Final Assignment

Alright,

Today you spent the day creating your final assignment for class. Here are the guidelines. Let me know if I missed anything. If you didn’t attend class, please see one of the other students to get the information that you need to complete it.

1. Write a seven page sci fi story which integrates sociological concepts, themes and theories.
2. Each story must incorporate sociological concepts and at least two sociological theories.
3. The story is due to me (via email) by 11:15 am, Tuesday April 28th.
4. Yes, you still have to come to class that day. Bring some food &drink with you (Non-alcoholic please. As much as we could all probably use a drink, we can’t do it on campus, or during class.
5. The point system for the paper will remain the same, but the grading guidelines are below.
6. The other class periods for the semester will be spent working on the final assignment. The email addresses of all class members are in the “To” line of this message. Please feel free to meet with your classmates to complete this assignment. Bounce your ideas off of each other and feel free to see me to bounce ideas off of too. You can send me drafts for quick review, if you like.
7. I really like this assignment and look forward to grading them. Great work in coming up with it as your final. I’m impressed.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,

Dr. Matthews

Grading for Papers
A: The principal characteristic of the "A" paper is its rich content. The information delivered is such that the reader feels significantly taught by the author, sentence after sentence, paragraph after paragraph. The "A" paper is also marked by stylistic finesse: the title and opening are engaging; the transitions are artful; the phrasing is tight, fresh, and highly specific; the sentence structure is varied; the tone enhances the purpose of the paper. Additionally, the sociological content, including theoretical analysis, fits seamlessly into the major themes of the paper. The "A" paper, because of its careful organization and development, imparts a feeling of wholeness and clarity. The reader is left feeling satisfied and eager to reread.

B: It is significantly more than competent. Besides being almost free of mechanical errors, the "B" paper delivers substantial information-that is, substantial in both quantity and in interest value. Its specific points are logically ordered, well-developed, and unified around a clear organizing principle that is apparent early in the paper. The opening paragraph draws the reader; the closing paragraph is both conclusive and themati¬cally related to the opening. The transitions between paragraphs are, for the most part, smooth, the sentence structures varied. The sociological content, including theoretical analysis, provides support for the major themes of the paper. The diction is more concise and precise than that of the "C" paper. In general, a "B" paper offers substantial information with few distractions.

C: It is generally competent but lacks both imagination and intellectual rigor; it meets the assignment, has few mechanical errors, and is reason¬ably well-organized and developed. The actual information it delivers, however, seems thin and commonplace. One reason for that impression is that the ideas are typically cast in the form of vague generalities that prompt the confused reader to ask questions about specifics. Stylistically, the "C" paper has other shortcomings: a weak opening paragraph, a perfunctory conclusion, strained transitions, choppy and monotonous sentence patterns, and diction marred by repetition, redundancy, and imprecision. The sociological content, including theoretical analysis, though present lacks seamless integration into the major themes of the paper.

D: Its treatment and development of the subject are as yet only rudimentary. While organization is present, it is neither clear nor effective. Sentences are frequently awkward, ambiguous, and marred by nonexistent grammatical review. Evidence of careful proofreading is scanty or nonexistent. The whole piece, in fact, gives the impression of having been conceived and written in haste. The sociological content, including theoretical analysis, is either non-existent or does not fit into the major content of the paper.

F: Its treatment of the subject is superficial; its theme lacks discernible organization; its prose is garbled or stylistically primitive. Mechanical errors are frequent. In short, the ideas, organization, and style fall far below what is acceptable college writing. The sociological content, including theoretical analysis, is non-existent, as are coherent themes.

Exam One - Spring 2009

Sociology of Science Fiction
Exam -- Spring 2009
Due Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 @ 11:15 am via email
ramatthews@edinboro.edu

INSTRUCTIONS
Answer 3 of the 6 questions.
Format: 1” margins -- Arial Font -- 11 pt
Upper right corner header with last name & first initial -- page number underneath, email address underneath that – the font size for your header should be 8 pt.
Place the question above each response.
Use in text citations & include your references at the end of each response.

GUIDELINES
Answer three (3) of the six (6) questions.
Use a theoretical perspective in each response.
Use the readings, and reference, at least, one in each response.
Please feel free to discuss these questions with each other. It is the best way to understand the subject matter. However, do not write your answers together, as this increases the likelihood that you will unintentionally plagiarize each others’ work.
Type your responses! And place the questions above your responses.
I will not accept hard copy exams. Turn it in, in, via email, by Wednesday, March 25th, at 11:15 am.
I will not answer questions regarding your responses once I have handed out the exam. You may, however, ask for clarification.
Do not ask questions in your responses. Answer them. Remember, you are the expert here.
Don’t bullshit me. I really hate it. If you don’t know the answer, move on to another one.

1. The sociological perspective allows us to view social interactions from a broader perspective than other social sciences generally allow. Science fiction, as a genre, seeks to address present day social issues by hypothesizing their existence, or the result of their existence in future societies. Using one of the major social theories, discuss the popularity of science fiction in popular culture and its role in addressing modern social interactions.

2. Discuss the importance of projecting the future of a society to the study of sociology.

3. Core U.S. values provide our major social interactions with a unifying theme. They represent the foundation of our culture. Using two works of science fiction, discuss three core values addressed in the works & juxtapose their depiction in the works with the real world, social realities of their existence in our culture.

4. Octavia Butler’s short story “Bloodchild” exhibits a reversal of gender roles when the T'Lic use mostly men to "birth" their young & T'Gatoi is depicted as a powerful, T'lic, female, political figure. Compare & contrast major gender roles & expectations in U.S. society with the roles depicted in the story. Particularly address whether the domination of one gender over another is welcome, or even encouraged, in both societies?

5. Thoroughly discuss empire, its expansion, its depiction in science fiction, and whether or not it constitutes a core U.S. value.

6. Social interactions are constructed via values, norms & cultural belief systems of a society. Generally speaking, they are constructed in order to maintain and sustain a particular social structure. Exchange theory is a subtle, unspoken theory of social interactions, in real society, as well as in science fiction. Its intersection with conflict theory is addressed even less. This is a function of the high priority placed upon the value of “feeling” and emotion in the construction of relationships. Using an intersection of exchange and conflict theories, compare and contrast the construction of relationships, families and reproduction in science fiction and the real world.