Sociology of Medicine
SOCIOLOGY 3703
Group Project and Presentation Guidelines
NOTE: Attendance is mandatory for all presentations
Due dates:
· Groups – January 18
· Group meetings with professor – one per month (Jan., Feb., March, April if needed)
· Research question – January 30
· Final presentations – April 12-19
Project
Each group of 2-4 students will conduct a content analysis on a topic related to medicine, health or illness. A content analysis is a research method that looks at existing materials (newspapers, magazines, television shows, movies, websites, etc.) to find trends and patterns that will help you make a larger argument about your topic. If your group is more quantitatively inclined, you could also analyze numerical data. These decisions will be made in consultation with the professor.
Paper
While the project and presentation will be a group effort, each student will write her or his own individual 5 page paper analyzing the findings of the research project. The paper should include:
1. Research question
2. Methods
3. Findings
4. Analysis
Your paper is due on Thursday, March 22. You will receive a grade and extensive feedback on your paper and will be required to make revisions which will be due on Thursday, April 19. Revisions must be substantial in order to increase your grade up to a letter grade. Failure to complete the revisions will result in a decrease of a letter grade on the paper. (See syllabus for grade translations on written work).
Presentation
You may choose to organize your presentation in the way that makes most sense to your group. Keep in mind though that I would like each group member to participate in some way. You should present your research question, methods, findings, and analysis. You should also provide some type of visual component (handout, powerpoint, video, etc.). You should also be sure to leave time for discussion at the end of your presentation. Your presentations will be at least 20 minutes (exact amount of time will depend on how many groups are formed). In your presentation, you will be evaluated on the content and style of your presentation.
A few topic ideas
Comparison of medical school curriculum
Gender/race/age representations in pharmaceutical advertising
Survival rate of resuscitated patients on shows like ER
Comparison of websites of health related social movements
Compare state and national organ transplant data