concern to women, lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people
This assignment requires you to write a 2000-word research paper that explores a particular topic or issue that is of concern to women, lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people, and/or gender-nonconforming/transgender people and evaluates potential strategies for improving their working lives.
Follow these steps to prepare your paper:
- Begin by choosing a topic that you would like to explore in greater depth, such as sexual harassment; employment rights; LGB, transgender, and gender-nonconforming people in the workplace; pay equity and the wage gap; sensitivity training, women at the top, and solidarity; self-employment; child-care policy; women and unions; or greater recognition for women’s unpaid work. You should consult with your tutor about other suitable topics for this assignment.
- Next, identify potential sources of information on your topic. You will need to obtain suitable books, articles, and other resource materials. Be sure to look for resources that will help you document concrete, up-to-date strategies that women, LGB people, and/or gender-nonconforming/transgender people may be working on. Useful resources might be obtained from local organizations that are working on the issue, such as various women’s, human rights and workers’ rights groups, or unions. They may be able to provide you with written materials, policy papers, or even someone you could speak with. Regional, national, and international organizations offer relevant resources on their websites, which may also include links to other online resources and organizations. Local, provincial, and federal government offices can also provide information on specific policies and programs and, in some cases, position papers on specific issues.
- Use the following questions as guidelines in researching and writing your paper:
- What is the general issue you are addressing, and why is it important? What is the current state of the problem? What strategies, if any, have been pursued to date in dealing with it?
- Through your reading of the course material, what major insights, theories, and concepts emerge with respect to this issue?
- Through your research on this topic or issue, what relevant resources and/or organizations did you identify? What type of work have these organizations done on this issue? How much interest and attention is it receiving? What strategy or strategies are individuals, organizations, or governments pursuing to improve the situation? Describe what is involved in each of these strategies.
- Based on your reading and research, how would you evaluate the strategy or strategies that you have described? What are their respective strengths and weaknesses? In your view, do they promise to improve the working lives of women? If not, what other options should be pursued?
- Once you have considered these questions, develop your thesis statement. What is the main argument that your paper will be making regarding your topic?
- Your paper needs to reference and discuss five of the key concepts from the course in relation to your chosen topic.
- Acknowledge all sources through proper APA-style referencing techniques, and include a reference list or bibliography.