Sociology 310
Sociology of Religion
Spring 2003
Dr. Scott SchafferTerm Project Assignment
Due Date: Tues May 13/2003 at 12noon to the Sociology Department or to my office. No late papers will be accepted, and no extensions will be granted. If need be, you may fax or e-mail your paper to me (if e-mailed, please send your paper as an attachment, preferably in MS Word). The time at which the paper is faxed or e-mailed will be considered as the time received. Emergencies preventing you from submitting the paper by the posted due date must be reported to me at least 24 hours in advance, and compelling evidence must be provided. Papers not received by the due date and time will receive a zero, meaning that the highest grade you can receive in the course would be a D.
Format: This paper is to be a minimum of 12 (twelve) full and complete pages, typed, double-spaced, in 10- or 12-point font, with 1.25” margins on the left and right and 1” margins at the top and bottom. There is no maximum length for this paper, but papers shorter than 12pp will lose one-third letter grade per page it is short. Your paper must be spell- and grammar-checked; failure to do so will result in an immediate deduction of two full letter grades. This is a library research paper, and as such, a bibliography using the format described on the reverse of this page must be included; failure to do so results in a full letter grade deduction. Your name and a creative title must appear on a separate cover page and nowhere else in your paper. Direct quotations from your references may be used; however, they should be kept to a minimum and used only when necessary to bolster your argument.
The Assignment: For this paper, you are to pursue research on any subject you like that involves some type of “religious” behavior. A list of possible topics appears below. The main question to which you should address your research is the following:
How do meaning systems and forms of social action interrelate? To what extent do forms of social action motivated by “religious” meaning systems benefit or hinder our social lives? To what extent are they able to benefit our existence?
In pursuing this analysis, you need to be sure to do the following:
· Fully describe a particular form of social action you find interesting, making sure to provide enough detail so that your reader understands what you see in this material;
· Develop a coherent theoretical framework through which you can analyze this form of social action; this needs to be based upon one or a combination of the theorists discussed in the first section of the course;
· Utilize this theoretical framework to understand how the meaning system at work in this form of social action provides the basis for this form of action (following the four questions used in the “religion as social theory” section of the course);
· Using one of the conceptions of justice attached to this assignment (with a full elaboration of the criteria you’re using to say a particular form of social action is just or unjust), analyze this form of social action in regards to its justice (benefit or detriment to society);
· Develop a policy statement regarding the improvement of social life through either the reinforcement of this “religious” meaning system or its elimination.
For the purposes of this assignment, the terms “religion” and “religious” refer to a concrete system of beliefs that provides the basis for social action. Hence, there are some forms of social action that can be analyzed through the perspective we’ve brought to bear on religion.
In sum, then, this paper is intended to provide you with an opportunity to analyze a particular aspect of our social lives, to hold it to a particular conception of justice consonant with your belief system, to more fully articulate your belief system, and to develop a policy plan consistent with your analysis of a particular form of religious behavior and the conception of justice you hold dear.
Resources/References: A list of available research tools is attached to this assignment. When choosing journal articles and/or books for reference sources, you should utilize the most recent sources available. You can also track footnotes from the books used for this course (one of the more valuable paths available to you). While the preference here is for academic sources, other intellectually-oriented sources can benefit you as well. There is no minimum number of sources; rather, you should use as many sources as necessary for the full and complete development of your argument. Be sure to cite any and all references to these sources; failure to do so will result in at least a one-third letter grade deduction.
Conceptions of Justice: A handout detailing versions of justice is attached to this assignment. Another is included in Thomas Nagel’s book Equality and Partiality, while a third can be found in any dictionary of philosophy. Part of your task in this assignment is to translate your conception of justice into the type of theoretical and terminological framework used in these sources. You must fully detail the conception of justice you are using in evaluating your evidence, as well as the criteria on which you base your evaluation of the justice of a particular pattern of “religious” behavior. In choosing a conception of justice as your criterion for evaluating the impact of some kind of religious behavior, be sure to find the one you most closely matching your own set of beliefs.
Evaluation Criteria: You will be evaluated on the criteria listed on the front side of this page (under the assignment section). In addition, standard paper evaluation criteria, such as the appropriateness of your theoretical framework for the topic you are studying, the development of your argument (in all its forms, including the policy statement), and your ability to uphold the contract your thesis establishes with your reader, will all be utilized in the evaluation of your paper. Immediate deductions will include: failure to include a bibliography or to identify which sources you are using in a particular section of the paper (one letter grade); and failure to spell- and grammar-check (up to one letter grade, depending on severity).
One particular note: This paper is not about showing that you’ve done a certain amount of research (what I call the “book report”). The highest grade you can receive for simply doing a research paper is a C. Your task here is to develop your own thoughts and understandings regarding religion and religious behavior, ideas of justice, etc., in the form of an argument and to show what can be done with the knowledge you have created here. That is ultimately the basis of your grade for this paper (and the course, since this constitutes 35% of your mark).
Schedule: This schedule is provided so that you’re not stuck writing this paper in the three days before it is due. It is your choice to hold to it, and it is intended to give you ample opportunity to receive feedback on your work so that your paper is the best it can possibly be. Each piece you submit will be returned with comments at the following class meeting, where possible.
Weds Apr 9: Assignment out
Mon Apr 14: Paper topic, with preliminary conception of your argument, due
Mon Apr 21: List of references you’ve found, refinement of paper topic, due
Mon Apr 28: Sketch outline of paper due
Mon May 5: Full outline of paper due
Following this outline benefits you in two ways – first, by giving you the opportunity to receive my feedback throughout the process; and second, by breaking up the assignment so that you’re not trying to complete everything during finals week. It is voluntary, though, so work as you need to. Anything submitted will also benefit your participation grade in the course.
Final Note: This is where everything in the course comes together: your knowledge, understanding, ability to integrate the materials, and your ability to create a convincing argument. If you have any questions as to how to do this or to improve your work, please see me AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. You can easily receive an A on this assignment if you put in the work and consult with me whenever necessary.
Term Paper Project: Conceptions of Justice
PLEASE NOTE: These definitions of conceptions of justice leave out one important factor: the criteria by which individual actions and/or social policies are evaluated in terms of “just” or “unjust”. This is because these criteria are often the subject of hot philosophical debate; philosophers (and those whose social actions and/or policies embody philosophies) often utilize both different conceptions of justice and evaluation criteria to legitimate anything ranging from fascism to absolute freedom. I also leave their particular applications to your paper to you. Each conception of justice occurs in our society in different circumstances; it’s up to you to decide for yourself how things “should be.”
Deontological (universal) justice: A conception of justice that relies upon the first principle of duties or rights; in other words, justice occurs when someone obeys their duty (to themselves or to others) or acts in accordance with their rights or the rights of others, without regard for the consequences of their actions. The site of evaluation as to whether or not an act is just is in the intention – whether or not the consequences are good or bad, so long as one acts in accordance with their duty or their rights (or those of the individual toward whom they are acting). Example: From a deontological perspective, acting on one’s right to “free speech” would be just, regardless of whether or not the content of the speech or its results were just. Generally focuses primarily on the individual.
Teleological/consequentialist justice: The idea that justice’s site of evaluation is with the consequences of one’s actions; if the results are just, then the action is just. Examples range from Machiavelli’s “the ends justify the means” to governmental justifications for the death penalty. Often focuses upon the maintenance of a social order as a primary good.
Distributive justice: The idea that justice is in the distribution of goods, services, rights, duties or freedoms. If the distribution is just, then regardless of the just-ness of what is distributed the social order is seen to be just. Usually utilized by those who would wish to see the proceeds of society redistributed, but can be used to justify punitive and/or repressive measures as well.
Meritocratic justice: The idea that justice (especially in terms of societies characterized by different kinds of inequalities) depends on an individual’s ability to achieve what they are capable of achieving. In other words, if an individual is able to maximize their abilities, then regardless of the inequalities in the distribution of rewards the system is just.
Processual justice: The idea that justice occurs when a particular process by which “justice” is determined is followed. (In the US, we refer to it as “due process”; see the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution.) Regardless of the outcome of the process, if the particularities of the process are observed, the results are “just.”
“Content-based” justice: The idea (often in conjunction with another form of justice) that the particular application of criteria by which “justice” is determined should be based upon the content or the particularities of an individual’s and/or society’s circumstances. Often involves a sense of proportionality (i.e., does this action merit this response?), an idea of multiple causes for a single action, and (to some extent) a deferral of total individual responsibility.
A note on justice: This angle is provided to you for two reasons. First, it gives you a clear set of criteria for evaluating the kind of religious behavior you’re researching in this paper, as well as a direction in which your policy statement will be headed. Second (and as always, there has to be a hidden result), it forces you to think about what “justice” is for you (since we generally know what kinds of events are “unjust”, though not generally why they’re unjust). If you have questions on these, please see me ASAP.
Term Project: Reference Sources, Citation Guidelines
Your best bet to find research materials for your term papers is through the MU Library web site, http://library.millersville.edu. There are two avenues for you there: The main library catalogue, searchable by author, title, or subject keyword; and the electronic resources. Most of the electronic information resources are subscription-based, meaning that you can only access them from the library’s computers or through your Marauder account. The good news: Many of the electronic resources have full-text articles online, and most allow you to e-mail the entire article to your e-mail account for free, making it easy to print out.
Good resources to use:
ABI/Inform (now ProQuest Direct – major business journals, on the order of 1300 of them)
Anthropological Index Online (free on WWW)
CARL Uncover
Chicano Database
Congressional Quarterly (CQ) Library
Cross-Cultural CD-ROM (available only in Library North 106)
EconLit
Environmental RouteNet
Expanded Academic ASAP (my favourite – many full-text articles, and can be e-mailed)
FactSearch (statistical statements on current social issues – goes back to 1984)
Index to Legal Periodicals and Books
JSTOR (by far one of the best – many journals have their entire post-WWII catalogues on here as full-text)
LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe
NTDB/STAT-USA Internet
PapersFirst and ProceedingsFirst (conference papers and proceedings published online)
Social Sciences Abstracts (gives you the abstract of the article, which allows you to decide if you want to xerox it)
Sociological Abstracts (same kind of thing – used to be SOCIOFILE)
Ulrich’s Periodicals Guide (SilverPlatter – guide to major periodicals)
US Government Periodicals Index
Women’s Resources International (available only on campus, not through Titan Access)
Your use of these resources should be determined by your topic. Each of them can be searched by author, title, or subject keyword. Just make sure to choose your references carefully.
Citation Guidelines:In-text: (Author Year: Page) (note: for web sites, use paragraph number instead of page number)
Book: Author. Year. Title of Book. City of publication: Publisher.
Book section: Author. Year. “Title of section.” In Editor (ed.), Title of Book. City of publication: Publisher.
Journal article: Author. Year. “Title of article.” Pages in Journal Title, volume #: issue #.
Web site: Author. Year of last update. <Organization’s name> web site. URL (the address of the page you reference)