Scenario: Imagine You Work For A Nonprofit Organization ✓ Solved

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Imagine that you work for a nonprofit organization that is focused on increasing diversity in community groups in your area. Your supervisor asks you to develop a sociological study concerning topics of diversity and collaboration in a specific community group of your choice. Eventually, you will prepare to share your research with colleagues.

For this Touchstone, you will begin by formulating a question about diversity in a community group that you have access to. Then you will use the steps of the scientific method to prepare a research plan, including a bibliography for a literature review.

As you learned, sociologists follow the scientific method so that their results are both scientifically valid and useful to the greater sociological community. A literature review allows researchers to learn from completed studies and to build upon their conclusions.

Step 1: Pick a Topic

Select a community group to study. Examples include an activity-based group such as a book club, a soccer team, or a community choir; a religious or ideological community like a church congregation or a local political party; a community organization like a PTA, neighborhood association, or volunteer committee; or an identity-based organization such as a social club for veterans or a fraternal organization. The group should have voluntary and recreational membership.

Avoid: Families, Workplaces, Ethnic or racial categories, Friend groups.

You may choose a group you are part of or not. Use your personal experience or ask group members about their experiences to develop your research question. Write a paragraph describing the community group, addressing:

  • What is the community group?
  • What are the attributes or characteristics of this community group? (e.g., activities, shared interests or identities, membership criteria)
  • What kind of experience with or access to this community group do you have?

Step 2: Ask a Question

Formulate a question related to this group that concerns diversity and/or collaboration. Think about aspects like race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, socioeconomic status, or intersecting identities.

Examples include: How does a group reach out to support diverse members? How has diversity affected group functioning? Formulate your question and identify the independent and dependent variables according to sociological research standards.

Step 3: Prepare a Bibliography

Gather 4-6 credible sources related to your research question. These sources should be scholarly articles, books, or reliable reports published within the last 10 years, covering different perspectives on the topic. Use Google Scholar, library databases, or other reputable sources.

Format each source with these elements separated by periods: Author’s name(s). Publication date. Title of the source. Source's location (URL). Example:

Alireza Behtoui. 2015. Beyond social ties: The impact of social capital on labour market outcomes for young Swedish people. journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/

Sample Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

Community groups serve as vital social structures that promote social cohesion, identity, and collective action. Among such groups, local sports clubs are especially prominent due to their recreational and community-building activities. This paper explores diversity within a local soccer team, a voluntary and recreational community group, aiming to understand how diversity influences group collaboration and social integration. The focus stems from the observation that sports teams increasingly comprise members from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, which can impact group dynamics.

Community Group Description

The selected community group for this study is the local neighborhood football (soccer) team, which has voluntary membership open to residents of the area. The team conducts weekly matches and training sessions, fostering a sense of camaraderie among participants. Members come from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, and some represent different socioeconomic groups. The team’s shared interest in sports and physical activity is the primary factor uniting members. My experience includes attending several practices and matches, as well as informal conversations with team members concerning their social interactions and perceptions of diversity within the group.

Research Question and Variables

The central research question is: How does racial and socioeconomic diversity affect collaboration and cohesion within the neighborhood soccer team?

In this study, the independent variables are racial background and socioeconomic status, while the dependent variables include measures of collaboration, social cohesion, and team morale. The hypothesis posits that greater diversity may both challenge and enrich group collaboration, depending on intergroup perceptions and inclusivity practices.

Literature Review Bibliography

  • Anderson, Eric. 2017. “The Impact of Diversity in Sports Teams: A Sociological Perspective.” Journal of Sport & Social Issues, 41(2). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0193723516685020
  • Johnson, Mark. 2019. “Social Cohesion and Diversity in Community Sports.” Sociology of Sport Journal, 36(4). https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ssj/36/4/article-p319.xml
  • Martinez, Luis. 2016. “Socioeconomic Status and Team Unity: An Exploration in Recreational Sports.” International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 51(1). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1012690214551807
  • Smith, Julia. 2020. “Race, Ethnicity, and Sports: Building Inclusive Recreational Teams.” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 6(1). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2332649219857643
  • Williams, Robert. 2018. “The Role of Diversity in Enhancing Team Performance.” Journal of Applied Sociology, 23(3). http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0002691818775383

Conclusion

This sociological study aims to uncover how diversity influences collaboration within a community sports group. Understanding these dynamics can inform inclusive practices that foster social cohesion, benefiting both the community and the participants. Future research should include more extensive data collection, including observational methods and interviews, to deepen insights into the role of diversity in recreational group settings.

References

  • Anderson, Eric. 2017. “The Impact of Diversity in Sports Teams: A Sociological Perspective.” Journal of Sport & Social Issues, 41(2). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0193723516685020
  • Johnson, Mark. 2019. “Social Cohesion and Diversity in Community Sports.” Sociology of Sport Journal, 36(4). https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ssj/36/4/article-p319.xml
  • Martinez, Luis. 2016. “Socioeconomic Status and Team Unity: An Exploration in Recreational Sports.” International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 51(1). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1012690214551807
  • Smith, Julia. 2020. “Race, Ethnicity, and Sports: Building Inclusive Recreational Teams.” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 6(1). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2332649219857643
  • Williams, Robert. 2018. “The Role of Diversity in Enhancing Team Performance.” Journal of Applied Sociology, 23(3). http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0002691818775383

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