SOCL11060: Being Bad

Task Description

This task consists of a powerpoint or equivalent presentation. The assessment provides you with the opportunity to develop a sociological case study of a selected form of deviance.

Question

You are required to produce a case study slide presentation which demonstrated a theoretical and informed sociological understanding of a particular form of deviance. You are free to choose a form of deviant behaviour that is not directly addressed within the unit topics for your case study. However, if you decide to choose a subject not included in the schedule please check the suitability of your choice with your unit co-ordinator.

Your presentation MUST include at least ONE slide addressing each of the following aspects:

With reference to sociological theory, suggest why a person might undertake this form of deviance.
Define the details of the nature of the selected deviance.
Clearly outline what social norms or rules are being violated.
Outline how the status of 'deviance' for this behaviour has shifted in any way, over time.
Identify some of the common social reactions to the form of deviance.
A summary of either one newspaper/internet/journal article discussing the selected act of deviance. (Don't forget to include this in your reference list).

Your presentation MUST also include:

At least THREE images in your presentation.
At least 1 reference from the readings in Week 1 or Week 2.
Other aspects which are optional but you might want to consider in relation to your selected case:
Are there any positive effects of the behaviour for the individual of the group?
Is the status of the deviance dependent on the background culture of the individual?
Who are the predominant censors for the deviance or are there any censors?
Details of any groups/communities specifically target at in regard to the selected for of deviance (e.g. online - support groups, advocacy communities, insight communities). Although you are encouraged to use the internet to find information, you must not rely exclusively on material gained from the use of search engines such as Google, and please note, you are NOT allowed to use Wikipedia as one of your references. think about the quality of the information that you access. the unit materials should help give you a starting point in answering some of the questions. Remember though, any evidence of cutting and pasting from websites will result in your work being severely penalised. Further guidelines for this assessment will be made available during the lectures.

Standard requirements - Powerpoint presentation

You should aim to produce a document that would inform a 20 minute presentation. If using powerpoint or the equivalent you should have no less that 10 and no more than 15 slides inclusive of 'Title' and 'References' slides. You need to ensure that the presentation adheres to academic conventions and as such has correct spelling, grammar, punctuation and referencing. Other presentation standards include 18-25 point font (with the exception of the title slide, slide headings, the reference's slide and copyright or source acknowledgements for images). do not forget to attribute any images used to the relevant source. You will NOT be required to verbally present the presentation, only to submit your presentation document.

The Academic Learning Centre (ALC) has numerous resources on its Moodle website to assist you with your study and writing skills.