Social Theory Paper Assignment

Social Theory Paper Assignment

For this paper, you will use the ideas of two social theorists to analyze a current event, and then compare and contrast the resulting analyses.

To prepare for the assignment:

1. You need to select a current article (from the last six months-ish) from the , LA Times, , or Washington Post. It can be one article or an ongoing story, like COVID-19, the upcoming election, climate change, etc. If you choose something broader, like the election, you will probably be using several articles instead of just one. You should choose something significant enough to enable you to analyze it from . If you are unsure about which topic/story to choose, I am happy to help. If I were doing this assignment, I would probably choose an article that deals with the economy in some way or a story that has to do with inequality. With that said, I would also encourage you to be creative.

2. Read the article and make sure you know the ins and outs of the story.

3. Make sure you have done the readings of the theorists you chose carefully AND understand them.

The paper should include the following sections:

1. An introduction. The introduction should introduce and explain the news article you chose and provide an overview of your argument. Pro tip: write the intro last, once you are aware of what your argument actually is. (About one page, depending on topic).

2. An analysis of the story from your first theorist perspective. Use some of the concepts/ideas that your theorist develops and discuss the events in the article you chose. Try to explain the the theoretical perspective that you chose. Does the story confirm or contradict aspects of the theory? How? (1-2 pages)

3. An analysis of the story from a second perspective. Use some of the concepts/ideas that your and discuss the events in the article you chose. Try to explain the news story using the theoretical perspective that you chose. Does the story confirm or contradict aspects of the theory? How? (1-2 pages)

4. Compare and contrast the two theorists. Using your analysis from parts 2 and 3, compare and contrast the concepts/ideas from your two theorists. How are their theories and ideas similar? How are they different? (about one page)

5. A conclusion. You conclusion should briefly summarize the arguments you have made and include any final thoughts you might have. (one paragraph)

6. A bibliography written in ASA format.