Description
What social factors have given rise to the so-called ‘epidemic’ of depression? You will need to show your understanding of the social construction of ‘depression’ as a category of suffering (i.e. changes in formal definitions of depression), and the social, cultural, and economic conditions that may have contributed to increased rates of depression.
Use statistics early in your essay as ‘evidence’ that there is something of an ‘epidemic’ (or you may reject this argument, based on evidence).
EXPLANATION OF GRADING CRITERIA
Structure – 10%
Essay organisation and structure supports the logical development of a discussion or argument (includes clear, purposeful introduction and conclusion, and clearly organised paragraphs of approximately 150-200-words)
An essay should be coherent, that is there should be a degree of integration or ‘flow’ running through the ideas you present.
Coherence is supported by sound sentence and paragraph construction. An essay is organised in 3 parts:
• An introduction introduces the social ‘problem’/question/issue and how you plan to discuss it sociologically. You might include the following elements:
I. Introduce the question/problem/issue
II. State the areas that you want to focus on
III. Indicate your ‘frame/s’ (the concepts/perspectives that inform the essay and help to analyse the content), if applicable
IV. Indicate the organisation of the essay – how you go about ordering the discussion or argument
V. Indicate the general conclusion
• The main body in which you develop discussion/argument, and
• The conclusion where you sum up the essay’s discussion and draw conclusions (note that a conclusion is not a repeat of the introduction).
Content – 70%
- Discipline-specific skills – 50%
Essay addresses the topic sociologically, and demonstrates a clear understanding of key sociological concepts appropriate to the chosen topic (i.e. focuses on “the social”, not the biological or the psychological realms)
You will need to use sociological language and ideas in your essay — remember that this essay is focusing on ‘the social’ – it is not focused on symptoms and medical explanations (though these might be mentioned)
*** Examples of sociological explanations – see Sandell & Bornas (neoliberal subjectivity – social environment shapes selfhood); Eckersley’s discussion of cultural change > qualitatively different pressures on younger generation because of social, economic and cultural changes >>> contributes to increased rates of mental health problems
- Critical thinking – 10%
Essay engages with rather than simply re-states ideas and arguments in the reading
Expectations:
• Evidence is appropriate
• Reasoning is coherent
• (Where applicable) the essay questions assumptions of others
- Inquiry/research – 10%
Essay shows adequate use of relevant research materia