Contemporary society: Guide to the final assessment
Worth: 40% of total grade

You will be given four questions to which you need to write a 400 word response per question. Each question relates to a topic area covered in Contemporary society.
Sources: you must only use lecture notes from the relevant week, plus the TED talk video that is attached to the question. The questions focus on the topics from weeks 6 (nation-state and nationalism); 7 (gender, sex and sexuality); 9 (gender, sex and sexuality); 12 (environment) Do not use any other sources, or marks will be deducted.
Below are the questions. In bold type are the key words to focus on when answering each question.

Structure your response in terms of giving your argument and then expanding on this by looking at the key words/terms.
a.    For example, for the first question, you could argue that nationalism involves a sense of exclusion, then demonstrate how this happens through an examination of two key examples explored in the video. A short conclusion should summarise your argument. So the structure should be: 100 words to explain your thesis/argument; 100 words per two video examples, then 100 words summary/conclusion. This structure will help keep your focus on the main issues at play.

1.    Using the lecture, weekly reading and keywords from Week 6, discuss the following quotation from the textbook in relation to the TED Talk Yassmin Abdel-Magied: What Does My Headscarf Mean to You?

“But we can also see a dark side to nationalism. This occurs when, in the process of seeing ourselves as uniquely Australian, others suffer. That is, we see others as inferior to us. In this way, our sense of nationalism can be exclusionary, excluding those we do not think are worthy.” (p. 119).

2.    Using the lectures, weekly readings and keywords from Weeks 7 and 9, discuss the following quotation from the textbook in relation to the TED Talk Khadija Gbla: My Mother’s Strange Definition of Empowerment.

“When we start thinking about gender as a category for analysis, we’re thinking about the ways in which masculinity and femininity are produced in our world. How is it they are produced, reproduced and understood? To understand this we need to explore the differences between masculinity and femininity and the relationship between sex, sexuality and gender. These constructions of social categories combine in particular ways. We need to think not just about gender and norms, but also about gender’s relationship to biological sex” (p. 78).
This quote is asking you to examine the connections between sex (biological basis), gender (our masculinity or femininity) and sexuality (our sexual preference). You will need to make reference to all three aspects in your response. Relating these factors to the video is important, and you can do this by arguing that these factors are interrelated and that they are demonstrated by (pick two examples from the video).

3.    Using the lecture, weekly reading and keywords from Week 12, discuss the following quotation from the textbook in relation to the TED Talk Dame Ellen MacArthur: The Surprising Thing I learned Sailing Solo Around the World.

“Environmental threats can lead to the end of our contemporary society as we know it.” (p. 138).
This quote is arguing that environmental threats are that dangerous that our way of life as we live it today, is under threat. You can agree or disagree with this statement, but you must use evidence to support what you argue (textbook, lecture notes and the video (use 2 examples from the video)). (IM SAYING AGREE)

Text book (Contemporary Society by James Arvanitakis) sources example:
“In Australia we are facing drought and the impacts of global warming will be devastating on our food supply, rivers and basic living conditions.
“Jared Diamond, notes that throughout history many societies have faced environment collapse some responded well and other badly.

Contemporary society: Guide to the final assessment
Worth: 40% of total grade

You will be given four questions to which you need to write a 400 word response per question. Each question relates to a topic area covered in Contemporary society.
Sources: you must only use lecture notes from the relevant week, plus the TED talk video that is attached to the question. The questions focus on the topics from weeks 6 (nation-state and nationalism); 7 (gender, sex and sexuality); 9 (gender, sex and sexuality); 12 (environment) Do not use any other sources, or marks will be deducted.
Below are the questions. In bold type are the key words to focus on when answering each question.

Structure your response in terms of giving your argument and then expanding on this by looking at the key words/terms.
a.    For example, for the first question, you could argue that nationalism involves a sense of exclusion, then demonstrate how this happens through an examination of two key examples explored in the video. A short conclusion should summarise your argument. So the structure should be: 100 words to explain your thesis/argument; 100 words per two video examples, then 100 words summary/conclusion. This structure will help keep your focus on the main issues at play.

1.    Using the lecture, weekly reading and keywords from Week 6, discuss the following quotation from the textbook in relation to the TED Talk Yassmin Abdel-Magied: What Does My Headscarf Mean to You?

“But we can also see a dark side to nationalism. This occurs when, in the process of seeing ourselves as uniquely Australian, others suffer. That is, we see others as inferior to us. In this way, our sense of nationalism can be exclusionary, excluding those we do not think are worthy.” (p. 119).

2.    Using the lectures, weekly readings and keywords from Weeks 7 and 9, discuss the following quotation from the textbook in relation to the TED Talk Khadija Gbla: My Mother’s Strange Definition of Empowerment.

“When we start thinking about gender as a category for analysis, we’re thinking about the ways in which masculinity and femininity are produced in our world. How is it they are produced, reproduced and understood? To understand this we need to explore the differences between masculinity and femininity and the relationship between sex, sexuality and gender. These constructions of social categories combine in particular ways. We need to think not just about gender and norms, but also about gender’s relationship to biological sex” (p. 78).
This quote is asking you to examine the connections between sex (biological basis), gender (our masculinity or femininity) and sexuality (our sexual preference). You will need to make reference to all three aspects in your response. Relating these factors to the video is important, and you can do this by arguing that these factors are interrelated and that they are demonstrated by (pick two examples from the video).

3.    Using the lecture, weekly reading and keywords from Week 12, discuss the following quotation from the textbook in relation to the TED Talk Dame Ellen MacArthur: The Surprising Thing I learned Sailing Solo Around the World.

“Environmental threats can lead to the end of our contemporary society as we know it.” (p. 138).
This quote is arguing that environmental threats are that dangerous that our way of life as we live it today, is under threat. You can agree or disagree with this statement, but you must use evidence to support what you argue (textbook, lecture notes and the video (use 2 examples from the video)). (IM SAYING AGREE)

Text book (Contemporary Society by James Arvanitakis) sources example:
“In Australia we are facing drought and the impacts of global warming will be devastating on our food supply, rivers and basic living conditions.
“Jared Diamond, notes that throughout history many societies have faced environment collapse some responded well and other badly.