English Paper: Social phenomenons
English Paper: Social phenomenons
I have a 2-part Assignment: I need a 3-4 page rough draft in 2 days. And a fully completed assignment(6-8pages) a week after that. Before you start your assignment,
you must let me know what your thesis/topic/argument of the paper is.
Will pay 80 in total.Â
!!!ROUGH DRAFT IS DUE IN 36 HOURS!!!
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Here is the prompt:
For sources, please don’t get random stuff – use legitimate scholarly artlicles, news articles etc.
What Your See Is Not Always What You Get: Ideology at Work across the Social Sciences
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Purpose:Â
Essay one serves as a transition essay, reinforcing and extending the skills you have learned in introductory college composition courses already. This assignment is
designed to allow you to develop your authorial confidence and authority by utilizing the expertise developed throughout your previous collegiate coursework, giving
you an opportunity to turn your critical eye toward a topic within the purview of your academic interests. The assignment also asks you to pay careful attention to
the needs of your audience, in this case a lay-audience, deeply interested in this social subject but unaware altogether of your disciplinary perspective on the
issue. Â
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Readings:Â
Erikson, Kai T. “On the Sociology of Deviance.†Wayward Puritans: A Study in the Sociology of Deviance. New York: Macmillan, 1966. 11-18.
Freeden, Michael. “Should ideologies be ill-reputed?†Ideology: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. 1-11.
Klein, Naomi. “Disaster Capitalism: the New Economy of Catastrphe.†Harper’s Oct. 2007. 47-58.
Lambert, Molly. “The Internet is Magic: Exploring the Wonderful World of My Little Pony Fandom in Bronies.†Grantland 12 Nov. 2013. Web.Â
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Background:Â
This assignment is underwritten by the premise that the close reading of socio-cultural phenomena lies at the heart of academic discourse in the social sciences. One
of the more prolific and profound practitioners of cultural criticism is the French critic Roland Barthes. In the preface to his seminal work Mythologies, Barthes
shares the impetus for his cultural analysis: “The starting point of these reflections was usually a feeling of impatience at the sight of the ‘naturalness’ with
which newspapers, art, and common sense constantly dress up a reality which, even though it is the one we live in, is undoubtedly determined by history. In short, in
the account given of our contemporary circumstances, I resented seeing Nature and History confused at every turn, and I wanted to track down, in the decorative display
of what goes without saying the ideological abuse that was hidden there.†Though he hesitates to automatically characterize all such ideological underpinnings as â
€œabuse,†noted scholar Michael Freeden agrees “that what you see is not always what you get….The study of ideology therefore encompasses in large part—though
certainly not entirely—the enterprise of decoding, of identifying structures, contexts, and motives that are not readily visible.†Your writing task for this
assignment, then, is to offer one such “decoding†for the benefit of a broader public audience that lacks the tools to do so for itself.    Â
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Occasion for writing:
The Atlantic has commissioned you to write about the ideological underpinnings and implications of a contemporary social practice or event from your disciplinary
perspective, uncovering insights that its readers would otherwise be unlikely or unable to uncover for themselves.Â
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Writing Task: In a 6-8 page thesis-driven essay, please answer the following prompt:
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Provide a compelling, in-depth analysis of a current event or social phenomenon , one which explores the assumptions, values, and/or agenda behind it. Be sure to
explain the implication(s) of this ideological undercurrent as a means of indicating the significance of your argument.
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Your subject may be a current event, political or social policy, a cultural phenomenon or fad, a pattern of human behavior, a social institution, or something else
entirely. Pay careful attention to your choice in topic: overly broad topics (like Capitalism) have already been thoroughly explored, and even if they had not, it is
unlikely that a satisfactory analysis of so large a concern could be accomplished in 6-8 pages, while overly narrow topics, conversely, sometimes fall short by failing
to recognize the larger pattern or phenomenon of which that smaller topic is a part.
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Keep in mind that there are a variety of ways you can approach this assignment. For example, you might choose:
ü a relatively unknown or recent cultural phenomenon, one for which the culture as a whole has yet to establish a common reading or understanding. As such, your
essay serves to help create that understanding by revealing what practices and modes of thought are really at work.
ü a cultural practice so ingrained, so “natural†that those who engage in them (and very possibly anybody observing them) would be unlikely to think of them as
behavior that could be called “ideological†in most everyday senses of the term. In many cases, people might not even think of such practices as “practices†but
rather as inevitable, commonsensical behavior (“it’s just what people do,†“it’s just normal to do it that way,†“it would be weird to do it some other
way,†etc.).
ü a cultural practice that you can convincingly read against the grain by pointing out how, while, they may appear tied to one set of beliefs they are in fact
also—or even instead—tied to a different set of beliefs.
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Though some description of the subject will certainly be necessary—indeed, details will be essential—the best essays will be more prominently focused on a cogent
analysis. You should aspire to provide a thesis that not only conveys your argument effectively, but also surprises your reader with its insightful explication of the
cultural and ideological dynamics which underlie your topic.
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Other requirements:
Your audience for this essay is a lay reader, unfamiliar with cultural analysis, so tailor your diction, tone, and style accordingly. Avoid overly technical or
academic jargon, and should you introduce an important term or concept, be sure to briefly explain it rather than assume the reader already knows it. At the same time,
avoid over-relying on slang, conversational turns of phrase, or visually distracting elements like parenthetical asides, as writing that is too informal will likely
fail to convey the sense of authority you desire. Still, the more sophisticated the thinking at work, the more leeway you have with voice and style.
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Sources: There is no minimum source requirement, but should you use sources, follow the citation style most commonly used by your discipline—what you tend to use in
your major classes. If you are unsure, you can default to MLA documentation guidelines (i.e. parenthetical, in-text citation) and have a works cited page. If you
have any questions about citation, feel free to let me know.
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