The purpose of Response Papers is to expose you to a range of Sociological research topics and to get you to think about how they connect to your own located biography. These assignments are also meant to encourage you to read the course materials.
Your Response Papers can be no longer than one single-spaced page written in 12pt Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins. Longer responses will be returned to be edited down to fit the page limit and may incur grade penalties. Response Papers should contain the following parts:
1. A concise summary of the main point(s) of two readings from the week or week before ("Mama Might Be Better Off Dead" by Laura Abraham (BB) and "The Mountain" by Eli Clare (BB) )which is in which you answer the question. (1-2 small paragraph)
2. An analytical response to the question posed. (1 -2 paragraph) with references to specific course material, examples, or counterevidence. (be sure to cite accurately). An analytical response means that this is not merely your opinion, but it is an informed critique of the information posed. You may use your experience to discuss, but your answer should cite directly from readings and show an application of the sociological perspective---side note, you don't have to agree with a sociological understanding, but you must explain the sociological perspective and then present counterclaims and examples with evidence.
Reading Analysis Question-
Use the readings to link capitalist conceptions of individualism to how healthcare is organized in the United States. Discuss how health disparities (race, class, gender, sexuality) are legitimized under this conception of how we should treat healthcare as an institution. Provide some history of healthcare from reading (("Mama Might Be Better Off Dead" by Laura Abraham (BB) and "The Mountain" by Eli Clare (BB)) to reveal the structures and power relations that have created this system and briefly discuss how it might be treated differently in other places and/or times.