ESSAY QUESTION. SOC 311.
• STEP 1. Select a THEORY OF CRIMINOLOGY for your essay
o This should be one of the criminological theories we have looked at in this unit (e.g. Classical / Positivism / Strain / Labelling Marxism / Critical Criminology / Rational Choice etc.)
IMPORTANT NOTE: You cannot select ‘social contract’ theory OR the same theory you studied for your group project as the topic for your essay. Make sure you pick one of the topics that are listed as chapters in the White, Haines and Asquith book.
• STEP 2. Write an essay plan. Guidance on how to write an essay plan can be found in the MAJOR ESSAY FAQs.
PLANNING FEEDBACK: (internal students) Bring your essay plan to the essay writing workshop for discussion and feedback. (external students) contact the unit convenor by email for feedback on your essay plan
• STEP 3. Write up your essay.
THE QUESTION
Using what you have learned in this course unpack the key INSTITUTIONS and ORGANISATIONS underpinning criminology from a given time period.
Apply your analysis to the problem of SOCIAL ORDER.
TIPS ON CONTENT
The following are very important topics that must be addressed:
1. Offer a clear and concise definition of institutions and organisations, as explored in key readings from week 1 & 2, in the weekly lectures and student activities.
2. Make sure that you identify:
a. Key institutions that were influential at that time
b. Key organisations that were influential at that time
3. A good essay will also demonstrate critical thinking through analysis, for example:
a. Show how the theory being discussed empowered institutional change
b. Show how the key organisations opened or limited access to privileges
c. Discuss how access to privilege affected either the understanding of social order or the mechanisms and techniques of social control at that time
d. How the emergence of a new criminological theory at that time influenced, reinforced or challenged the dominant social order of the day
4. REMEMBER that this essay question is an application of the institutions and organisations matrix that we used throughout the term to focus our discussions. In your essay you should focus on the time period appropriate to the emergence of the theory being discussed.
Social Order and Social Control (this is the name of the unit) the topic is STRAIN THEORY
The total number of pages will be 8. The client will pay for 5 pages later, so please complete 3 pages for now.
——————
This is a chronological analysis of the history which lead to Strain Theory
Please make sure you include a brief analysis and history of BIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL POSITIVISM as it lead to STRAIn theory, however this is NOT the main theory
please refer to teh KEY SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANISATIONS as mentioned in the MATRIX attached, it is advised that you chose a few of these and go in depth, but ensure that in the introduction all are mentioned
this is worht 50% of the final mark for this unit so please consider this, it is also a LAST YEAR unit so a high standard is expected (of the student)
Please ensure you have a detailed ANALYSIS of OPEN ACCESS and LIMITED ACCESS states (possibly examples) as provided in the readings
this is a 20 000 word essay with a 10% leeway on the word count
this is a brief outline from one of the files attached explaining the nature of this essay:
The following are very important topics that must be addressed:
1. Offer a clear and concise definition of institutions and organisations, as explored in key readings from
week 1 & 2, in the weekly lectures and student activities.
2. Make sure that you identify:
a. Key institutions that were influential at that time
b. Key organisations that were influential at that time
3. A good essay will also demonstrate critical thinking through analysis, for example:
a. Show how the theory being discussed empowered institutional change
b. Show how the key organisations opened or limited access to privileges
c. Discuss how access to privilege affected either the understanding of social order or the
mechanisms and techniques of social control at that time
d. How the emergence of a new criminological theory at that time influenced, reinforced or
challenged the dominant social order of the day
4. REMEMBER that this essay question is an application of the institutions and organisations matrix that
we used throughout the term to focus our discussions. In your essay you should focus on the time
period appropriate to the emergence of the theory being discussed.
(I will make some of the payment now and the rest tomorrow, once I have a definite due date for the paper)
