an essay plan in week 12

Please note that you will have the opportunity to present an essay plan in week 12 – you will need to present this to your seminar tutor.
1. Choose a period of change in your life.
You need to choose something that is quite significant – but it does not have to be painful or distressing.
You could look at lots of events including marriage, the birth of a child, divorce, bereavement, starting a new job, changing school, moving house or country.
You will need describe what happened and the impact this had on you in sufficient detail for you to be able then to discuss the experience from the point of view of theories. Of course, you also need to bear in mind that you only have 2,500 words for the whole essay. So – you probably should think of limiting the description of the experience to around 500-700 words.
You will need to think about how you felt about the experience, and did it change you? Where there factors that made the experience easier – or more difficult? Do you think that you were effected in ways that others might not have been? Do you
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think your life experiences up until that point informed the way that you responded? Did your circumstances and relationships with others make things easier or more difficult? Did other people help you?
2. Choose two different theoretical perspectives
Think of the different theoretical perspectives that have been touched upon in the module. You need to select two of them to apply to your own reflections upon your experience of transition. You might choose 1 theory that you find very helpful and one not so – so that you can write your essay as a contrast. You might choose 2 theories that both make sense when added together . . . You could choose 2 that you don’t find helpful . . .although not being able to find some ideas useful might be unlikely.
Examples of perspective might be the person centred or humanistic approaches to counselling and therapy. These would put emphasis on personal growth – were the circumstances favourable for you to be able to ‘grow’? Were there relationships with others that helped you develop in a positive way?
Cognitive (and Cognitive Behavioural) theories would emphasise how your own learned thinking processes informed your responses and reactions to the events. They, and behavioural theorists in general, might suppose that you have learned to respond in certain ways through experiences you have had. Events that are significant and novel, according to cognitive theories, might present real challenges and would entail a reconstruction of mental structures.
Psychoanalytic approaches would assume that you might have hidden unconscious feelings about the events that were perhaps shaped by earlier experiences (particularly early experiences as a young child). Did these earlier experiences mean that this new situation impacted on you particularly strongly? Perhaps you were more disturbed by the change than others might have been. Perhaps you coped well with the change because of your earlier experiences? Psychoanalytic theorists would
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generally suppose that relationships with parents will have been particularly significant. Some theorists (particularly followers of Melanie Klien) would think that very early experiences are most important. Others would also give emphasis to later experiences.
Attachment theories would suppose that your own attachment style – apparent from when you were very young might shape experiences when you are older.
You might want to think about how your experience was shaped by the group or system in which you were living. Perhaps the way you experienced things was crucially shaped by ‘the group’ in which you were living at the time?
3. Discussing the theories in relation to your experience
Having chosen the 2 theories you need to describe and explain them both – and make reference to how the theories might be applied as an explanatory framework to your experience.
You will need to make reference to the writers and theorists who originated some of the ideas you are referring to.
You need to reflect on what are the helpful and not so helpful aspects of the theories. You need to make reference to books and articles that deal with the particular period of transition you are looking at. If you are using psychoanalysis to understand a bereavement, you should look at psychoanalytic literature on bereavement for example.
4. Evaluating the theories.
By the time that you write your essay you will need to have decided which theory makes most sense to you. There are no right or wrong answers – you are free to
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argue strongly in favour of one theory and against another. You are free to argue that both make a contribution to understanding. It is very important that you are very clear about what you are arguing.
Please note the criteria that will be used to mark your essay:
If markers can tick the ‘excellent’ box in each case – then you will obtain a high mark!
Excellent
Good
Satisfactory
Needs more work
Needs far more work
Module Engagement
Clearly demonstrates that the writer has engaged with the material and ideas used in the module.

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Evidence of independent research and reading
Coursework demonstrates that student has carried out their own reading and research on their chosen topic. There will be good of journal articles and books

Understanding of topic
Coursework demonstrates excellent understanding of the important themes of the module and the particular topic.

Engagement with the question
Coursework very directly addresses the task and provides an answer to the question asked.

Clarity of argument
The argument (case) will be stated clearly in the introduction and will then be consistently referred to through the essay.

Introduction
The introduction clearly spells out what the essay is being used to argue and will provide a brief overview of the topics covered in the essay.

Organisation of essay
The courswork is well organised – the ordering of paragraphs is logical and each paragraph covers a topic, and these are linked. The ordering of

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paragraphs should follows the (excellent) overview provided in the introduction
Conclusion
The conclusion sums up the key points and the overall argument that is made, perhaps acknowledging any weaknesses or caveats.

Use of Evidence to back arguments
All statements or arguments are backed up by evidence that has been evaluated and reflected upon.

Examples used are original and pertinent
The case study is well chosen and allows for discussion of the theories.

Distinctiveness of point of view
The essay clearly demonstrates that the student has thought and engaged with the topic and has come to a distinct point of view.

Referencing
All points and statements are backed up by evidence that is referenced in the text. The references and bibliography are accurately made according to the Harvard style,

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Spelling, grammar and punctuation
The essay has been properly spell checked and does not contain errors of grammar and punctuation.

Writing Style
Sentences are well constructed and clear in their meaning, The style should be formal.
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