Assessment 1 Controversial Topic Position Paper

 

Assessment Instructions

Develop your position on a controversial diversity topic; choose one of the topics in the Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Race and Ethnicity text or one of your own. You must support your argument with a minimum of 5 sources.

After examining scholarly research on both sides of the issue, write a 3–5 page, double-spaced paper (plus title, abstract, and references pages) organized as follows:

• Title page.
• Abstract.
• Introduction.
• Your position and arguments.
• Evidence for your position.
• Counterarguments to your position.
• Evidence for the counterarguments.
• Rebuttals to those counterarguments.
• Summary and Conclusion.
• References.

Additional Requirements

• Follow APA style and formatting guidelines throughout your paper. You are encouraged to use the supplied APA Paper Template.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

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Choose a controversial topic in the area of diversity and ethnicity and write a 3–5 page position paper in favor of or opposing a selected question.

Not surprisingly, there are multiple perspectives to consider when studying issues related to culture, ethnicity, and diversity. These perspectives are shaped by upbringing, values, belief systems, and many other variables. This assessment is an opportunity to explore both sides of a current controversial issue and apply psychological theory and research to endorse a position. While opinions are always informed by one’s background and experiences, understanding and analyzing different viewpoints is essential for enhancing cultural competency. One way to accomplish this is by considering psychological frameworks and reviewing empirical evidence to better understand complex areas of diversity and inclusion.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

· Describe the effects of culture, ethnicity, and diversity on the human experience.

· Describe a controversial topic and key current issues related to the topic.

· Analyze psychological research findings related to culture, ethnicity, and diversity.

· Identify rebuttals to counterarguments using psychological theories or research in culture, ethnicity, and diversity to support the rebuttals.

· Assess the strength of the original position using psychological theories or research in culture, ethnicity, and diversity to support own views.

· Apply psychological theories to issues affecting culture, ethnicity, and diversity.

· Identify counterarguments to own position, using psychological theories or research in culture, ethnicity, and diversity to support the counterarguments.

· Apply psychological theory and research in culture, ethnicity, and diversity to inform personal and professional behavior.

· Describe own personal or professional position on a topic supported by psychological theories or research in culture, ethnicity, and diversity.

· Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for professionals in the field of psychology.

· Cite scholarly evidence correctly according to current APA guidelines.

· Write in a manner that is scholarly, clear, and free of grammatical, spelling, and APA formatting errors.

Suggested Resources

The resources provided here are optional. You may use other resources of your choice to prepare for this assessment; however, you must ensure that they are appropriate, credible, and valid. The 

PSYC-FP3540 – Culture, Ethnicity, and Diversity Library Guide

 can help direct your research, and the Supplemental Resources and Research Resources, both linked from the left navigation menu in your courseroom, provide additional resources to support you.

APA Resources

·

APA Paper Template

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Choosing and Proposing a Position

This textbook, available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link, may help you choose your position and present pro and con arguments for select topics:

· D’Angelo, R., & Douglas, H. (2017). Taking sides: Clashing views in race and ethnicity (11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. ISBN:9781259677670.

This affirmative-action debate video provides a visual model of a formal debate. While this assessment will not be organized as a debate, the video is a good overview of pro and con arguments on a relevant diversity topic:

· Intelligence Squared US (Producer). (2014). 

Affirmative action on campus does more harm than good: A debate
 [Video]

.

This Web page will give you pointers on composing an argumentative essay:

· Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). (2018). 

Argumentative essays

. Retrieved from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/argumentative_essays.html

Psychological Perspectives, Theories, and Research

These general sources may help provide context and/or evidence for your pro or con arguments for your chosen topic for this assessment.

This textbook is available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link:

· Blaine, B. E., & McClure Brenchley, K. J. (2018). Understanding the psychology of diversity (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN:9781483319230.

· Chapter 3, “Stereotypes Expressed,” pages 45–66.

· Chapter 5, “Understanding Racial Stereotypes and Racism,” pages 93–118.

This chapter encompasses extensive work on how racism manifests in our time.

· Dovidio, J. F., Pearson, A. R., & Penner, L. A. (2018). 

Aversive racism, implicit bias, and microaggressions

. In G. C. Torino, D. P. Rivera, C. M. Capodilupo, K. L. Nadal, & D. W. Sue (Eds.), Microaggression theory: Influence and implications (pp. 16–31). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Social Justice

Steel is one of the few recognized scholars who challenge the status quo; in this book he presents alternative views on multiculturalism and diversity.

· Steele, S. (2015). 

Shame: How America’s past sins have polarized our country

. New York, NY: Basic Books.

This critique of the social justice movement offers an alternative view of the notion of social justice.

· Hunsaker, R. C. (2011). 

Counseling and social justice

. Academic Questions, 24(3), 319–340.

Privilege

· Fitzgerald, K. J. (2014). 

Recognizing race and ethnicity: Power, privilege, and inequality

. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

· Dewey, J. (Author). (2011). 

Christian privilege
 [Video].

 Hanover, MA: Microtraining Associates.

· Morris, S. (Producer). (2013). 

White like me: Race, racism & white privilege in America
 [Video]

.

Multiculturalism

· Hartmann, D. (2015). 

Reflections on race, diversity, and the crossroads of multiculturalism

. The Sociological Quarterly, 56(4), 623–639.

· Hong, Y., & Cheon, B. K. (2017). 

How does culture matter in the face of globalization?

 Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(5), 810–823.

· Malik, K. (2014). 

What’s the problem with multiculturalism? [Blog post]

. Retrieved from https://kenanmalik.com/2014/10/16/whats-the-problem-with-multiculturalism/

· McIntosh, P. (1990). 

White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack

. Independent School, 49(2), 31–36.

· McIntosh, P. (2012). 

Reflections and future directions for privilege studies

. Journal of Social Issues, 68(1), 194–206.

· Renshon, S. (2011, Feb 8). 

Multiculturalism in the U.S.: Cultural narcissism and the politics of recognition [Blog post]

. Retrieved from https://cis.org/Renshon/Multiculturalism-US-Cultural-Narcissism-and-Politics-Recognition

Social Implications Examples

· Krosch, A. R., Tyler, T. R., & Amodio, D. M. (2017). 

Race and recession: Effects of economic scarcity on racial discrimination

. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(6), 892–909.

· Light, M. T., Miller, T., & Kelly, B. C. (2017). 

Undocumented immigration, drug problems, and driving under the influence in the United States, 1990–2014

. American Journal of Public Health, 107(9), 1448–1454.

· Premdas, R. (2016). 

Social justice and affirmative action

. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 39(3), 449–462.

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTION

Develop your position on a controversial diversity topic; choose one of the topics in the Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Race and Ethnicity text or one of your own. You must support your argument with a minimum of 5 sources.

After examining scholarly research on both sides of the issue, write a 3–5 page, double-spaced paper (plus title, abstract, and references pages) organized as follows:

· Title page.

· Abstract.

· Introduction.

· Your position and arguments.

· Evidence for your position.

· Counterarguments to your position.

· Evidence for the counterarguments.

· Rebuttals to those counterarguments.

· Summary and Conclusion.

· References.

Additional Requirements

· Follow APA style and formatting guidelines throughout your paper. You are encouraged to use the supplied APA Paper Template.

· Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.