Assessment Two – Argumentative Essay
Work on your Argumentative Essay in CADMUS.
Assessment Two the Argumentative Essay requires you to undertake a process of sociological thinking. The knowledge and skills covered online and in class and from undertaking the Annotated bibliography will assist you in writing this essay.
Submission information
The Argumentative Essay is 1500 words and is 40% of the total mark for SWK1107.
A draft for comment is due for submission through CADMUS 9am Monday Week 8 – September 17 – this is optional no extensions available and feedback by way of an audio comment will be provided through Turnitin. The final argumentative essay is due for submission through CADMUS 9am Monday October 22 (Week 12) 2018. Assessment results will be provided through Turnitin.
Learning outcomes
This assessment assists in achieving all unit outcomes.
Graduate Attributes
Completing this assessment item will help you achieve the ECU Graduate Attribute, cross-cultural and international outlook and critical appraisal skills.
Preparation for the Argumentative Essay
Work on your Argumentative essay in CADMUS – see under the assignment button on blackboard.
Work on your Annotated bibliography in CADMUS – see under the assignment button on blackboard.
When preparing your Argumentative Essay please use CADMUS as your writing tool and refer to the assessment instructions, rubric and resources available in CADMUS. Use your learning from the Annotated bibliography to assist with referencing and with finding scholarly sources to support your argument.
Assignment instructions for the Argumentative Essay
This assessment requires you to write an argumentative essay. The topic for your Argumentative Essay is poverty and inequality in contemporary Australian society. You are required to identify and discuss a particular aspect or element of poverty and inequality in contemporary Australian society. To discuss is to investigate or examine by argument, sift and debate, giving reasons for and against. You can decide how to discuss this idea.
The Argumentative Essay is a piece of writing that requires you to;
• Argue a standpoint or perspective (thesis)
• Use sociological concepts from scholarly sources to clarify your ideas
• Use sociological theory and research from scholarly sources to support your argument
• Use examples to demonstrate your thinking
Use direct quotes, paraphrasing and summarising as explained in the ECU Academic Tip Sheet Referencing – you should also refer to the Tip Sheet – Plagiarism.
• Write in formal academic register
• Use APA in-text and end-text referencing conventions as outlined in the ECU Referencing Guide. The hanging indent is expected in the end-text list.
• Cite at least 8 scholarly sources this may include chapters from the textbook – only two chapters from the textbook will be accepted towards the count of 8 sources. There must be 6 scholarly sources that are not chapters from your textbook.
• Refer regularly to the marking criteria to ensure you are meeting the requirements of the assessment
In undertaking this assessment you will work your way through a process of sociological thinking. To undertake sociological thinking you need to identify the sociological concepts and current sociological knowledge that assists in presenting your argument.
The following steps will guide your process of sociological thought;
1. decide on the approach you will take to discussing the broad theme of poverty and inequality in Australian society – you could for example choose to focus on a particular demographic or a particular location or relevant social issue
2. formulate a thesis statement
3. identify the sociological concepts that assist in arguing for this thesis statement
4. use scholarly sources to define the sociological concepts that clarify your argument
5. locate sociological theory and research that support your argument and that account for and refute opposing arguments
6. refer to and refute opposing arguments
7. develop examples that demonstrate your thinking
You need to start this process from the beginning of Semester – you may want to use your Annotated Bibliography to do the preliminary searching in the scholarly literature for your Argumentative Essay. Decide on your approach early in Semester and collect sources and develop ideas as you work your way through the unit.
Referencing tips
Chapters from the text book
As you know when you cite a chapter from an edited book you cite the author of the chapter – see full details ECU Referencing Guide. Arvanitakis (2016) is an edited book if you are referring to chapters from this text you must cite by the chapter author. You can cite from as many chapters as you wish but in terms of making up the number of 8 academic sources only 2 chapters from the text will count. You must cite at least 6 academic sources other than the text book.
Media sources
If you are referring to media or popular culture you must cite your source as outlined in the ECU Referencing Guide however most media sources do not count as scholarly sources. If you are unsure send through an email query.
