SOC 808 – Final Research Essay

Sociology of food and eating

The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize ourselves with the current debates and themes present in the sociology of food systems and eating practices, and to examine strategies that will allow us to think critically about them. In this assignment, you will be asked to write a 1500-word essay following APA Guidelines on any topic related to the course.

SOC 808 – Final Research Essay

The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize ourselves with the current debates and themes present in the sociology of food systems and eating practices, and to examine strategies that will allow us to think critically about them. In this assignment, you will be asked to write a 1500-wordessay following APA Guidelines on any topic related to the course.

Students will critically analyze themes in the course by writing a research paper on any topic related to Food and Eating within the course.  You could choose to write on:

• Food as commodities, and their lifecycles
  • E.g. Chocolate, corn, coffee, tea, etc. etc.
• Social constructions of healthy food
• Dieting
• Food Labels
• Advertising and Food
• Cultural influences on Food
  • Mainstream culture, multiculturalism or cultural diversity
• Food and Gender
  • Social constructions of food and gender, food and feminism, gendered divisions of labour around food
• Hunger or famine around the world
• Food Distribution Systems
• Farming Practices and Agriculture
• Food Trends
• Grocery stores
• Restaurants
• Vegetarianism / Veganism
• Chefs, Food Experts

You may also choose to write on another topic of your choosing, as long as it relates to course content in some ways. Feel free to be creative!

Thesis

In this essay, you will be tasked with developing a central thesis statement. The thesis will state the main idea of your paper, and will likely reflect an opinion or judgment that you will attempt to prove throughout the paper. A strong thesis statement will give direction to your paper by structuring what you will write about. It also functions to inform your reader of what you will discuss in the body of your paper. All paragraphs of your essay should explain, support, or engage with your thesis in some way.

Referencing

A strong thesis statement requires proof. It is not merely a statement of fact that can go unquestioned. You should support your thesis statement with detailed evidence.

Since this is a research essay, you will be required to include four or more academic sources in your essay, plus at least one reference to our textbook (Koc, Sumner and Winson 2017), meaning you must include a minimum of five academic sources in total. Academic sources include: books or book chapters, peer reviewed journal articles, lectures, research papers or studies conducted by individual scholars or by research organizations/institutes.

You may also include non-academic sources such as newspaper articles, editorials, blogs or websites or references to TV shows, films, etc.  These sources will be included in addition to required academic sources.

Please use the American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style guide to properly format in-text references and sources for your References page. You MUST include a References page at the end of your assignment listing the sources you have referenced in the body of your response.

If you do not know what APA style is please consult Ryerson’s Style Guide: https://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/studentlearningsupport/resources/citation-conventions/APA%20Basic%20Style%20Guide.pdf

You may also want to visit Ryerson’s Student Learning Support service and make an appointment within their Writing Centre: https://www.ryerson.ca/studentlearningsupport/writing-support/

Late Assignments

If you are handing in your assignment late please be reminded that the late penalty is 5% per day. Please do not send your assignments in attachment form via e-mail. I will not accept them.

Formatting Guidelines

1. Your essay MUST be 1500 words in length (+/- 50 words), which is approximately 6 pages. If it is longer or significantly shorter, you will lose marks. This does not include your Cover Page and Bibliography. Please include a Word Count on your title page.
2. Your assignment must be type-written in 12pt Times New Roman font and adhere to margin guidelines of 2.54 cm / 1 inch on all sides.
3. You MUST provide an explicit argument/thesis statement in your introduction that will structure the rest of your paper.
4. You MUST incorporate course material and secondary sources in your assignment.
5. Please place the following information on the title page of your assignment: a) first and last names, b) student number, c) course code d) my name, and e) the date.
6.  I am more than happy to provide substantial comments on papers when requested. Please indicate on your title page that you would like comments and feedback on your paper by clearly writing the phrase: “I opt in for comments”. Please note, you may change your mind at any time if you originally decided not to receive comments. For example, if you receive a grade that you were not expecting and you would like to receive explanatory comments or feedback, I can provide you with in text comments on your essay. Please allow a few days for me to do so.

Note: All students will be graded according to a detailed rubric, and will see the points that they received, regardless if they choose to ask for comments or not.

SOC 808

Final Essay Rubric

1) Research	5
Quantity of References: At least four sociological sources (peer-reviewed), plus the required textbook (Koc, Sumner and Winson, 2017) are included (min of five references). Follow APA Guidelines. Currency and Quality: Sources are carefully chosen, and demonstrate that time and effort has been taken to find appropriate and timely books, book chapters, and peer reviewed journals. Application and Relevance: Research is appropriate and relevant for the assignment topic and sufficiently integrated into the argument.
Quality of Analysis	10
There is a clear thesis that suggests an argument or analysis, rather than being purely descriptive. The paper clearly addresses the central issue/question contained in the thesis statement. The essay topic flows logically from a social issue selected, i.e. there is a clear connection between the issue and the analysis. The paper effectively uses scholarly writing to contextualize and reflect upon the central argument (thesis). The paper is relevant to course content and integrates course topics and materials. Work demonstrates independent analysis and critical reflection: The essay goes beyond summarizing, describing, and/or providing a chronology of events. Equally, critical reflection does not mean to simply criticize. Critical reflection means that you raise meaningful questions, observations, and/or concerns, demonstrating that you are thinking about the significance of issues.
Writing Style	5
Written communication is clear and effective. Writing is unambiguous, and not repetitive. The reader is able to understand the information presented and the work assists the reader. Organization, Sentence, and Paragraph Structure: Paper is organized into paragraphs with each paragraph presenting one major theme or idea that is explored in-depth. Paragraphs connect to one another, and are structured logically. Tone is professional and not informal or pejorative. Personal commentary or reflection is based on theory or evidence, not on personal opinion.
Mechanics	5
Work is free of grammatical, spelling and factual errors. Formatting is appropriate and consistent: Title page, Times New Roman 12 point font, black ink, page numbers, 2.54 cm margins, double spaced, 1500 words (+/- 50 words) Consistent and accurate use of citation rules. Follow APA rules. Bibliography/reference list complete and alphabetized.

Marks deducted for late submission (10% per day)

Total:                                                                                                                         /25

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