The written papers are an opportunity for students to engage more deeply with the theorists and to apply their theories firsthand to a contemporary social issue. Students should identify an article from a news source and write an analysis from the perspective of one of the theorists from the preceding pathways. Here are some helpful tips to guide students in this assignment:
Step 1: Find a news article from the preceding 6 months. The article can be selected from anywhere in the world and does not need to be from a major news source. Some suggested websites to help with this are: CBC News, Global News, CTV News.
Step 2: Identify one theorist from the relevant pathways and try to think about what they would say if they read the article. Consider, for instance:
- How does the topic of the article relate to their field of study?
- What terms and concepts did you learn from them that might apply?
- In what ways would they be supportive or critical of the article?
Be sure to summarize the news article, provide a proper citation, and write about what the theorist would say if they were to provide their own interpretation. This assignment challenges you to “put yourself in their shoes” and think about the world from their perspective. In your response, include the terms and concepts that you learned about. You may write from their perspective first-hand, as if you were them, or you may write as yourself stating what you think they would say. This assignment is probably different than others you have had. Have some fun with it and think creatively!
Here is how this assignment will be graded:
- Length is between 500 – 750 words, typed, double spaced (1 mark)
- Spelling / grammar (5 marks)
- Identifying and properly citing a news article from the past 6 months (2 marks)
- Providing a summary of the news article (2 marks)
- Degree of inclusion of the theorist’s own terms and concepts in an accurate way (5 marks)
- Demonstrating an understanding of how the theorist would interpret the article, beyond the direct application of course content (5 marks)
Here is the article that I will be using: https://www.thenation.com/article/society/celebrate-ketanji-brown-jackson/