You must choose only one scenario and answer all aspects of the set question in relation to this scenario in the course of your essay.
This is a research essay, requiring you answer both parts of the set question by drawing on your own independent research and analysis, and directly and coherently relating this research to the scenario you have chosen.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Provide a clear response to the scenario, drawing on at least five academic sources. Note, at least three of these must come from outside the set tutorial readings;
- Interpret what is happening in the scenario, and directly connect this to theoretical concepts encountered in this unit;
- Ensure that their writing is not purely descriptive; students will undertake critical analysis;
- Writing must be concise and clear, and free from grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors;
- Correctly reference all ideas, quotations and other information, and include a complete bibliography that adheres to the Harvard referencing system;
You must answer BOTH parts of the following question in relation to the scenario you choose.
- Moving beyond the obvious ‘what is actually going on in the scenario’, identify both implicit and explicit social expectations of behaviour that are taken-for-granted or less visible. Directly connect and discuss these in relation to academic literature you have researched and the theoretical concepts you have learned in this unit.
- Identify power relations and inequalities that are evident in your scenario. Clearly connect and discuss these aspects of power to the academic literature you have researched and theories you have encountered in this unit.
THE SCENARIO:
You are on the train home from Uni. You’ve been working late on your assignment at the library and it’s dark. You get on the train and plug your headphones in; you’re not interested in interacting with anyone. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a middle aged woman get on the train; she looks tired. The seats closest to her are taken and two young men of South Asian appearance are sitting on them. The woman goes over to the men and says something which you can’t hear as you are listening to your music. Then you see her use her shopping bag to bang one of the men’s knees. At first you think she must have done this by accident, but you look up and catch the eye of another passenger, a woman in her 20s who seems to look concerned. You take your headphones out just in time to hear the woman shouting abuse at the two young men, telling them to get off the seats and ‘how dare they came to this country and take up all the space?’ You don’t want to get involved, but then you see the young woman you exchanged looks with take her phone out and start videoing the scene. The middle aged woman who is abusing the two men notices this and starts to abuse the woman who is filming. An Aboriginal man starts to intervene, telling the woman to sit down or get off the train. Everyone else is silent except for one other middle aged white man who begins to defend the middle aged woman. The situation has the potential to turn violent.