Step 1
Begin by writing down your own assumptions about your hometown. If you moved around a lot, pick the one location where you lived for the longest period of time, or simply pick the location of your current school. Respond to the following questions
- What do you think is the racial and ethnic background of the area?
- Do you think most people graduated high school? Is there a large military presence in the area?
- Do you think there is an aging population?
- What would you expect to find about the status of women in terms of schooling, jobs, and income
Step 2
Next, visit the U.S. Census Bureau’s website to find out some basic demographics of your area (www.census.gov). There are several ways to search for this type of information, but an easy way to get some quick facts is to go to the “Data” heading, then click on the “American FactFinder” link, which provides data from the Economic Census, the American Community Survey, and the 2010 Census, among others. Put in the city and state, or zip code, to get basic facts about your community, or conduct more advanced searches if you are interested in other topics. (Keep in mind the most recent data available for most locations will be 2010 for Census Data and 2012 for the American Community Survey.) Report some basic background information about age, gender, race, ethnicity, income, and education of the population.
Step 3
Now, look into the history of your hometown. The best way to start this is to visit your local library (online or in-person). Libraries often carry historical documents about the local area, including books, photos, and other archival materials. (Many towns also have local museums that you could visit.) Learn what you can about the area with the resources you have available (i.e., Google). Report your historical findings.
Step 4
Provide an analysis on the following: Compare and contrast the data you found about changing demographics in the area with perceptions about diversity that you originally had in Step 1. Were your own assumptions about your hometown accurate? Did they match what you found? What was the most significant thing you learned about diversity in your hometown?
Writing Instructions
- Format your paper as an essay, with at least 4 paragraphs addressing each step.
- Provide a heading with your name, date, and assignment title.
- Cite your sources at the end of your document using APA.
- Submit the document as a PDF or Word Doc File.
