Senior Sequence

Syllabus 186

Fall 2009 / TuTh 3:30-4:50pm, Center Hall 109 (view map)

Professor Keith Pezzoli, Ph.D., .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Office hours: Tues. & Thurs., 2:00-3:00pm, SSB 361

TA Lydia Lundgren, Ph.D. Candidate (Political Science)
email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
A01 W 3:00p - 3:50p SSB 102
Office hours: Wednesdays, 1:00-3:00pm, SSB 323

TA Saul Cunow, Ph. D. Candidate (Political Science)
email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
A02 W 4:00p - 4:50p SSB 102
Office hours: Tuesdays, 2:00-3:30pm, SSB 320.

Course description

This course introduces you to the practice of social research including the challenges of writing a scholarly research proposal. USP 186 is the first course in the fall-winter Senior Sequence. The major objective of the Senior Sequence is to build your capacity to: (1) critically review research, (2) formulate interesting research questions of your own, (3) design an original research project and investigative strategy, (4) conduct research individually and as part of a research team, and (5) analyze, interpret, write-up, and communicate research findings.  USP 186’s capstone requirement is a research proposal. The proposal outlines/justifies your plan to complete a Senior Research Project (SRP) during the winter quarter.  By the end of the two-quarter Senior Sequence you will have completed your SRP along with 100 hours of service learning at an internship placement of your choosing.   Prerequisites: USP major and upper-division standing.

Skills we aim to develop in the Senior Sequence

Conceptual	Creating examined conceptualizations of select objects of study (i.e., theory-building)
Philosophical	Becoming critically self-aware of your normativeperspectives (calling into view ethics and philosophy of social science)
Methodological	Applying investigative strategies to address scholarly questions
Analytical	Unpacking a hole into its component parts; examining a complex object, its elements and inter-dependencies
Communicative	Building,  supporting and presenting an evidence-based position or argument; working effectively as a member of a research team; using multimedia for science communication
Writing	Producing a clearly written research proposal and well-documented thesis

Course Requirements

You must complete three written assignments, three web assignments,   and a series of group-related tasks associated (as part of setting up your research team and mentor relationship). Each student must also select and begin an internship placement. During the fall quarter, you are expected to do approximately 50 hours of service learning as an intern (10 hours per week from week five to week ten). During the winter, you will be expected to complete an additional 50 hours (10 hours per week from week one to week five). Students can start their internship earlier than week five of the fall quarter, but not later.    Keith Pezzoli and Valorie Bruce will help you secure a good internship placement.  Compliance with all internship related deadlines and requirements is crucial.

Assignments and Grading

Each assignment has a detailed set of instructions and guidelines,  including format requirements and our policy concerning missed deadlines All three written assignments must be turned in at the beginning of class in Center 109 on the scheduled due date. All assignments should be bound with a staple (no paperclips). Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the terms of use agreement posted on the Turnitin.com site.

Assignments and Due Dates for Fall 2009

Date	Week	Assignments	% value
9/24/09	Week 1	1). Internship Task: fill out application during the first class	—
9/30/09	Week 1	2). Register to class web site; begin on-line research portfolio (select AOC)	2
10/8/09	Week 2	3). Turn in topic selection and team formation exercise	10
10/20/09	Week 4	4). Upload proposal abstract, key terms, significance; finalize your membership in a student-mentor research team	2
10/29/09	Week 5	5). Turn in first draft of proposal. Upload SciVee Proposalcast (to be evaluated and commented upon by fellow students); update your research portfolio; finalize your membership in a student-mentor research team.	30
10/29/09	Week 5	6). Internship Task: Contract due in USP Office, SSB 315	2
11/05/09	Week 6	7). Upload your evaluation of your team members’ draft proposal	2
11/19/09	Week 8	8). Turn in final copy of proposal. Upload final copy of proposal	40
11/24/09	Week 9	9). Internship Task: Progress Report due in USP Office, SSB 315 (This form should be turned in after you complete 50 hours – No Later than 12/3/09)	2
12/3/09	Week 10	10). Turn in & Upload your Transition Plan (shifting gears from proposal writing mode to thesis writing mode)	10
			100

Turn in all internship forms (except the application which will be collected in class on Sept. 24) to Valorie Bruce or Adrienne Keiper in SSB 315. To ensure that the process flows smoothly, it is imperative that you all comply with these requirements on a timely basis.

Research Ethics, Integrity in Scholarship and Plagiarism, see:

http://www.seniorsequence.net/index.php/guide/ethics/

READING LIST

Required Readings

Hunt, Andy. 2005. Your research project : how to manage it. New York, NY: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-34408-5 (PBK).

Robson, Colin. 2007. How to do a Research Project: A Guide for Undergraduate Students. Oxford, UK ; Madden, Mass.: Blackwell Publishers. ISBN 978-1-4051-1409-5 (PBK)

Robson, C. 2002. Real world research : a resource for social scientists and practitioner-researchers (2nd ed.). Oxford, UK ; Madden, Mass.:  Blackwell Publishers. ISBN 0-631-21305-8 (PBK)  http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/robson/powerpoint_slides.asp

Yin, Robert K. 2009. Case study research : design and methods (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications. ISBN: 9781412960991(PBK)

RECOMMENDED READINGS (You don’t need to purchase any of these; they are all on reserve in Geisel Librar;  those marked with an asterisk are especially good)

Engaged Scholarship

Flyvbjerg, Bent. 2001. Making social science matter : why social inquiry fails and how it can succeed again.  Oxford, UK ; New York: Cambridge University Press.
  *Hale, Charles R. 2008. Engaging contradictions : theory, politics, and methods of activist scholarship.  Berkeley: University of California Press.
  *Hartman, Chester W. 2002. Between eminence & notoriety : four decades of radical urban planning. New Brunswick, N.J.: Center for Urban Policy Research.
  Mills, C. Wright. 2000. The sociological imagination. Oxford [England] New York: Oxford University Press.
  *Schuler, Douglas. 2008. Liberating voices : a pattern language for communication revolution. Cambridge, Mass.:  MIT Press.
  Van de Ven, Andrew H. 2007. Engaged scholarship : a guide for organizational and social research. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press.

Methods

Alberti, Marina. 2007. Advances in urban ecology : integrating humans and ecological processes in urban ecosystems. New York: Springer.
  Danermark, Berth, Mats Ekstrom,  Liselotte Jakobsen, and Jan Ch. Karlsson. 2002. Explaining society : critical realism in the social sciences.  London ; New York: Routledge.
  *Lofland, John and John Lofland.  2006. Analyzing social settings : a guide to qualitative observation and analysis. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
  *Maginn, Paul J., Susan Thompson,  and Matthew Tonts. 2008    "Qualitative urban analysis : an international perspective."  Oxford Elsevier JAI.
  *Marshall, Catherine and Gretchen B. Rossman. 2006. Designing qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.

Writing Tips

Becker, Howard Saul. 1986. Writing for social scientists : how to start and finish your thesis, book, or article. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  —. 1998. Tricks of the trade : how to think about your research while you’re doing it. Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press.
  *Dunlap, Louise. 2007. Undoing the silence : six tools for social change writing. Oakland, CA: New Village Press.
  Richardson, Laurel. 1990.  "Writing Strategies: Reaching diverse audiences." A Sage University Paper 21.
  Zinsser, William Knowlton. 1988. Writing to learn. New York: Harper &  Row.
  —. 2006. On writing well : the classic guide to writing nonfiction. New York: HarperCollins.

Planning

Campbell, Scott and Susan S.  Fainstein. 2003. Readings in planning theory. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers.
  Friedmann, John. 1987. Planning in the public domain : from knowledge to action. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
  *Gottlieb, Robert. 2007. Reinventing Los Angeles : nature and community in the global city. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
  Ravetz, Joe, Sustainable City-Region Working Group., Town and Country Planning Association (Great Britain)., and Peter Robert. 2000. City-region 2020 : integrated planning for a sustainable environment. London:  Earthscan.
  *Sandercock, Leonie. 2003. Cosmopolis II : mongrel cities in the 21st century. London ; New York: Continuum.
  Wheeler, Stephen. 2004. Planning for sustainability:  Creating livable, equitable, and ecological communities. New York: Routledge.
  Wheeler, Stephen and Timothy Beatley. 2004. The sustainable urban development reader. London ; New York: Routledge.