How to start your Research Paper

How to start your Research Paper?

STEP 1: Identify the main topic of your paper.

To identify the main topic of your paper, I encourage you to think about your passions, your hobbies, or the job you want to have tomorrow. If your passion is football, why not analyses sociologically the football world. If your hobby is to play video games or watch your favorite TV show, why not use different theories and concepts to analyze these medias? If you want to be a teacher, you can discuss education.

You may also be interested to fight for what you believe and be an active and engaged political being. Use sociological theories and concepts to help your favorite organization. You can also volunteer your time in the community and in its different organization. Use sociological concepts and theories to analyze from a sociological perspective the social situation which affect the lives in the community.

If I was taking this class, the main topic of my paper will be education.

STEP 2: Identify Sociological Journal regarding this specific topic.

Go to the following web site and identify Journals which may help you in your research.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sociology_journalsInterested by Education, I found the two following Journal: Sociology of Education and British Journal of Sociology of Education.

STEP 3: Identify a sub topic.

I am interested by inequalities. I am trying to ask a question to answer:

“Why underserved students have less chances to succedd in an institution of education than privildges students?”

STEP 4: Find articles discussing the sub topic

Exploring the two different journal, I realize that some authors use the concepts and theories of the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. Reading the different articles, I found the following concepts and theories: the theory of Reproduction, social capital, and cultural capital.

Bourdieu, Pierre. 1986. “The Forms of Capital.” Pp. 241-258 in Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education. Edited by JG Richardson, New York, NY: Greenwood

Cox, Amanda Barrett. 2017. “Cohorts, ‘Siblings,’ and Mentors: Organizational Structures and the Creation of Social Capital.” Sociology of Education 90 (1): 47–63.

Gottfredson, Denise C., and Stephanie M. DiPietro. 2011. “School Size, Social Capital, and Student Victimization.” Sociology of Education84 (1): 69–89

Jack, Anthony Abraham. 2016. “(No) Harm in Asking.” Sociology of Education 89 (1): 1–19.

Jæger, Mads Meier. 2011. “Does Cultural Capital Really Affect Academic Achievement? New Evidence from Combined Sibling and Panel Data.” Sociology of Education 84 (4): 281–98.

Kisida, Brian, Jay P. Greene, and Daniel H. Bowen. 2014. “Creating Cultural Consumers: The Dynamics of Cultural Capital Acquisition.” Sociology of Education 87 (4): 281–95.

Marteleto, Leticia, and Fernando Andrade. 2014. “The Educational Achievement of Brazilian Adolescents: Cultural Capital and the Interaction between Families and Schools.” Sociology of Education 87 (1): 16–35.

Paino, Maria, and Linda A. Renzulli. 2013. “Digital Dimension of Cultural Capital: The (In)Visible Advantages for Students Who Exhibit Computer Skills.” Sociology of Education 86 (2): 124–38.

Park, Julie J., and Nicholas A. Bowman. 2015. “Religion as Bridging or Bonding Social Capital: Race, Religion, and Cross-Racial Interaction for College Students.” Sociology of Education 88 (1): 20–37.

STEP 5: Write the first thesis statement

Based on my exploration of the reading. I wrote the following thesis statement: “The work of Pierre Bourdieu on education help us to understand how class inequalities are reproduced from generation to generation. His theory of social and educational reproduction, in addition to hus concepts of social and cultural capital help us to understand the social forces which affect the people who have less.”

This first thesis statement will help me to write my paper and help me to construct a strong argument.

Main Topic Education

Journals Sociology of Education

British Journal of Sociology of Education

Sub Topic Inequalities

Research Question “Why underserved students have less chances to succedd in an institution of education than privildges students?”

Make the bibliography See above.

Create a short outline of your paper Part 1: The work of Pierre Bourdieu on Education

Social and Educational Reproduction

Social Capital

Cultural Capital

Part 2: Operationalization of the Concept

Write a first thesis statement “The work of Pierre Bourdieu on education help us to understand how class inequalities are reproduced from generation to generation. His theory of social and educational reproduction, in addition to hus concepts of social and cultural capital help us to understand the social forces which affect the people who have less.”