Preparation

If you haven’t already, review the sociological concepts and theories that you’ve learned in this course (see the Key Terms section at the end of each chapter in your textbook). You will need to choose three to include in your assignment. Some examples are included below. You may also find it helpful to go back to Week 1’s What You Need to Know to review the description of the three skills that you practiced in this course.

Examples of sociological concepts and theories:

Sociological imagination.

Conflict theory. 

• Symbolic interaction theory.
• Functionalism.
• Culture.
• Norms.
• Values.
• Status.
• Roles.
• Groupthink.
• Primary and secondary groups.
• Bureaucracy.
• If you haven’t already, use the Capella University Library to find resources to support your The Story of You assignment. If you aren’t familiar with the library, the Sociology section of the General Education Information Research Skills Library Guide is a great place to start your search. To ensure you are finding quality sources, refer to the Capella library’s Think Critically About Source Quality resource page. You are encouraged to include 1–?2 resources for this assignment.
• For this assignment, you will need to record either an audio file or a video file with voice over narration using Kaltura, a program that records audio and video. Refer to Using Kaltura if you need help using this courseroom tool. Also, review the audio and visual information on the Tools and Resources page.

Instructions

First, type your essay into the The Story of You Template [DOCX], and then record the speech. You will submit two files (your Word document and your audio or audiovisual file or link) to the assignment dropbox. Complete the following steps:

Describe three sociological concepts or theories that connect to your personal or professional life.

Following the template, include an introduction (one paragraph) in which you identify these concepts and theories in boldface. Your introduction should also include a clear thesis statement (the main idea of your speech).

You can choose to relate these concepts and theories to your personal life (your experiences in your family, neighborhood, or schools you attended, for example) or to your career.

Explain how sociological concepts or theories connect to your personal or professional life.

Following the template, write one paragraph for each concept or theory (three paragraphs total), applying the concepts or theories to your experiences or observations.

Include examples from your personal or professional life to illustrate each concept or theory.

Relate sociological concepts or theories to specific learning outcomes.

Following the template, explain (in one or two paragraphs) how an understanding of one or more of the sociological concepts or theories you have discussed can help you improve your ability to collaborate with others and further develop one or more of the three essential learning outcomes: personal and social responsibility, problem solving, and relationship building.

1. Use evidence from the course material or other sources to support your points.

Identify a sociological research question based on your observations or experiences.

• Following the template, include a sociological research question that is based on your story and reflects something you are interested in learning more about. For example, if you wrote about some of the challenges you faced in the education system, your research question might be: what programs or policies have been found to improve the quality of K-12 education in impoverished areas? If you wrote about your frustration with groupthink in the workplace, your question could be: what are the best strategies for reducing the negative aspects of groupthink in today’s workplace?
• For more research question ideas, see Chapter 3 in your textbook.

1. Describe how you would use the scientific method to study your proposed research question.

Following the template, write a paragraph in which you discuss steps you would take to answer your research question, based on your understanding of the scientific method, which is covered in Chapter 3 of your textbook.

• Following the template, include a conclusion that sums up what you have learned and/or what your audience has learned about you.
• Demonstrate effective audio presentation skills.

1. Use Kaltura to record an audio file to accompany your essay. You also have the option to record a video (with audio) if you prefer. Refer to Using Kaltura if you need help using this courseroom tool.

In your recording, include the following elements:

• Name the three concepts or theories you focused on, with an example of how you applied one of them to your personal or professional life
• Describe how your understanding of one of these concepts or theories can help you improve or develop one of the skills you explored in this course (problem solving, personal and social responsibility, and relationship building).

1. Discuss the research question you chose and your ideas for how to answer that question.

Write in a well-organized and concise manner that adheres to the rules of grammar, usage, and mechanics.