Model Assignment:
Group Project
Sociology S101
Social Problems and Policies
Mini-Assignment #1
Instructions
Goal
To present a coherent essay which analyzes the events and deaths at the People's Temple in 1978 in Jonestown, Guyana. This essay builds upon the information brought by team members to the table and helps to build some understanding of the processes underlying mortality. Specifically, the essay must answer a few basic questions: Why did the scenario at Jonestown end so tragically? What could/should the government have done differently? What kind of public health policy might be developed to avoid future tragedies?
The report can build on or reject the theories offered in the media or in class. In any case, the argument must be supported with information and data. Attitudes, opinions and beliefs of the participants in the Jonestown events may be relevant to building an analysis but an essay built on unsupported beliefs, attitudes and opinions of epidemiologists (i.e., your team) does not follow the standards of scholarly and policy analysis.
The team need not come up with some new and different theory about what happened at Jonestown and why. However, two points are crucial. First, this is a course in medical sociology, and if your essay insightfully uses conceptual tools from social science, you will address the social epidemiological question in a relevant way. Second, borrowing ideas from others must be backed up with relevant analysis and documentation and all sources must be listed and given proper credit.
Method
We will use a “jigsaw” approach to reduce the task from a large to a manageable one. Each member of the team will research one aspect of the “society” that was the People’s Temple. This information is to be “brought to the table” in a discussion where the team must develop an understanding of what happened there and make policy recommendations to avoid such disasters in the future. The report need not focus on a “single factor” theory of what happened and why, but the team may choose to do so. If a number of “causes” are offered, these must hang together in a coherent essay.
Report Format
The final report of the team has two parts: the Team Essay and the Appendix, which contains the individual reports of the team members.
Team Member Tasks
- Team member #1: Your job is to document the sequence of events in the rise and fall of the People’s Temple movement.
- Team member #2: Jim Jones is your focus; develop a mini-biography of him.
- Team member #3: Find out what you can about the social, psychology, and mental profile of Jones’ followers—why did they join him?
- Team member #4: Your task is to outline the ideology that were the heart of the People’s Temple movement.
- Team member #5: What was life like in the People’s Temple compound? In particular, what kinds of rituals were part of the movement?
Length
Team Essay—2 pages of text; references, graphics, and other supplementary materials do not count in this page limit.
Individual Reports
1 page, maximum.
