- 17 Mar, 2021
- 0 Comments
- 3 Mins Read
increasing competitiveness of college admissions and its effects on individuals / families / society
social class and economic inequality, gender and gender inequality, race and racism,
government, labor and the economy, family life, education, and more. For this assignment, I
want you to use your sociological imagination by selecting the topic that you find most
interesting, and then thinking critically and writing a paper about how your lived experiences
relate to some of the broad sociological patterns we have been discussing in class.
Is there a particular topic that resonated with you as we discussed it in our discussion forums or
as you completed the course readings? Once you have chosen the specific topic you want to
write about, I want you to write a paper where you (a) identify your topic; (b) provide a brief
description of the key sociological concepts, theories, etc. associated with that topic; and then (c)
critically reflect upon the ways in which your personal, lived experiences connect to the broader
sociological patterns associated with your topic. Stated simply, the goal of your paper will be for
you to demonstrate your ability to make connections between your life and the society in which
you live – to apply your sociological imagination by putting on your “sociological thinking hat,”
so to speak, and showing me that you are able to interpret your world through a sociological lens.
In keeping with the course objectives spelled out in the syllabus, your paper should ideally:
identify and explain key sociological concepts; apply these concepts and theories to real-world
situations and/or current events; critically examine how large-scale social institutions (such as
the family, education, work, politics, or whichever realm of social life you choose to examine)
have shaped your life and the society in which you live; and demonstrate your comprehension of
the course material. I will be looking for evidence that you have done the required reading, have
paid attention in class, and have reflected upon how the reading and other course materials speak
to your own life. (For an assignment like this, by the way, it is perfectly acceptable to write in the
first person! It can even be similar to writing a personal journal entry, albeit a particularly
analytical one.)
Your paper should be 5-6 pages long, typed, double-spaced, Times or Times New Roman 12-
point font, and should have standard 1 1⁄4 inch margins. College-level writing is expected for
this assignment. You must incorporate at least three references to our textbook. Outside
references are also acceptable, but not required. Please include in-text citations and a separate list
of references (which will not count towards the page total). Put your identifying information
(name, date, class) on a separate title page (which will also not count towards the page total). I
am not particular about the style of your paper, as long as you are consistent and provide
citations. When in doubt, you may simply follow ASA (American Sociological Association)
style guidelines, which are nicely summarized at the following link:
https://sociology.fas.harvard.edu/files/sociology/files/asastyleguide.pdf
(Note: This pdf document is also available in the Course Resources module in Canvas)
Friday, November 22, the due date specified on the course syllabus.
As stated on the course syllabus, this assignment is worth a total of 50 points. Here is the
rubric (or scoring guide) I will be using to evaluate your work:
• Identifies sociological topic (4 points)
• Briefly explains key sociological concepts and/or theories relevant to the chosen
topic (8 points)
• Effectively illustrates connections between large-scale sociological patterns and
the author’s lived experiences (20 points)
• Incorporates three (3) or more references to the course textbook (6 points)
• Incorporates proper grammar / spelling / punctuation (6 points)
• Includes in-text citations (3 points)
• Includes a separate title page and list of references (3 points)
As always, do not hesitate to co