Topic: SS1004N Social Thought & Social Change

Order Instructions:
SS1004N Social Thought & Social Change Semester2- 2011-12 Coursework 2 – Essay (1,500 Words Max.- excluding bibliography/references)

Answer ONE of the following

1.Are the ideas of Marx, Weber or Durkheim useful for understanding social change today? Illustrate your answer using ONE of these theorists.

2.Discuss the view that Marx had both an evolutionary and revolutionary view of social change? Illustrate with reference to social change today.

3.Discuss the relevance of Weber’s ’The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism’ to our understanding of social change today.

4.Discuss the relationship between the division of labour and social solidarity in the work of Durkheim. Illustrate with reference to social change today.

NOTE:In each case CHOOSE ONE main theorist as the focus of your answer. You should only introduce elements of the other theorists as criticism or comparison. However, there should be an emphasis on applying ONE main theorist to the question of social change today. Guidelines Your essay MUST have: A Structure ·A clear and concise introduction – one which interprets the question and identifies the key issues to be addressed. ·A substantive discussion arranged according the importance of the issues and supported by evidence and appropriate illustration; ·A conclusion that addresses the question set and is consistent with the argument/evidence that has been presented. An Argument ·It should contain a reasoned argument backed by appropriate evidence/illustration. ·Organise/prioritise your discussion. Identify any additional issues/questions where you can. ·Demonstrate your knowledge and application of the appropriate concepts. ·Support your arguments by reference to the recommended texts/readings. Good Presentation ·Within the word limit (1500 words); ·Fully-referenced using the Harvard system; ·Typed where possible with at least 1.5 spacing and 12 pt font; ·Pages numbered and a full bibliography of sources used. ·Use a Spell Check (English- UK) and Word Count. ·NOTE:Web-based sources must be used with care – they must be academic authoritative sources and must be fully referenced using the full URL. CWK 2 -Marking Criteria Your essay will be assessed using the outline below as a guide. A grade = (70%+)you need to produce an answer which excels in all three components – structure, argument and presentation. ·It will consist of a clear and concise introduction that interprets the question and sets out the key issues to be addressed. ·It will have a well-structured and well evidenced content section which deals specifically with the relationship between the chosen theorist and contemporary social change. ·It will have a concluding section which discusses the relevance of the theorist in relation to the main themes of the module – in particular, the relationship between ideas and social change. ·It will be well-structured and presented, with appropriate evidence and a coherent argument. ·It will also be correctly and fully referenced using the Harvard method, with a bibliography that reflects the reading and sources actually used in the essay. B grade = (60-69%) an answer which addresses all three components – structure, argument and presentation – but does not sustain the necessary quality throughout. That is, the essay will be uneven in terms of either the depth or quality of the argument and evidence. ·It will consist of an introduction that interprets the question and sets out the key issues to be addressed. ·A good grasp of the relationship between the theorist and social change will be apparent but the structure of the argument/ use of the evidence /illustration could be improved. ·In particular, the main points being made regarding the theorist and contemporary social change could have been developed and explored in more detail. ·It will have a concluding section which discusses the relevance of the theorist in relation to the main themes of the module – especially the relationship between ideas and social change. ·It will be generally well presented and referenced using the Harvard method. C grade =(50-59%)an answer which mainly focuses on two out of three of the components – structure, argument and presentation. ·An introduction– but one that may not sufficiently interpret the question and identify the key points to be discussed. ·There is an emphasis on the theorist and social change – but at a very descriptive level. There may be no real evidence or sufficient supporting material (sources) used. ·There may be some grasp of the relationship between the theorist and social change, but little or no discussion of the relevance to understanding contemporary social change or the more general issues relating to the main themes of the module – the role of ideas in social change. ·An inadequate conclusion – usually just a summary – i.e. one that fails to address the question set. ·The presentation may be acceptable but with scope for improvement throughout –especially in relation to referencing using the Harvard method, grammar etc. D grade=(40-49%)an answer which simply describes the theorist’s ideas and little else. ·A poor or inadequate introduction – one that fails to interpret the question and identify the key issues to be discussed. ·The answer will be mostly descriptive and fails to discuss the relationship between the theorist and contemporary social change. ·There will be a structure but poor detail or evidence to support the argument. ·There will be evidence of having understood the theorists at a rather basic level but insufficient application to contemporary social change. ·There will be little or no attempt to discuss the theorist in terms of the main themes of the module – the role of ideas in social change. ·An inadequate conclusion – usually just a summary – i.e. one that fails to address the question set. ·The presentation will be generally acceptable but with considerable scope for improvement, especially in relation to referencing using the Harvard method, grammar etc. E grade (40-42%) an answer that only outlines and describes the theorist (s) ideas and little else. ·No real introduction – fails to interpret the question and identify the key issues to be discussed. ·It will be very descriptive and leave the relationship between the theorist and contemporary issues relating to social change largely unexplored. ·There will be a limited structure and poor detail. ·There will be evidence of having understood the theorist(s) at a ratherbasic level and little or no effort to relate this to contemporary social change. ·However, there is no attempt to contextualise orproblematise them in terms of the main themes of the module – especially the role of ideas in social change. ·The presentation will be acceptable but with considerable scope for improvement –especially in relation to referencing and citation of source materials. R grade =(0-39%)an answer which contains numerous factual and/or conceptual misunderstanding. It may also be poor in terms of basic essay writing technique – structure, argument, presentation, use of evidence, referencing etc. ·No introduction– fails to interpret the question and identify the key issues to be discussed. ·There is no real attempt to address the question set. ·It will consist mainly of a poor description of the theorist(s) ideas. ·There is little or no indication of any grasp of the meaning/purpose/role/function of the theorist’s ideas in terms of its relevance to contemporary social change. ·Insufficient evidence of reading and support for the arguments. ·It may also have a large number of presentation errors, little or no referencing -especially in relation to correctly using the Harvard method, grammar etc. ·The essay may be too brief or insufficient to answer the question set. ·There may be little or no evidence of having understood the question and/ or the central themes of the module.