You are to write a [minimum] 5-7 page [maximum] analytical essay [1250-1750 words] reviewing a contemporary film, book, or writings from the list provided. You will not be writing a review regarding your chosen topic per se—I do not want to know, if for instance, you have chosen a film, what your opinion is of the acting, plot, writing or directing [a.k.a., it is not relevant whether you enjoyed the film, whether you thought it humorous, too stylized, insipid, too complex, etc.]. Rather, the goals of this assignment are threefold:
1) I want to you to apply the theoretical perspectives from weeks I & II to relevant elements within your paper topic. Pick out different concepts we have learned since the first two weeks [culture, self, socialization, class issues, stigma, social stratification, race/ethnicity, cultural hegemony, symbolism, ethnocentrism, relative deprivation, false consciousness, norms, deviance, ETC.] from your chosen topic, and analyze them in terms of the 3 paradigms studied. Identify these sociological concepts and, using one or more of the three approaches studied, attempt to explain what, sociologically, is going on
2) You will use at least 3 outside sources from scholarly works by other sociologists. This will not only familiarize you with the initial research process but also, the arguments of others in the academy will help substantiate your own ideas. A.P.A citation style is necessary [I have provided you with a website from Purdue University that will show you exactly how to cite the various sources you choose]. This means you will also need to provide a reference page with all your cited sources at the end of your essay [attached as a separate page]. Please, reread the syllabus regarding academic integrity, as plagiarism will absolutely not be tolerated [remember, even if you are not quoting a source directly, you still need to cite anothers ideasif they are not original thoughts, if you use someone elses thoughts, you must cite them]. You must use scholarly sourcesplease ask if you do not understand what this means. You may not use Wikipedia, Ask.com, Sparkss notes, or the like as cited sources! Your research must come from legitimate sociological journal articles, books and other published material. You are always able to reach me if you need to know whether a given source is acceptable. This means you will most likely need to visit the library or access the library by proxy. Most of the information you will find by conducting a GOOGLE SCHOLAR search will probably be deemed legitimate.
3) I want you to not only be able to apply and understand sociological ideas and concepts, but I also want you to learn how to write an [albeit small] formal, college-level paper. This will not only help you in this class, but will assist you throughout the duration of your college career. I have therefore included the minimum necessary components for writing analysis. That being said, to explain a bit further, take [for instance] the Disney film Frozen. I do not want an essay about the animation or the beauty of the musical score. Rather, I want you to adopt the sociological imagination, and therefore think and analyze the movie sociologically. Does this movie deal with issues of inequality? Does it speak to different notions about gender stereotypes? If so, in what way? What theory/theories does this stem from? Does the movie break any of these stereotypes? What, for example, does it mean that the main character winds up alone? What ideas/concepts/research can you use to explain and justify the different dynamics presented in the film?
