What social forces have contributed to making me the person I am today? How have broader social structures impacted and impinged my personal agency? In what ways has “the social” influenced my life story and my future prospects? Answering these questions is at the core of writing a sociological autobiography.

A sociobiography is not a traditional autobiography. It does not merely recount a series of events in chronological order as is the case with a historical autobiography. It does not simply give a descriptiveaccount of your life. Rather, it provides an interpretiveaccount of the social forces, structures, norms, and institutions that have made you the person you are today and are likely to impact your future. Your paper should cover past, present, and future.

A good sociobiography addresses issues like race, social class, gender, stratification, education, culture, the American Dream, and mass media. You do not have to address all of these, or every issue covered throughout your undergrad years. Focus on the ones that stand out the most in your life. Although there is no “magic number” of issues you should cover, I suggest focusing on 5-6 main issues/themes, and within those main themes you can integrate sub-themes into your analysis. The paper should not merely be a “laundry list” of events and sociological terms. Rather, it should revolve around a core argument/thesis highlighting the major sociological concepts you are using in your paper.

Assignment Requirements

• Include your name, the date, and the class title at the beginning of the paper, along with a paper title. I do not have a specific format in mind. You do NOTneed a separate title page.
• Include your last name in the name of your paper submission document (e.g. Mundey_sociobiography.dox).
• Include a paper title, Introduction with a thesis statement, a Conclusion, and a Bibliography or Works Cited.
• Papers must be double-spaced, use 1-inch margins, include page numbers, and use 12 point Times New Roman font.
• Papers should be free of spelling or grammatical errors (deductions will be taken for such errors).
• Papers must be (approximately 8 pages double spaced pages using 12 point Times New Roman font) NOTincluding the bibliography.
  • PLEASE INCLUDE A WORD COUNTAT THE END OF THE PAPER, PREFERABLY AFTER THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF THE PAPER BEFORETHE BIBLIOGRAPHY.
• Include a paper title, Introductionwith a thesis statement, a Conclusion, and aBibliography or Works Cited.
  • Papers must conform to one of the citation styles on Purdue OWL website. However, I recommend using ASA (American Sociological Association) style. If you are not using ASA style, please list which style you are using at the end of the paper next to the word count.
• You mustreference (i.e. quote and/or cite) at least 9 books, book chapters, dissertations, theses, or journal articles (not journal book reviews). 
• All direct should be identified using quotation marks and include PAGE NUMBERS. If no page numbers are available, use the n.p. abbreviation or whatever other abbreviation stipulated by the citation style of your choice. You should be able to find a page number for 99 percent of all journal articles. If you are having difficulty finding this info, be sure to click on the “full text”version of the article, which usually allows you to download/view a pdf.
• CiteALLsources used, including class handouts and power point slides.

Note: I’m A African American female. I’m a senior and graduating as a 2020 graduate.