Project Instructions (from syllabus) Los Angeles is a city that pulsates with immigrant life. As su ...
Project Instructions (from syllabus) Los Angeles is a city that pulsates with immigrant life. As such, you are expected to write a research paper based on direct observation in Los Angeles. Pick a neighborhood, a place/space, or a series of events (not just a one-time event) that would allow you to observe a theme related to immigrant incorporation that we cover in class, such as work/employment, gender patterns, socioeconomic incorporation, social class, family life, neighborhood concentration, and social networks. You will need to conduct observations at least twice a week for at least over 4 weeks to grasp the theme well. You may also speak with the people in your observed spaces to better understand how they perceive their environment. Then, you will research your topic in the literature so that you write a paper based on your observations and informed by the literature on the topic. This is how the production of scientific inquiry works: You will compare your observations with the literature on the topic, noting similarities and discrepancies. Are your observations reflected in the literature on the topic you selected? Why/Why not? Do your observations contribute something new, a new understanding of the topic you selected? Do your observations corroborate our knowledge of the topic? This research project is integral to your learning experience in the class as it will allow you to do original research, which you will likely find very rewarding. ? 10 double-spaced pages (not counting references or other materials) ? 5-7 published sources ? from class AND from outside of class ? Due December 12 How to structure your paper? 1. Introduction: puzzle/gap, research question, argument (thesis statement) 2. Literature review: based on other studies, what would we expect to find in your site? 3. Methods: where, when, who, how long... 4. Findings: identify 2-3 patterns that support your argument 5. Conclusion: summary and implications .Introduction (1 page) numbers of pages are approximate ? Describe the puzzle or gap or unresolved problem in the literature that you will address with your data ? What do we know? ? What do we not know (or not know well enough)? ? What does the existing research suggest might be the answer to that unanswered question? ? Identify your research question and explain how you answer it ? What question will you answer? ? What data will you use to answer this question? ? What do you find? ? Explain the importance of your findings ? What is the answer to your research question? (your thesis statement) ? How does this answer broaden, clarify, or challenge existing knowledge/theories? Example research questions ? What role does the church play in immigrants’ lives? ? What strategies do immigrant women use to run a successful business? ? How do immigrants build community in this supermarket/park/club? ? How do immigrant workers’ treatment of customers vary by gender/social class/immigrant background? ? How does immigrants’ strategic use of language depend on social circumstances? ? How and why does the behavior of the first and second generation vary in this setting? 2. Literature review (2 pages) ? Walk the reader through key background information/theories that are necessary for understanding why your research question is important to answer ? Use the existing literature to make a case for what you think you might find ? What have other scholars found in similar studies? ? Explain why your case is a useful case for examining these possibilities *Note: The point of a literature review is not actually to review all of the relevant literature. The point is to make the case for why your study is important, and to set up expectations for what you will find in your site. 3. Methods (1 page) ? Provide a brief overview of the study you conducted ? Describe your research site, why you chose it, and how you gained access ? Describe your research participants (the people you observed) ? General demographic information, approximate number of people you observed ? Discuss your role in the field and how your identity shaped your observations ? Describe the fieldwork you conducted and the data you collected ? Describe how you analyzed the data you collected 4. Findings (3.5 pages) ? Restate your argument (thesis statement) ? Identify 2-3 patterns in the data that provide evidence for your argument ? For each pattern: ? Describe at least 2 examples from your data that typify this pattern ? Provide a brief fieldnote excerpt for that example ? Briefly explain how this example represents the larger pattern ? Briefly explain how this pattern provides evidence for the broader argument 5. Conclusion (1.5 pages) ? Summarize your findings ? Remind readers of the puzzle/gap in the literature that you are trying to solve ? Remind readers of the specific research question that you have answered ? Briefly review what you found ? Briefly explain what these findings imply about the answer to your research question ? Discuss the implications of your findings ? Using existing literature, explain why your findings are or are not surprising ? Use existing research to discuss the most likely explanation for your findings ? Conclude by reviewing why these findings (and the larger puzzle/gap they address) are important How to structure your paper? ? A lot of articles assigned in this course follow this model very closely, except they are much longer. You could choose one you like and model your paper after it. ? Some good examples: ? Asad, Asad. 2014. “Contexts of Reception, Post-Disaster Migration, and Socioeconomic Mobility.” ? Gowayed, Heba. 2019. “Diverging by Gender: Syrian Refugees’ Division of Labor and Formation of Human Capital in the United States.” ? Kwon, Hyeyoung. 2014. “The Hidden Injury of Class in Korean American Language Brokers’ Lives.” ? Chemlali, Ahlam. 2023. “A Mother’s Choice: Undocumented motherhood, waiting, and smuggling in the Tunisian-Libyan borderlands.” How to find sources? ? Focus on sociology or migration studies journals ? Can use Google Scholar or the UCLA library catalog ? I prefer Google Scholar ? Look at citation counts (more than 10 is good) ? Add “immigrant” and/or “sociology” to search terms ? Don’t use encyclopedia or newspaper articles or unpublished theses/dissertations. Stick to published academic journal articles.
