Assignment #1 Going Without As you saw in the TV series 30 Days, going without the things to which you are accustomed (heating & air conditioning, medical care, even furniture and morning coffee) can be extremely difficult. Therefore, as both an exercise in deviance and a first-hand experience in putting yourself in someone elses shoes, you will be expected to Go Without for 48 consecutive hours. In going without, you must choose something that you use repeatedly several times each day, and abandon it for two straight days. Examples might include: abstaining from use of a computer (including smart phone or other access to the internet), consuming any caffeine, or spending any money. What you chose to go without MUST be something that you consider necessary to your everyday experience. While you are free to select whatever you feel appropriate, you will be on your honor to select something that fits the spirit of the exercise. During the exercise, you will be expected to be aware of the times where you would normally use the item(s) in question. Reflect on why you would use it, and what it is like to not have the item in question. How did you work around your normal routine (or simply go without)? Also, take note of how those around you react to your change in routine. You may explain to them that you are participating in a class assignment, though you may also learn from the situation by trying to explain away why you are not doing your normal routine so that you may see how they react. While conducting this exercise, you should keep a notepad and pen handy (or cell phone notes feature or audio recorder, as possible alternatives) to take notes about the experience. These Field Notes will be the basis of how you write your paper. There is no particular method to writing field notes; even shorthand sentences or single words can help you remember what happened, though some people prefer to write down complete thoughts and several sentences. Howsoever you choose to take notes is up to you. In taking field notes, you will be better able to remember the experience and all of the facets when you do your final write-up. In addition to turning in your paper, these notes should be submitted with your paper as well. Guidelines Step 1: Select what you will go without for 48 hours Step 2: Go Without
for 48 hours. Take field notes of the experience. Step 3: Write a 5-7 page paper about the experience in narrative format (i.e. you may refer to yourself in the first-person and use the words I, My, etc. Attach your field notes to your submission in D2L. Your paper should contain the following content: Section 1: A brief explanation of what you chose to go without and why it is typically considered essential to your everyday life. (1 page) Section 2a: A walkthrough of your 48 hours of Going Without. Referring to your field notes, walk me through each experience of going without and discuss what occurred, how you dealt with it, how others may have reacted, and your thoughts and feelings on each experience. Section 2b: During your walkthrough of the experiment, think about how this experience might relate to some of the sociological concepts we have discussed in class and in the book. Talk about your experiences in sociological terms including concepts used in your book or lecture (which you should draw attention to by using bold or italic type, or with underlines) as well as personal; and reflect on how your experience may be relatable to the experiences of others. (3-5 pages) Sections 2a & 2b should be well-integrated together in your narrative. Do NOT do 2a first and then 2b afterward while writing this paper. Section 3: Sum up your experience of the situation and, using your sociological imagination, develop a summary conclusion about the experience of living another life. Some important ideas to reflect on during this section of your paper may include, but are not limited to: Materialism, Addiction, Needs vs. Wants, how modern life/technology has changed during your lifetime, and/or how your class status has enabled you to enjoy these conveniences, among many potential others. (1-2 pages) Papers should be 5-7 COMPLETE pages in length and address all of the content contained above. They should be typed, double-spaced, and in 11pt Arial or Calibri font (MS Word standard). Your papers should be properly edited for grammar, sentence structure, spelling, etc. Good Luck!!!
The post Assignment #1 Going Without As you saw in the TV series 30 Days, going without the things to which you are accustomed (heating & air conditioning, medical care, even furniture and morning coffee) appeared first on Essaybrook.