Comedy Assignment

SOCI 1002D
Comedy Assignment – Due January 28 by Midnight (12AM, Jan 29)
Worth 20%
This assignment is about getting you to start thinking about the ways in which comedy sometimes
acts as a form of social critique, speaking truth to contemporary forms of power. (Other times
comedy ends up reinforcing existing power relationships, but we’ll get to that later.)
You will provide one comedy clip that is viewable online, and write three to five pages, doublespaced, on how that clip reveals some taken-for-granted aspect of contemporary life.
Themes may include, but are not limited to: class; race/ethnicity; gender/sex; modernity;
bureaucracy; capitalism; the state; human behaviour; ideas/knowledge; globalization, and so on.
Your assignment should answer the following questions:
• What aspect of contemporary life is being discussed in this clip, and why is it important?
• What truths about this aspect does this clip reveal?
If you need help, remember what sociologist Pierrre Bourdieu (1998) told us: “the function of
sociology, as of every science, is to reveal that which is hidden” (p. 17). So, what truth about our
present reality is hidden in the clip you have chosen?
Bourdieu, P. (1998). On television (P. P. Ferguson, Trans). New York: The New Press.
The Details
Your assignment should:
– Be 3–5 pages long (exclusive of works cited)
– Be double-spaced
– Include a link to your comedy clip at the beginning of your assignment
– Be written in essay style (i.e., not point form)
– Include in-text citations and works cited list in APA format
– Be written in 12 point, Times New Roman font
– Be in .doc or .docx format (no PDFs)
– Be handed in on cuLearn January 28 by Midnight (12AM, Jan 29)
Late Assignments Lose 5 Marks Per Day
1
2
Grading
Rubric
The F’s
F = Below 50
The D’s
D+ = 57–59
D = 53–56
D- = 50–52
The C’s
C+ = 67–69
C = 63–66
C- = 60–62
The B’s
B+ = 77–79
B = 73–76
B- = 70–72
The A’s
A+ = 90–100
A = 85–89
A- = 80–84
Completeness &
Depth
• Incomplete
• Does not follow
directions
• Zero analysis
• Incomplete
• Does not follow
directions
• Superficial level of
analysis
• Complete
• Not all directions
are followed
• Analysis requires
more depth
• Complete
• Most directions
are followed
• Analysis provides
good depth
• Complete
• All directions are
followed
• Analysis provides
excellent depth
Comprehension • No use of
sociological
concepts/terms
• No use of
course materials
• Improper and/or
sparse use of
sociological
concepts/terms
• Little reference to
course materials
• Difficulty using
sociological
concepts/terms
• Some use of
course materials
• Demonstrates
understanding of
sociological
concepts/terms
• Adequate use of
course materials
• Displays keen
understanding of
sociological
concepts/terms
• Uses both course,
and non-course,
materials in
creative ways
• Demonstrates
independent
scholarly research
Structure &
Organization
• Argument is
impossible to
follow
• Unorganized
• Zero flow
• Argument is very
difficult to follow
• Unorganized
• Argument is
unclear
• Relationship
between points is
unclear
• Organization is
lacking
• Argument is
somewhat clear,
but tends toward
description
• Organized in a
logical way, but
the segue between
points could be
stronger
• Argument is clear
• Easy to follow
• Points flow
effortlessly from
one to another
Writing &
Format
• Numerous
spelling/
grammar
mistakes
• No in-text
citations
• No works cited
list
• Numerous
spelling/grammar
mistakes
• Numerous in-text
citation errors
• Incomplete or
improperly
formatted works
cited list
• Some spelling/
grammar mistakes
• Some in-text
citation errors
• Improperly
formatted works
cited list
• A few spelling/
grammar mistakes
• A few in-text
citation errors
• Works cited list
formatted
correctly
• No spelling/
grammar mistakes
• No in-text citation
errors
• Works cited list
formatted
correctly