Sociology of crime, punishment and society

This is an take home exam. The questions you need answer I have attached. You definitely HAVE TO follow my essay plan. Each question has to involved CASE STUDY

Total word count for the Take Home Exercise is approx. 3000 words. The Exercise requires 3 short essays of approx. 1000 words each (and 5 references for each short essay).

Make sure you read each question carefully and be sure you understand exactly what the question is asking.

A common mistake made is not reading the question properly.

If you find the question at first unclear, email me before answering.

You ONLY have approx 1000 words for each question

Should include: A brief introduction and conclusion

Think about the order of your points – which signals the development of your argument.

What is your overall point?.. Then work through it by establishing the issues, has this been theorised previously?

If you feel you are losing the plot, go back to the question, reflect on your focus, go back to your introduction

Constantly remind yourself: what do I want to say? Why did I choose this focus?

Order your points logically so that they flow in connection to the themes/issues you have raised

Simplicity in structure is best (NB not simplistic argument) = achieving clarity

Don’t be convoluted or verbose.

Inject yourself into the argument. Description is regurgitating/ recounting other’s arguments/ rehashing without reflection

Break into the argument by asking yourself questions: what are the reasons scholars are interested in the debates between law and medicine? Why must we account for prison deaths? Why should we care? What are the theoretical debates?

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What is the importance of using the theory? Is there a quote from the readings that you can use? Or one that you disagree with? What can boost your argument?

Use quotes wisely the purpose of the quote is to evidence your argument

All this means you will be exercising a perspective

Critical analysis does not constitute ‘trashing’ – ie do not write that someone’s argument is ridiculous, stupid, etc

Academic writing requires that you unfold your argument through analysis, not through trashing.

Instead of saying ‘I wholeheartedly disagree with the unwarranted and irrelevant points noted by X’, you could say “In noting so and so’s argument that X causes Y, this analysis differs in that it considers additional issues of such and such”……

It is important to think too about any legal instruments of relevance – are you looking at sentencing? It would be wise to look at the legislative arrangements in relation sentencing for eg!

Demonstrate that you have researched the relevant legal instruments/know what they are and mean if they are of relevance

Don’t forget to include legal cases and/or statutes in your bibliography under a separate title – such as ‘Cases’ ‘Acts’ or ‘Statutes’. BE THOROUGH.

Stick to one referencing system and make sure you are (a) KNOW how to use it and (b) are consistent.

Check out the essay writing help USYD provides via the Learning Centre, the WriteSite etc if you are unclear on appropriate referencing practices.

Overall what you need to care about:

Expression and sentence structure

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Grammar

Structure of your argument

Referencing

Research resources

Presentation