Senior Sequence

 
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186 Research Proposal
187 Research Project
Projects & Portfolios
Research Guide
Urban EXPO
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Syllabus 187

Winter 2012 / TuTh 3:30-4:50pm, Location PCYNH 122

Professor Keith Pezzoli, Ph.D.,
email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
OH: Tu/Th 2:15-3:15pm, SSB 361,
and by appointment.

TA Hans Hassell, Ph. D. Candidate (PolSci)
email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
OH: Friidays, 9:00-10:00am, SSB 323, and by appointment.

TA Lydia Lundgren, Ph.D. Candidate (PolSci)
email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
OH: Weds., 12:30-1:30pm, SSB 323, and by appointment.

TA Matt Childers, Ph. D. Candidate (PolSci)
email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
OH: Thurs., 2:15-3:15, SSB 448, and by appointment.

Course description

USP 187 is an intensive research, writing and internship experience that culminates in an original Senior Research Project (SRP). Students learn about the theoretical, ethical and technical challenges of scholarly research and publication. USP 187 is the second course in the senior sequence. It has an internship and seminar component. The apprentice-style internships give students hands-on experience in a field related to their academic and/or career interests. The seminar component provides students with intellectual and moral support as they complete their internship and Senior Research Project (SRP). Specifically, the seminar provides a framework for students to critically examine theoretical as well as nuts-and-bolts aspects of their research and internship experience. The kinds of topics discussed include ethical issues in social science research, theory building and writing strategies. The seminar also provides students with opportunities to learn professional networking and presentation skills.

Course Requirements

The course requirements include a combination of written assignments, on-line posting to the class Web site, class participation (including evaluations of work by your fellow students), a poster presentation and all obligations associated with the internship and the end-of-sequence Urban Expo. During the fall quarter, students were expected to do roughly 50 hours of service as an intern (10 hours per week from week five to week ten). During the winter quarter, students are required to complete an additional 50 hours (10 hours per week from week one to week five). A total of 100 hours of internship time must be completed prior to the end of USP 187. Please be sure to turn in all assignments on time. We will deduct points from late assignments.

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
Winter 2012 Assignments & Grading

Date

Week

Assignments

% value

1/10/12    

Week 1

*

1/31/12

Week 4

30

2/2/12

Week 4

*

2/14/12

Week 6
  • *A4. Upload Internship Final Evaluation, using the 250 word text box called "Final Report" inside your "My Internship" data base (after you complete 100 hours; no later than 3/15/12) See instructions at the end of this table

*

2/28/12

Week 8

40

3/6/12

Week 9
  • A6: Upload contribution to the book of abstracts (250 word supplemental paragraph inside your on line portfolio --see instructions below)

*

3/8/12

Week 9

20

3/15/12

Week 10

*
  *Class Participation Everything marked with an asterick, plus participation in class 10

 

 

 

100
Instructions for the 250 word contribution to the Class of 2012 book of abstracts. We are going to create a "Class of 2012 Book of Abstracts." Everyone in the class will get their abstract published in this book. To make the book a little more interesting, we want each of you to add an additonal paragraph (250 words or less). There is a text box inside your online "My Research Portfolio" called "Section of Class Reader." Use this text box to enter up to 250 words that describes the contribution/findings of your research. This is different from the abstract. The abstract is a self contained summary of your entire project (question, research design, findings). Your 250-word supplemental paragraph for the book of abstracts should highlight your analysis and findings --use this space to elaborate on what you consider the most important contribution of your study.

EXTRA CREDIT OPTION: *In hardship cases, the TAs can allocate up to 5% in extra credit for an optional assignment—to be determined in advance between the TA and student.

Each assignment has a detailed set of instructions and guidelines, including format requirements. Unless otherwise specified, all assignments must be turned in at the beginning of class on the scheduled due date. Late assignments will lose 10% per day late, including weekends (i.e., a grade of 90% will become 80% if it is one day late, 70% if it is two days late, 60% if it is three days, etc). All assignments should be bound with a staple (no paper clips). We will not accept assignments sent by e-mail. You need a C- or higher in order for this class to count towards your major. Please note, if you are not passing a class because you have fallen behind in your work, you are not necessarily eligible for an Incomplete. Per Academic Senate Policy, the grade I may be assigned to a student only when the work is of non-failing quality, but is incomplete for good cause (illness, for example). The deadline for filing a request for an Incomplete shall be no later than the first working day after final examination week. If you decide to withdraw from a class, you can do so until the end of the ninth week (via Triton Link).

Maintaining Academic Integrity: Students agree that by taking this course all required papers will be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism.

Research Ethics, Integrity in Scholarship & Plagiarism, see: http://www.seniorsequence.net/index.php/guide/ethics/

REQUIRED READINGS (available in the UCSD bookstore)

Green, Gary P. and Anna Haines. 2012. Asset building and community development. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Marshall, Catherine and Gretchen B. Rossman. 2011. Designing qualitative research. Los Angeles: Sage.

Robson, C. 2011. Real World Research: John Wiley & Sons

Turabian, Kate L. 2007. A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations : Chicago style for students and researchers. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

RECOMMENDED READINGS

Hale, Charles R. 2008. Engaging contradictions : theory, politics, and methods of activist scholarship. Berkeley: University of California Press. (recommended, not required)

Other readings you may find useful (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.