Writing Assignment Sociological Perspectives SYG1000 Spring 2018 You may pick a writing assignment from September 2023

Writing Assignment: 

Sociological Perspectives 

(SYG1000: Spring 2018)

You may pick a writing assignment from the following two options.  If you would like to 

complete both assignments you will receive 2% points of extra credit for the second assignment 

added to your final grade. The one mandatory writing assignment is worth 5% of your grade.

1.    C. Wright Mills defined the 

sociological imagination

as “the vivid awareness of the 

relationship between personal experience and the wider society.”  For this writing 

assignment you are to think sociologically about personal problem and extend it to the 

larger societal context in which you live.  Students will be graded on originality, 

creativity, and ability to connect the “personal to the political.”  

Some paper topic examples demonstrating the sociological imagination could be:

a.

Your difficulty in picking a major that you are interested in and one that you will 

be able to find a good paying job when you graduate. –how do structural forces 

in the job market impact your decision?

b.

You are having trouble finding employment, affordable housing, paying for 

college, etc and how that reflects a pattern in society

c.

Your personal experiences with racism, sexism, classism, etc and how that 

extends to a greater societal problem as you see it

d.

Your experiences with social media and how they reflect societal changes 

2.    This semester we have learned about 

Gender

and how it impacts society.  For this 

assignment you are to present song lyrics from the song of your choice and explain 

(dissect, analyze) the song’s lyrics from a gender perspective. 

a.    Explain the overall message or theme regarding gender  

b.    You should use the vocabulary of gender to describe the content of your song’s 

lyrics, cite examples specifically from the lyrics and tie them into concepts

c.    You may tie it into other themes and concepts presented in sociology class so far 

from previous chapters. 

d.    Keep in mind, gender is not only themes of “feminism,” but also includes 

masculinity, and a full range of themes about gender and sexual identities.

e.    You must a general demonstrate understanding of gender in your explanation of 

your song.

Please be original and contact me if you are having trouble coming up with a topic.  I am here to 

help!

Your paper should be 1 page long, typed, single-spaced, and with 

absolutely

no spelling or 

grammatical errors.  The paper is due via email on (4/2) or you can turn it in any time before then.  

No late papers will be accepted.