What norms and values have been instilled upon you, and by whom?

Final Paper
Your Sociological Autobiography
In an autobiography a person tells her or his own story. I want you to tell your story but to place it in a broader social context, or what some refer to as a “sociological autobiography”. The point of this assignment is to encourage you to see the connections between sociological ideas and theories and your own life. It is an opportunity for you to demonstrate that you understand the ideas, theories, and social institutions we studied throughout the semester and can apply them to your own life experiences. Further, this is an excellent opportunity to reflect on your own life experiences and the way sociology impacts (and will continue to impact) your daily life.
Assignment: You will write an essay that explains how societal forces and institutions (including, but not limited to, culture, social structure, gender, education, family, race, class, sexuality, religion, etc.) have influenced your life. Try to distance yourself and approach your life as a detached sociologist might. Your job is to examine the role of external social forces in shaping your life. You should feel free to discuss personal experiences and events, but the most important part of this assignment is focusing on how these events illustrate sociological concepts and tie into bigger social issues discussed throughout the semester. Use concepts from class to explain how your life is shaped by society or how sociological concepts/theories described throughout the semester apply to you. In other words, narrate your life story using sociological language. Your goal is to make connections between private experiences and public issues.
For example, below are a few points you may wish to touch upon:
Family: What kind of family did you grow up in? What kind of norms and values did you learn? How did this compare to your peers?
Social Class: How has your social class impacted your experiences and opportunities?
Love: Have you experienced love? What did your parents, grandparents, or other peers teach you about love?
Culture: What cultures and sub cultures do you belong to? What norms and values have been instilled upon you, and by whom?
Race: Have you or your parents experienced prejudice or discrimination? What are your experiences with immigration?
Gender: What is your gender identity? Has your gender impacted your opportunities and/or career path?
Socialization: What socialization agents shaped you as a child? Do you relate to any specific theories of social development? How do your define your social identity?
These are just a sampling of ideas and concepts to draw upon. There are many, many more things you may discuss/consider, and I highly encourage you to be creative and thoughtful in your approach.
Grading: In grading the assignment, the things I will look for are:
Does the paper specifically explain how life experiences are shaped by social forces, giving clear, specific and relevant examples?
Do you demonstrate a deep understanding of at least 10-15 specific theories or concepts introduced in class? These can include things like conflict theory, conformity, functionalism, norms, values, love, family, social class, gender, race, religion, conformity, deviance, childhood development, etc. The more you can specifically relate your own experience to sociology, the higher your grade will be.
Do you discuss a combination of sociological theories (including the sociologists who developed such theories), concepts, and institutions? More detail is better, and ensuring you go beyond simply discussing conceptual elements of sociology is necessary to earn full points.
Do you demonstrate a deep understanding of key social institutions and their impact on society?
Do you make explicit connections between private experiences and social issues/concepts. Importantly, please make sure that you don’t just describe personal experiences, but clearly relate them to sociological topics.
Does the paper demonstrate clear understanding and application of key concepts learned throughout the Semester? Further, do you draw on multiple areas of the course and various stages of your own life and social experiences?
Is the paper professionally written and well thought out? Is it well organized and grammatically correct?
Format: In constructing your final paper, please follow these instructions:
Please include a cover page with your name and a title for your paper (this does not count toward the page limit, nor does any bibliography or supporting materials)
All papers must be no less than 3 pages and no longer than 7 pages.
Please use single (or 1.5 times) spacing and Times New Roman or Arial, size 11 font. Margins must be no less than 1’ inch.
I encourage you to include pictures, charts, graphs, etc., where relevant.
You must include references and a bibliography, as necessary
Any plagiarized material will automatically result in a ‘0’ on this final assignment.

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