Your course project will focus on a particular social movement that has had an impact on American society. Examples of potential topics include the Abolitionist (Anti-Slavery) Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, the Women’s Rights Movement, the Environmental Movement, and the Anti-Apartheid Movement. This week you will submit the proposal for your course project. It should include the following components: Description of the social movement you have chosen, why you have chosen it, what you already know about it, and what you hope to learn through your research. One-page, double spaced. Title page that includes the working title for your project. Reference list with at least three scholarly sources about your topic. These scholarly sources should be articles or books obtained from the Rasmussen Library databases Project The final version of your course project should be submitted to the drop box below. Your final project should build from the proposal and reference list you submitted in Module 02. Check to be sure your final submission includes the following: 4-5 pages of text in addition to having a title and reference page, all in correct APA format. A strong thesis statement supported by research from at least 5 different sources. In a research-based project like this, it is important to refer to and cite your sources throughout the paper to show where your information is coming from and to support your points. Incorporation of key sociological concepts while consistently demonstrating the sociological perspective. Your paper should apply one of the major sociological theories to the movement you have chosen, explaining how that theory would evaluate the development of the movement and its successes and failures.

Prepare: The topic of your essay needs to be a global societal problem from the following list: adult illiteracy, funding for General Education vs STEM in primary and secondary schools, minimum wage, oceans desertification, overcoming the digital divide, refugee (escaping persecution, war, or death) crises, species extinctions (modern), tax havens, Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), universal statement of human rights (pick one), airport security, or wealth disparity. Review this GEN499 Sample Final Paper Guide for additional guidance on the expectations of this assignment.

Reflect: Based on the topic that you have chosen, you will need to use critical thinking skills to thoroughly understand how this topic can be a global societal problem and determine some logical solution(s) to the problem.

Write: This Final Argumentative Essay will present research relating the critical thinker to the modern, globalized world. In this assignment, you need to address the following items in separate sections with new headings for each:

• Identify the global societal problem within the introductory paragraph and conclude with a thesis statement that states your proposed solution(s) to the problem. For guidance on how to construct a good introduction paragraph, please review the Introduction Paragraph Guideline (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. from the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
• Describe background information on how that problem developed or came into existence. Show why this is a societal problem, and provide perspectives from multiple disciplines or populations so that you fully represent what different parts of society have to say about this issue.
• Construct an argument supporting your proposed solution(s). Be sure to consider multiple disciplines or populations so that your solution shows that multiple parts of society will benefit from this solution. Provide evidence from multiple scholarly sources as evidence that your proposed solution is viable.
• Interpret statistical data from at least three, peer-reviewed scholarly sources. Do this by discussing the validity, reliability, and any biases; identifying the strengths and weaknesses of these sources; and pointing out limitations of current research and attempting to indicate areas for future research. You may even use visual representations such as graphs or charts to explain statistics from sources. Evaluate the ethical outcomes that result from your solution. Be sure to provide at least one positive ethical outcome as well as at least one negative ethical outcome that could result from your solution, and explain at least two ethical issues related to each of those outcomes. It’s important to consider all of society.
• Develop a conclusion as the last paragraph(s) of the essay, starting with rephrasing your thesis statement and then presenting the major points of the topic and how they support your argument. For guidance on how to write a good conclusion paragraph, please review the Conclusion Paragraph Guideline (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. from the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

The Final Argumentative Essay

• Must be 3,300 – 3,900 words in length (approximately between 10 – 12 pages; excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
• Must include a separate title page (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
  • Running header with page numbers
• Must include in-text citations (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. from at least 10 scholarly sources. Be sure to integrate your research (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. rather than simply inserting it.
• Must document all sources in APA style as outlined here (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and here (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
• Must have no more than 15% quoted material in the body of your essay based on the Turnitin report. Reference list will be excluded from the Turnitin originality score.
• Must include a separate reference page (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
• Source Document Requirements:
  • Multimedia sources (such as videos) may be used, but no more than two such sources may be used. If multimedia sources are used, they must be authored and distributed by credible sources, such as universities, law schools, medical schools, or professors, or found in the Ashford University Library.
  • Government sources may be used, but no more than two such sources may be used. Examples include whitehouse.gov, state.gov, usa.gov, cdc.gov, etc. These websites can be used to make a stronger point about your proposed soluation within the argument.
  • Where print documents are used for source materials, those must be peer-reviewed, scholarly journal articles, and academically published books. Popular media sources (e.g., newspapers, magazines, television and radio shows, etc.) must not be used. Materials from advocacy groups (e.g., Greenpeace, Human Rights Campaign, National Organization for Women, etc.) must not be used.
  • Sites such as ProCon.org and Wikipedia must not be used.
  • Religious texts must not be used.

Good Critical Thinking Tips:

• Your paper should include academic sources that explain multiple sides of the issue.
• Your interpretations of the evidence should be objective and state the conclusions and theses presented in the evidence clearly and fairly.
• Your paper should place the various forms of evidence in relation to one another and demonstrate why one form or perspective is stronger than the other positions that one could take on the issue.
• Your paper should point out the limitations of current evidence and attempt to indicate areas for future research.