SYLLABUS

(changes as of 7/28/03)

SYG 4972 - SENIOR CAPSTONE SEMINAR

FALL 2003, UNIVERSITY PARK

Thursdays, 2-4:45

Dr. Abraham D. Lavender, professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Office: DM 322B, 305-348-2247; abelavender@aol.com, (house) 305-480-0940. The professor also will be at the Biscayne Bay Campus on Wednesday afternoons.

Purpose of Course

From 2002-2003 Course Catalogue, page 220: “Synthesizes and builds upon the major curriculum’s components of inquiry, literacy, and in-depth study. Students write a research paper and present it orally to a departmental forum. Satisfies SACS requirements in oral and computer competency”

This course is a core required course for sociology-anthropology majors, and ideally should be taken the last semester after all required theory and methodology courses have already been completed. This course is not a research methodology course, and should be taken only after successful completion of SYA 3300 (Research Methods) or an acceptable comparable course. If you have not already had the courses mentioned above, you will be allowed to take this course because you are “grandparented in” but be aware that this course, repeat, is not the department’s methodology course. If you have questions on this, please talk to the sociology-anthropology department chair (Dr. Rick Tardanico) or secretary (Michelle Lamarre).

The purpose of this course is to (1) apply what you have already learned about conducting research, (2) learn how to write a research project, and (3) learn how to present a public professional and academic report. In consultation with the professor and classmates, students will pick a research project early in the semester. Students will be expected to be self-starters in conducting a research project, while gaining from the professor and from discussions within the class structure. The professor will present points which should be followed or avoided in reporting research findings. Particularly during the early part of the course, the professor will present “lectures” on some points, but the student also should decide on and begin research on a research project early in the semester.

Times flies, and no excuses will be accepted for not completing and presenting a project before the end of the semester PowerPoint will be taught, and will be required to present the findings of the research project near the end of the semester. Students are expected to have regular attendance at classes.

Required Books

Two books are required; both should be in the campus bookstore:

(1) The Sociology Student Writer’s Manual (third edition), by William A. Johnson, Jr., Richard P. Rettig, Gregory M. Scott, and Stephen M. Garrison

(2) The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers (fourth edition), by Bruce Ballenger

Grading

The final grade will consist of (1) the final research paper which is to be turned into the professor, (2) the public presentation (the professor will be sensitive to “bashful” students, and the public presentation will be graded on organization and expert knowledge of research findings as will as on “stage” presence), and (3) attendance.