Please use my roommate as that person. We are classmates from high school to college and his
name is Mark. We are both international student from China. He has his unique political views.
Pedagogy:
A “sociobiography” is a type of essay that is based on the concept of the Sociological
Imagination, or the ability to see how individual biographies are tied to histories, and
how personal troubles are entangled with public issues. In other words, a
sociobiography is an essay that describes and explains how an individual’s thoughts,
feelings, actions, behavior, and/or words are shaped by the social conditions under
which they live. This paper is fundamentally reflective in nature, meaning that you will
need to bring yourself into your writing: use "I" when talking about yourself and your
feelings, and do not hesitate to reference emotions and feelings.
Details of the Assignment:
Your first sociobiography will be written about a person with whom you disagree
politically.
Step 1
Pick a person in your life who you know has distinctly different political views from your
own. This should be a person that you know. Explain how you know this person and
give the reader some sense of the context of your relationship. Please assign a
pseudonym to this person and use the pseudonym throughout your paper to respect
their privacy, even if you think they will not care about their real name being used. For
best results, choose someone whose beliefs are dramatically different from yours, not
just slightly different. You do not absolutely *have* to talk to them in order to write this
paper, but I do strongly recommend that you to get in touch and ask a few clarifying
questions so that you can most accurately represent their beliefs on paper. After the
conversation, thank them for their time and willingness to share (even if you do not like
their beliefs!)
Step 2
Introduce your paper in an engaging introductory paragraph that includes a thesis
statement that more or less describes the point and arc of your submission.
Step 3
Explain in clear terms what this person's general political position is, what yours is, and
how they are different. Describe 2-3 particular moments from your own history with this
person. How did you come to realize that they held different political beliefs? In what
ways did that affect your relationship? In what ways did it not affect your relationship?
What has happened in the past with them when/if you have ever tried having open
discussions about politics? How have you dealt with conflict? Your description should
include particular words they used, thoughts they had, feelings they expressed,
experiences they had, or actions and behaviors they engaged in. Knowing that your
reader will likely never meet this person, your job is to provide enough detail that the
reader has a mental image of the person you are describing.
Step 4
Analyze your person in terms of meaningful social categories and distinctions (i.e., race,
class, gender, sexuality, ability, documentation status, employment status, political
affiliations, etc.).“Deconstruct” the person’s political views and explain how they were
socially constructed experiences rather than idiosyncrasies or exercises of free will. To
do so, allow your lens to zoom out from the individual person and search for the broader
social conditions that shaped that person’s life (i.e., the political, economic, and
sociocultural factors). Then, put the pieces back together to demonstrate how those
social conditions shaped the choices the person had or the conclusions they came to.
Step 5
Do a briefer but similar analysis of yourself, demonstrating through the use of clear and
explicit examples of how you and your person might have come to view the political
world so differently.
Step 6
To aid you in analyzing and explaining those social conditions, you should refer to at
least 3 distinct readings from our class (anything that is NOT in YMA, i.e., only the
readings that you could to logs on), as well as 5 different sociological concepts from
lecture and/or YMA. Please highlight the concepts you choose in bold, using them in
ways that demonstrate your understanding of them, and include a Works Cited list at
the end of your paper. Your reading references can be paraphrased or directly quoted,
but either way, both readings and lecture material should be cited parenthetically in the
text. An example of a proper parenthetical citation for paraphrased material is
(Hochschild 2016) and quoted text from page 46 is (Hochschild 2016:46). For lectures,
cite as: (McNamara, lecture, and the date of the lecture). Please refer to the ASA
style (Links to an external site.) guidelines for help. For direct quotes, if you choose to
conduct a brief interview or conversation, cite as: (Pseudonym, interview, and the date
of the interview).
Step 7
Conclude with a brief discussion about the ways that the Sociological Imagination could
help both you and your person be more understanding about your ideological
differences, and perhaps to even build bridges across those differences. What is at
stake in your relationship with them (whether or not you actually like them)? How can a
more compassionate reading of their views make a difference to both of you, and to the
world at large?
The fine print:
Your total paper length should be between 1000-1200 words (4-5 pages) and use 11- or
12-point font and the standard 1-inch margins. Use guidelines for strong sociological
explanations at the sentence level. Make sure each paragraph serves a distinct and
clear purpose. Give your written work a professional appearance. Ask a friend to review
it for you; other people's brains will see errors that our own brains cannot.
Edit silently, using spell check and grammar check. Then, read it aloud again to check
for typos and grammatical issues that your eyes may have missed. A few things to
triple-check before posting your submission to Canvas:
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Each sentence should make sense on its own.
Each paragraph has a topic sentence and logical body sentences.
You should have smooth transitions between paragraphs.
Your first paragraph should be introductory in nature, setting the scene and
attracting the reader’s attention.
Make sure that the conclusion feels and reads like a conclusion, rather than simply
stopping in the middle of an idea.
Make sure that your name and word count are at the top of the essay before posting
it on Canvas. Pages should also be numbered.
Rubric
Sociobiography Rubric
Sociobiography Rubric
Criteria
Ratings
Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCompletion of
Assignment
The assignment submitted meets the guidelines for minimum required
length and does not exceed maximum length by more than a page.
10.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeFollowing Instructions
The assignment generally follows instructions on content, formatting,
font size and margins, citations, bolded concepts, and required
components. Page numbers and word count are included.
10.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeGrammar, Writing
Mechanics, Organization of Sentences and Paragraphs
The submission is carefully edited for grammar, spelling, sentence
fluidity, organization of paragraphs, smooth transitions between
sentences, and paragraph length (i.e., paragraphs should be 1/2 to 2/3
pages in length; not 2 sentences or a page and a half).
20.0 pts
Sociobiography Rubric
Criteria
Ratings
Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeEffective Engagement
with Course Concepts and Theories
The submission meets the guidelines for content as set out in the prompt,
discussing each request topic in sufficient detail and showing effective
engagement with ideas and concepts from course readings and lectures.
A minimum of 5 course concepts and three course readings/lecture
references are used. Selected concepts are employed accurately with
understanding of their meaning either explicitly defined or demonstrated
through appropriate use of the terms in context.
30.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCoherence of Narrative;
Invocation of the Sociological Imagination
Narrative is well organized and compelling. Writing is used to bring the
subject of the essay to life. The reader walks away with the impression
that the writer has used their Sociological Imagination to good effect.
The subject of the essay is humanized. Writing is evocative and lively,
with strong descriptive prose. A catchy introduction and satisfying
conclusion create a set of narrative bookends for the paper.
30.0 pts
Total Points: 100.0
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