pick any topic that about the essay

The term paper assignment consists of a 1 750 to 2 500-word essay. Essays provide a clear response to a specified problem, accompanied by a substantive discussion of some of the underlying issues and a synthesis of all the points raised.

The essay shall adopt the Traditional form: Introduction, Body of arguments, Conclusion. Essays should begin by tailoring a question around a limited set of elements. They then provide a review of published academic texts relevant to the question, and close with a conclusion that, in addition to synthesizing the points raised, offers a direct response to the question raised in the introduction.

The essay should reference a minimum of 10 sources, at least eight of which must be from peer-reviewed journals or books. (You may use any amount of readings from the class list, but these may only count for a maximum of four required sources.) Sources must be cited using the APA, MLA or Chicago systems (Please consult the OWL at Purdue for guidelines) and text must be double-spaced. The essay must include a bibliography of all sources used as well as a cover-page that lists the student’s name, the title of the essay, the course code and semester, and the date submitted. The total out of 100 is worth 20% of the final grade. The rubric will be discussed as part of the class portions allotted for preparation of the essay.

The essay is in response to one of the following three problems:

In explaining social change, social scientists may emphasize the role of individual agency or social (structural) determinism. How would you propose to untangle the relative importance of agency and structure in explaining social change?
Issues of gender, race, environmental degradation, and class (im)mobility have been cast by sociologists as cause, manifestation or consequence of social change. How can the social sciences help us understand how (one of) these issues harbour a process of social change?
It is unclear to what degree people are aware of social change and of how society affects their lives. How would you explain why some individuals appear less aware of, or less committed to the idea of society?

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