In this course, you have two options for your final project:
OPTION A: Academic Paper
Choose a topic and research question that you wish to investigate more thoroughly. This type of paper is known as a meta-analysis where you answer your research question by completing a comparative analysis using studies that have already been completed and written up in peer-reviewed journals.
A minimum of 7 relevant articles from scholarly/peer-reviewed journals must be used in your paper. The articles must have been published sometime between 2000 and today. You may include additional resources that are older peer-reviewed articles and/or from popular sites to help flesh out your paper.
In general, your paper should include:
- a brief summary of each article (with minimal quotes direct from articles) as well as an assessment of its strengths and weaknesses. Your summary should mention what major questions and issues are being addressed, what types of sample is being used and the methodology if it's a research article, and major conclusions.
- a critique for each article should identify the strengths and weaknesses of the article: what is good about it, what needs to be done next, how is the study potentially biased, has the author overlooked some key issues, etc.
- a comparative/meta analysis focused on comparing components from both your summaries and your critiques - how have these studies answered your research question.
Specifically, please make sure that your paper has the following:
- clear research question/thesis
- clear paper organization
- summary of articles
- critique of articles in terms of research question
- comparative meta-analysis of articles in terms of research question
- proper use of APA formatting
- proper use of spelling and grammar
I will evaluate your writing on its clarity, organization, analytic rigor, creativity, and writing style. Make sure you assess as well as summarize these articles.
OPTION B: Comparative Analysis of Two World Religions
This 10-12 page paper option is focused on a comparative analysis of two world religions using key concepts and theories from the course. This paper must include the use of at least 10 sources, 4 of which must be peer-reviewed journal articles. Choose two world religions from: Buddhism, Christianity, Hindu, Indigenous Asian Religions, Islam, and Judaism.
Please make sure that your paper has the following:
- a brief history of two world religions
- a summary of the worldview/primary beliefs of two world religions
- key rituals of two world religions
- denominations of two world religions (per Roberts and Yamane (2016) description)
- assessment of if these religions fits within Roberts and Yamane (2016) working definition of religion
- assessment of how your religions fits Roberts and Yamane (2016) group characteristics
- assessment of how religiosity may be used to measure independent and dependent effects specific to these two world religions
- identify which of the 3 metaphors used in sociology of religion studies (sacred canopy, religious marketplace, or elective affinities) you find is most helpful for using when studying each religion
- a critical discussion about 5 additional concepts/theories from the text which may be used to help us understand/analyze these world religions (or components of them)
- a thoughtful discussion about the similarities/differences between these two religions from a sociological perspective (hint: see all other requirements)
- proper use of APA formatting
- proper use of spelling and grammar
I will evaluate your writing on its clarity, organization, analytic rigor, creativity, and writing style. The majority of this paper should be focused on the sociological aspects, not the summary of the history and primary beliefs.