Sociology 101
Introduction to Sociology
Fall 2003
Dr Scott Schaffer

Theory Translation Paper Assignment

Due Date: This paper is due on Mon Sep 29/2003 at the start of class. No late papers will be accepted without a compelling reason and adequate evidence.

Rules of the Game: This paper is to be a minimum of three (3) full and complete pages in length; there is no maximum length for this paper, so please write until you have completely dealt with the topic. Your paper must be typewritten, double-spaced, on 8 1/2” by 11” paper in 10- or 12-point font with 1 1/4” left and right margins and 1” top and bottom. Your paper must have a cover page, on which a creative title (“Theory Translation Paper Assignment” is simply not creative enough), your name, the course information, and any other pertinent information should appear; your name should not appear anywhere else in the paper. Your paper must be spell- and grammar-checked; papers that have copious errors will automatically lose two full letter grades; please take the time to ensure that your work is clean. All other deductions discussed in the course syllabus will apply.

You should follow all guidelines in the “How to Write a Schaffer Paper” handout. And finally, no direct quotations are permitted in this paper, and no outside sources are permitted (including my lecture notes); any materials you use to support your argument must be paraphrased and cited following the guidelines in the paper-writing handout.

Acceptable materials to be used as evidence for this paper include: one of the theoretical essays listed below, and any corresponding discussion from the Ritzer book. The theoretical essays include the essays by C. Wright Mills, Emile Durkheim, Erving Goffman, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Herbert Gans, and Max Weber included in the Massey book (chapters 2, 3, 10, 19, 21, and 30).

The Assignment: For this paper, you are to write a letter home to your mother or some other family member. This letter will essentially work to translate one of the theoretical essays into a discussion that one of your relatives who hasn’t taken this course could understand. In that letter, you must make sure to do the following:

• Summarize the overall argument made by the theorist and how they develop that argument;
• Outline the theoretical approach and analytic framework developed by the theorist (see the Analytic Framework handout distributed with this assignment);
• Discuss the kinds of sociological phenomena you currently know about that could be studied using this theorist’s analytic framework and what kinds of elements of those phenomena you would be able to see;
• And discuss how it is that you see your own life differently by using this theorist’s analytic framework.

In conjunction with the evaluation criteria discussed in the course syllabus, your papers will be evaluated on the basis of how well and how completely you address these points; how you use the acceptable materials to support the claims you make in this letter; and how thoughtfully you address the last two points.

I am more than willing to take a look at drafts (whether complete or incomplete) of your work, provided that I receive them no later than 3pm on Fri Sep 26/2003. You should address any questions about this assignment to me as soon as possible.

Good luck, and happy writing…