A. Questions for weekly discussions and conversations (not part of the required Discussion Board assignment)

These questions can serve as the starting point for your discussions during the week. They are "thought starters," so that you can explore some ideas associated with the Discussion Board and unit topics. Answers are not required, and they should not be submitted with your required assignment. Answers are not graded.

Why would researchers want to study the gender, race, and ethnicity of individuals in American prisons? What would researchers hope to learn from this type of study?

How can American society benefit from a study such as this that examines the gender, race, and ethnicity of individuals in American prisons? How can the results of this type of study benefit U.S. culture on a large scale?

B. Required Discussion Board assignment.

For this assignment, you will make a posting of 2-3 paragraphs to the Discussion Board in which you must answer the following questions:

What are some potential methods of researching the gender, race, and ethnicity of individuals in American prisons?

Specifically, what are ways in which the gender, race, and ethnicity of individuals in American prisons could be studied using interpretative and critical frameworks?

What would you change, and why?

What different types of information or data would you likely obtain using this research process?