Term Paper on an Individual Theorist of Classical Social Theory

You are to write an 8-10 page paper on an individual theorist of classical social theory, briefly explaining their major contributions and theoretical insights, as well as providing a biographical sketch of their life and work.There are several to choose from and your paper should reflect biographical and career information, as well as theoretical contributions and insights of your chosen theorist. To get started, you might consider Addams, Sumner, Veblen, Gilman, or Ward as possible candidates to write about. There are a few others but you can find them listed in other classical social theory texts. Albion Small, Edward Alsworth Ross, Robert Park, and W.E.B. Dubois are a few of the classical theorists from America. If your choice is in doubt, contact your professor for verification. I have also included a research guide to assist in the construction of your paper (see attachment). Remember, this is a biographical exercise and your focus should be on the life of your chosen theorist, their educational experience, major works and contributions to the discipline of sociology.

Research Paper Guidelines

  • Although the paper length is relatively short (8-10 pages), that does not mean that your paper’s content should be terse, superficial, or abbreviated in any way. If you need more space, use it. The length of any paper is not the central focus of the work; the content is.
  • As you decide on what to write, you need to be thinking about the disciplinary perspective that you choose to write from. Although the subject matter is interdisciplinary in scope, most of you will be writing from a social science perspective following a narrative style.
  • However, if you are more familiar with the APA, MLA, or Chicago style, they will work just as well; just be consistent. In other words, good grammar is a requirement, not an option you choose. If you feel that your writing is in need of help, please use the UALR Writing Center; it exists to help YOU.
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