SOC 2000 CU Diversity & the Media the Forgotten Dimension of Diversity Article Essay

Your assignment is to analyze how the news media portray social categories and issues associated with diversity. You will connect your analysis to concepts and theories you have learned in the course such as assimilation, pluralism, the Noel and Blauner hypotheses, and Merton’s typology of prejudice and discrimination.

Review the Diversity and the Media: A Note From the Faculty presentation to learn about tips and advice from the faculty regarding this assignment. Institutional discrimination is discrimination that is directed toward members of a particular group and occurs as a result of the daily operations of various institutions, such as the education system, health care system, and criminal justice system. This form of discrimination may or may not be intentional. One of the institutions in which this kind of discrimination can occur is the media, and the media may also report on discrimination that occurs in the context of other institutions.

DIVERSITY AND THE MEDIA

Choose one media program or article that deals with an issue related to the variables we are exploring in this course: race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or social class. Examples of acceptable media include a newspaper article, a radio program, a television show, or a movie. Find these via the Capella library or online. Feel free to choose a topic or media source that is either domestic or global in content.

Then, write an essay that includes a brief summary of the main event or issues in your article or program, clarifying how the event or issue connects to this course. Your essay should accomplish the following:

1. Discuss sociological theories appropriate for promoting understanding of a diversity concept.
   • Include relevant examples from the article or program to illustrate your points.
2. Discuss how a media piece may affect or might have been influenced by policy and power.
   • Consider how individuals in power influence decisions regarding how issues are portrayed. This can include corporate executives, lobbyists, special interest groups, or those who own a particular newspaper, channel, or media conglomerate.
3. Discuss how minority and dominant groups are portrayed in a media piece to understand influences on discrimination.
   • Relate your discussion to Merton’s typology of prejudice and discrimination from the Merton’s Typology of Prejudice and Discrimination interactive.
4. Analyze data that is appropriate for supporting or refuting the central tenets of your media piece.
   • If data (statistical information) is cited in your media selection, you may go to that source and analyze it yourself; then consult an additional source that supports or refutes the data presented.
5. Apply in text the standard writing conventions for the discipline, including structure, voice, person, tone, and citation formatting.

Additional Requirements

• Written communication: Ensure written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• Length of paper: Submit 2–4 typed, double-spaced pages (title and reference page not included).
• Format: Format resources and citations according to current APA Style and Format guidelines.
• Font and font size: Use Times New Roman, 12-point font.
• Sources: Cite at least two sources. You may cite your media piece as one source and a course material or another scholarly source as the other. If you refer to concepts or theories covered in the course content, be sure to appropriately cite the applicable course reading or video. By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assignment criteria:
  • Competency 1: Describe theoretical ideas of power in relation to policy.
    • Discuss how minority and dominant groups are portrayed in a media piece to understand influences on discrimination.
  • Competency 2: Identify historical and contemporary influences of discrimination in American culture.
    • Discuss how a media piece may affect or might have been influenced by policy and power.
  • Competency 3: Analyze the effects of social policy using aggregated data.
    • Analyze data that is appropriate for supporting or refuting the central tenets of your media piece.
  • Competency 5: Apply diversity strategies in professional, educational, and personal contexts.
    • Discuss sociological theories appropriate for promoting understanding of a diversity concept.
  • Competency 6: Apply in text the standard writing conventions for the discipline, including structure, voice, person, tone, and citation formatting.
    • Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate APA Style and Format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.