Sociology 402: Reflective Reviews
These assignments ask you to reflect critically upon the course materials by commenting on the
readings from each unit. In 2 pages (double-spaced), perform these tasks in order:
1. In the first page, summarize what you believe to be the most compelling, most intriguing,
or otherwise most important claim(s) that you have seen in the readings.
2. Then critically reflect upon those claims. Do you agree with them? Disagree? Why?
Explain your reasoning while drawing on the content from the unit’s readings.
Step 1 is largely about summarizing what you have found. This could be one or more
claims shared by multiple authors. Or it could be an argument from a particular author that you
thought was especially impactful. Alternatively, it could be one that has been highly influential,
but that you feel skeptical towards. In any of these scenarios, the first step is to give a fair and
accurate reflection of what the readings are telling us. However, try to pick priorities wisely.
Focus on those claims that you find the most central, valuable, interesting, etc., rather than on
giving a detailed summary of entire articles in this short space.
Step 2 asks, what do you make of those readings? This is where you take a stance on the
quality of their contributions and then lay out your case. In so doing, you may use any of a
variety of arguments to support your comments, such as discussion of the strengths of the studies
in question, their weaknesses, an example or two for illustration, points of contradiction and/or
consistency, or overlaps between articles.
Top marks will be awarded to submissions that are (in order of priority)
• Clear: The wording and sentence structure is understandable.
• Correct: There are no obvious errors or misinterpretations of the readings or lectures. Nor
is it evident that have you may have missed some of the assigned readings.
• Coherent: There is a logical flow from one thought to the next.
• Compelling: The portrayal of what you are arguing and why is persuasive and/or
insightful, based on the material you have learned.
• Concise: Focus is on information pertinent to the broader argument.
For full marks, also make sure your submission comprises
• No more than 2 pages, double-spaced and numbered
• 12-point Times New Roman font
• 1-1.25 inches on each margin
Finally, here are additional protocols to follow.
• Be sparing on the use of quotes, especially long and/or block quotes.
• The work you submit must be your own. Please follow the rules on academic integrity.
• Make sure to properly cite any materials you choose to use, e.g., “Mackenbach (2014)
explains how…” A references page is only necessary if you use additional materials.
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