning future improved self
Conclusion
Draw conclusion(s) by combining theories from the examined disciplines/perspectives
References in correct APA, 6th edition style
Formatting & Requirements
Length: Paper length is 1500 words minimum, or approximately 5 pages (double-spaced, font 12 Times New Roman, excluding title page, references, and any graphics/tables or charts). Length should be determined by coverage of topics, some authors will need more than the minimum word count to appropriately cover all of the assignment requirements. Remember research papers should NOT be written in the first person unless specifically talking about your opinion (where required). They should be written in third person.
Resources: This is a research based assignment, sources must be scholarly, use of web sites is allowed but they must be reliable and use references (i.e. they cite where there information came from). Minimum of 5 academic sources, one of which must be a peer reviewed journal article. Note: References should primarily be from .org, .gov, and .edu sites, as those have higher validity than .com sites (with some exceptions). Your text book, encyclopedias and dictionaries do not count (they may be used as additional sources). Wikipedia is not an academic source, you also may not use ProCon. To be considered an academic source for this assignment the source must have a date and an author. References cannot be older than five years, unless it is relevant to your discipline (history sources can be older).
Thesis: Your thesis (in italics) should clearly state your opinion and not be a topic/introductory sentence.
Formatting:
Typed, double spaced, Times Roman font, 1 inch margins, font size 12.
Title page: including name, class section number, name of the assignment, your specific title for the assignment, and word count.
The entire assignment should be strictly double-spaced, with no additional space before or after each line (check you paragraph settings).
Papers must have running headers and page numbers, on every page. This is in the header not the body of the document.
Subject headings are required and should indicate the subject that will follow. APA format for a level one heading is; centered, boldfaced, with title case capitalization. You do not need a heading for your introduction.
Citations must be in APA citation format for both in text citations and reference list. Cite all sources you use. When referring to a source cited in an article do not cite the original article if you did not read it, use “as cited in”.
The assignment must use college-level writing including spelling, verb usage and tense, grammar, vocabulary, sentence formation and paragraph development. Third person should be used for all sections of the paper except for the reflection part. Use of direct quotes should be limited (not more than 10% of paper), paraphrasing is preferred for most situations.
Please submit paper to the drop box timely to avoid “computer malfunctions”; it can be done any time in the semester before the due time. To access Turnitin go to Beach Board and find the drop box. Turnitin can only read MSWord, Word Perfect PostScrip, Acrobat PDF, HTML, RIF and Plain text files. It is your responsibility to be sure it is a file type that it can read, papers submitted in the incorrect format will be considered late. It will not tell you if it cannot read it. Double check that you paper has been submitted by checking your Turnitin Report (not Receipt). Preferred submission is MSWord.
Use the rubric to check your work for omissions. Do not submit the rubric.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated, if in doubt cite. Direct quotations (meaning the authors words) require quotation marks as well as citations. Not understanding the need to use quotation marks is not a defense if you do not understand proper citation of quotes please see the instructor during office hours. AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SELF PLAGIARISM (YES IT’S A THING): Self plagiarism, reproducing or replicating your work from previous classes and submitting them as new papers, is unacceptable and results in an automatic zero in the course. For more information please read: http://www.business.rutgers.edu/business-insights/self-plagiarism-cheating-plain-and-simple

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