FIELD ASSIGNMENT 2 AGE AND HAPPINESS
general article writing
Description
FIELD ASSIGNMENT 2
AGE AND HAPPINESS
Goals and Skills: Students are asked to apply specific concepts, happiness theories, or research findings
they have learned in class to life experiences and specific out-of-class activities. Using a concept in a new
circumstance as well as connecting sociology to other relevant material in students’ lives allows for
greater student understanding.
Specific Instructions: Find someone over age 65 (ideally even older) and ask them about happiness in
order to gain a broader view of happiness and write about it. This is a qualitative research interview
so substantive questions you may wish to ask can include:
- What was the happiest moment of your life?
- How do you define happiness?
- What makes for a happy life in general?
- What would you have done differently to make your life happier?
- What can you still do to improve your happiness?
- Did you have the same idea of happiness at age 20 as you do at your current age?
You may include direct quotations, but DO NOT simply include a transcript of the conversation. Write
substantively about the conversation and relate it to class material. Also, please omit real names or
other identifying information about your research subject. This is a good research practice to adopt
now.
Substantive Discussion/Debriefing: On the class day after the assignment is due, there will be an in-class
discussion about this assignment. Students should be prepared to talk about their paper.
DUE: A digital copy should be uploaded to D2L into a correct folder by 12:59 pm on the due date (exact
dates are noted on the syllabus under Course Calendar and Assignments).
