Exploring the Family History of a Public Figure: Themes and Sociological Imagination

Research the family history of a significant public person (or a person from your own family or friends network). Examine this person’s experience of TWO of the following themes:

• Gender
• Sexuality
• Race/Ethnicity
• Community
• Social class
• Migration
• Globalisation

Discuss and explain your chosen themes using the academic literature. Weave into your assignment examples from the person’s life that link to your discussion of the themes as well as a discussion of the ways in which structure and agency have been influential in this person’s life. You must include in-text referencing to support points made and provide a full reference list at the end of your assignment.

Apply their sociological imagination to help them understand debates in contemporary societies.

Demonstrate broad understanding of emerging sociological issues

Your work will be assessed on the extent to which it demonstrates your achievement of the stated learning outcomes for this assignment (see above learning outcomes).

In particular this assignment will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Fulfilment of all aspects of the assessment task - read the task carefully and make sure all aspects of it are included, use the Fit to Submit checklist at the end of this brief.
• Evidence of identification of themes emerging from family history research
• Understanding of themes and linking of themes to wider academic literature. Aim to explain points clearly and back them up with appropriate evidence (draw on the weekly module readings and further reading lists at the end of each lecture)
• Understanding of structure and agency (i.e.: the relationship between the individual and wider society)
• Structure and organisation of written work (good paragraphing, good quality writing, strong introduction and conclusion)
• Ability to paraphrase the work of other published authors (check your similarity index, reference quotations correctly)
• Referencing [use the Harvard (APA for Psychology students) in your work. Provide a full reference list at the end of your assignment, only list the sources you have cited in the assignment in your reference list]

Have you read and understood the assessment criteria?

Have you met the learning outcomes? You will lose marks and your work may even be failed if you have not.

Have you demonstrated you can think and write critically in the completed work? This means you have supported your arguments/explanations appropriately e.g. using relevant academic sources and you have offered discussion points which extends your own or others’ viewpoints to make reasoned conclusions/judgements.

Have you maintained an appropriate tone throughout your work? Is your work formal, focused, developed and clear?

Have you checked that the referencing in your assignment is in line with your programme requirements?

Have you proof-read your work and used spellcheck software to check your spelling and grammar?

Have you checked the presentation of your work is as specified by your tutor, for example, are font size, colour, style, line spacing and margins as the tutor specified?

Have you kept to the word count (or equivalent)? If you are not sure, check with your tutor. Can you confirm that the work submitted is your own and maintains academic integrity?