Write an essay (social science writing style) that explains the ideas of The Social Contract and be sure to explain how The Social Contract is impacted by Policing and vice versa. It is important to note that there are two fundamental ideas that need to be expressed in your essay regarding this ground-breaking philosophical idea. Keep in mind that this course is about the Police Use of Force.
Please utilize at least three sources. Please cite the sources of your information within the context of the essay where the information is presented. Use the APA format for source citation and also for the Bibliography (List of References) which is necessary for this assignment. Primary sources are optimal and there are many primary sources available. Wikipedia and similar sources are not acceptable in a serious academic essay. Please utilize Social Science Writing Style.
Social Science Writing Style
There are different styles of writing and thinking. A well educated person has more than one style. College students who take social science courses after taking English composition courses tend to get lower grades than students who have not yet taken English composition courses. The reason why is probably because in English composition courses students are encouraged to write in a very personal style and to express their opinions. They get used to writing phrases like, “In my opinion…” or “I feel that ….” Sometimes they are also encouraged to write in a rhetorical style with lots of “we” and “should” and rhetorical questions and vague generalities about “society” and “community” and “people” in general. For narrative they have learned to use the more dramatic “literary present” in place of the past tense, as in, “and so Washington crosses the Delaware on Christmas eve to attack the British camp.” This sort of training in literary style affects their thinking style. It is an inappropriate style of writing and thinking for social science. Social science calls for a very objective and precise style. In social science even the opinion of a known expert has no value by itself; only the data matter, not who says something.
A literary style is appropriate for literary pursuits. Social science style happens to be more appropriate for pursuing a career in criminal justice. The objectivity and precision of social science style is required for reports and other documents for criminal justice agencies. Mastering social science style is a plus for a career in criminal justice.
To develop critical thinking skills all writing for this course should be done in social science writing style. The style of writing which is appropriate for social science is somewhat different from the style which would be appropriate for personal, motivational or literary writing. Social science writing style is impersonal, informational, plain and precise. The following rules apply to social science writing.
Use only plain print faces. It is rarely correct style to use underlining, bold print, color, italics or oversized print. Italics are used for book titles and for foreign words. The appropriate appearance for social science is neat but plain. Printing enhancements are tantamount to yelling, which is not acceptable in learned discourse.
Use standard margins. Standard margins are about one inch wide on the sides and about one-and-a-half inches at the top and bottom of a page. Use no boxes or lines. Use no dots or other markers to highlight anything.
Write in formal English. Write complete sentences. Clear thinking takes the form of sentences. Sentence fragments reflect fragmentary thinking. Careful thinking produces whole sentences. Use no slang and no colloquialisms. Use no vulgarities. Use no contractions, e.g., instead of “don’t”, write “do not.” Do not write in twitter style.
Write in essay format. Write in paragraphs. Do not write in shopping list style unless the assignment directions specifically say to create a list of items.
Write in plain English. Strive to be clear, not fancy. Short, clear sentences are best. Avoid jargon. Use technical language sparingly. Whatever needs to be expressed should be expressed in plain, ordinary English. Avoid abbreviations, such as P.D. or PO or CJS. Write so that any literate person could understand what is being written, even someone with no background in the subject matter.
Extended quotations are not allowed. A short quotation is appropriate in only two situations. First, a short quotation is acceptable if it is exceptionally apt and eloquent. That is rare. Second, a short quotation is acceptable if it is saying something so questionable that a reader would demand the original statement and the page reference. A page reference must be given with a quotation.
Write in the past tense when writing about past things, e.g., “Lombroso believed that…,” not “Lombroso believes that….” All authors die, and some change their minds. Past information should not be presented as present information, e.g., not “crime statistics show that…,” but rather “2011 crime statistics showed that….” However, the present tense is used for statements which are considered permanently true, such as, “The earth is round.”
Refer to an author sparingly and only by family name, e.g., “Goldstein,” not “Herman Goldstein.” Do not write “the author” when you know the author’s name. Be precise by using the author’s name. Do not use any titles, e.g., write “Holmes,” not “Justice Holmes.” In social science information is judged on the basis of the evidence for it, not on the credentials of who said it. That is a reason for referring to an author sparingly.
Write in the third person. Do not use “I,” “my,” “you,” “we,” “our,” “us.” In social science “I” is permitted only when reporting an action of the author, such as “I interviewed….” Do not use phrases like, “I think that…” or “in my opinion,” or “I do not agree that….” Simply omit such phrases, and go ahead with your statement. Social science pretends to be more objective than it is.
Respect the difference between “a” and “the.” The indefinite pronouns “a” and “an” denote “any” rather than a particular person or thing. The definite pronoun “the” refers to a particular or definite person or thing. For example, “a police department” means any police department, but “the police department” means a particular police department. An error in language is an error in thinking. If you write “the police department” when you are writing about police departments in general, you are probably assuming that all police departments are the same as “the” particular police department you have in your mind.
Use gender neutral language when referring to a person who could be either female or male. But avoid such awkward contrivances as “s/he” or “he/she” or “he or she.” Rework the sentence to make it gender neutral but smooth flowing. Some grammarians allow the use of “they” or “their” when referring to a person who may be female or male, even when referring to a single person, e.g., “When a judge gives their decision….” Notice that in this example it would have been possible to avoid the problem altogether by writing, “When a judge gives a decision….”
Avoid parentheses. If something is essential, say it without parentheses. If it is not essential, omit it. Do not supplement or correct a statement by adding something in parentheses. Do not substitute a more accurate word by adding it in parentheses, such as, “when police (detectives) interrogate….” Correct the original instead of adding something in parentheses.
Eliminate slashes. The meaning of a slash is unclear. Whatever meaning you intend should be expressed precisely in words. Avoid hackneyed slashing as in “and/or.”
Write with precision. Do not use vague words like “some” or “many” or “sometimes” or “often” or “recently” or “people.” Specify how many, or how often, or exactly when, or which people. Use words precisely. Do not write something like, “Westley felt that…” when you mean, “Westley thought that….” Avoid very general words like “society,” “the community,” “the public,” “citizens,” “democracies,” “government officials.” Instead specify which aspect or part of society or a community you mean, which part of the public, which citizens, which democracies, which government officials. Precise writing will prompt precise thinking.
Eschew rhetoric. Rhetoric is speech designed to persuade or move someone. Social science writing is intended to inform, not to persuade. Write statements, not questions. A question which assumes that the answer is obvious or that there is only one possible answer indicates that the person asking the question has not done much thinking. Avoid preaching by avoiding words such as “should” or “ought” or “must.” Omit emotional words like “sadly” or “unfortunately.” Avoid superlatives and exaggerations. Eliminate words which suggest mindless credulity, such as “obviously,” “clearly,” “certainly,” “no doubt.” Social scientists are more likely to use words like “possibly,” “probably,” “apparently,” or “evidently,” depending on which word is most accurate. To be precise and objective, avoid similes and metaphors. To say that one thing is like something else is a very loose form of thinking; it is like making shoes out of banana skins.
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