Social Development Studies, Renison University College, University of Waterloo
Soc 224R: Poverty & Its Social Consequences
Course Syllabus
Winter, 2012
GROUP PRESENTATION ORGANIZATION SESSION: January 26th
Attendance Mandatory – No Exceptions
Students missing this class will have 2% deducted from their Final Grade
Course Description
Whether it is seeing images of the poor and homeless in the media, reading about the poor and destitute in classical and
contemporary literature, or listening to news reports about rising numbers of poor persons, welfare cases or street people in
Canada, all of us have been exposed to poverty in one way or another. Canadian culture and norms and the process through
which we are socialized into them consists of very vivid and distinct arrays of understandings, concepts, ideas, images and
stereotypes about poverty and wealth in Canada. In this course we will review the various concepts, ideas and approaches to
understanding poverty in Canada from a sociological perspective.
Lectures (January 5th to March 1st)
In my lectures each week I will offer a summary of the relevant information on each topic covered and my interpretations of the
intellectual themes found in the course readings. The lectures will not summarize or review the content of the readings, rather
they will seek to elaborate central ideas, convey new information, offer alternative perspectives and raise questions. The
duration of the lectures will be approximately 120 minutes, with the remaining 15-20 minutes devoted to class discussions,
readings and assignments or other activities. Please note that while I will be presenting lectures in each class, I expect students
to participate, ask questions when and where appropriate and generate discussion about the topic. The quality of the learning
experience will depend very much on you and your participation.
Group Presentations (March 6th to 29th)
This course component is designed to offer students an opportunity to be actively involved in their learning and in the course by
working with classmates to develop presentations/lectures on a variety of topics to be selected by students January 26th. During
this session I will present and overview of the requirements for this part of the course, organize the class into seminar groups of
3-42-3 (no more than 3) people and schedule the date of each groups presentation. Further details regarding the student
presentations will be provided during the January 26th session. You will note attendance at this lecture is mandatory and
students missing this class will have 2 % deducted from their final grade.
Course Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to ...
1. Explain how & why poverty is political;
2. Define poverty and its measurement and explain the impact that these have in terms of the politics of poverty;
3. Outline and explain sociological approaches to the study of poverty;
4. Critically discuss the theoretical underpinnings of poverty as a personal trouble & a public problem;
5. Identify and describe who is affected by poverty and consequences of poverty for them;
6. Critically assess social and public responses to poverty
Contact Information
Dr. Tracy Peressini, Ph.D.
Office & Phone Number:
Lecture:
Office Hrs.:
Rm. 2609, Founders Building, Renison College, 519-888-4567, ext. 28602
E-Mail: tracy.peressini@uwaterloo.ca
Thursday, 2:30 – 5:20 pm. Room - 0106
Thursday, 1-2 p.m. (Jan 12th – Apr 2nd)
Students using email or the telephone to contact the Instructor must include their given and last names, student number and
course name and number in the subject heading of the email. Anonymous emails will be ignored. As well, email from obtuse
user names such as 1800foxychick@hotmail.com with similarly obtuse subject headings (e.g. help, question, etc.) are
automatically deleted as they are usually identified as spam. Please use your UW email account (preferably using UW-Ace’s
email package) to contact me; all other email addresses (e.g. hotmail, sympatico, rogers) will be filtered and automatically
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Social Development Studies, Renison University College, University of Waterloo
deleted. Students can expect their email to be responded to within 24-48 hours; except on weekends, which will be responded
to as soon as possible the following week. Please do not email or telephone asking for grades. Grades are not released over the
telephone or internet. Grades will be posted as they come available on UW-ACE; except for the final exam and course grades.
Finally, please adhere to the common rules of email etiquette; for example, it is appropriate to begin an email with a salutation,
e.g. Dear Dr. Peressini, and end the email with a closing e.g. Cheers, Sincerely, Thank-you, etc. Simply typing a demand or
question is rude and will not be responded to. Similarly, students should not expect a response to emotional, angry and
deliberately rude emails. Questions pertaining to the lectures will not be replied to. It is expected that students will raise such
questions in class.
Requirements Readings
Required Readings
1. Gans, Herbert (1995). The War Against the Poor. Basic Books. ISBN: 9780465019915. $23.00
2. Ismael, Shereen (2006). Child Poverty and the Canadian Welfare State. University of Alberta Press. ISBN:
9780888644619. $28.04
3. Kozol, Jonathan (1995). Amazing Grace. Harper Perennial. ISBN: 9780060976972. $13.86
4. Piven, Frances Fox and Richard A. Cloward (1979). Poor People’s Movements: Why They Succeed, How They Fail.
Vintage Press. ISBN: 9780394726977. $12.79
5. Raphael, Dennis (2011). Poverty in Canada (2nd edition). Canadian Scholars Press. ISBN: 9781551303949. $44.07
Course Schedule of Topics
A.
Introduction & The Politics of Poverty: January 5th
REQUIRED READING: Raphael - Ch 1 & 11; Kozol – whole book; Gans – Introduction & Ch 1
Recommended Readings
 Collin, C. (2007). Poverty Reduction in Canada – The Federal Role. Ottawa: Political and Social Affairs Division.
Retrieved from http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/ResearchPublications/prb0722-e.htm
 O'Neill, P. (2005). The ethics of problem definition. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 46(1), 13-1320. Library e-journal, can be retrieved by searching for the journal online.
 You Tube:
 Poverty in Canada (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QD0av3jj1U)
 Poverty: A Social Fact (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXDcdhvfC_A)
B.
C.
Winter 2012
Defining & Measuring Poverty: January 12th
REQUIRED READING: Raphael - Ch 3; Kozol – whole book; Ismael – Ch 1; Gans – Ch 2-4
Recommended Readings
 Ross, D.P.; Scott, K.J.; and P.J. Smith (2000). The Canadian Fact Book on Poverty. Ottawa: Canadian Council on
Social Development. Chapter 2 retrieved from http://www.ccsd.ca/pubs/2000/fbpov00/chapter2.pdf
 Canadian Council on Social Development (2008). The Urban Poverty Project 2007 – Measuring Poverty: A
Backgrounder. Available online at http://www.ccsd.ca/pubs/2007/upp/measuring_low_income.htm
 Statistics Canada (2011). Low Income Lines, 2009-2010. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. Catalogue no. 75F0002M –
No. 002. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75f0002m/75f0002m2011002-eng.pdf
 Statistics Canada (2011). Low Income Measurement in Canada. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. Catalogue no.
75F0002M – No. 3. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75f0002m/75f0002m2010003-eng.pdf
 Shillington, Richard (n.d.)
 Poverty – A Short History (http://www.shillington.ca/poverty/Poverty_a_short_history.pdf)
 Critique of the Fraser Institute/ Sarlo Poverty Lines (http://www.shillington.ca/poverty/star1230.htm)
 New Observations on the Market Basket Measure (MBM) of Poverty
(http://www.shillington.ca/poverty/mbm_2003.htm)

The Sociology of Poverty: January 19th
Video: The War on Poverty
Recommended Readings
 Heisz, A. (2007). Income Inequality and Redistribution in Canada: 1976 to 2004. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
Catalogue no. 11F0019MIE – No. 298. Retrieved from
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m2007298-eng.pdf
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Social Development Studies, Renison University College, University of Waterloo
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Picot, G. and J. Myles. (2005). Income Inequality and Low Income in Canada: An international Perspective.
Ottawa: Statistics Canada. Catalogue no. 11F0019MIE – No. 240. Retrieved from
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m2005240-eng.pdf
Yalnizyan, A. (2010). The Rise of Canada’s Richest 1%. Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Retrived from
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/National%20Office/2010/12/Richest
%201%20Percent.pdf
Brady, D. (2003). Rethinking the sociological measurement of poverty. Social Forces, 81(3), 715-715-752.
Library e-journal, can be retrieved by searching for the journal online.
D.
Theories of Poverty: January 26th --- Group Presentation Organization Session
REQUIRED READING: Raphael - Ch 2 & 4-7; Ismael – Ch 2-3
Recommended Readings
 Stark, B. (2009). Theories of Poverty/The poverty of theory. Brigham Young University Law Review, 2009(2),
381-381-430. Library e-journal, can be retrieved by searching for the journal online.
 Bradshaw, T. (2005) Theories of Poverty and Anti-Poverty Programs in Community Development. University of
California (Davis): Human and Community Development Department. Retrieved from
http://www.rupri.org/Forms/WP06-05.pdf
 Heisz, A. (2007). Income Inequality and Redistribution in Canada: 1976 to 2004. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
Catalogue no. 11F0019MIE – No. 298. Retrieved from
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m2007298-eng.pdf
E.
Geography & Social Location of Poverty: February 2nd
Assignment: Poverty Profile & Issue Map Due (25 %)
Recommended Readings
 CCSD – Urban Poverty Project: Poverty by Geography http://www.ccsd.ca/pubs/2007/upp/Poverty%20by%20Geography.pdf
 CCSD – Urban Poverty Project: Neighborhood Poverty http://www.ccsd.ca/pubs/2007/upp/neighbourhood_poverty.pdf
 United Way of Toronto (2004). Poverty by Postal Code: The Geography of Neighborhood Poverty. Retrieved
from http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/whatWeDo/reports/povertyByPostalCode.php
 United Way of Toronto (2011). Poverty by Postal Code 2: Vertical Poverty. Retrieved from
http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/verticalpoverty/report/introduction/
F.
The Consequences of Poverty: February 9th
REQUIRED READING: Raphael - Ch 8-10; Kozol – whole book
Recommended Readings
 "Causes and Effects of Poverty" from CliffsNotes.com: CliffsNotes.com. Causes and Effects of Poverty. 15 Sep
2011 http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/topicArticleId-26957,articleId-26882.html
 Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – select reports:
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/inequality-and-poverty
 CCSD – selected reports: http://www.ccsd.ca/pubs/2007/upp/Dimensions%20of%20Income.pdf,
http://www.ccsd.ca/pubs/2007/upp/employment_education.pdf,
http://www.ccsd.ca/pubs/2007/upp/vulnerable_populations.pdf,
http://www.ccsd.ca/pubs/2007/upp/age_gender_family.pdf
 National Council on Welfare – Poverty Profiles (all reports) http://www.ncw.gc.ca/c.4mm.5n.3ty@eng.jsp?cmid=3
 National Council on Welfare – Cost of Poverty
http://www.ncw.gc.ca/servlet/wlfrpub?lang=eng&curjsp=l.3bd.2t.1.3ls@eng.jsp&curactn=dwnld&lid=77&fid=1
G.
Social Action & Poverty – The Politics of Poverty Revisited: February 16th
Video: The Promised Land
REQUIRED READING: Raphael - Ch 12-14; Piven & Cloward – whole book; Gans – Ch 5-6; Ismael – 4-5
Recommended Readings
Winter 2012
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Social Development Studies, Renison University College, University of Waterloo
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H.
I.
J.
CCSD – Poverty Reduction in Canada (2008) retrieved from
http://www.ccsd.ca/pubs/2007/upp/CACL_Conference-November_08.pdf
 CCSD – Poverty Reduction Initiatives in Canada (2008) retrieved from
http://www.ccsd.ca/pubs/2007/upp/CDPAC_Poverty_and_Action_Panel-November_08.pdf
 National Council on Welfare – Solving Poverty (all reports) http://www.ncw.gc.ca/c.4mm.5n.3ty@eng.jsp?cmid=1
 Heisz, A. (2007). Income Inequality and Redistribution in Canada: 1976 to 2004. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
Catalogue no. 11F0019MIE – No. 298. Retrieved from
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m2007298-eng.pdf
Term Test: March 1st (40%)
Class Presentations (35%): March 8th to 29th
ATTENDANCE: Group Organization Session & Class Presentations – 2% deduction from FINAL GRADE for each
session/class missed; total deduction possible, 10%
Student Assessment
COMPONENT
Poverty Profile & Issue Map
Term Test
Attendance: Group Organization Session
Attendance: Group Presentations
Group Presentations & Evaluations
Unofficial Final Grades
WEIGHT
25%
40 %
- [2% from final grade if missed]
- [8% from final grade if missed]
35 %
Posted on UW-ACE
DATE
February 2nd
March 1st
January 26th
March 8th to 29th
March 8th to 29th
April 9th
The weighting of the work in this course reflects the amount and type of work entailed in the assignment. Please do not request
a different weighting of the assignments. You should also note that students who are dissatisfied with their grades will not be
given “extra” work or assignments to make up for or replace an existing grade. Requests for extra work will not be granted.
Grading: detailed instructions for the assignments are provided in the following pages. The first assignment is graded using the
criteria outline in the assignment description attached to this syllabus. The Research Brief and Term Paper will be graded using
the Rubric (e.g. grading criteria) appended to this course outline and will be discussed with students prior to the assignment due
date. Students can expect the return of the graded assignments within 2 - 4 weeks of the assignment due date. Grades for all
written assignments will not be posted until all assignments have been graded and handed back in class; inquiries regarding
grading or grades will not be responded to. It is expected that students carefully review the grading rubric and written comments
on their returned assignments prior to contacting or inquiring about their grade. For further information, please review the
notice below regarding the posting of final grades at Renison College. Students MUST schedule an appointment with the
instructor to discuss their grades; grade inquiries or questions will not be responded to in- or after-class or via email.
Re-Grading of Assignments – The assignments will be normally returned to you within 4 weeks of their submission. Grades may
be announced earlier on UW-ACE, but you need to collect your paper in class. The grading process is not instantaneous and it is
unnecessary to contact the Instructor with queries about grades until after they have been returned in class. At the beginning of
the course, all grades under “My Grades” in UW-ACE will be blank: you need to earn credit before receiving grades. Please note
that because of functional limitations of the grade book on UW-ACE the class averages and individual final grades reported may
not be accurate and students not contact the Instructor with queries concerning either issue. Grading in Soc 224R is impartial
and objective and employs the use of the attached grading rubrics; no other consideration is taken into account when grading
assignments.
If you need an assignment reviewed or regraded, you must contact the Instructor within a month after the work is returned back
to you and request a re-grade. When requesting a re-grade you must submit the following:
1. The original grade paper,
2. The individual completed rubric provided by the Instructor,
3. A note or letter describing the error and providing reasons why you think the paper requires regrading (NOTE: you need
to be specific – explanations such as “I think my paper deserves a higher grade” or “I feel I deserve a higher grade” or “I
worked really hard on this assignment and therefore deserve a better grade” will not be considered valid grounds for a
grade review.), and
4. A written note (signed and dated by yourself) by which you agree to be bound by the results of the re-reading/grading
Winter 2012
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Social Development Studies, Renison University College, University of Waterloo
process.
You may be asked to meet in person; otherwise the adjusted mark communicated by your Instructor on UW-ACE will stand. The
decisions reached at the end of this process are final; note that the original mark may be raised or lowered and that further
appeals or requests for an additional regrading/re-evaluation will not be considered.
In the case of a clerical error, simply return your graded paper to your Instructor, with the error conspicuously pointed
out. No other documentation is required. Rectifying a clerical error is not considered “re-grading”.
Unclaimed Student Submissions: In accordance with UW policy, student assignments, papers, quizzes & exams will be stored for
1 year from the start of the course, after which the material(s) in question will be securely destroyed.
Student-Instructor Contact: Students should use the course website blackboard for any general inquiries regarding the course or
raise them DURING class time. If you have a question, share it with the class either during class time or on the blackboard.
Students can expect the course instructor to check the blackboard at least once a week and post responses and replies to
student inquiries. The blackboard is a forum for student discussions regarding course assignments and activities or general
course inquiries. It is expected that all notices and inquiries posted on the blackboard will be polite and courteous. Posted notes
deemed inappropriate, rude or irrelevant will not be responded to and deleted. Students with issues or problems of a personal
nature which may or are affecting their performance in the course should contact the instructor directly and schedule an
appointment to meet with them during their regularly scheduled office hours. They may do so by contacting the instructor by
telephone or email.
Expectation of Student Commitment to the Course
Students are expected to attend classes, read the assigned readings and contribute to in-class discussions. Classes are 150
minutes long, the weekly readings should take no more than 1-3 hours (average = 1.5 hours) and the course assignments
approximately 10-12 hours (please note this is only an estimate and times may vary by student) over the term.
Changes to the Course Outline
Please note that some types of course details outlined in this syllabus maybe revised over the term. Periodically, I will update,
revise and/or adjust the topics to be discussed in the lectures, readings and other non-assessment related components. Students
will be notified of any change in the course outline in-class, via email, on the discuss boards and by handout (to be appended to
the course outline). If you are unsure as to which syllabus to use, please refer to the course website and download the current
syllabus, which will be listed by date.
Information about Travel and the Completion of Course Assignments, Quizzes & Exams
“Student travel plans are not considered acceptable grounds for granting an alternative examination time.”
(Seehttp://www.registrar.uwaterloo.ca/exams/finalexams.html). Please wait until you are advised of the final exam date
before you make end-of-term travel arrangements. For Winter 2011, the established examination period is April 4th thru 21st.
The schedule will be available in February.
Please note late assignments will receive a penalty of 20% per day. The late penalty will be applied to assignments handed in
after class on the due date, e.g the first day late penalty begins after class (3:50 p.m.) on the due date. For example: if a student
hands their assignment in at 3:50 p.m. the assignment will be accepted with a penalty of 20% (without exception) – therefore,
the highest grade the student could receive is 80%. After the 5th day late assignments will not be accepted for any reason
except those outlined in the UW calendar (e.g. medical or family emergencies, or some other such event) and will receive a grade
of 0. If an extension is granted, students are expected to submit their assignment at the agreed upon time and date, with the
appropriate documentation (e.g. completed UW Medical Certificate, death certificate, invoice for automotive repairs, etc.).
Please do not submit your assignment after the 5th day in the hopes that it will be accepted and an additional penalty applied, it
will not and will be returned to the student. Similarly, missed quizzes and exams will not be rescheduled and students will
receive a 0 grade on the quiz/exam, accept for reasons outline in the UW Calendar (e.g. medical or family emergencies, or some
other such event). Please review the UW policy regarding accommodation for Illness or Unforeseen Circumstances:
http://www.registrar.uwaterloo.ca/students/accom_illness.html .
ONLY the university's Verification of Illness Form can be submitted. It may be obtained here:
http://www.healthservices.uwaterloo.ca/Health_Services/VERIFICATION%20OF%20ILLNESS.html
 If you are using a walk-in clinic or your own doctor they must download the form and have it completed (presumably
for a fee) by the clinic or doctor.
 Other forms of medical documentation will not be accepted.
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Social Development Studies, Renison University College, University of Waterloo

Your documentation (verification of illness, death certificate, police report, etc.) is required to be submitted within 48
hours of the due date of the quiz, exam or assignment.
Information for Students with Disabilities
Note for Students with Disabilities: The Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD), located in Needles Hall, Room 1132,
collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without
compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your
disability, please register with the OPD at the beginning of each academic term.
Expectation of Academic Integrity
In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are
expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.
Academic Integrity website (Arts): http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/arts/ugrad/academic_responsibility.html
Academic Integrity Office (UW): http://uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity [check www.uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/ ] to
avoid committing academic offences and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action
constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group
work/collaboration, should seek guidance from the course instructor, academic advisor, or Renison’s Administrative Dean. When
misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy 71, Student Discipline. For
information on categories of offences and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline. For
information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to this policy
www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy71.htm . For typical penalties check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties,
www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/guidelines/penaltyguidelines.htm .
Student Grievances
A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have
grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4,
www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy70.htm
Student Appeals
A student may appeal the finding and/or penalty in a decision made under Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances (other
than regarding a petition) or Policy 71 – Student Discipline if grounds for an appeal can be established. Read Policy 72 - Student
Appeals www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy72.htm.
Turnitin.com
Turnitin.com: Plagiarism detection software (Turnitin) will be used to screen assignments in this course. This is being done to
verify that use of all material and sources in assignments is documented. In the first week of the term, details will be provided
about the arrangements for the use of Turnitin in this course.
Software designed to detect cheating may be run on both the mid-term and the final exam, where computer-marked multiple
choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences
in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
Posting of Final Grades at Renison College
It is Renison College policy NOT to post grades at any time or report grades via phone or email.
Detailed Assignment Descriptions
Poverty Profile & Issue Map – February 2nd (25%)
This assignment requires you to select a demographic group of the poor, create an issue map that charts the distribution of
poverty for that population and write a brief description of the profile of the population you have chosen. You profile should
address the issues of definitions, enumeration, demographic characteristics, and explanations as they pertain to the group you
have chosen. The population profile and issue map should be between 5-7 double spaced pages. Detailed instructions will be
handed out in class. This assignment will be graded using the rubric appended to this syllabus.
Term Test (40%) – March 1st
Winter 2012
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Social Development Studies, Renison University College, University of Waterloo
The test will consist of short answer and essay questions covering all lecture materials and readings in the course. A study
guide for the test will be passed out February 16 th.
Group Presentations: March 8th to 29th (35%)
Organizational Meeting: Jan 26th – Attendance mandatory (students missing this class will have receive a deduction of 4% off of their final grade).
Attendance: Jan 26th & March 8th to 29th (2% per class, total = 10% will be deducted from final grade if missed)
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Your presentation should be no longer 25-30 minutes in length
Groups of 2-3 students
Your presentation should consist of the following information:
Thesis Statement/Question
Creative/Interesting Presentation of the relative information and facts on your topic
Identify and define key concepts
Identify and explain key theories
Identify and describe key research findings
Identify and describe ways in which the issue/topic has been addressed in public policy, programs, services and/or social
action
Present conclusions
Your presentation must include the following components:
It MUST FOCUS ON POVERTY and your substantive topic; e.g. Poverty & Race. Do not conduct a presentation on Race
alone. The information presented must focus on and describe the poverty of Black Canadians (for example), not racial
prejudice and discrimination. Presentations not focussing on poverty will receive a grade of 0 (out of 15) on the
research component of the presentation grade.
Presentation of Current Facts/Information on topic – this should form the mainstay of your present and being 15-20
minutes in length
Some type of non-lecture-type component (e.g. multimedia presentation; role play; etc.).
A Class Exercise – the presentation must include some form of short class exercise to illustrate a point or idea related to
your presentation. It should take up no more than 5-10 minutes of your presentation time.
Q & A Period – Your presentation should conclude with an opportunity for the class to ask questions regarding your
presentation. This should take up no more than 5 minutes of your presentation time.
Research Requirement: no less than 10 academic journal articles and/or 5 other sources (government reports, books,
etc.). NO INTERNET SOURCES ARE PERMITTED FOR THIS COURSE COMPONENT (except with express permission from
the Instructor). This is not a “google” presentation; it is expect that students will conduct an academic/scholarly
presentation; which is properly sourced, cited and references. Internet sources and the course lecture notes may not
be used as sources of information. The research component of the presentation will be allocated as follows: 0-5 out of
15 – uses less than 5 journal articles with a total of less than 7 sources; 6-10 uses 5 -8 journal articles with a total of less
than 10 sources; 11-15 uses 8-10 journal articles with a total of 11 or more sources.
Maximum Presentation Time: 30 minutes [Please notes: Presentations will be stopped after 30 minutes to ensure
adequate time for evaluation and second presentation].
You must email the instructor your presentation 1 day before your presentation is scheduled.
Please refer to the Presentation Rubric attached at the end of the syllabus for the criteria that will be used in evaluating the
presentations. Every individual in the class will be required to complete an evaluation at the end of each presentation. The
classes scores will be averaged and combined with the Instructors evaluation, as follows: Instructors grade worth 50% of the
grade and the classes 50% of the grade; to produce a final grade/score on the presentation as follows: Presentation Grade =
(Class Average Grade *.50) + (Instructor’s Grade *.50).
Suggested Seminar Presentation Topics
Adolescent Parenting
Age
Children
Delinquency
Disabilities
Winter 2012
Diversity
Education/Schooling
Employment
Gender
Ghetto/Neighbourhood
Health
Homelessness
Immigrants & Refugees
Prostitution
Race & Ethnicity
Services & Programs
Visible Minorities
3rd World: Africa
3rd World: S.A.
3rd World: Asia
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Social Development Studies, Renison University College, University of Waterloo
APA STYLE SUMMARY
General Format
Choose a normal 12 font and double space for most publications. Use one-inch margins and indent the first line of each paragraph one-half
inch.
Level of Headings
CENTRED, NOT ITALICIZED, UPPER CASE
Centred, Not Italicized, Title Case
Centred, Italicized, & Title Case
Left Margin, Italicized, & Title Case
Indented, italicized, & sentence case with period.
Numbers
Generally, use words for zero to nine, and figures for 10 and above.
Paraphrasing & Quoting
Paraphrasing is describing someone else’s idea or data in your own words. When you do this, you must acknowledge the source. You
can place the source at the end of the sentence (Buckley, 1998). Alternatively, you can mention in the sentence, for example, that
authorities such as Buckley (1998) provide cautions about plagiarism.
When you are directly quoting someone else’s words, in addition to noting the source, you must use quotation marks (for a brief quote
within your sentence). Furthermore, as Buckley (1998) suggests, “whenever possible, make quoted material part of your own sentence
structure” (p. 61).
You must use block quotation structure for a quote of 40 words or more. The quote becomes a free-standing block of text that is
indented five spaces from the left margin. Quotation marks are omitted and the reference to the page number is shown in parentheses
after the quote. Here’s an example using the classic definition of community organization developed by Ross (1967):
a process by which a community identifies its needs or objectives, orders (or ranks) those objectives, develops the confidence and
will to work at these needs or objectives, finds the resources (internal or external) to deal with these needs or objectives, takes
action in respect to them, and in so doing extends and develops cooperative and collaborative attitudes and practices in the
community. (p. 40)
References
Books [Do not reproduce these subheadings on your reference page; alphabetize all works]
Author, A. (20xx). Title of book in italics: Capitalize first words of title and subtitle as well as proper nouns like Canada (2nd ed.). City:
Publisher.
Chapters from Edited Books
Author, A., & Author, B. (20xx). Title of chapter: Capitalize first word of title and subtitle only. In A. Surname (Ed.), Title of book in sentence
case and italicized (3rd ed.; pp. 10-20). City: Publisher.
Journal Articles
Author, A., & Author, B. (20xx). Title of article: Remember to capitalize first word of title and subtitle only. Title of Journal in Title Case and
Italicized, # of vol. (# of issue – only if all issues begin with page 1), 10-20.
Government Publications
Canada, Statistics Canada. (1995). Women in Canada: A statistical report (3rd ed.). Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
Internet Publications
When citing material from the internet in the text of your paper, use the author and date where possible. If no author is given, use the
title in its place; if no date is given, indicate (n.d.). For direct quotes, provide the page number if possible. If no page number is given,
provide the section, chapter, &/or paragraph: (CCSD, 2003, Economic Security section, para. 2). For the reference list, provide the
author, year, title, date retrieved, and source. When no author is identified, begin with the title.
Canadian Council on Social Development (2003). Personal security index 2003. Retrieved December 5, 2003, from:
http://www.ccsd.ca/pubs/2003/psi/ .
Newspaper Articles
For newspaper articles, provide the year, month, and date of publication. Use the same order of presentation as a journal article,
beginning with the author’s name. However if no author is provided, begin with the title of the article and in the text citation use a
short title (“New Drug”, 1993):
New drug appears to sharply cut risk of death from heart failure. (1993, July 15). The Washington Post, p. A12.
Audiovisual Media
For audiovisual media, such as motion pictures, television broadcasts, and audio recordings, consult the APA manual, beginning on page
266. The following are some examples from the manual:
Scorsese, M. (Producer), & Lonergan, K. (Writer/Director). (2000). You can count on me [Motion picture]. United States: Paramount
Pictures.
Crystal, L. (Executive Producer). (1993, October 11). The MacNeil/Lehrer news hour [Television broadcast]. New York and Washington, DC:
Public Broadcasting Service.
Winter 2012
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Social Development Studies, Renison University College, University of Waterloo
Writer, A. (Date of copyright). Title of song [Recorded by artist if different from writer]. On Title of album [Medium of recording: CD, record,
cassette, etc.]. Location: Label.
Personal Communications, Interviews, etc.
If you're citing material from an interview, telephone conversation, e-mail message etc. in the text of the essay, you give the surname
and initials of the communicator, describe it as personal communication, and provide as exact a date as possible. You don't need to cite
a page number. Nor do you need to include the citation in the Reference List, since it's not considered retrievable material. For
example, if you had interviewed me for this information or were using this message as your source, it would look like this:
L. Snyder (personal communication, February 5, 2003) suggested we describe interviews as "personal communication". [or] We were
advised to describe interviews as "personal communication" (L. Snyder, personal communication, February 5, 2003).
Legal Materials - With legal material, it is the name of the document rather than the author which appears in the text citation and is first in
the reference list. In both instances, the name of the document is italicized. Within the text, you name the legislation and refer to its year:
The Canada Assistance Plan of 1966 stipulated that …
In the reference list, use the following order: the name; the abbreviation for Statutes of Canada, Revised Statutes of Ontario, or Revised
Regulations of Ontario; the year; the chapter; the section & subsections:
Canada Assistance Plan, S.C. 1966-67, c.45, s.15(3)(a).
General Welfare Assistance Act, R.S.O.1970, c.192 and R.R.O.1980, Reg.441, s.3(1)(b).
Reference List
American Psychological Association (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: APA.
[Available in the Renison Library]
Winter 2012
9
Social Development Studies, Renison University College, University of Waterloo
Grading Rubric
Student Name:
Overall Grade
SAMPLE COPY ONLY
1. Overall quality of expression. This Paper
L1 - Inadequate
• Exhibits serious and recurring errors in
most of: expression, grammar,
punctuation, and/or mechanics, that
consistently and gravely interfere with
understanding.
L2 - Marginal
• Exhibits a lack of control of expression,
grammar punctuation, and/or
mechanics that interferes with
understanding; significant effort may be
needed to construct meaning.
• Student shows evidence of having
trouble constructing meaning in more
than a handful of passages
L3 - Adequate
• Exhibits sufficient control of
expression, grammar, punctuation, and
mechanics do not interfere with
understanding.
• Accuracy may be inconsistent, but
sufficiently controlled to discern
meaning with some minor effort.
• Student is dependent on outside
wording to make sense.
2. Precision of the Paper (i.e. the gathering and selecting of information [research included]). This Paper is…
L1 - Inadequate
L2 - Marginal
L3 - Adequate
• An inappropriate or tangential use of
• An impressionistic, mechanical,
• A general Paper, indicating a grasp of
information about your topic, perhaps
surface approach to gathering and
some areas associated with topic
indicating a lack of understanding of the
selecting information about the topic
• Selects points for review in a loose or
issues surrounding the topic.
and approach
vague way; lack of critical distance.
• Selected irrelevant points .
• Needs to gather higher-priority
• Tackles the self-evident only
• Hardly any or no support.
evidence.
(confirms/validates or restates/
• Off-topic: selects an inappropriate
• Support/discussion lacking (leading to
paraphrases various researcher’s or
topic; fails to meet the requirements of
lack of substance/depth).
author’s position: "Tepperman states…")
the assignment.
L4 - Good
• Exhibits control of intermediate
sentence structure, expression,
grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
• Writing is mostly accurate; there may
be a few minor flaws in a handful of
passages.
• Meaning is apparent to the reader
with little effort.
• Creates sense efficiently in his/her
own words.
L5 - Excellent
• Exhibits command of advanced
sentence structure, expression (word
choice, tone, sentence variety, and
sentence sense), grammar, punctuation,
and mechanics.
• Writing is clear, concise, controlled
and consistently so.
• Meaning is easily apparent to the
reader.
• Language is original and articulate.
L4 - Good
• Comprehensive and competent Paper,
indicating a good general understanding
of varying positions about your topic …
• Identifies problems/ issues in aspects
related to the your topic but needs to
prioritize them better
• Support is present, but not always of
high quality or convincing
L5 - Excellent
• Precise and perceptive Paper,
indicating an excellent understanding of
the issue as a whole
• Able to assess and describe reasons
for assessment: identifies “high-value”
merits and weaknesses about your topic
and focuses on them in detail
• Evidence of a high level of synthesis
and evaluation in the gathering of
critical aspects for Paper.
• Selects excellent support for points
(aware of valuable sources).
3. Clarity and depth of the Paper (i.e. the treatment of the information that has been gathered and selected). This Paper …
L1 - Inadequate
L2 - Marginal
L3 - Adequate
L4 - Good
• Fails to define issues about your topic
• Lacks a central point of view and
• Exhibits sufficient clarity to establish a
• Exhibits some clarity, and some depth
• Conclusions are not drawn.
remains unclear
consistent train of thought about some
of thought about your topic.
• Lack of coherence in the facts relayed
• Mere rewording or repeating of
aspects of your topic.
• Needs to improve in the areas of
(exhibits a lack of understanding of
smaller facts.
• Requires more detailing/breaking
complexity, originality, and maturity –
issue, relationships, cause/effect,
• Exhibits faulty logic
down of main ideas.
needs to develop skill to identify and
consequences…)
• Stereotypical or superficial thinking.
• Needs to improve in the area of
describe problem
• Too little info/facts; sketchy.
• Patchwork of quotes/factual remarks
discernment.
• Points are developed, and their
• Facts & info on inappropriate topic;
(relies on patched quotes to raise
• Points are somewhat developed, but
presence is reasoned
topic does not meet the requirements of
points).
their relevance is not stated in words
• Paper seems to jump from one source
the assignment.
(“so what?”)
of support to another (relies on support
• Developments tend to be descriptive,
to create ideas).
incomplete, or a mere statement of
facts.
4. Coherence and organization of the Paper (i.e. the management and arrangement of the gathered, selected, and processed information). This Paper …
L1 - Inadequate
L2 - Marginal
L3 - Adequate
L4 - Good
• Exhibits little or no focus.
• Exhibits poor control of focus.
• Exhibits sufficient control of focus to
• Exhibits focus, competent
• Ineffective organizational pattern(s).
• Reader is lost more than once and has
keep more or less on task.
organization, and development.
• Presentation is generally lacking logic,
to “decipher” the succession of ideas.
• Organization shows gaps, transitions
• Reasonable organization, where minor
organization, or consistency.
• Weak organizational pattern(s) (may
may not be consistently clear and/or
gaps in the sequence of ideas do not
ramble, be repetitious, contradictory,
paragraph structures may not be
interfere with the reader following
hard to follow, or locked into a simplistic
consistently unified.
argument.
formula).
• Tendency to list, poor transitions.
• Fairly skilled in managing information
• Paragraphs are lists of sentences.
Development may veer off abruptly or
at the paragraph level
• Paragraphs are not organized &
unexpectedly
composed around a central idea.
• Overall structure is adequately laid
out.
• Tends to try to pack too much in (i.e.
did not prioritize /organize points well
enough).
L5 - Excellent
• Exhibits clarity, complexity,
perceptiveness, originality, depth, and
maturity of thought.
• Able to state specific issues related to
your topic, illustrate, underline
problems in other’s views and own
views in words.
• Integrates support very well in the
flow of own ideas (has own ideas).
Processes quotes.
• Positions itself articulately for own
view about your topic in the light of
further personal research
L5 - Excellent
• Exhibits precise focus, coherent and
efficient organization.
• Developments are interesting,
conclusions drawn in an organized
planned manner (with carefully chosen
and insightful stated details, examples,
reasons, etc.).
• Well-paced, easy to follow, excellent
organization and logic.
PART 1: SCALE CONVERSION TABLE: ADD L1+L2+L3+L4; Match total score to corresponding percentage grade. __________ %
20 =
19 =
18 =
17 =
85
82
78
75
16 =
15 =
14 =
13 =
72
68
66
64
12 =
11 =
10 =
9=
62
58
56
54
8=
7=
6=
5=
52
50
47
45
4=
3=
2=
1=
35
0
0
0
PART 2: LAYOUT & DESIGN [L&D] (max. 5% of grade): __________ %
 Incorrect Format, 0;
 Below Average, 1-2%;
 Average, 3.0%;
 Above Average (4-5%)
PART 3: MINIMUM RESEARCH REQUIREMENT [MRR] 15 SOURCES (max. 10% of grade): __________ %
# of Sources: __________# of Journal Articles: __________ Level/Quality of Research:  Poor  Okay  Good  Excellent
 0-5 sources used – must include a min. of 3 journal articles, (0-3% depending on the quality of sources and how they are used in text);
 6-9 sources used – must include a min. of 6 journal articles, (4-7% depending on the quality of sources and how they are used in text);
 10 or more sources used – must include a min. of 10 journal articles, (8-10% depending on the quality of sources and how they are used in text)
Level/Quality of Synthesis of Research:  Poor  Okay  Good  Excellent________________________________________________________
Level/Quality of Critical Appraisal or Thought:  Poor  Okay  Good  Excellent__________________________________________________
PART 1:_____________% + PART 2:_____________ % + PART 3:_____________ % =
Sub Total:_____________ %
 Fails to cite sources or evidence for factual statements/observations [deduct 2.0%]
%
 References/Citations incomplete/erroneous [deduct 2.0%]
%
 Exceeds set page limit [1.0% per page over/under]
%
 Quotes: cited and/or formatted incorrectly; excessive use and/or abuse [deduct 2.0%]
%
Total Grade:____________________________%
Winter 2012
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Social Development Studies, Renison College, University of Waterloo
PRESENTATION RUBRIC (CIRCLE THE NUMBER IN COLUMN 1)
SAMPLE COPY ONLY
PRESENTATION
ORGANIZATION
4
Presentation content is well
organized and easy to follow.
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
PREPAREDNESS
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
PRESENTATION
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
CONTENT
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
ORIGINALITY
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
KNOWLEDGE GAINED
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
VOCABULARY
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
WORKLOAD
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
Student is completely prepared.
3
The overall organization of the
presentation appears flawed and
somewhat difficult to follow.
Student seems pretty prepared but
could have prepared more.
2
Presentation is somewhat
organized 30% of the time.
1
There was no clear or logical
organizational structure, just lots
of facts.
Student does not seem at all
prepared to present.
Covers topic in-depth with
details and examples. Subject
knowledge is excellent. Shows a
full understanding of the topic.
Fairly smooth delivery that holds
audience attention most of the time.
Stays on topic most (99-90%) of the
time.
Includes essential knowledge about
the topic. Subject knowledge appears
to be good. Shows a good
understanding of the topic
Presentation shows a large
amount of original thought.
Ideas are creative and inventive.
Student can accurately answer
all questions related to facts in
the presentation.
Presentation shows some original
thought. Work shows new ideas and
insights.
Student can accurately answer most
questions related to facts in the
presentation.
The student is somewhat
prepared, but it is clear that
preparation was lacking.
Delivery not smooth, but able to
maintain interest of the audience
most of the time. Stays on topic
some (89%-75%) of the time.
Includes essential information
about the topic but there are 1-2
factual errors. Shows a good
understanding of parts of the
topic.
Uses other people's ideas (giving
them credit), but there is little
evidence of original thinking.
Student can accurately answer
about 75% of questions related to
facts in the presentation.
Uses vocabulary appropriate for
an academic audience. Extends
audience vocabulary by defining
words that might be new to
most of the audience.
The workload is divided and
shared equally by all team
members.
Uses vocabulary appropriate for an
academic audience. Includes 1-2 words
that might be new to most of the
audience, but does not define them.
Uses vocabulary appropriate for
an academic audience. Does not
include any vocabulary that might
be new to the audience.
Uses several (5 or more) words or
phrases that are not understood
by the audience.
The workload is divided and shared
fairly by all team members, though
workloads may vary from person to
person.
The workload was divided, but
one person in the group is viewed
as not doing his/her fair share of
the work.
The workload was not divided OR
several people in the group are
viewed as not doing their fair
share of the work.
2
Students include at least 2 highquality examples or pieces of
data to support their
presentation.
Students create an accurate
presentation but it does not
adequately address the issue.
1
Students include fewer than 2
high-quality examples or pieces
of data to support their
presentation.
The presentation is not accurate.
Information in almost all source
citations is correct AND there are
minor errors in formatting.
Source information collected for
graphics, facts and quotes.
All topics are addressed, and
most questions answered with
reference to at least 1 academic
source.
Information clearly relates to the
main topic. No details and/or
examples are given from
academic sources.
The information is often incorrect
OR there are major errors in
formatting. Very little or no
source information was collected.
All sources (information and
graphics) are accurately
documented, but many are not in
the desired format.
Diagrams and illustrations are
neat and accurate and sometimes
add to the reader's
understanding of the topic.
Some sources are not accurately
documented.
Smooth delivery that holds
audience attention. Stays on
topic all (100%) of the time.
Delivery not smooth and
audience attention often lost. It
was hard to tell what the topic
was.
Content is minimal OR there are
several factual errors. Does not
seem to understand the topic
very well.
Uses other people's ideas, but
does not give them credit.
Student appears to have
insufficient knowledge about the
facts.
PART 2: RESEARCH
RESEARCH, SOURCES &
INFORMATION
RESEARCH/STATISTICAL DATA
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
PRESENTATION ORIGINALITY
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
SOURCES-CITATION
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
AMOUNT OF INFORMATION
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
QUALITY OF INFORMATION
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
SOURCES
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
DIAGRAMS & ILLUSTRATIONS
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
4
Students include 4 or more highquality examples or pieces of
data to support their
presentation.
Students create an original,
accurate and interesting
presentation that adequately
addresses the issue.
Information in all source
citations is correct. Source
information collected for all
graphics, facts and quotes. All
documented in desired format.
All topics are addressed and all
questions answered with
reference to at least 2 academic
sources.
Information clearly relates to the
main topic. It includes several
supporting details and/or
examples from academic
sources.
All sources (information and
graphics) are accurately
documented in the desired
format.
Diagrams and illustrations are
neat, accurate and add to the
reader's understanding of the
topic.
3
Students include at least 3 high-quality
examples or pieces of data to support
their presentation.
Students create an accurate
presentation that adequately
addresses the issue.
Information in all source citations is
correct but there are minor errors in
formatting. Source information
collected for all graphics, facts and
quotes.
All topics are addressed and most
questions answered with reference to
at least 2 academic sources.
Information clearly relates to the main
topic. It provides 1-2 supporting details
and/or examples from academic
sources.
All sources (information and graphics)
are accurately documented, but a few
are not in the desired format.
Diagrams and illustrations are accurate
and add to the reader's understanding
of the topic.
One or more topics were not
addressed.
Information has little or nothing
to do with the main topic.
Diagrams and illustrations are not
accurate OR do not add to the
reader's understanding of the
topic.
This is rubric is scored in the same way as the report/essay rubric. The total score of 60 pts will be standardized to the 20 point scale used for the report/essay rubric (see previous
page) for a maximum percentage score of 85%, leaving 15% for the course instructor to award marks for exceptional work, research, creativity and presentation.
TOTAL: _________
Percentage Grade Calculated as Follows: (Average Student Grade *.50) + (Instructor Grade *.50) + (Instructor Research Grade out of 15%) = Total Grade
Comments:
Winter 2012
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