Building on your research and analysis of a diversity issue in relation to policy developments, this assessment asks you to more closely examine the connection between power, policy, and law making by comparing and contrasting how two states of your choosing have handled one of the following policy issues: same-sex marriage or immigration..
• Asssessment Instructions
Building on your research and analysis of a diversity issue in relation to policy developments, this assessment asks you to more closely examine the connection between power, policy, and law making by comparing and contrasting how two states of your choosing have handled one of the following policy issues: same-sex marriage or immigration.
To understand the link between power and political and legal decision making, you will place this process in each state in the appropriate context. That means that you need to assess the historical, demographic, cultural, and socioeconomic factors that have influenced each state’s different approach to immigration policy or same-sex marriage. You will also reflect on the consequences of state-to-state discrepancies in policies and laws regarding controversial social and political issues like these.
This assessment combines the key components of studying cultural diversity from a sociological perspective: placing current social issues in historical context, understanding how demographic and cultural trends influence public opinion, and applying sociological theories to determine the role of power in shaping policy-making decisions.
Deliverable
Write an essay addressing each of the following parts:
• Compare how your two states have approached policy, politics, or law surrounding immigration or same-sex marriage:
• Policy (principles or methods used to achieve a particular goal or make decisions about political or social issues).
• Politics (the key political players in the policy-making and law-making processes).
• Law (rules and standards enforced by a particular institution).
• Discuss how sociological theories of power might explain the differences between how each state has addressed your issue.
• Examples of theories of power include power elite theory, the four networks theory of power, pluralism, Marxist theory, and state autonomy theory.
• Discuss how the demographics of each state’s population might influence how each state’s government has approached your topic.
• Demographics include age, race/ethnicity, gender, education levels, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and the percentage of the population in urban versus rural areas.
• Analyze discrepancies between state and federal law and whether and how these discrepancies have been resolved or should be resolved.
• Consider any historical precedents that provide insight about how to resolve these kinds of discrepancies.
Additional Requirements
Your assessment should also meet the following requirements:
• Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Length: 5–7 pages, not including the title and reference pages.
• Format: Include a title page and reference page, and format the essay and your citations according to current APA style and formatting guidelines.
• Sources: Cite at least four credible, scholarly sources to support your points.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.
Context
How can sociological research help us understand how laws and policies are made and how they change over time? How might we use the sociological perspective to develop more effective solutions to political and social issues or create policies that are effective and based on sound research? These are questions to consider as you explore the connection between political and economic power and legislative decision making.
Sociologists studying cultural diversity are also very much interested in how our beliefs about diversity are reflected in the law-making and policy-making process, including laws and policies that pertain to immigration and same-sex marriage. Something to think about is whether the policies and positions maintained by those in power actually reflect the research and data on the topic or issue they address. In other words, does the rhetoric match the evidence gathered through careful research?
