WRITE ESSAY FOR UNIT 3 AND USE THE KEY TERMS IN UNIT 3
Unit 3
9, 10, 11, 12
Social Stratification (key terms p. 255)
Global Inequality (key terms p. 280)
Race and Ethnicity (key terms p. 319)
Gender (key terms p. 356)
In part one, you apply sociology key terms from our textbook to the societies depicted in two science fiction films from the list below.
In part two, you apply sociology key terms from our textbook to your own life.
Please read the full instructions carefully before beginning.
PART ONE: the “Sci-Fi” component
Choose two films from the science fiction films list below.
Science Fiction Film Titles
Advantageous (on Netflix)
Everything Everywhere All at Once (free on Kanopy)
Ex-machina (free on Kanopy)
How I Live Now (free on Kanopy)
Hunger Games (on Netflix)
Mad Max: Fury Road
What Happened to Monday (on Netflix)
You can use the same two movies for each Sci-Fi & Me essays this term (four unit’s worth), or you are welcome to change up the films from unit to unit, if you’d like–so long as the movie is from the list provided. Please check the ratings on these films in advance if you are concerned about mature themes (i.e. sexuality, violence, language, drug use, and so on).
Watch the two films after reading the required textbook chapters for that unit. As you see connections to key terms covered in the book, takes notes on how and why the sociology concept/key term applies to the stories in the science fiction films. What parallels do you see? How can sociology help us understand different societies?
Next, write an essay using the two films you have chosen. The purpose of this assignment is to relate sociological concepts from the textbook reading to the material presented in your science fiction films.
There are a total of four sci-fi essays to be written, one for each of the first four units of the course.
For example–for unit 2, you write an essay that applies sociology key terms taken from chapters 5 through 8 in the textbook.
Some chapters and concepts lend themselves better to the films than others, as you will see in the reading. Furthermore, the key terms/concepts you apply also depend greatly which sci-fi films you choose to analyze. You will not apply every single sociology concept/key term to your films. Rather, you select the best-fitting concepts from that unit’s readings to the films.
Format requirements
The part-one essay must be:
One page in length
Use font size 10-12
Single-spaced (not double spaced, or 1.5…)
Use paragraphs to organize your writing
Written without the use of AI: 100% your own writing
No introduction or conclusion paragraph: get right to the business of applying those key terms
Uploaded as a Word doc or PDF
PART TWO: the “Me” component
This part is all about you! In part two, you want to apply that unit’s sociology concepts TO YOUR OWN LIFE.
The format guidelines are the same (one page in length, single-spaced, bolding the key terms, etc.). Please note that the key terms you use in part two do not have to be the same terms you use in part one. You are not discussing the science fiction films in part two. Instead, you are using the key terms you read about in that unit’s chapters to talk about your own life.
Please note that these are not abstract applications to “someone’s life,” but rather very specific applications to your own personal life. You can decide what you write about, and what concepts/key terms you apply, as long as they are from the appropriate readings in the sociology textbook.
Again, be sure to put all sociology concepts in bold throughout these pages.
Sci-fi & Me Assignments Checklist
You earn points based on how well you select your key terms to discuss the films (part one) and your own life (part two). It’s possible, for instance, to select an appropriate concept/key term, but to incorrectly apply it in your paper. It’s also possible to overlook/not include a concept/key term that is actually very relevant to a film. For instance, if you wrote about the film What Happened to Monday without discussing the “Child Allocation Act,” you would lose points for that oversight, as there are many connections to the Marriage & Family chapter in the textbook.
Read this list before submitting your assignment:
Type your full name + NET#, as well as your two movie titles, at the top of the page.
Single-space this essay.
Please save your papers as Word documents (.doc), or PDFs (.pdf).
Your entire essay should be two pages in length, total. Page one/part one is the essay about the sci-fi films. Page two/part two is the discussion of your own life, related to that unit’s key terms.
Sociology concepts (key terms) should be in bold. Do not bold full sentences, just the key terms.
Do not include an introduction paragraph or a conclusion paragraph. That’s not needed in an assignment like this. Get right to the business of applying your terms.
Use a reasonable font size, something between 10 and 12.
Only submit an essay that uses paragraphs.
Use punctuation, capitalize sentences, etc.
