M A J O R E S S A Y T O P I C S

ORGANIZATIONAL PRACTICE AND THE STATE

AK/SOCI 3570 6.0

DUE DATE: MARCH 19, 2008

QUESTION: GLOBALIZATION – SOME ARGUE THAT IN THE ERA OF GLOBALIZATION, THE REDUCTION OF NATIONAL STATE REGULATIONS AND THE PROTECTION OF THE INVESTMENT OF CORPORATIONS ARE KEY TO SUSTAIN ECONOMIC GROWTH. OTHERS CLAIM THAT RIGHTS OF CORPORATIONS SHOULD NOT TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER HUMAN RIGHTS AND THAT STATE REGULATIONS ARE NEEDED TO ENSURE THE WELFARE OF PEOPLE. WHICH POSITION DO YOU AGREE WITH AND PROVIDE EXAMPLES TO SUPPORT YOUR CLAIM.

QUESTION: SOCIAL MOVEMENTS – THE SOCIAL CHANGE PROCESS OFTEN INVOLVES COLLECTIVE STRUGGLES OVER VALUES OR CLAIMS TO STATUS, POWER, AND SCARCE RESOURCES, IN WHICH THE AIMS OF THE CONFLICTING GROUPS ARE NOT ONLY TO GAIN THE DESIRED VALUES, BUT ALSO TO NEUTRAILZE, INJURE,OR ELIMINATE RIVALS. COMPARE AND CONTRAST SOCIAL MOVEMENTS IN CANADA (LIKE THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT, CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT, AND/OR THE ANTI-GLOBALIZATION MOVEMENT AND THEIR IMPACT ON SOCIAL CHANGE IN NORTH AMERICA.

QUESTION: MULTICULTUALISM -- CANADA'S POLICY OF MULTICULTURALISM HAS BEEN CALLED A "MANDATORY REQUIREMENT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY" BY ITS BOOSTERS, AND IT HAS BEEN CALLED "MOSAIC MADNESS" BY ITS CRITICS. COMPARE AND CONTRAST THESE VIEW POINTS IN REGARD TO THE NEEDS OF A COMPLEX URBAN SOCIETY?

QUESTION: ABORIGINAL PEOPLE -- IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT THE STRUGGLE FOR SELF-GOVERNMENT AND FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF LONG-STANDING LAND CLAIMS ARE THE TWO DIMENSIONS OF "NATIVE ACTIVISM" AMONG THE FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE IN CANADA IN THE MODERN CONTEXT? EXPLAIN AND ANALYSE.

QUESTION: IMMIGRATION – SHOULD IMMIGRATION CONTINUE TO PLAY AND IMPORTANT ROLE IN CANADIAN NATION BUILDING? HOW IS IMMIGRATION BENEFICIAL OR A DETRIMENT TO CANADA'S FUTURE? EXAMINE IN THE CONTEXT OF BOTH ECONOMIC AND NON-ECONOMIC IMMIGRATION.

QUESTION: GENDER JUSTICE -- THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT SINCE THE 1960S HAS PRESENTED CHALLENGES TO THE CANADIAN STATE TO REORGANIZE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL RELATIONS IN CANADA. DISCUSS THE KEY STRATEGIES USED AND MAJOR ISSUES ADDRESSED IN THE MOVE TOWARD ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.

QUESTION: RACISM AND THE FAMILY -- RACE IS A KEY FACTOR IN PRODUCING SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN SOCIETY. HOW DOES RACISM IMPACT FAMILY LIFE IN CONTEMPORARY CANADA FOR A PARTICULAR VISIBLE MINORITY GROUP?

QUESTION: THE "FEMINIZATION" OF POVERTY -- TWO OUT OF THREE IMPOVERISHED ADULTS IN NORTH AMERICA ARE WOMEN, SHOULD WE ASSUME THAT POVERTY IS PRIMARILY A WOMEN'S ISSUE? WHY OR WHY NOT? ARE THERE WAYS TO BEGIN TO "MOUNT A WINNING WAR ON POVERTY"?

Reflecting the course, the major papers will center on the sociological concepts of culture, social power and ideology as the primary focus in the analysis of social change process. Two major dimensions that I will evaluate your writing on are how well you substantiate your statements and arguments and how rigorous and creative you are in dealing with the material and the topic. Here are some suggestions which may be useful.

1. Substantiating your ideas:

(a) Logical argument (This is so because ...).

(b) Empirical evidence (This is an experience or something that can be seen to occur in society. You can base this on your own experience or descriptions from empirical studies that you find in academic literature, or other relevant reading material).

(c) Outside sources (references, paraphrases and quotes from writers in the field that lend support for what you are saying).

(d) Rules for Internet Use: Only online journals and no NGO sites and publications (unless pre-authorized by the Instructor)

2. Achieving analytic depth and creativity:

(a) Analogy (This is like ... e.g., comparing the organization of society to the organization of a human body. Your articulation of comparable characteristics adds a new and r evealing way of seeing elements [meanings, practices, and procedure] that make up the situation or phenomenon that your analysing).

(b) Generating your own concepts (Thinking of new labels for or a different way to express or explain a conventionally understood situation, action or process, that brings out dimensions that make it up but which may not be obvious or emphasized in our conventional understandings.

A GOOD ESSAY NEEDS TO HAVE A CLEAR, WELL FOCUSED THESIS, REVIEWS RELEVANT LITERATURE, AND IS ANALYTICAL (NOT SIMPLY DESCRIBING EVENT, BUT EXPLAINING WHY THEY HAPPEN). YOU SHOULD SUPPLY EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT YOUR POSITION BY UTILIZING AVAILABLE PRIMARY OR SECONDARY SOURCES.

YOUR ESSAY WILL BE EVALUATED BASED ON YOUR ESSAY'S: ACADEMIC CONTENT, CLARITY, ORGANIZATION OF IDEAS, PROPER USE OF SOURCES, PROPER QUOTATIONS AND CITATIONS.. PLEASE REFER TO YORK'S CENTRE FOR ACADEMIC WRITING <http://www.arts.yorku.ca/caw AND THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY ESSAY WRITING GUIDELINES FOR OTHER WRITING RESOURCES.

(1) ESSAY SHOULD BE TYPED AND DOUBLE-SPACED.

(2) ESSAY SHOULD BE TYPED IN THE "MLA" OR "APA" FORMAT (YOU MAY WISH TO CHECK WITH THE GUIDE AT THE WRITING CENTRE).

(3) ESSAY LENGTH: 8 TO 10 PAGES

(4) ESSAY ON WHITE PAPER AND STAPLED IN THE UPPER LEFT-HAND CORNER. (NO BINDERS PLEASE).

(5) MAKE SURE TO HAVE A SECOND PRINT OF YOUR ESSAY (NOT ON THE DISKETTE) FOR YOUR OWN FILES BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR PAPER.

(6) ESSAY MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A COVER PAGE CONTAINING THE FOLLOWING:

. STUDENT NAME AND CLASS

. ESSAY TITLE

. DUE DATE

. NAME OF PROFESSOR

. NAME OF COURSE

NOTE ON PLAGIARISM: PLAGIARISM REFERS TO USE OF IDEAS, WORDS, SENTENCES, DATA, ARGUMENTS, CALCULATIONS OR OTHER WORK DONE BY SOMEBODY ELSE WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGMENT. PLAGIARISM IS CONSIDERED AS AN EXTREMELY SERIOUS ACADEMIC OFFENSE AND CARRIES PENALTIES. YOU SHOULD PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO PROPER CITATION AND QUOTATION RULES IN YOUR ESSAY. YORK UNIVERSITY USES SOFTWARE THAT CAN CHECK FOR PLAGIARISM. STUDENTS MAY BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT THEIR WRITTEN WORK IN ELECTRONIC FORM AND HAVE IT CHECKED FOR PLAGIARISM.

***NOTE ON EMAILING PAPERS: NO EMAILING PAPERS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES