SOC 102 Race and Ethnic Relations
Spring 2012
Final Take Home Examination

Deadline: 11:30am Monday May 6th
Please answer the following question:

Are racial inequalities in the US better explained by race or socio-economic class?

BIG hint: when sociologists explain things by ‘race’, really what they are saying is “racism” and other things that are related to race.

You must include a bibliography/works cited page at the end of your answer.

What I am looking for:
You can agree, disagree, or sit on the fence! Sometimes a good paper tactic is to discuss both sides of this argument and then conclude with your own opinion, but you do not have to follow this plan and feel free to argue strongly one way if you see fit.

I will be grading on how you use and synthesize the readings, lectures, documentaries, clips and discussions we have had this semester to answer the question (remember all the readings and lectures are all available on blackboard). The more you demonstrate what you’ve learned by specifically referencing materials in your paper, the better your grade will be!

This means specifically referring to the assigned readings in your paper and not just cut and pasting text from the lecture slides and pretending you read the text! Using well-selected quotes from the readings to demonstrate that you have read them.

Using the Internet WILL NOT HELP YOU and you should resist the urge to use it.
Only exception is if you wish to find simple statistics.

There are no right or wrong answers and I encourage you to take your own stance. Don’t be afraid to argue something that contradicts my opinion – as long as you can back up your statements with evidence I am very happy to hear your views.

Length:
Papers should be about 5 -8 double spaced pages in Time New Roman font (or equivalent), size 12, normal margins. Please try to keep the paper length under 10 double spaced pages, though if you want to write more I promise you I will read it. Appendices, bibliographies and cover sheets do not count towards this page length.

Submitting:
You will have to submit a paper copy in class AND submit via blackboard. Failure to do both will result in an incomplete grade for this exam.
Please submit an e-copy via blackboard “safe assign” here is a step by step how to do this: 1) Log into blackboard and go to our course 2) Click on the red “assignments” button on the left 3) Click on the yellow “final examination” folder at the top of the page 4) Look for the green check mark. Scroll down and click on the “view/complete” link. 5) Follow the instructions and upload your file. Make sure this file is a word file (it should end with .doc or. docx). RTF files and WP files will not work! 6) If you follow these steps and cannot upload your paper, you should email me your paper (allardf@mail.montclair.edu). I would advise using the return receipt function on MSU webmail to check that your paper successfully reached me. You can do this as well if you want to be super sure your paper submitted on time.

Late Assignments:
The due date is 11:30am Monday, May 6th. For every 24 hour period that a paper is late without explanation (starting at the end of the class that it is due) your assignment will be downgraded a letter grade. After 5 days I shall no longer accept or grade any final exams. Because this is an exam, extensions will only be given in exceptional circumstance.

Note, there is no penalty to submit early, though I would advise waiting until all the classes are taught so you have the maximum amount of material to draw from.

Citations:
You must include a bibliography at the end of your paper. Hint: feel free to cut and paste the readings directly from the syllabus! Please see the assignment folder on blackboard for an “citation guide,” feel free to use any citation style you are comfortable with. Main thing is to list the name of the author and