Sophia Intro To Sociology SOCI1010 Touchstone 1
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Name: Jade Brown
Date: Sunday January 19, 2025
SCENARIO: Imagine that you work for a nonprofit organization that is focused on increasing
diversity in community groups in your area. Your supervisor asks you to develop a sociological
study concerning topics of diversity and collaboration in a specific community group of your
choice. Eventually you will prepare to share your research with colleagues.
ASSIGNMENT: For this Touchstone, you will begin by formulating a question about diversity in
a community group that you have access to. Then you will use the steps of the scientific method
to prepare a research plan, including a bibliography for a literature review. As you learned,
sociologists follow the scientific method so that their results are both scientifically valid and
useful to the greater sociological community. A literature review allows researchers to learn
from completed studies and to build upon their conclusions.
SOCI1010 Unit 1 Touchstone Template
Complete the following template, including all parts, using complete sentences.
STEP 1: Pick a Topic
Write a paragraph (approximately 6-8 sentences) describing the community group you have
chosen. Remember, it should be a group in which membership is voluntary and recreational.
In particular, be sure to answer the following questions:
● What is the community group?
● What are the attributes or characteristics of this community group? (e.g. What activities
does this group do together? What element of the members' interests or identities
brings them together? How is membership in the group defined, if at all?)
● What kind of experience with or access to this community group do you have?
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The community group I have chosen to study is the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at my
local elementary school. This group consists of parents, teachers, and school staff who come
together with the shared goal of supporting the school community and enhancing the
educational experience for students. The PTA organizes various events, such as fundraisers,
school dances, and volunteer opportunities, and works closely with the school to improve
facilities and programs. Members of the PTA are united by their common interest in their
children's education and well-being, as well as a desire to contribute to the school in a
meaningful way. Membership is open to any parent or guardian of a student at the school, and
while there are no strict requirements to join, active participation is encouraged. I have been
involved with the PTA for the past year, attending meetings and helping with fundraising
events. Through this experience, I have gained insight into how parents from diverse
backgrounds and with different priorities come together to work for a common cause. It’s been
interesting to observe how the group navigates differing opinions and how the shared focus on
the school’s success helps maintain a sense of unity.
STEP 2: Ask a Question
Formulate a research question related to this group, and to topics related to diversity and/or
collaboration. Write the question you have formulated for your study and identify the
independent and dependent variables.
Remember, an independent variable is a variable that causes or drives a change in outcome. A
dependent variable is an effect, or a variable that is influenced by an independent variable.