Research Paper Assignment
In this assignment, you will select a social identity to research in more depth and explore its relationship to your sense of self and leadership practice.
First, select a social identity group you want to learn more about. It can be one that feels very present in your everyday life or one that you have some curiosities around.
Use our class discussions and activities to inform your decision. Social identity groups include: Gender, sex, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or spirituality, social class, age, (dis)ability, nation of origin or citizenship status, tribal or indigenous affilitation, body size/type, political orientation, heritage language, veteran status, or being a first generation college student. Consult with your instructor if you would like to propose a social identity not on this list.
Then, conduct online research through Google, Google Scholar, and/or University Libraries to identify three resources (book chapter, journal article, website, video, podcast) on your selected social identity topic and leadership. At least ONE of your sources must be from a journal article or book chapter that was not provided in this course.
And finally, craft a three-page written reflection that addresses the following prompts:
Open up your paper with a brief introduction to why you selected the social identity you did for this assignment.
In no more than one-page, summarize your key learning from the three identified sources. What did you learn about your selected social identity and leadership? In what ways does this identity inform leadership practice?
Additional questions to support your writing: In other words, how might leadership be received or perceived differently based on this social identity group membership?
Based on your research, in what ways is this identity a value-add to leadership? Conversely, what are some experienced negative impacts on others’ perceptions or present challenges?
In the remaining text of your paper, situate yourself in the discussion of the selected social identity and leadership. How do you experience this social identity for yourself in your life? How does your social identity in this category influence the way you are perceived as a leader by yourself or others? Submit as a Microsoft Word, Pages, or PDF document (12 point font, double-spaced, 1 inch margins).
