POLS 2328 Modern Political Thought
Modern Political Thought 1
POLS 2328 Modern Political Thought
Spring 2018 Prof. Natalie Bormann n.bormann@northeastern.edu 932 Renaissance Park Office Hours: M 3-4, W 12-1, R 3-4
Final Project
Instructions For your final project, you may choose both your own case study as well as the authors and theories you wish to consult and apply. You may not discuss cases that were already subject of Paper 1 and 2, but you may choose a case that was introduced by our discussion facilitators. Be creative. Choose a topic that you feel strongly about. There are three main ways to frame your project:
1) Pick a case and apply a particular author and perspective to that case (as we have done with Paper2). 2) Pick a case and offer a comparative study with two (or more) authors (as we have done with Paper1). 3) Pick a particular concept (eg., rights, utility, the state, authority, etc) and apply the role, impact,
contingency, critique of that concept to a particular case. Think of a set of tasks/questions to scaffold your project:
1) Explain why you chose your case and the author/perspective for your analysis. 2) Apply ideas, concepts, and perspectives â do not just describe them. 3) Evaluate those concepts and ideas. How useful, meaningful, valuable are these concepts? 4) Recommend what the take-away is and ought to be.
Reading You may choose from our list of authors and ideas, concepts, and theories. Consultations I invite you to consult with me on your ideas and direction of your project; however, this is not a requirement. You can speak to me during my regular office hours, or arrange for a different day and time that suits you. Due Friday, April 13.
Modern Political Thought 2
Some final project writing guidelines
Format § Projects should be around 2000 words long (-/+ 10% only! I will take half a grade off for longer papers) § Projects do not need to have a particular font, font size, or margin. § Projects need to be submitted through Turnitin on Blackboard. Please do not email me your project.
Deadline § Projects can be submitted until the end of the day they are due (which means midnight). § There is a âgrace periodâ of 2 days within which you may submit (here: Sunday, April 15). § If you feel you cannot meet the deadline after the grace period has lapsed, you must meet with me to
discuss your ideas on the project and to work on a schedule for submission. Not consulting me on late submissions results in point deductions.
Sources § Projects should have traces of the original texts we read. Please make sure to include page references and
your source. You can decide on the citation style as long as you stay consistent with that style throughout the project.
§ You are invited to use additional resources (other texts, articles, books) but you are not expected to doing so.
About the Project § Projects are neither book reviews nor summaries. The section on my course philosophy signal that the
objective of our engagement with the material is to evaluate and critically assess our relationship with key political concepts and ideas. Therefore, projects should be interpretative in nature, and you are asked to explain concepts, analyze their role and importance, and recommend how we may need to understand, question, accept, or deny these concepts.
§ Stay away from lengthy descriptions and include only material that you are willing to discuss in detail. § Projects should have an opening paragraph that sets out the overall objective and development of the
paper. Be clear about what the overall âtake awayâ will be in the project. § Projects may use a first-person narrative. Eg. âI agree with Hobbesâ § Projects are at their best when they show reflection and analysis. § I encourage you to base the projects on the discussions we have during our class time.
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