1. Understanding Racial and Economic Inequalities: By analyzing data on earnings across racial and ethnic groups in Florida, students can observe and reflect on how economic disparities persist among different racial and ethnic communities. This analysis helps students connect the data to broader sociological concepts, such as systemic inequality and the social stratification of race and ethnicity.
2. Developing Data Analysis Skills: The assignment aims to familiarize students with using a data analysis tool (WebChip) to generate, interpret, and compare tables. This encourages students to practice quantitative analysis, which is essential in social science research and enhances their ability to work with data in a structured manner.
3. Reflecting on Personal and Societal Impact: The assignment promotes a more reflective and personal understanding of racial and economic inequalities by asking students to relate the data to personal experiences. This component is designed to help students connect their lived experiences—or those of family members—to sociological phenomena as they consider how structural inequalities shape individual lives.
This introductory-level assignment for undergraduate students can be applied to various class sizes. It is designed for an N=73 class. Students are expected to read assigned chapters on race, ethnicity, and inequality before this assignment. Considering the readings, using WebChip tool, analyzing the data and write the assignment, may need 2-3 hours to complete this assignment. Students already familiar with WebChip, data analysis, and sociological concepts may complete it more quickly, while those needing extra time to navigate new tools and use the sociological concepts may take longer.
This assignment is designed for the undergraduate-level Introduction to Sociology class at Florida International University (FIU). The data in the WebChip portal were used to analyze the earning composition for each ethnic and racial category in Florida. Students observed the differences between the earnings for each ethnic and racial group between 2008 and 2016.
In the Introduction to Sociology course’s Race and Gender Module, students analyze state-level earnings data by racial and ethnic categories in Florida using the WebChip tool developed by the Social Science Data Analysis Network. Students will generate and compare tables showing Florida’s earnings distribution across different racial groups for the years 2008 and 2016. Students are asked to comment on changes in earnings across racial groups, shifts in Florida’s racial composition, and any trends in economic inequality. Additionally, students will connect the data to sociological concepts of racial inequality and consider how historical and structural factors in the Southern U.S. impact current economic disparities. Lastly, students relate the findings to personal experiences or observations of racial and economic inequalities.
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