I write to capture my thoughts and explore and learn about different topics. Writing has allowed me to reflect on my experiences and better understand my world. This semester, my perceptions of writing have evolved significantly as I have been asked to make connections between my experiences, insights, and knowledge and draw conclusions based on the evidence I have gathered. Through my various fieldwork projects, particularly my peer interview and community analysis, I have realized how important writing is to substantiate the information I have learned. My writing has helped me internalize what I have learned and shown me the power of thoughtful and intentional communication. I have studied the impacts of minority stress in the LGBTQ community and explored how their psychological and physical well-being is adversely affected by discrimination. Writing also helps me be more reflective, as I can document my views and thoughts in a purposeful way. In this way, my perceptions about writing have evolved significantly this semester, and I appreciate how writing allows me to communicate my ideas and learn about the world around me. 

My critical thinking and writing skills greatly developed throughout the course. For example, in the Peer Interview Essay, I explored my interviewee’s experience and points of view within the LGBTQ community in an open yet unbiased manner. Through careful research, questioning, and our conversation, I was able to effectively outline the essay and create an organized structure that also thoughtfully respected my interviewee’s thoughts and ideas. While developing this essay, I had to practice reading comprehension to understand my interviewee’s remarks and beliefs better. The Community Essay allowed me to develop my critical thinking skills even further. I had to observe, analyze, and research the community from a social scientist’s point of view, identifying the social issues and challenges and relating them to existing theories. Instead of simply citing information, I had to use evidence to formulate my perspective and conclusions and back them up with logical reasoning. Editing this essay also developed my writing skills, as I had to condense large amounts of information into the required pages efficiently yet effectively. Through the essays, I can confidently say that I have developed my critical thinking, writing, researching, and time-management skills, creating a strong foundation I can continue to hone and use in my future academic endeavors.

I have achieved the objectives of this course to a great extent. The research conducted in this course has helped me learn how to support my claims with evidence and use a range of sources to back up my arguments. This has enabled me to develop my critical thinking skills as I have learned to evaluate the validity of different sources and the overall accuracy of claims. Besides, the course has helped me develop the ability to investigate a topic without bias. Through my research, I have learned how to take a holistic approach to understanding a subject and consider a range of perspectives and information. Additionally, the course has enabled me to become more aware of social and political issues affecting marginalized communities. Through reading, discussion and research, I have been able to learn more about the struggles that face these groups and how they can be addressed.

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