| Written Assignment #4 (Final Essay) |
| This is not a final exam. It is the final assignment. It is not meant to be weighted more heavily than the previous three, but it is more demanding, in that I expect to see evidence that you have syn- thesized the three books of the course with other materials, and that your thinking reflects this. I have said several times during the course that the assignments are intended to be cumulative, each building on the previous assignment(s), evidencing a growing synthesis of your under- standing of social change. And so is this final assignment. As you reflect upon the past fifteen weeks in this course, how would you describe the ways in which your understanding of social change has evolved? For starters, do you have a better understanding of the processes, now? Or, are you more confused? Perhaps it is both, in that some of the processes are more clear to you; others, more baffling. The night before I wrote this, e.g., my wife and I had a lively after-dinner discussion with another couple about what it would take for Iraq to become "stable." Although we had four different working definitions of "stable"--my wife is an incurable campus activist from the 1960's, e.g.--we did share some of the same assumptions, as educated, white, middle-class Americans. Each of those adjectives is limiting, as well as defining, of course. And, we did not solve the problems of Iraq. Each of us might have clarified his or her thinking, a little bit. But, some matters can become more confusing, the more closely one examines them. Each of you has a different set of circumstances, and is impacted upon differently by the social changes you and your families have experienced. You may have discovered some of these differences from some other students, as you contributed variously to the discussions of the themes and the readings in the course. One or another of the books may have had more impact upon you than the other(s); or, you may have discovered a source outside the readings that was most influential of all. You might also, of course, have found the readings and discussions a colossal waste of time, and be wondering what are your chances of getting your money back. (If you're this far, not very good.) Simply, at bottom, the question I'm asking each of you to address is: How has your under- standing of social change itself changed, and what do you think is most responsible for this, during the fifteen weeks of the course? How might you be likely to look at things differently, from now on? ("Not at all" is an acceptable answer, if you tell me why.) Try to limit yourself to the usual 2000-2500 words. I will keep reading to the end, however... If you have questions about this assignment, do not hesitate to contact the instructor/coordinator. |
| Instructions for Written Assignment |
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