Family Life in Contemporary Canada: Assignment 2: Short Essays—Family Diversity

Instructions and Submission Instructions

Family Life in Contemporary Canada: Assignment 2: Short Essays—Family Diversity Instructions and Submission Instructions Now that you have completed Unit 3, you are ready to do Assignment 2 and submit it to your Open Learning Faculty Member for marking. If you have any questions about the assignment, consult your course OLFM. Although some of these topics may seem simple and straight forward, this is an upper level course and you are expected to do more than merely restate what you have read in the unit material and readings. You are expected to engage in extensive research beyond your course resources to write properly structured academic essays. Show evidence of original thought by providing examples and illustrations relevant to the topics; marshal evidence that supports your views, and show that you have undertaken some further reading (and always cite your sources!). For guidance on various aspects of conducting research and writing research papers, consult the TRU library website “Get Research Help” that includes many resources and guides on this and also use the support on writing for Open Learning students in our Writing Centre. Your word-processed assignments should follow APA format for preparing your paper and citing sources (do not write an abstract). Choose two (2) questions from the following topic list andor this will be penalized with lower marks. Be sure that you are presenting the concepts in your own words and that you include current information. Add a reference list for each essay at the end of each essay. When you have completed your assignment, use this tool, to send it to your Open Learning Faculty Member for marking. Essay Topics Canada has been identified as a multicultural society due to its diverse cultural roots and its colonial and immigration history. Discuss the different societal and historical processes that have shaped family life in Canada towards its diversification both in family forms and household arrangements. How would you describe the diversity of family life in Canada today? Base your answer on documented evidence. In what way does dominant heteronormativity affect LGBTQ families? Review the literature on this topic and explain the kinds of obstacles that these families face due to societal and dominant expectations about people’s sexuality and gender. Discuss the way in which past policies such as the Residential Schools and the 60’s scoop have affected Aboriginal family life in Canada. What have been some of the consequences of these policies for Aboriginal communities? Base your answer on documented sociological evidence, but you can also add illustrations and examples from life stories that you are familiar with or that you found in your research. Family health and wellbeing has been found to be related to different forms of diversity such as immigration, Aboriginal status, disability, sexuality, and non-normative gender. Choose one form of diversity, one specific minority group studied in this unit, and discuss the evidence of linkages between this specific minority and their levels of family health and wellbeing. Do some research on a specific policy of exclusion and disenfranchisement in Canada (such as the Residential School system, the internment of Japanese or Italian Canadians, or immigration legislation aimed at specific groups). Based on your research, describe how the policy was implemented and how this affected family life for the affected minority. To what degree should the federal government develop new policies and programs to redress the consequences and injustices of the discriminatory policy you chose to discuss? In what way is gender relevant in the immigration experience of families coming from the poor Global South into Canada? What resources do immigrant women have or lack in the process of moving away from their places of origin and settling in Canada? What obstacles do they face? Resort to documented evidence and you can also use examples from research or personal experience. Why is the definition of disability a contested one? In what way is disability said to be created by societal factors? Use one example of a disability or a debilitating illness to discuss the cultural, economic, health, and any other type of specific problems faced by families with members who have different abilities and/or health problems. Use documented evidence in your answer and you can also use examples from research or personal experience. Criteria for Evaluating Essays Here is a set of criteria that will form the basis for evaluating written assignments. Substance The research paper provides evidence of critical thinking and analysis as well as synthesis of researched information throughout, and presents a logical and persuasive argument. Research sources are relevant, current, and credible. They are clearly documented in the paper. The introduction offers a sense of direction for the paper and presents a clear thesis statement to the reader. The body develops the necessary aspects of the main idea and provides examples, support, or illustration for each aspect of the main idea. The conclusion summarizes the main points and ties them to the thesis; it also presents an impact statement and/or suggests direction for future research. Writing Style and FormatParagraphs are unified, developed, and coherent, with transitions between ideas. Sentences are grammatically correct; words are chosen for accuracy and impact. The writing follows the conventions of spelling and mechanics (punctuation, etc.). The format follows the APA documentation style accurately and consistently. Note Keep a copy of your assignment before sending it to your OLFM for evaluation. That way, you have a copy to refer to during a telephone conversation or e-mail conference with your OLFM. Also, in the unlikely event that your assignment is lost, you will have an extra copy of your work. Many student writing manuals today suggest that students keep copies of all early drafts of their work as well, to protect themselves against mistaken charges of plagiarism.