I have a 10-page Sociology term paper. What should my topic be?

As stated above, I'm a first year college student and I have a 10-page Sociology term paper due the last Saturday of class, which is in 2 months.

Update!

Human augmentation wins and if you gues can suggest any games, movies, books, etc., it'd be great! I'm using Deus Ex: Human Revolution as one of my sources.

I also just deleted most of what I wrote so that's why this post is now short.

Update 2

If you Google "sociology of human augmentations", this thread is the 5th link. Just thought that was pretty cool. I know, I'm a loser. Oh well!

Update 3

My bibliography!

I for one think human augmentation is bad ass. Also: ten damn pages? I just handed in my term paper in a class called Poetry and Drama. That was like a thousand words, tops.

flagged.

Just kidding... man & machine.

Cyborg Hauntings.

@Aas said:

Also: ten damn pages? I just handed in my term paper in a class called Poetry and Drama. That was like a thousand words, tops.

Yes. Then the dude gives us 2-3 page papers EVERY WEEK on things he makes off the top of his head! The class is interesting, it's my favorite class but the homework is just crazy. Also, I have to do field work, meaning I have to do interviews about my topic. I wonder if I could find people who have augmented body parts. I remember the promo for Deus Ex about the dude with a camera in his eye and the people with those augmented leg things. It was awesome and scary.

@Ketchupp said:

Cyborg Hauntings.

You may be onto something....

@evanbower said:

flagged.

Just kidding... man & machine.

I see what you did there.

@awesomeusername: Human Augmentation, man. Fuck yes.

I hope those 10 pages are triple spaced.

I vote for human augmentation...because I loved dues ex hr.

@RadixNegative2 said:

I hope those 10 pages are triple spaced.

I vote for human augmentation...because I loved dues ex hr.

It has to be 1.5 spaced! D: This dude is going to kill me with this paper. I think I might just go with that then. Ghost hauntings sounds a bit meh and Binary Domain hasn't happened yet.

@InfamousBIG said:

@awesomeusername: Human Augmentation, man. Fuck yes.

And Augs win! I'm seriously using Deus Ex as a reference.

Bronies and how society makes them instant pariahs

@wmaustin55 said:

Bronies and how society makes them instant pariahs

Why not pegasisters? Sexism towards them is cool right?

weird topics for a sociology paper. With topics like that, hopefully he's not expecting you to find sources on man vs machines :D

Without sources, you can just make up BS for 10 pages.

Preseeded RNGs and their effect on the human psyche (see XCOM: Enemy Unknown).

More people believe in ghosts than alien life? Fuck this world. I vote Human Augmentation.

@Mcfart said:

weird topics for a sociology paper. With topics like that, hopefully he's not expecting you to find sources on man vs machines :D

Without sources, you can just make up BS for 10 pages.

I wanted my paper different because I'm a weird dude. Also, maybe he'll give me a better grade because everyone did boring things and I did something AWESOME.

@MariachiMacabre said:

More people believe in ghosts than alien life? Fuck this world. I vote Human Augmentation.

Unfortunately. This worlds retarded.

I'm glad I'm not in your Sociology class. Also, your paper would be interesting if you chose human augmentation. You have so many comic book and video game examples to use.

Man machine is more my alley ... Ghost in the Shell and what not :D (altho you can also join man machine with human augmentations

@awesomeusername said:

And Augs win! I'm seriously using Deus Ex as a reference.

Right on! That's going to be the best bibliography ever: Deus Ex, Halo, Blade Runner, RoboCop. At least that's what I'd use.

Is this an intro course? You say that you're required to do fieldwork on your topic; does that mean you have to incorporate that into your paper or is it supposed to be a theoretical paper?

This depresses me. I have an Economics paper due. Tuesday. Gotta read a book and write a 7 page paper - and haven't started.

Uh... topic? Cyborgs and human augmentation. I can't think of a better one.

"Why the internet is actually destroying any social networking we ever had"

@BraveToaster said:

I'm glad I'm not in your Sociology class. Also, your paper would be interesting if you chose human augmentation. You have so many comic book and video game examples to use.

It's an interesting class but man the homework. He made us go outside, draw people interacting & write a 2 page paper on the drawing and social interactions in society.

@Aetheldod said:

Man machine is more my alley ... Ghost in the Shell and what not :D (altho you can also join man machine with human augmentations

The link I posted above was a link to Ghost in the Shell sociology thing! That's an anime right?

@TheCreamFilling said:

@awesomeusername said:

And Augs win! I'm seriously using Deus Ex as a reference.

Right on! That's going to be the best bibliography ever: Deus Ex, Halo, Blade Runner, RoboCop. At least that's what I'd use.

Isn't Blade Runner like synthetic people or something? I don't remember. I have to beat Deus Ex. Halo doesn't use augs as a theme in their games though, does it? RoboCop is kind of weird to choose from but I guess I can watch it. I think.

Those are boring topics. Write about the end of the $1.29 big grab bag of chips and how today's small bag isn't enough and a big bag is too much. Will there ever be an acceptable middle ground again?

@RVonE said:

Is this an intro course? You say that you're required to do fieldwork on your topic; does that mean you have to incorporate that into your paper or is it supposed to be a theoretical paper?

Yes, it's an intro course. This is my first year of college. I need this class in order to get into the nursing program in my school. Yes. I'm going to be a dude nurse. Ain't nothing wrong with that! Fieldwork meaning interviewing people. It'd be great if I could meet people with aug's or go to a facility where they make aug's. He never really explained what kind of paper. Just lot's of research and interviews, so no, not a theoretical paper.

@believer258 said:

This depresses me. I have an Economics paper due. Tuesday. Gotta read a book and write a 7 page paper - and haven't started.

Uh... topic? Cyborgs and human augmentation. I can't think of a better one.

Dude. You're so boned! I'm going with human augs and using Deus Ex: Human Revolution as a source. :D

@Fallen189 said:

"Why the internet is actually destroying any social networking we ever had"

We did a 2 page paper on interaction between people and I brought up technology and social networking but I don't want to do that. It's too boring for me. Doing something weird and unique like human aug's is right up my alley.

@laserbolts said:

Those are boring topics. Write about the end of the $1.29 big grab bag of chips and how today's small bag isn't enough and a big bag is too much. Will there ever be an acceptable middle ground again?

I hate you. Because I love you. Because I hate you.

@awesomeusername: Nothing wrong with being a dude nurse; though, the fact that you feel obliged to point this out would make for a very interesting sociology paper.

Anyway, you should try to get some clarity from your professor regarding the direction and content requirements for the paper; it'll help you focus your research.

The fact that you're doing it to get into a nursing program should make your fieldwork a bit easier. To make the question of human augmentation sociologically relevant (meaning you should perhaps move beyond a purely speculative or futurist reading of science fiction material), it might be interesting to interview nurses, doctors, professors, and patients regarding their views on human augmentation. Try to get them to talk outside of the technical jargon (though that is interesting in and of itself) and engage them on the topic of social consequences for patients with prosthetics and expand on that topic toward the matter of human augmentation (think Oscar Pistorius, the athlete with prosthetic legs). Then try to move toward a discussion regarding the line between the necessity of prosthetics and the luxury of augmentation. In a successful interview, you might then make the jump from prosthetic legs toward more futuristic augmentations as exemplified in Deus Ex and other science fiction. Don't interview random people but really try to talk to people (specialists and patients) who are one way or another involved with things like prosthetics or other forms of medical practices that involve 'work' on human bodies (perhaps transplanting would offer another real world entrance into a discussion on human augmentation). This will give you a glimpse of the workings and tensions in social construction or social definitional praxis pertaining to the ethico-politcal discussions on human bodies or humanity more generally.

Some thoughts.

@awesomeusername said:

@RVonE said:

Is this an intro course? You say that you're required to do fieldwork on your topic; does that mean you have to incorporate that into your paper or is it supposed to be a theoretical paper?

Yes, it's an intro course. This is my first year of college. I need this class in order to get into the nursing program in my school. Yes. I'm going to be a dude nurse. Ain't nothing wrong with that! Fieldwork meaning interviewing people. It'd be great if I could meet people with aug's or go to a facility where they make aug's. He never really explained what kind of paper. Just lot's of research and interviews, so no, not a theoretical paper.

@believer258 said:

This depresses me. I have an Economics paper due. Tuesday. Gotta read a book and write a 7 page paper - and haven't started.

Uh... topic? Cyborgs and human augmentation. I can't think of a better one.

Dude. You're so boned! I'm going with human augs and using Deus Ex: Human Revolution as a source. :D

Nah, I can shit out a paper in a few hours. It's reading the material that sucks.

@believer258: What's the topic, out of interest?

@awesomeusername said:

As stated above, I'm a first year college student and I have a 10-page Sociology term paper due the last Saturday of class, which is in 2 months.

Update!

Human augmentation wins and if you gues can suggest any games, movies, books, etc., it'd be great! I'm using Deus Ex: Human Revolution as one of my sources.

I also just deleted most of what I wrote so that's why this post is now short.

Here's a tip. Check out the documentary Transcendent Man.

And don't use a video game as a goddamn source! Your professor will laugh in your face!

@Farmer said:

@believer258: What's the topic, out of interest?

I have to pick a book under the umbrella term "economics". And I don't know which one yet.

@awesomeusername: Yes anime .... but do not let that discourage you (I mean if you dont like anime in general ... most people these part have nothing but bad things to say about it .... which I disagree with , anime is awesome)

@awesomeusername said:

@BraveToaster said:

I'm glad I'm not in your Sociology class. Also, your paper would be interesting if you chose human augmentation. You have so many comic book and video game examples to use.

It's an interesting class but man the homework. He made us go outside, draw people interacting & write a 2 page paper on the drawing and social interactions in society.

@Aetheldod said:

Man machine is more my alley ... Ghost in the Shell and what not :D (altho you can also join man machine with human augmentations

The link I posted above was a link to Ghost in the Shell sociology thing! That's an anime right?

@TheCreamFilling said:

@awesomeusername said:

And Augs win! I'm seriously using Deus Ex as a reference.

Right on! That's going to be the best bibliography ever: Deus Ex, Halo, Blade Runner, RoboCop. At least that's what I'd use.

Isn't Blade Runner like synthetic people or something? I don't remember. I have to beat Deus Ex. Halo doesn't use augs as a theme in their games though, does it? RoboCop is kind of weird to choose from but I guess I can watch it. I think.

If you're looking for movie sources that discuss this, then I can't think of much better than the first Ghost in the Shell movie. But be prepared - it is one hell of a mindfuck.

@jerseyscum: Thanks man. I will check that out!

@believer258 said:

Nah, I can shit out a paper in a few hours. It's reading the material that sucks.

Like... literally out of your butt?

Seriously though. How long is the book?

@RVonE: That's a lot of information. Thanks a lot! I'm from NY so there's a lot of hospitals and even nurses/doctors taking the trains a lot so I can pull something there. This is going to be some hard work but it'll be interesting. I'll save all that in MS Word. It'll be really useful.

I only brought up the dude nurse because people think it's weird when I tell them. My friend talked to a friend who is in a nursing program and it's all girls and they bother him about it so I'll be ready for those darn girls once I'm in it. But a class of girls is also a good thing so I'm not complaining!

Ghost in the Shell is one of the more profound meditations on the issue of human augmentation and the Man-machine divide more generally. If you are going to draw on popular culture, Ghost in the Shell is non-optional; and neither is Blade Runner, for that matter (or better yet, read one of Philip K. Dick's stories on this issue).

@believer258 said:

@Farmer said:

@believer258: What's the topic, out of interest?

I have to pick a book under the umbrella term "economics".

For future reference, they make good monitor stands.

Back on topic, does anyone know the name of an American martial arts film with human augmentation? It's been about ten years since I've seen it, and I was proper young at the time, but I seem to remember it was about corporations entering augmented humans into a fighting tournament, but there was one dude that was just a regular dude. Of course, the spirit of man won in the end. I've searched for it, but can't find it for the life of me.

@believer258: @Aetheldod

I'm not an anime guy but I don't hate it. Unless you count me LOVING DBZ, because everyone seems to hate it. But I have fond memories of screaming people and yellow hair. I'll check out the movie some time.

@awesomeusername said:

@RVonE: That's a lot of information. Thanks a lot! I'm from NY so there's a lot of hospitals and even nurses/doctors taking the trains a lot so I can pull something there. This is going to be some hard work but it'll be interesting. I'll save all that in MS Word. It'll be really useful.

I only brought up the dude nurse because people think it's weird when I tell them. My friend talked to a friend who is in a nursing program and it's all girls and they bother him about it so I'll be ready for those darn girls once I'm in it. But a class of girls is also a good thing so I'm not complaining!

When you're further down the line and you're in need of some theory, hit me up. Chances are I'll have some relevant suggestions for you; it's my job, after all.

@RVonE said:

Ghost in the Shell is one of the more profound meditations on the issue of human augmentation and the Man-machine divide more generally. If you are going to draw on popular culture, Ghost in the Shell is non-optional; and neither is Blade Runner, for that matter (or better yet, read one of Philip K. Dick's stories on this issue).

Just did a quick wiki search and his books sound interesting. Plus being the write of Total Recall, Blade Runner, etc. is pretty cool. I might just check him out.

Just write about how the prison system is victimizing criminals that could otherwise be rehabilitated and ho everything is society's fault and no one's problems are their own responsibility. If my sociology courses were anything to go by, they'll eat that shit up.

@RVonE: Thanks a lot man, will do. So are you a professor?

Now I have to Google "Sociology of Human Augmentation" and do a bibliography for homework tomorrow. Have to site at least 2 websites so do you know any sites I can find some good info on? Most of my class just pressed the first links they saw and I want to actually find some useful websites on this. If you don't know any, it's fine. I'll just put whatever I see and do actual work when I'm working on the paper.

@awesomeusername: Something just popped into my mind, perhaps you should arrange an interview (through skype or maybe via e-mail or something) with this guy: Michael Abbott. I'm sure he'll have interesting things to say. Back to grading exams.

@punkxblaze said:

Just write about how the prison system is victimizing criminals that could otherwise be rehabilitated and ho everything is society's fault and no one's problems are their own responsibility. If my sociology courses were anything to go by, they'll eat that shit up.

My teacher would love that. I have done 4 papers so far on different topics and had to reference Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx. My professor only graded one of my papers so far but he gave me a 3/3 so I'll probably do great on the others. One of the papers was on social interaction.

The idea of human augmentation is an interesting one, but it might be a little simple as a sociology topic on its own.

You could focus on the ever growing pressure placed on the youth to perform faster, stronger, smarter and better and the effect this is having. Most notably is the increasing reliance on performing enhancing drugs like steroids for the athletes and energy drinks for students. You could site several sources in very recent media such as Lance Armstrong and the Summer Olympics (where the topic came up as to whether someone with two artificial legs should be allowed to run). This could naturally lead up to human augmentation as the "final solution" to performance enhancement. This would tie in to the Deus Ex reference well because that is pretty much how they treat the rise of augmentations within their story.

@Haliaeetus: I've been given a bunch of info by the guys in here so I'm just going to stick with human augs. Plus, my teacher will probably tell me to stay on the topic you said and not bring in anything else. But thanks anyways duder!

@awesomeusername said:

@RVonE: Thanks a lot man, will do. So are you a professor?

Now I have to Google "Sociology of Human Augmentation" and do a bibliography for homework tomorrow. Have to site at least 2 websites so do you know any sites I can find some good info on? Most of my class just pressed the first links they saw and I want to actually find some useful websites on this. If you don't know any, it's fine. I'll just put whatever I see and do actual work when I'm working on the paper.

No, I'm a lecturer in classical and contemporary sociological theory.

As for websites, I don't know what the policies at your college are regarding wikipedia, but this is a very well-sourced page on an intellectual movement that takes this augmentation stuff very seriously: click here. And check out the work of our academic neighbors.

Best of luck.

@awesomeusername said:

@TheCreamFilling said:

@awesomeusername said:

And Augs win! I'm seriously using Deus Ex as a reference.

Right on! That's going to be the best bibliography ever: Deus Ex, Halo, Blade Runner, RoboCop. At least that's what I'd use.

Isn't Blade Runner like synthetic people or something? I don't remember. I have to beat Deus Ex. Halo doesn't use augs as a theme in their games though, does it? RoboCop is kind of weird to choose from but I guess I can watch it. I think.

You're right on Blade Runner, I was just thinking of the limits of cyborgnetics, how much to we alter ourselves until we are just machines, we may look and act human, but are we still a human or just evolving with our technological world? With Halo I was thinking of the morality of kidnapping children and turning them into cyborgs to defend humanity. RoboCop goes with Deus Ex for me, specifically choice: what if someone didn't ask for this? Would it make the world better by saving people that should be dead? This is starting to sound like philosophy now.

@RVonE: My teachers would kill me if I used wiki. I only use it for quick searches on things not school related. Thanks man. My life is going to be much easier because of you.

@TheCreamFilling: I never played Halo so I wouldn't know anything about it. I forgot about RopoCop & Deus Ex's stance on choice. That'll be an interesting topic to bring in and some interesting references. Thanks for that duder. I like my sociology class because the people we read excerpts on (Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, C. Wright Mills) actually makes you think more deep into what they're talking about. It's very interesting.

Okay duder, this is the best advice I'll ever give on these boards: do NOT do it on human augmentation. Trust me, I'm on my second year of a sociology degree, 4.1 GPA. You'll most likely end up writing a humanities paper, and that's not good. At all. Remember that the fundamental concept of Sociology is the study of the creation of external social facts (Durkheim) through human interactions (Weber) and the ensuing coercion of individuals by society; or as Berger put it, ''we live in the prison whose walls we erected ourselves''.

I have a hard time understanding how you'll fit human augmentation in there. Tip no. 2: I know everyone here had good intentions, but man don't ask random people for sound sociological advice. Considering how everyone is part of society, we all think of ourselves as amateur sociologists... If that was the case we'd all be out a job. Tell me which authors you saw in class and I'll try to think of something. Which texts would be even better.

Sheesh, I feel like I just defused a ticking bomb.

EDIT: I just read the whole topic and apparently a teacher got you a good angle to approach the subject. Nevermind me then --though I'm still skeptical about the augmentation part since sociologists rarely analyze immediate issues, much less futuristic. Stigmatization of people requiring prostheses seems perfect. Sigh, I wish we could have this conversation in French, my translations feel gibberish.

How to decide what to write a term paper on.

@Socialone said:

Okay duder, this is the best advice I'll ever give on these boards: do NOT do it on human augmentation. Trust me, I'm on my second year of a sociology degree, 4.1 GPA. You'll most likely end up writing a humanities paper, and that's not good. At all. Remember that the fundamental concept of Sociology is the study of the creation of external social facts (Durkheim) through human interactions (Weber) and the ensuing coercion of individuals by society; or as Berger put it, ''we live in the prison whose walls we erected ourselves''.

I have a hard time understanding how you'll fit human augmentation in there. Tip no. 2: I know everyone here had good intentions, but man don't ask random people for sound sociology advice. Since everyone is part of society, we all think of ourselves as amateur sociologists... If that was the case we'd all be out a job. Tell me which authors you saw in class and I'll try to think of something. Which texts would be even better.

Sheesh, I feel like I just defused a ticking bomb.

EDIT: I just read the whole topic and apparently a teacher got you a good angle to approach the subject. Nevermind me then.

But the most important part of your post is a valid concern: for any introductory course on sociology, the student would be wise to avoid writing a humanities paper.

On the other hand, I'm of the school of thought that holds that advanced students should be encouraged to seek out transdiscplinary approaches to the social; after all, the most enduring sociological theories do not conform to the contemporary border politics between the humanities and the social sciences--perhaps that is why Michel Foucault much rather spoke about the 'human sciences' [sciences humaines] and Max Weber more often than not wrote 'cultural science' [kulturwissenschaft].