For Reflective Project #2, you may choose one of the following three options. Please ensure that your paper is around 3 pages, double-spaced, with a heading (your name, course info, etc.) and a creative title. Remember that you must utilize ideas and concepts from the textbook, class lectures and discussions to illustrate your point, so the prompt that you choose to write about must reference any of those corresponding chapters, lectures, discussions, and/or activities. Lastly, factors such as spelling, punctuation, and grammar certainly count towards your reflection paper grade, so be sure to edit your paper beforehand.

Below are the three prompts that you may choose (one) to write about:

1) The Uniform Crime Report (UCR). Chapter 7 (Deviance, Crime, and Social Control) describes several ways in which the Uniform Crime Report may present an inaccurate picture of the demographics of crime. Describe the sources of bias that lead to these inaccuracies. Are these biases better explained by conflict theory or functionalism? Justify your answer. Be sure to also consult the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) website, as well as the National Crime Victimization Report (NCVR) website during this process. Then, consider how this connects to Robert Merton’s idea that labeling can bring about self-fulfilling prophecies; that inaccurate beliefs, if repeated loudly and frequently enough, can become true.

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2) Social Status and Cultural Capital. According to Max Weber, the traditional source of wealth–owning the means of production–isn’t the only factor in determining social status (Chapter 9: Social Stratification in the U.S.). How does Weber conceptualize power and prestige? Why does he argue that power and prestige, in addition to material wealth, are important factors in determining a person’s social status? Then, consider that half of all children grow up to have the same socioeconomic class as their parents. Discuss the ways in which Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital influences this phenomenon, and see this video for a depiction of how this works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DBEYiBkgp8 (Links to an external site.)

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3) Implicit Attitudes on Race and Ethnicity. Go to https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html (Links to an external site.), read the “Preliminary Information” box, and once you’ve clicked on “I wish to proceed,” please take the “Race IAT.” What do you think this IAT is trying to measure? Share your results if you are willing. Otherwise, please be sure to share your reactions to your results. Be sure to also synthesize the following into your paper: How do sociologists define race and ethnicity? Describe the differences between racism, prejudice, and discrimination, and highlight the difference between individual and institutional types of discrimination. Lastly, dicsuss the meaning of minority groups, and discuss how assimilation has worked in the United States. Be sure to mention the idea of racial passing and describe why someone would try to pass (Chapter 11: Race and Ethnicity).