Guidelines: Pick a neighborhood in the proximity of where you live[1]. You will be studying the social environment and reporting on how it structures opportunities related to health and illness. You

Guidelines:

Pick a neighborhood in the proximity of where you live[1]. You will be studying the social environment and reporting on how it structures opportunities related to health and illness.  You may choose your neighborhood, but be careful, as we tend not to recognize the obvious in our lives. McCamey, Texas

This is an observational project. For ethical reasons, you should not interview, survey, or talk to anyone as part of your project. You would not be best if you took any photographs of people. Any project that includes interviews with residents or other individuals WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED, and you will be given a grade of 0. Instead, I want you to focus on the physical environment. No individuals should be identified in your report, even if your information is purely observational and requires no contact. 

It would be best if you abode by any local, state, or federal laws. NO TRESPASSING whatsoever. Any reported illegal activity will also result in a grade of 0. Further, putting yourself in a dangerous situation would be best if you did not. Do not go to areas where you might put yourself in danger. Please use common sense. Do not go out at night, and do not go anywhere alone; instead, most, in any situation where a potential safety risk may exist. Err on the side of caution. I do not want you in a neighborhood where drug deals are happening on the street, and I do not want you to go to parks at night to observe criminal activity. I am not looking for you to give a rogue journalist’s report of a war zone. Instead, you can do most of the work from your computerWebcamsscreenshotsareasvia online maps, street views, Webcamsscreenshotsareasall-you-can-eat etc.

You may take digital pictures (a camera phone should be just fine) to include with your project.

You may use Google Street View (but not required) and show screen shots of specific area. Any photos you take should be of places, NOT people.  No individual should be identifiable in any of the photos you take. 

What types of factors should you be looking for?

•      Public spaces. – exercise, playgrounds, parks

•      Food – groceries (type of), fast food availability, all you can eat buffets, etc.

o   What type of food displays are prominent in the grocery store? Healthy food/junk food?

o   If there is no grocery store in your area, find the closest one(s) that you think people in your selected area use for their food.  all-you-can-eatIs smoking allowed indoors? Only in bars? Not at all?

•      Pedestrian safety/ability or need to drive everywhere

•      Bike lanes

•      Road safety – How often do major car accidents occur? Official data may not be available, but in Odessa, for example, the news covers them in detail. 

•      Proximity to medical clinic/hospital

•      How do people come together? How many churches/if any? How many bars? Do people have to walk to the bars or do most drive? Other positive/negative areas of interaction?

•      Other factors may be unique to your specific situation – proximity to power plants, waste dumps, industrial areas

Your paper will take the following basic format: (NO GPT CHAT OR ANY AI)

1.  Introduction 

-introduce social causation of disease

-introduce your neighborhood. Where is it? Do you believe residents are healthy?

-based on available data, what do the statistics say about the general health of your area? This may include broad information, as noted above, such as car accidents reported on the news. Alternatively, the EPA provides data on environmental hazards (and there,lots in Odessa, Midland, and Houston, for example), which you can are also discussthreeare summarize criticalthree summarizethree thetiny Introduce.  Findings

-Pick at least three key areas to examine (among those listed above). Discuss what you found. I don’t want a list of all 47 restaurants, but you could summarize how many fast food places there are, etc. Provide critical details and avoid adding filler that doesn’t speak to the project.  Think critically. Analyze what is going on.

3.  Conclusion

-Summarize your findings. Perhaps suggest how you think health could be improved if needed. 

***NO GPT CHAT OR ANY AI.

[1] What constitutes a neighborhood?  This is somewhat undefined.  Generally speaking, it should be a residential area bordered by a few major streets. 1-2 square miles would be about right, but depending on population density, this could vary.  If you live in a tiny town (say up to 10,000 people), and for example, there is only one place to buy groceries, three summarizeyou may use the entire town. I provide an example below.

Social Risk Autopsy

Part A: Introduction 

· Introduce the threesummarize three the must also asocial causation of disease

·         Introduce your neighborhood. Where is it? Do you believe residents are healthy?

·         Based on available data, what do the statistics say about the general health of your area? This may include broad information, as noted above, such as car accidents reported on the news. Alternatively, the EPA provides data on environmental hazards (and there are lots in Odessa, Midland, and Houston, for example), which you can also discuss.

·         Five pages, excluding the title page and references page. You can use up to three pictures in your five-page project. You can add the rest of your images in the appendix.

Part B: Findings

·         Pick at least threesummarize three key areas to examine (among those listed above).

·         Discuss what you found. I don’t want a list of all 47 restaurants, but you could provide a summary of how many fast food places there are, etc.

·         Provide key details and avoid adding filler that doesn’t speak to the project. 

·         Think critically. Analyze what is going on.

Part C: Format- Academic Citations

·         3 sociological journals (from approved journals listed)

·         One source of your choice (still must be scholarly), such as a website.

·         The title page has all the required elements and formatting:

·         Formatted in the ASA style or APA (APA is allowed if you are not majoring in sociology. However, you must inform me which style you will follow). Remember to be consistent with your style.

Part D: Conclusion

·         Summarize your findings.

·         Perhaps suggest how you think health could be improved if needed.