Sociology 2080A: Assignment Two
Weight: 10% of final course grade
Length: 1000-1250 words
Late Penalty: 1 grade point per day. Please familiar yourself with the late policy provided in the syllabus.
This second assignment is designed to have you think deeply about the impact of neoliberalism on your life, by focusing on ‘everyday’ (common) practices that you engage in, such as self-improvement, going shopping, and making financial decisions.
A) Your discussion will involve engagement with course materials (readings, lectures, Wikis, supplementary materials on e-class) from two of the following three topics:
- Are you “Normal”?
- Going Shopping
- Are you Financially Fit?
B) Here is a list of practices that you must select from:
- Becoming a better parent
- Personal ‘empowerment’
- Being ‘resilient’
- Being an ‘entrepreneur of the self’
- Choosing an education path and career
- Buying a car or house
- Saving money with an RRSP or TSFA
- Investing in ‘the markets’
- Re-cycling waste and picking up litter
- Shopping at Ikea
- Shopping at Toys R’ Us
- Purchasing a ‘self-care’ package (e.g. spa day) or personal trainer services
Whatever practice you choose, please do not venture too much into personal detail; it is not the point of the paper and you do not have room for that in your paper. Moreover, you do not need to have already engaged in an activity like buying a house to write about it, but you do need to be able to consider its personal and social meanings. You
are required to think deeply about how the personal meanings of an activity are tied to neoliberal social norms.2
C) Explain how we can unpack your everyday practice through the approaches of both Marx and Foucault.
D) Effectively use and explain four key course concepts that you did not explain in your first assignment. *You must indicate these new concepts using BOLD type.* You can and should use other course concepts (including concepts from Exercise One) in your explanation, but only bolded, first use concepts will be
evaluated.
E) Include ideas and/or reflections that you contributed to tutorial discussions and/or included in your wikis for your selected topic areas (normal, shopping, financial fitness).
Required Research:
- Please do not undertake external research for this assignment. The purpose of this assignment is to provide a review of the course content to date, ensure that you understand the analytic approach of the course, and demonstrate that you are well-acquainted with the course textbook, lectures, and tutorial work, across a spectrum of topics.
- You are permitted to consult the ancillary readings that accompany each topic, but be sure to cite them appropriately, with reference to the original location/origin of the content. Do not simply indicate that you found this material on the course e-class site.
- Be aware that your demonstration of appropriate citation skills is an important component of this exercise. This applies to your citation of textbook content also.
- Consult all of the material that has been provided to you (found in the syllabus, eclass, and SPARK) to assist you in developing your citation skills. We will
deduct one point for insufficient/inappropriate citations! - Academic Honesty: We are rigorous about enforcing academic honesty. All breaches of the rules of academic honesty will receive a failing grade. Significant breaches will receive a grade of 0 pending a formal hearing process and may
become a permanent part of your academic record.
Criteria:
- Did you follow instructions?
- Does your paper demonstrate that you are well-acquainted with a spectrum of ideas from the selected chapters and accompanying lectures?
- Do you include ideas that you contributed to tutorial discussions and/or wikis during the corresponding weeks?
- Do you demonstrate a clear understanding of the course analytic approach?
- Do you effectively engage with theory?
- Do you effectively engage with course concepts