For your final essay for this class, you must write a 6-8 page research paper on a topic of your choosing. This essay must consider at least two of the social theorists discussed over the course of the semester (or another, related social theorist, with instructor’s approval) and connect their work to some element of human social behavior.
For example: you might choose to discuss a social ritual such as marriage and analyze it using the social theories of Emile Durkheim and Judith Butler. Or, you might choose to write about a particular social situation, like a workplace, drawing on the work of Karl Marx and Erving Goffman. The specific situation chosen matters less than the connections you are able to draw between it and the theorists we have read in the class. Papers will be judged, primarily, on your ability to demonstrate that you know how to apply the work of social theorists we have read to specific sociological data, and that you are able to compare and contrast theorists effectively.
The final paper is due at the end of the semester, May 22nd at 5pm. It will be graded according to the following rubric:
• Description of relevant concept from social theorist, drawing
on relevant quotes, summaries, and secondary scholarship
where appropriate. 20 points each
• Careful, accurate description of the social phenomenon you
are analyzing with this essay. 10 points
• Analysis of the situation through the combined lenses of your
chosen social theorists. 40 points
• Proper essay structure, citations, formatting and spell-checking,
and overall care in presentation. 10 points
Papers should have a formal thesis statement at the beginning, should describe the project and the structure of the paper itself, and should be well-structured internally, using signpost statements to mark the development of your argument.
Some theorist discussed is Émile Durkheim, Du Bois,Max Weber ,Arlie Hochschild.
