Instructions:
The exam is in 2 parts (500 words each) and covers major theories and debates on identity addressed throughout the unit.
The exam has 2 sets of questions. Choose 1 question from each part (2 items in total) and write 500 words on each. Submit both items in the same Word document. Remember to place the chosen essay question at the start of each part.
Both parts are to be written in short essay form, so they should have an Introduction, Body (made up of logically-structured paragraphs), and Conclusion. Give your work a structure by using paragraphs. As essays, they do not have internal headings.
Approximately 4 published sources per item will be adequate.
Each mini essay should have its own List of References. Writing such small assessment items requires careful proofreading and editing to remove excess words. Look out for repetition and irrelevant words. Keep sentence structures simple, unless you know what you are doing.
Do not pick a topic that was the main topic of your Key Papers Discussion or Research Essay (subtopics are OK, but not the topic of the week).
What is NOT in the word count?
• The essay question;
• Indented quotes of 4 or more lines in length (shorter quotes that are part of the paragraphs ARE included);
• The two Lists of References.
PART A: 50% (Select 1):
1) How can Bourdieu’s concept of the ‘habitus’ be used to explain the cultivation and performance of identity in the realm of consumption and taste? To what extent are Bourdieu’s ideas related to conventional Marxist ideas on class and identity? Use examples. OR 2) What is a cosmopolitan identity? And what are the social conditions that allow for the creation of cosmopolitan identities? Given the characteristics of cosmopolitan personality, is it accurate to say that such identities are confined to the wealthy? OR 3) How can studying material culture (the objects people possess and relate to) make it possible to distinguish between ‘self’ and ‘social’ identities? How are identities expressed or performed through relations with material culture? PART B: 50% (Select 1):
1) How is gender identity regulated socially? To what extent can an individual choose or change their gender identity? OR 2) Modern sexuality is characterised by investments in a binary system of heterosexual/homosexual identities. What advantages does that system provide for individuals and groups? What disadvantages and limitations does it impose? How can sociological inquiry address these issues? OR 3) Markus and Tannoch-Bland argue that racial and ethnic identities are bound up with systems of political and social advantage in contemporary Australia. Discuss.