Essay Topics for Academic Assignment

Pick one of the essay topics below. Make sure you discuss assignment expectations with your TA in tutorial. DO NOT simply answer the questions in the order that they appear in the topic. The order of presentation is something you need to think deeply about: you need to think about what it is that you want to say and the order that it would be best to say it in to show how well you understand the concepts, issues and arguments under consideration. Papers should be double spaced, with 12 point font (such as Times New Roman, Arial or Cambria) and one inch margins. Use paragraph format and provide a title page and a bibliography. Each page of your essay (except the title page) must be numbered.

1. Explain the differences between the competitive sector and the monopolistic sector, in terms of market mechanisms and sales effort. What are the strategies used by monopoly capital to stimulate effective demand? Provide a definition of planned obsolescence and its social consequences.

2. Compare planned and market economies, minimally by using the notion of the social division of labour. Then, explain how our businesses are regulated in a capitalist society like ours, by providing explanations drawn both from the public interest perspective and the mainstream perspective on market regulation.

3. Provide a definition of the social reproduction theory and its contribution to Marxism. Explain how the relationship between production and social reproduction has evolved from the traditional family, the industrial period, the modern family and the postmodern family. Compare how women from different class backgrounds attempt to cope with the contradiction between capital and care under postmodern era.

You must attach a completed Academic Integrity Checklist to the back of your essay. Treat this as a contract. By checking off each box, you acknowledge that you understand the principles of Academic Integrity. Make sure you print your name, sign and date the form. The assignment is not considered complete unless this document is attached. The standard late penalty of 2% a day applies until you submit it. The late penalty also applies if you fail to upload your essay to Turnitin. Plagiarized essays are subject to the standard departmental penalty of 0% on the assignment and no opportunity to re-write. Please consult the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty for more information.