Assignment Task: Respond to one prompt from the list below. Your essay response should be a minimum of 4-5 pages of text (typed, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font).
Q1. The relationship between structure and agency has been dealt with in very different ways in this course. Which theories assign more emphasis to agency and which to structures? How does Bourdieu try to correct for the problems of each?
Q2. Is an individual's self-concept formed primarily through interaction with others or do institutions most strongly shape individuals? Draw from relevant theorists to support your response.
Q3. Social theorists attempt to analyze the basis of social order and stability. Is consensus or coercion a more important determinant of social order? Draw from relevant theorists to support your response.
Q4. We have read several evaluations of contemporary Western capitalism. Summarize and compare the main points of criticism made by the relevant theorists we studied. Which picture do you find the most appealing and why?
Q5. We have encountered various theories committed to the standpoint of oppressed and powerless social groups (whether along the dimensions of class, race, or gender). Which group does each focus on and how do they propose we study them and give voice to them? Is there any epistemological similarity in their approaches?