School of Social Sciences

ARTSC111-23A (HAM) & (TGA)

SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORY AND ACTION

ASSESSMENT 3 ESSAY

ESSAY QUESTIONS:

Choose one of the provided questions to answer for your essay.

Please start your essay with a title that clearly indicates which question you are answering.

Question 1:
Imagine there was a referendum in 2023 on giving 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in
New Zealand elections. What are the best arguments a referendum campaign should make,
either for or against this proposal?

Question 2:
Barrett et al (2019) argue that Maketū shows that a local deliberative democratic process
can successfully solve a local environmental problem, like marine restoration. Identify a
different environmental problem, large or small. Evaluate whether or not deliberative
democracy could be used to effectively address that problem

Question 3:
What are discourses and why do scholars consider them important? Compare and contrast
two different discourses about disability.

Question 4:
Scholars argue that colonialism has enduring effects long after a country has become
independent. Discuss one or two long-term effects of colonialism still evident today.

Question 5:

Discuss one core theoretical concepts of ARTSC111, with reference to the first six weeks of
guest lectures and readings.

Theoretical concepts of ARTSC111

1. Relationship between structure and agency.

2. Social constructionism.
3. Relations of power and inequality.
GENERAL INFORMATION:

• This assessment contributes 30% towards your final grade for the course.
• The due date is 11.59pm Friday 19th April o If you require an extension for this
assessment you will need to complete the Request for Special Consideration form and
send it to Darelle. Please avoid needing an extension if at all possible. o Work that is
submitted late without approval will be penalised 5% of the total worth of the
assessment for each day that it is late.
• The word limit for this assessment is 1200 words (+/- 10%) (excluding reference list).
• You must submit an electronic version of the essay via the link for this assessment on
the ARTSC111-23A Moodle page. Please ensure this is a Word document (or PDF).
• Referencing for this assessment must follow the APA referencing format. Under the
‘Resources’ tab on the Moodle page there is a quick guide for APA referencing and a
link to the library page with examples for less common sources. (The Student Learning
Study Skills page also contains information on Academic Integrity, which covers
plagiarism.)
• All assessments must be original (i.e. not submitted for any other paper), and your own
work, with any material sourced from elsewhere appropriately referenced. The essay
will be checked using plagiarism detection software, as per the caution in the paper
outline. Plagiarism will not be tolerated, and instances of plagiarism will be referred to
the Student Disciplinary Committee.
• You are expected to utilise at least three academic sources in your essay.
Newspaper/magazine articles, websites (with the exception of government websites),
etc are not usually considered ‘academic’ sources. Your sources should include the
related readings for the relevant topic, and additional material provided as relevant. You
should use the relevant lectures as the starting point for thinking about your response to
the question.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Your essay should demonstrate that you:

• have understood core concepts.
• have read and understood the core readings relating to the topic, • can identify key
readings and concepts relating to a given topic,
• can develop an academic argument.

GRADING CRITERIA:

Below are the components that will be assessed in grading your essay. Please check your
work against this list to ensure you have covered all the necessary aspects.
 • Introduction o The topic is briefly outlined o The argument about to be made is clearly
stated o The structure of the rest of the essay is identified

• Discussion o A coherent argument is evident that answers the essay question and
takes a social science perspective
o Appropriate concepts and examples are used
o Any points made are adequately researched, outlined, and discussed o Any
relevant theories or concepts are applied appropriately o Factual and
theoretical claims are supported by references where needed o Any material
from sources is appropriately incorporated, without excessive use of quotes

• Conclusion o The argument is concisely summarised and ‘rounded off’. o No

substantively new points are introduced in the conclusion

• Sources o At least three relevant academic sources have been used

o The sources are academic and include the provided reading/s for the topic o In-
text referencing is correct, utilising the APA format
o A reference list is provided at the end of the essay utilising the APA format

• Stylistic aspects o A concise academic writing style has been used throughout. o Good
overall presentation. o Appropriate length.
o Spelling and grammar are correct (including sentence and paragraph structure)

FURTHER TIPS:

Question 1:
Imagine there was a referendum in 2023 on giving 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in
New Zealand elections. What are the best arguments a referendum campaign should make,
either for or against this proposal?

• You might use arguments discussed in class and in the Munn (2012) or Munn (2020)
readings, or ones you come up with yourself. Either way your arguments must be
backed up with examples and sound reasoning.
• You might consider the social construction of youth and if this is relevant to your
argument. The Kehily (2013) reading is useful for this.

Question 2:
Barrett et al (2019) argue that Maketū shows that a local deliberative democratic process
can successfully solve a local environmental problem, like marine restoration. Identify a
different environmental problem, large or small. Evaluate whether or not deliberative
democracy could be used to effectively address that problem.
 • Briefly outline one environmental problem you have chosen as your example. Reference
at least one academic source for this.
• A recent govt report on environmental problems in New Zealand is available at
https://www.mfe.govt.nz/environment-aotearoa-2019
• Mainly focus on how deliberative democracy might be used to address your chosen
problem. You should define deliberative democracy in your essay. Backstrand (2010)
might be useful for this.
• You might investigate the problem of scaling up deliberative democracy, if your
environmental problem is a large one.
• You might examine whether capitalist democracy and environmentalism are
compatible or in conflict in your chosen problem. Barry (2003) is a relevant reading.

Question 3:
What are discourses and why do scholars consider them important? Compare and contrast
two different discourses about disability.

• Make sure you have a good understanding what discourse is. E.g., see Cole (2019).
• You must define the term discourse, and could discuss how discourses are related to
power, or how they shape our world and our sense of self.
• You might focus on the medical and social models of disability to compare and
contrast.
• Iarskaia-Smirnova (2018) is a useful reading. The Morrison et al (2019) and Morrison et
al (2020) readings may be helpful.

Question 4:
Scholars argue that colonialism has enduring effects long after a country has become
independent. Discuss one or two long-term effects of colonialism still evident today.

• You should define what colonialism is, and perhaps neo-colonialism. Ashcroft (2015) is
a relevant reading.
• You might draw on Norris’s (W6) lecture for long-term effects to discuss.
• Or, it is ok to discuss effects you find in your own research. Effects on Māori land
ownership, unemployment rates, incarceration rates, or language use might be
examples.
• Whatever effects you choose to discuss, be sure to use examples and evidence from
academic sources.

Question 5:
Discuss one core theoretical concepts of ARTSC111, with reference to the first six weeks of
guest lectures and readings.
Theoretical concepts of ARTSC111

1. Relationship between structure and agency.

2. Social constructionism.
3. Relations of power and inequality.

In Question 5 you need to choose one of the above theoretical concepts and discuss them
within the context of one of the guest lectures and the required reading of that week.

• This is more of an open question.

• You will need to do additional research.