Discrimination between Blacks and Whites following Hurricane Katrina: A Racial-Conciliatory Perspective

PSYC 2301 Paper Assignment Information
(Due Wednesday, April 23rd, 11:59pm, Turnitin Only)
Assigned research article: de la Peña, et al. (2010). Reexamining Perceived
Discrimination between Blacks and Whites following Hurricane Katrina: A Racial-
Conciliatory Perspective, North American Journal of Psychology, 12(2), 365-388.

The general intent for this assignment is for students to: 1) understand the general
problem raised by the assigned research study, 2) understand the general methods
employed concerning racial issues discussed within the assigned published research
study, 3) understand the general findings/conclusions made by the authors, 4)
demonstrate social responsibility regarding concerning how the findings might be
applied to global challenges that pertain to diversity, and 5) learn to cite in basic APA
format.
The instructions call for 2-4 pages of body text, plus a cover page and plus a reference
page (which will make it 4-6 total pages). Make sure your paper is this length (no
shorter, but no longer as well). Ideally, the body text will include 2-3 developed
paragraphs per page (double-spaced) addressing each of the four components listed
below. The reference page should have at least four references (but no more than
seven) with the main article being one of them. Begin each section with the heading of
the four components.

4 Paper Components:

1. Problem (up to 1 page) –
What were the different arguments raised (in the introduction of the article) that
concerned race and the slow government response times in New Orleans following
Hurricane Katrina? What evidence was cited from past research (i.e., prior to de la Peña
et al., 2010) supporting previous arguments of racial inequality?
*Do not list the questions in this section or any of the remaining three sections. Write in
paragraph form.
2. General Methods (up to 1 page) –
What methods and major points did de la Peña and colleagues use to make their
arguments? What faults did de la Peña and colleagues emphasize where apparent with
previous studies done with race and Hurricane Katrina?
3. General Findings/Conclusions (up to 1 page) –
What were the general findings and conclusions of the de la Peña et al. (2010) article
(hint: there was more than one study conducted with plenty of findings)? Did the
authors logically deduce scientific/mathematical arguments effectively into a new
approach to investigating and discussing race? If so, explain.

4. Social Responsibility (up to 1 page) –
a) intercultural competence: What are some cultural challenges set forth by the article
and are there other cultural/historical perspectives that are similar to and/or different
to Katrina? b) civic responsibility: How obligated should we feel to endorse the
“conciliatory” approach (i.e., focus on agreement) set forth by de la Peña et al. (2010)?
C) engagement: What regional and/or national issues are you interested in that pertain
to the assigned journal article? What innovative solutions can you think of that are
related to the paper reviewed that can be generalized to the recent challenges our
country has faced that pertain to race?

APA (American Psychological Association) Format Information
The basic APA Style utilized for this assignment will be discussed extensively in class. An
online tutorial of APA style will also be available on Blackboard or can be immediately
accessed at:

http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx

Note: There are many online websites devoted to explaining APA style of writing (see
online tools in the WCJC online library under APA Style, or type APA Style as a keyword
search on the internet). Your textbook is written in APA style and can also serve as an
excellent example of how to cite appropriately. The format of your references can be
checked against the references here:
http://flash1r.apa.org/apastyle/basics/data/resources/sample-references2.pdf
APA (American Psychological Association) Format Information
The basic APA Style utilized for this assignment will be discussed extensively in class. An
online tutorial of APA style will also be available on Blackboard or can be immediately
accessed at:

http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx

Note: There are many online websites devoted to explaining APA style of writing (see
online tools in the WCJC online library under APA Style, or type APA Style as a keyword
search on the internet). Your textbook is written in APA style and can also serve as an
excellent example of how to cite appropriately. The format of your references can be
checked against the references here:
http://flash1r.apa.org/apastyle/basics/data/resources/sample-references2.pdf

BE SURE TO COMPLETE THIS CHECKLIST ON THE FINISHED PAPER:
 Proof, spell, and grammar check.
 Use no personal pronouns (I, you, etc.) in the first three sections (you may use
personal pronouns in the fourth section on critical thinking).
 Do not use conjunctions. For example, instead of ‘don’t’ write out ‘do not’. Also,
please see posted videos on effective writing.
 Check to see that the in-text citations and the reference page entries include the
information that is required and are formatted exactly as is done in the handout
examples. Also refer to the text, APA online, and/or class notes.
 Use no. 12 font (Calibri style), double space the whole paper (including cover
page and references) and use 1-inch margins.
 NO QUOTES! Do not simply copy information. Paraphrase the information to the
best of your ability and cite each paragraph.
 Use formal English. Do not use slang.
 Do not put gaps between paragraphs. It is all simply double spaced.
 Please center and bold-type subheadings for the four components (leave out “up
to 1 page”).
 Other than the bold subheadings, do not use bold, underlining or “quotation
marks” for certain words.
 Do not use the ending of ‘etc.’ State precisely the information meant to be
imparted.
 Use regular rules for correct formal grammar and writing.
 Refer to the writing handout to ensure that all criteria for this paper meet this
standard.
 You do not need and abstract or a running head for this simple review.

[Scroll Down for Grading Rubric]

Paper Grading Rubric

GENERAL FORMAT

5/5 Title Page, Subheadings, Fonts, Margins, and Spacing.

CRITICAL THINKING CONTENT

15/15 Problem
15/15 General Methods
15/15 General Findings/Conclusions
15/15 Social Responsibility
MECHANICS

20/20 Well-developed paragraphs, grammar, correct punctuation, spelling, etc.

APA FORMAT

15/15 Citations follow grammatical style of APA language, references are in APA format and are complete.

Points subtracted for other reasons not listed (e.g., length)

100 Total Score (out of 100)