SOCY1050 Written Assessment GuideDue date:Monday, 08 February 2021 at 2pm.
Weight:40%
Task:Students are asked to submit a written pieceof 1500 words length. They will follow 2 steps:
First, they will choose a question from the list below. Second, they will choose a modalityfrom the listto addressthe question.Step 1: Choose a question for your researchproject:
1. What is meant by the social construction of gender? Choose an example to explore how the categorisationinto either ‘women’and ‘men’is produced in social relations.
2. Take the global COVID-19 pandemic as a case study to apply either Giddens’theory on ‘consequences oflate modernity’or Castells’theory on the ‘network society’. What does the theory explain well or not well?
3. Specify the ways in which the public sphere is a useful concept to think about the state of the contemporarynews media. Then nominate the shortcomings of this concept. Make some connections to issues and debatesfaced by contemporary news media in Australia (e.g. freedom of press).
4. How does inequality impact upon families? Choose an example from contemporary Australia. Employ atheoretical perspective introduced in the course, make some suggestions on how to tackle social inequalities.
5. Sociological movie review. This question is only available if you choose modality
5. Imagine you arereviewing the movie The Castle (1997)(available through UQ Library) for your sociological blog. Provide abrief synopsis relevant for your analysis before critically reflecting on the social categories portrayed in themovie.
Conclude with a verdict that summarises how the movie exemplifies sociological key concepts and dynamics. Comment on the contemporary relevance of the movie. The sociological movie review is to beuploaded to turnitin as a pdf.
Step 2: Choose a modality to address the question:1. Sociological poster. Imagine youare soon to attend your first sociology conference and are asked toproduce a poster for display.
The poster will need an introduction into the topic, a main body, a discussion,and references. You may use visual material and/or graphs (copyright and referencing conventions apply).The final poster is to be uploaded to turnitin as a pdf.2. Podcast interview.
Write a podcast featuring a host and an expert on the topic. Think about how you canuse questions effectively to structure your argument and engage your audience. The transcript of the podcastincluding references is to be uploaded to turnitin as a pdf. There is no need for a recording.
3. Article for The Conversation. The Conversation is a popular platform for sociologists and other academicsto communicate with lay audiences and stakeholders about their research.
Think about how you cancommunicate your ideas and argument in a way that is engaging without compromising scholarly rigour. Youmay use visual material and/or graphs (copyright and referencing conventions apply). The article is to beuploaded to turnitin as a pdf
4. Research essay. Engage with the question beginning with an introduction into the topic, including a thesisstatement that outlines the theoretical perspective you will employ and the main argument.
