SOCI 3340 Essay Evening

Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes addressed will vary depending on the topics chosen by students. Please refer to the Course Outline for a comprehensive list of learning outcomes.

Purpose

This assignment will allow students to explore one of the course topics on society and the workplace in more detail by supporting their ideas with additional research.

Instructions

1. Who: This assignment is completed individually.
2. What:
   i. Write a 500-750 word essay on a sociology topic related to society and the workplace. Your thesis statement is the answer to your chosen topic question (see essay topic choices that follow).
3. ii. Create piece of artwork on a sociology topic related to society and the workplace. Your presentation of the artwork responds to your chosen topic question (see essay topic choices that follow). More information on this option will be presented in class.
4. Where: This assignment is completed out of class.
5. When: Please refer to the Course Schedule for the assignment due date.
6. How: State your question at the top of your first page before your introduction.

Use a five-paragraph essay structure that includes the following:

• An introduction (3-4 sentences)
• Three body paragraphs (6-8 sentences each)
• Conclusion (3-4 sentences)

Include a title, your name, course and section number, and word count at the top of the first page. Your essay must be word processed and double-spaced. Double-sided pages are encouraged. Print off your final copy. Attach the marking guide to the back. Staple or paper clip your pages together. Email your essay to the instructor as an attachment. Include the essay title in your assignment title; for example, “SOCI 3340: The Impact of the Wage Gap.”

You must use information from your textbook. You must also reference two websites (academic sites only ending in .org or .ca or .edu) and two journal articles in your essay. Check the SAIT library databases and Google Scholar for your sources. Be sure to include in-text citations and a References page using APA format. Failure to do so is plagiarism and will result in an F for the assignment (and/or other consequences in accordance with AC 3.4/3.4.1 Student Code of Conduct Policy and Procedure).

You must submit an outline of your essay the week before it is due. Include your name and essay topic question at the top of your outline. Include the assignment and your name in the document file name when you email it as an attachment. This is worth 5% of your essay grade with one mark for each of the following:

1. Thesis statement (topic, your opinion, strategy for development)
2. Topic sentence #1 with 2-3 examples and quotations (from 2-3 sources)
3. Topic sentence #2 with 2-3 examples and quotations (from 2-3 sources)
4. Topic sentence #3 with 2-3 examples and quotations (from 2-3 sources)
5. Concluding sentence (last sentence of your essay – leaves the reader with an insight, something to think about)

Essay Topic Choices    

Globalization is a term that is frequently used without a specific definition. Based on your reading of Chapter 2, how would you define globalization? What are the multiple dimensions of globalization and how is the process of globalization impacting workers in Canada in the early 21st century?:

Imagine you are a historian living in the year 2115 and you are tasked to study the major socioeconomic changes that shaped work at the beginning of the 21st century. Outline the most important changes, and explain which you think had the largest impacts for society, as well as for our day-to-day experiences.

Imagine you travelled 100 years back in time. What would the experience of work look like for an average Canadian male and female worker? Explain why it would presumably be so different.:

The demographics of the population indicate that Canada has an aging workforce. What will the workforce look like in 15 years? What are the implications of this trend for employers and workers?

In the past few decades, Canada has seen a dramatic expansion of the service sector. Describe this shift and discuss its implications for the distribution of occupations in Canada. How might an individual’s age and gender impact labour force participation in the changing service sector?

Based on the trends you have read about in Chapters 3 and 4, describe what you see as the most pressing issues facing Canadian employers and workers for the next few decades to come.

As noted in Chapter 3, Canada’s population is becoming increasingly diverse. With immigrants now coming to Canada from many different countries, how is access to primary labour market jobs being affected? What issues does this trend toward greater population diversity create for employers, the government and workers themselves?

Based on what you have read in Chapter 4, describe how the types of jobs a Canadian might have expected to obtain have changed over the course of the 20th century. Discuss joblessness as well:

In recent years the topic of job quality has received increased public attention. Why is job quality important? How do we differentiate between “good” and “bad” jobs? How are they distributed across occupations and industries? What are the implications of job quality trends for employers and workers?:

What has the government, as well as employers, done to work toward gender equality in the workplace in Canada? How successful are these initiatives? What steps does each group need to take in the future?:

Define employment equity and pay equity policies and discuss how they differ. How effective have they been in Canada? How might these policies be improved to help ensure that their goals are met

Which of the new managerial paradigms discussed in Chapter 9 is likely to be the most influential in Canada 20 years from now, given current labour force and labour market trends?

How have Canadian unions changed over the past century? What challenges do they face today?

Discuss the negative consequences of job dissatisfaction. Will worker productivity go up if job satisfaction increases in a workplace? Why or why not?:

Marking Criteria: Essay Rubric