Description of criterion
Dr. Dalaimo's "D.A.D." method of critical essay writing: DEFINE APPLY DISCUSS DEFINE: Be sure to DEFINE all of the relevant sociological concepts that you use in your essay.
For example, if I were to use the concept of "socialization" in a sociological analysis of video games, I might write: Video games play a role in children's socialization, i.e., the ongoing process through which we learn our culture, in this case, ideologies about gender, violence, and the media. ... APPLY: Always APPLY the relevant sociological concept to a specific example.
The example could be from our text, from a video in class, from lectures, or from class discussions. A concrete and specific example helps to ground your argument.
For example, if I were to apply the concept of socialization to the example of video game violence (taken from the documentary Game Over), I might write: An example of socialization can be seen in video games that reward violence with bigger, stronger weapons or special powers and/or advancement to a higher level of play. DISCUSS: Now DISCUSS the significance of your argument. Why is this important? How does this affect the social world?
What are the consequences? Does it affect a group or individual's life chances? For example, in discussing the significance of violent video games for the social world, I might write: One of the main consequences of video game violence is that violence is normalized and often becomes acceptable as a part of the everyday fabric of life.
BE SURE TO RE-STATE THE QUESTION IN YOUR ANSWER
ALWAYS USE, DEFINE & APPLY RELEVANT SOCIOLOGICAL CONCEPTS
1) In what ways can sociology help us attain perspective about things we don't understand? What are some of the limitations of a sociological perspective?
2) What are the main elements of culture? Give an example of each element from your own cultural group.