Introduction to Business and Society 2019-20
SOSC 1340/1349 Essay 3
Due: IN LECTURE Week 6 (through Turnitin on Moodle, and hard copy in lecture*)
Length: 6-8 pages/1500-2000 words (double spaced, 12 point font, 2.5 cm margins)
Value: 20%
Late essays will be subject to a -2% penalty per day
*[Students will be permitted to resubmit through Turnitin after correcting errors revealed
by the similarity report, subject to a late penalty. Please contact me if you need assistance.]
Synthesizing Course Materials
You are required to draw on one of the films Surviving Progress or The Corporation or the
creative readings by EITHER Joseph Conrad OR Elmer Rice to illustrate your understanding
of the key concepts raised in the text(s) you will be analyzing. The essay writing process
involves several preliminary stages: formulating a working thesis; organizing your notes;
and constructing an essay plan. Please review the guidelines and SPARK links from the first
essay instructions.
Independent Research
You are writing a persuasive essay which involves some research. In addition to the
relevant course readings, you will need to find and use two secondary ACADEMIC sources
for this essay (not Wikipedia, etc.). You MUST use proper referencing techniques and engage
in textual analysis of these sources. Failure to properly document and acknowledge your
sources constitutes PLAGARISM and makes you subject to academic sanction.
Instructions
Pick one of the essay topics below. DO NOT simply answer the questions in the order that
they appear in the topic. The order of presentation is something you need to think deeply
about: you need to plan out what you want to say and the order that it would be best to
say it. You will be assessed based on how well you understand the concepts, issues and
arguments raised in the course material. Return to your introduction after you have
completed your draft to ensure that the order of presentation you outline here
corresponds to the structure of your essay.
Formal Requirements
Your title page must include your name, student number, TAs name, and submission date.
You will need to find and use two secondary ACADEMIC sources for this essay (no Wikipedia,
dictionary.com, etc.). Include a properly formatted bibliography at the end of your essay.
Your essay must start with a comprehensive introduction which includes: i. The position the
author takes on the key question; ii. Your thesis; and iii. An explanation of how your essay
will be organized. Your essay must have a clear paragraph structure, each starting with a
clear topic sentence.
Essay Topics
1. Critically examine three of the progress traps discussed by Wright (hunting, farming and
civilization). Drawing from at least two examples of civilizations that have collapsed,
what are the lessons Wright seeks to draw for us? Using examples from the film, Surviving
Progress, explain how the ideology of progress can obscure the fact that our civilization
is in the middle of the biggest progress trap in human history?
2. Is capitalism distinct from slavery, or dependent on it? Why does Williams think Smiths
argument is irrelevant to the New World context? How does this challenge dominant
ideas with respect to progress? Compare and contrast Williams analysis of the economic
realities of staple crop production in the New World with the colonial moral ideal of
bringing light (civilization) into darkness (savagery) in Conrads work.
3. What is the difference between the social division of labour and the detail division of
labour, according to Braverman? How does the capitalist management of work (Babbage
Principle, Taylorism) differ from pre-capitalist forms? What are the social consequences
of the capitalist organization of production (consider Federici here, too)? How can we use
Rices play to illustrate the effects Braverman describes?
4. What definitions of the corporation are offered in the film The Corporation and which
best captures what it is? What are some of its personality traits, according to the film?
How did the corporation get so much power, according to Nace? What are the key
differences between the classical and the modern corporation? Using examples from the
film, explain how its legal form give it greater powers than human subjects.