Instructions: Write a 2500 word critically reflexive essay on ONE of the questions listed below. The essay should make reference to a variety of theoretical approaches/material/readings covered throughout the module. Your ability to demonstrate a breadth and depth of knowledge on the subject matter will be evaluated. You should therefore incorporate as much of the material that you feel is relevant and helpful for answering your chosen question but with a minimum reference to at least THREE required readings. In addition to using the concepts, theories and debates encountered in this module you are also welcome to draw on items listed in the recommended reading sections on Canvas though the bulk of your essay must be drawn from the required reading and material covered in class. Essay answers will be assessed on the basis of how well you integrate theory, research, and examples from this module material.The essay must also adhere to conventional academic writing practice regarding structure, grammar and spelling, citation and referencing. Full details on the required referencing format and plagiarism are found in the Referencing Booklet found on the Sociology department website. What does it mean to write reflexively? To be reflexive is in itself a political act as it is a deliberate contribution to knowledge production. It also means identifying where you are situated in relation to your subject matter. Reflexive writing, therefore, requires you to insert yourself into the ideas, themes, theories you are addressing. To be reflexive means that it should not be a purely descriptive account of what you did/read/saw/heard but an opportunity to communicate your thinking process, how you think and feel about the subject matter. You are reflecting on how the theories, concepts and ideas covered in the module intersect with your personal experiences. It requires critical analysis, well-developed thinking and the formation of your own opinions and arguments, supported by the work of others. Reflexive essays are not descriptive – in fact, they are virtually the opposite of this. They are not summaries of readings or descriptive accounts of experiences – they are analytical! Reflexive writing helps you build your critical thinking skills and demonstrates your knowledge of what you learned. It is about inserting yourself into the process as well – situating yourself into the subject matter under reflection. To write reflexively is the act of giving yourself a voice! When doing reflexive writing you should be addressing questions like: -what do I think about this?-how does ‘X’ [with X being an issue, reading, experience, discussion] make me feel? -do you agree or disagree with what you’ve read? Why or why not? -are my experiences reflected in what I’m reading?-how has your thinking on the subject changed? -how does my positionality impact on my views? Experiences? -how has my thinking changed after doing this reading? module? To write a critically reflexive essay is to write with your own voice while at the same time demonstrating sociological knowledge (i.e. evidence of comprehension and reading, and engagement with, relevant material). It requires you to show that you are critically engaging with, and thinking about the issue you are writing about (i.e asking serious sociological questions about the material). You might find this reading useful for engaging with reflexivity: Reflexivity and Research. I have uploaded the reading for reflexivity and research along with other readings.
