SOC 3830
Spring 2020
Writing Assignment on Ghettoside
Due Monday, March 2, at the beginning of class. Late papers turned in to me on March 2 (that
is, any time after the beginning of class, but on the same day) will receive a 5-point penalty.
Papers turned in on March 3 will receive a 10-point penalty. Papers turned in on March 4 at or
before the beginning of the class period will receive a 20-point penalty. After the beginning of
class on March 4, no papers may be turned in. If you’re turning in a paper late, you are
responsible for making arrangements with me.
You will be writing a short essay about Ghettoside. You’re to give a summary of the book. To do
this you’ll first need to read the book carefully, take notes, and make sure you have a good
understanding of it. In your summary you should identify and explain the author’s argument and
main points while giving an overview of the book and showing how it all fits together. Make sure
this is organized and readable. Again, make sure you understand what the author is trying to
accomplish, and clearly communicate this in your paper. The idea is to give a clear and
accurate overview of the book, not just to give details about a few events or to try to tell about
everything that happened.
Format
4½ -6 pages, double-spaced. 1-inch margins. 12-point font. Times New Roman or Arial. Make
sure your pages are numbered. There will be a 5-point penalty if pages are not numbered.
You do not need outside references (material from outside the course), and generally you
should not be using any. In particular, do not use book reviews of Ghettoside or any other
sources about the book. The essay is supposed to be your own, and if you are copying,
paraphrasing, or using such sources in any other way, this is plagiarism and will result in an F
in the course. Using any other kind of source without appropriately citing it is also plagiarism
and will result in an F in the course, as will any other form of plagiarism or academic
dishonesty.
Writing in collaboration with other students or using another student’s paper in any way will also
result if a failing grade, as will lending your paper to another student. Keep your papers to
yourself and work independently. Double submissions (turning in all or a portion of your own
paper from another course or from a previous section of this course) are also prohibited (unless
I have given you explicit permission) and will also result in an F in the course.
If you do use any outside sources, you should talk to me about it first, and in that case you must
use appropriate citations and include a “References” page at the end. If you need more
information about what constitutes cheating and plagiarism, refer to this:
http://www.calstatela.edu/sites/default/files/groups/Judicial%20Affairs/Docs/academic_honesty.
pdf
You do not need a “References” section if you only cite the book or readings from this course. If
you wish, you may use only page numbers in parenthetical citations when you cite material such
as direct quotations from the book. If you use anything else, or if you need more information
about how to do references and citations, refer to this:
http://www.calstatela.edu/library/guides/3asa.pdf
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Turning in the assignment
Turn in your paper at the beginning of class. Also, prior to or soon after class (the same day),
email me a file of your paper as a Microsoft Word attachment. The name of your file should
be your last name. My email is bcampbe3@calstatela.edu
Put “SOC 3830-4 Writing Assignment” in the subject line if you are in the 9:25 a.m. class. Put
“SOC 3830-1 Writing Assignment” in the subject line if you are in the 1:40 p.m. class. In the text
of the email, put only the following:
Dr. Campbell:
A copy of my paper is attached. The paper contains no plagiarism. I have not
worked in collaboration with anyone else, and I have not used anyone else’s
paper or allowed anyone else to use mine. I have not read book reviews of
Ghettoside or used any other sources not cited properly in the paper.
Your first and last name
Your paper will not be graded unless a hard copy is submitted AND a file is emailed, and your
paper will be considered turned in when you have done both things. For example, if you
submit a hard copy on time but email the file one day late, your paper will be counted one day
late, and your grade will be reduced accordingly. So be sure to do both.
Do not put your name anywhere on the paper—only your CIN. Papers with names anywhere
on them will receive a 5-point penalty. You do not need a title page.
If you are in the 9:25 a.m. class, put the following at the top of the page:
Your CIN
SOC 3830-4
If you are in the 1:40 p.m. class, put the following at the top of the page:
Your CIN
SOC 3830-1
Grammar, writing style, etc.
While the content of your paper is most important, it is also important that you use proper
grammar and spelling. Do not expect to receive a good grade if your paper has numerous
grammatical or spelling errors—especially if there are major errors such as sentence fragments,
run-on sentences, etc. Other things that are important are accuracy, clarity, organization, the
extent to which you follow the assignment instructions, and the overall quality and sophistication
of the paper. Also, note again that plagiarism or any other type of academic dishonesty will
result in a failing grade in the course.
Here are some common errors and other problems to avoid when writing your papers. For
more serious issues with sentence construction and other grammar, you should consult a text in
English grammar and writing (such as Strunk and White’s Elements of Style, which is widely
available).
1. A novel is a form of fiction, so Ghettoside is not a novel.
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2. Use “who,” not “that” or “which,” to refer to people. Some students use “that” for
everything, resulting in statements such as "people that like this movie will…." Instead,
phrase it as "people who like this movie will...."
3. You may write in first person when appropriate, but avoid autobiographical commentary
like "I really enjoyed this book" or “I felt that such and such.” You should be talking about
the book, not yourself or your feelings.
4. Avoid hyperbolic and inaccurate statements like "All people everywhere..." and "Since
the beginning of time...."
5. Use regular paragraph indents, and do not put extra spaces between paragraphs.
6. Do not use contractions in formal papers. "Doesn't" should be "does not," "isn't" should
be "is not," “can’t” should be “cannot,” etc.
7. Italicize book titles. Use quotation marks for article titles.
8. Do not use exclamation marks (!) in scholarly papers.
9. Write in a straightforward manner. The meaning of your sentences should be clear, not
ambiguous.
10. Commas and periods go inside of quotation marks, not outside. Correct: "This is the end
of a quote." Incorrect: “This is the end of a quote”.
11. Parenthetical citations follow the quotation marks, if they reference a quote, but come
before the punctuation. "This is a cited quote" (author year: page number).
12. Use one hyphen for a hyphen (-), but use two to make a dash (--). Ideally, dashes have
no spaces on either side. If there is a space on one side, there must be a space on the
other, and however you do it, you must be consistent. In Word, if you type two hyphens
and then continue with the sentence—like this—the hyphens will transform into a dash
when you next hit the space bar.
13. Parentheses should have spaces on the outside, before and after, but not on the inside.
So (this) is correct; but(this) is incorrect; and (this)is incorrect.
14. When you use quotations, they need to be introduced or contextualized in some way.
Some students instead just stick in quotations of entire sentences without regard to
whether it makes any sense. This website identifies several ways to introduce quotes:
http://web.ccis.edu/en/Offices/AcademicResources/WritingCenter/EssayWritingAssistan
ce/SuggestedWaystoIntroduceQuotations.aspx
15. Refer to authors initially by first and last name and afterward by last name. Never refer to
authors by first name only. So for example, you might say something like “According to
Jill Leovy” the first time you mention her, and then afterward you would say things like
“Leovy says” or “Leovy’s theory.” You would not refer to her simply as “Jill” as if you’re
talking about someone both you and the reader know personally. The same goes for
other authors.
16. Don’t use profanity or slang.
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