THEORIES OF SOCIAL ORDER

THEORIES OF SOCIAL ORDER

FINAL PAPER QUESTIONS

You will be answering 2 essay questions of your choice out of the 4 following ‘application’ questions for your exam.  Feel free to use either 1or 2 theorist(s) for each question depending on what you think will best illuminate the questions you select to answer.

Please follow the following rules:

1. Each essay should be double spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins and should be at least 4 pages (excluding bibliography).
2. Paper must be clearly written, spell checked, and proofread for clarity.
3. Your paper will not be accepted after the deadline.
4. Please submit either MS word document or PDF format.
5. Your full name should appear in the upper right corner of the first page.
6. Indicate to which question you are replying by including the question number or some words to indicate the question you chose in your subject line.

7.       Choose any two theorists from the list of Friedrich Hayek, Thomas Schelling, Adam Smith, Robert Axelrod, Sigmund Freud, Alexis Tocqueville, Michael Hechter, James Coleman, Christine Horne, Michael Macy, Ernest Gellner, Max Gluckman, Georg Simmel, Mark S. Granovetter, and Ashutosh Varshney.

8. The theorist that you are going to use for answering should be different for each question. For example, if you are using Adam Smith’s theory for the first question, do not use his work for the next question.
9. External reference:You are not required to use external resources. But if use, you must include a properly formatted list of references in ASA format. The reference section should be the last page.
10. Textbook reference: Use in-text citation only if you are using direct quotes from the textbook. See an example below:

“spuriousness refers to the possibility that there is some third variable that was not measured that is causing change in both of the factors that the theory identifies.” (Hetcher& Horne 2003: 11)

You will be answering 2 questions of your choice out of the 5 following questions. 

1. Over the past two decades there has been horrendous massacres perpetrated by students at school premises. These massacres, known as school shootings, haven been predominantly analyzed by employing psychological approaches.Please offer a sociological interpretation on school shootings by explaining why school shooters commit violent actions against teachers and classmates as a form of retrieving their masculinity.
2. Most “ponzi schemes” are directed at people who have a high opinion of their financial abilities (that does not actually match their financial knowledge) and who want to make a quick buck. Greed and opportunity are major reasons that people try and get away with this kind of behavior. Discuss why and how some companies or individuals might sell tainted products or swindle investors.
3. Human trafficking constitutes one of the fundamental challenges of our world. It affects all regions and countries and constitutes a grave violation of human rights. The trafficking of women, children and men have led to many suffering, atrocities, inhuman and tragic circumstances within and across borders. International agencies underscore the global nature of human trafficking. Examine the human trafficking phenomenon through sociological perspectives as well as the rights-based approaches to gain insights of the reasons underlying trafficking, the modus operandi of human traffickers and the consequences on human trafficking victims.
4. ‘Social distancing’ is the current public health practice of encouraging people to keep their physical distance from each other in order to slow the spread of coronavirus. This is a new norm and norms occupy a crucial place in theories of social order. Discuss some of the contributions and limits of norms with respect to the evolution of social order. The problem of social order—that is, the attainment of cooperation among large numbers of individuals—is fundamental to fight this global pandemic. What is the social impact of “social distancing”?