SOC2604 Assignment 2 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) Semester 2 2025 - DUE 22 September 2025 11PM ; 100% correct solutions and explanations.

SOC2604 Assignment 2 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) Semester 2 2025 - DUE 22 September 2025 11PM ; 100% correct solutions and explanations. Assignment 2 (Contributes 40% to the final mark) Instructions: • Consult Tutorial Letter SOCAL36/301/3/2023 on how to construct essay-type questions. • Ensure that your assignment adheres to all the technical requirements set by the Department. • Plagiarism in any form is not accepted – read the section in SOCAL36/301/3/2021 carefully in this regard since many students fail their assignments due to plagiarism. • In total, your assignment should be approximately 2000 words. • Please take note of the technical requirements for this essay: • Font type: Arial • Font size: 12 • Line spacing: 1.5 • Paragraph alignment: Justified • You are only allowed to use ACADEMIC resources for this assignment. Academic resources include books, journals, and academic, statistical, or official websites. (Take note if a website address contains “.com” it is often not considered academic, however, if you see “.ac”, “.edu” or “.org” in the website address it is a more appropriate type of source.) • You are not allowed to use Wikipedia as a source, but you can use the “Reference list” on the Wikipedia results page(s) to help you find sources that are relevant to your search. • Please note “Google” is not a resource, it is a search engine that helps you to locate resources, and thus you cannot have “Google” in your reference list. You are supposed to reference the specific source that you used. “Google” only helped you to retrieve the source, it is not the source. “Google Scholar” may also help you to retrieve academic sources more easily. We would further suggest that you rather make use of the electronic databases (available on the Unisa library website) than “Google”, since the information retrieved on “Google” is not always academic or verifiable in nature. Format of an essay: The format of a critical essay includes the following three main elements: a) Introduction: Under your introduction, you introduce the topic/s that the essay will cover and explain to the reader how you will address this topic/s. If I read your introduction, it will explain to me what to expect if I will continue reading your essay. b) Body of the discussion: In the body, you start to systematically address the different sub-topics of your main topic as introduced in your introduction. By using appropriate headings and sub- headings (NEVER use a heading “body”) which you have to number, you are organizing the different sub-topics in more detail by explaining and using your own examples to illustrate your understanding. It is important to learn how to use the theoretical knowledge you have obtained from the literature sources in balance with the application in real life by further explaining and using examples to illustrate your own understanding. It is also in the body of the assignment where you will start to practice evidence-based writing, which means you are referencing the different literature sources as explained under point 1 above. Please use the correct referencing as provided in SOCAL36/301/3/2023. It may help you to do a mind map where you map out from the main topic the sub- topics and how they can be organized to create a flow of your discussions. What is at the beginning of the discussion versus what should be toward the end to create a logical and systematic flow of arguments, explanations, and facts. c) The conclusion: In your conclusion, you have to draw the discussions and explanations towards two to three major findings or points you want to get across to the reader. This means you have to summarize the body (main) part of the essay as well as highlight these major findings or points to support your concluding remarks. It is also in here where you can more explicitly express your final view on the topic. It should not be a long conclusion as you are now bringing the discussion toward its end. Assignment topic Drawing upon Erving Goffman’s theoretical framework on stigma, critically analyse the experiences of being stigmatised in contemporary society. Discuss the various strategies individuals and groups employ to cope with stigma. In your response, consider the following: 1. How does Goffman define stigma, and what are the key components of his framework? 2. What are the social and psychological impacts of being stigmatised, particularly in relation to identity and social interactions? 3. Using real-world examples, evaluate the different coping mechanisms adopted by individuals or communities to resist or mitigate the effects of stigma. NB: Go through the “Checklist for Essays” carefully before sending/submitting your assignment CHECKLIST FOR ESSAY ASSIGNMENTS 1. TECHNICAL PRESENTATION Does your assignment have: • a cover page with the assignment title, module code, assignment number and your name on the first page? • a table of contents on the second page? • a restatement of the assignment question/ instructions? • the assignment questions correctly numbered? • page numbers? • headings and subheadings with numbers? • the sources used clearly indicated and referenced in the text? • a list of sources at the end of the assignment? • is the list of sources in alphabetical order? • each source item entered in the list of sources as indicated in tutorial letter (SOCAL36/301/3/2021)? • the correct information on the assignment cover? 2. CONTENTS • Have you read through the relevant sources thoroughly and repeatedly? • Does your assignment address the different questions/ instructions? • Have you used your own words as far as possible?