Final Exam, Capita Selecta Social Theory, Autumn 2010

Final assignment
Due: Dec 23rd, 23:00 hr. No extensions are possible at this time.
Submit your paper via Blackboard  Assignments.
Length: between 2000 and 2500 words (provide word count)
Remember to number the pages and include your name. Olga will appreciate papers
double spaced, font 12. Francois will accept papers single spaced, Times 11.
Assignment
Select 3 texts from the course and write an essay that (1) articulates the three texts in a
coherent argument (which might be a discussion, or the refinement of a proposition) and
(2) demonstrates that each of the three texts is properly understood. You must attempt to
build an argument with the 3 selected texts – you cannot write three separate summaries.
Instructions
• Select 3 texts from the syllabus (the syllabus only).
• One of the 3 texts must be from weeks 1-7, and another must from weeks 8-15.
The third text can be chosen throughout the entire syllabus.
• Each text must belong to different weeks (you cannot select 2 texts from the same
week).
• Texts must be from different authors.
• You cannot choose an argument based on Smith/Polanyi discussions or
Foucault/Elias/Durkheim (for the obvious reason that you cannot replicate your
midterm exam). However, you may use the questions of the mid-term as examples
of the ways in which relationships among different readings can be articulated.

With these 3 texts, you must write a 2000-2500 words essay. The essay should reflect
your accurate understanding of the selected author’s arguments or their parts. You can
build a discussion between the texts, or construct a theoretical argument, or organize the
criticism of one text with other texts. Whatever you choose to do, you must come up with
a way to articulate a relationship among the 3 texts.

An example of articulation:
For instance, you decide to articulate the relationship between economy and society. For
this, you could select Smith / Polanyi / Marx (which you cannot do in this particular
assignment), and make an argument around the market and its effects. You would argue
that Smith views the market as a phenomenon originating in human nature and creating
an opulent and well-governed society, while Polanyi says it is a construction of human
institutions and has destructive effects over society, and Marx arguing that the effects are
mainly destructive for the proletariat and that the bourgeoisie massively benefits from the
extension of the market. That would be an articulation.

In this essay will be evaluated (1) your ability to understand the argument of a given
author in a given text and (2) your ability to make connections between different texts
and different theoretical perspectives.

If you are able to give a faithful account of each text, but your argument is unconvincing,
nonsensical or illogical, your maximum grade will be of 7. But you cannot provide just 3
faithful summaries; you have to make an attempt to draw meaningful relations among the
texts. Writing 3 summaries will result in failing grade. Grades above 7 depend on your
ability to make meaningful connections among the texts.

What you should keep in mind to write a better paper:

• Organize your thoughts. Don’t write flaky paragraphs based on shady logic.
• Always think about clarity. You will never have the benefit of the doubt when
having written something confused.
• Make abundant references to what you have learned in class and what you have
read in the texts, but stick to the question, focus on the question and avoid off-
topic paragraphs.
• Avoid like plague inside jokes, political commentary, personal opinion, literary
jargon, extreme and unrealistic statements. Keep it simple, focused, clear, precise,
straightforward, and nuanced.