Steps for completing this assignment:
1) Choose one of the essay questions/topics listed above. Make sure you know what it is asking!
2) Start your research by referring to the set readings and additional resources listed in the course outline. Keep in
mind though that it is not compulsory for students to utilise these resources.
In fact, students are expected to undertake some amount of independent research. Thus, you may like to seek
additional materials as follows:
a. Academic: Library books and journals can be accessed using the library databases.
b. Institutional: Organisational websites (e.g. The Australian Bureau of Statistics, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development etc.) may provide useful information. Keep in mind though that blogs, social networking
sites, Wikipedia etc. are not considered to be academic sources. In many cases the information on these sites has
not been subject to peer evaluation and/or the accuracy of the material presented therein cannot be verified. For
this reason, internet sources in particular should be carefully evaluated.
c. Media: Various media, (e.g. magazines, websites, newspapers, television media, and films) can be used as
empirical/real world examples. However, in a theoretical essay these should be used only sparingly to help illustrate
your points in original, creative and reflective ways. As with academic and institutional sources these must be
appropriately referenced.
3) As you take notes remember to identify someone elses ideas or thoughts with accurate referencing so as to avoid
plagiarism when it comes time to writing up.
4) Everyone has a different approach to essay writing but you need to ensure that you undertake some level of
planning. Noting key points and the order in which you will address them will help you develop a logical argument.
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If you keep referring back to them as you write, your list of key points can also help you ensure that you are being
consistent and not wavering from your argument.
5) Begin writing your essay! As you do so, keep in mind that better essays are those that develop a strong line of
argument, which is well structured and balances description and critical analysis. Good questions to ask yourself are:
a. Does this point relate to the main ideas I want to get across or does it distract the reader?
b. Does the point I am making answer the question? Does it relate to the point before and after it, and if so
how?
c. So what? What is the significance of this point? Why am I writing about it?
d. How can I prove my point? What sources can I use to support my argument?
e. Do I agree with the perspective presented in the source that I am discussing? Why/why not? How
does the perspective of the author that I am discussing compare/contrast with some of the others? What is
unique/interesting about what this author has to say?
6) Leave plenty of time to allow for editing your work. Ideally this should include running a spelling and grammar
check, reading the essay in full and having somebody else read your work. It is amazing what a fresh pair of eyes can
pick up!
7) Make sure that you write the question you have answered and your name at the top of the first page of your
assignment. Submit your assignment to Turnitin ONLY.
Students should also note that this assessment is aligned with learning outcomes 4, 5 and 6. In this assessment,
students are expected to:
Analyse the family and intimate relationships in terms of power relations.
Demonstrate an understanding of sociological approaches to the family and intimate life.
Apply sociological theory to analyse families and intimate life.
All assignments must be submitted online via the Turnitin link available on the vUWS site for this unit BEFORE the
due date and time.
PLEASE NOTE: Hard copies and email assignments will not be accepted.
At a minimum, students are expected to:
Answer all components of the question and follow the academic protocols for essay writing
Adhere to the guidelines in relation to resources
Ensure that their essays are logically structured, coherent and free of spelling and grammatical errors
Ensure that essays are correctly referenced and free from plagiarism
Resources:
Readings and library research. Each of the questions relate to topics covered in weeks 4, 6 and 8. As a starting point,
students are encouraged to utilise the set readings relevant to their chosen question, as well as the suggested readings
listed in this learning guide. Students are expected to refer to AT LEAST 5 academic sources (two of which should
fall outside the scope of the set readings) in developing/supporting their argument. Marking criteria is on vUWS.
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