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Sociology dissertations

Just wondering if there any other sociologists out there about to go into their third year and start their dissertation :eek:

I was not looking forward to doing one but i'm really getting into my idea now. Plus I did a 5000 word case study in my second year so 10,000 words doesnt seem like that much now especially because it counts for 2 modules (40 credits). I'm doing mine about the changing meaning of the wedding day and exploring the decline of religion/church weddings and the growth of big lavish weddings. I'm concentrating on how society has changed and how we have moved into a consumer culture and how this has affected how and why we get married (postmodern stuff). I'm looking at civil partnerships, celebrity influence on the wedding day and why weddings have become competitive. That sort of thing really! Its fun because I'm having my own wedding in 2 years so now ive got an an excuse to get all the wedding magazines/watch all the wedding programmes I want now :p:

What are you all doing yours on? How long does it have to be? And if you've done one already come and share your experiences! Was it fun/stressful/scary?

Go crazy! :biggrin:

Reply 1

Crystaltears

Hey, I'm not at Uni yeat, but I'm wanting to do Sociology, so I thought I'd reply anyway!

Your dissertation sounds a really cool idea. My friend did hers last year about the 2nd life of internet communication and practically lived on myspace, facebook and bebo for about a month!

Yeah, I think at first you think OMG 10,000 words, but actually when you get into it, it's not that much. Also, yours is quite a wide topic, so i'm sure you can broaden it abit if you need a few more paragraphs.

I think it would be quite cool to do a dissertation. I think Sociology is one of the very few subjects where it's actually fun to do one. I'd quite like to do one on prostitution. Like how people get into it and what it's like and stuff.

Don't really know what research methods I could use though. I'm imagining myself walking up to one in the streets with a clipboard saying "So, how did you get into prostitution?" lol!

But yeah, your idea sounds cool. I can't wait for Uni :smile:

Reply 2

Vixen

Thank you for the reply! And thank you for being nice about my idea hehe. Your friends sounds brill. Its definately something thats good to do at the moment what with all these communication sites/msn around and every tom, dick and harry using them! What mark did your friend get?

What uni you thinking of going to? I'd definately recommend sociology. Its interesting and fun and the dissertation is cool because theres so much choice. And the prostitution thing is a very good idea! I did a sex and sexuality module in my 2nd year and we had to pick any area of sex and sexuality to do a presentation and a manifesto on. I did prostitutiuon and that it should be legalised so it can be more controlled. It was v.v.interseting. Loved researching it. I would have liked to have done it as a dissertation but wasnt sure where/how to go about the research lol so I picked weddings as its easy to ge couples to interview.

Reply 3

white_haired_wizard

is there really a growth of big lavish weddings??

quite an interesting area, i guess....

if i was doing something like that...

i guess i'd talk about pre-nups, people should by now have a decent grasp that a heck of alot of marriages end in divorce and "till death do us part" often doesn't come to materialize. Divorces said to be made easier to be carried out, 'quickie' divorces etc...the numerous cases appearing in front of the judiciary about access to children, i.e. how love can so easily and sometimes, quickly, turn into spite...

weddings have become competitive, do you mean between fellow 'celebs'???

my dissertation was 10000 words, discuss the significance and impact of consumerism in 21st century society...very difficult but interesting it proved.
It's bloody hard, planning it, narrowing down discussion of one particular area etc. Proved a bit of a bloody nightmare planning the thing...

good luck ; )

Reply 4

Vixen

Yeh, theres a growth of lavish weddings - if you think to what they've become now where the average cost is around £20,000 and the wedding industry is now a £4 billion industry. By competition, yeh celebrities but just normal people aswell and how its become this thing where everyone tries to hold the most spectacular wedding day. I'll be researching if theres pressure to create a 'perfect' day. But I'll find out more about that when I interview my couples. I'm looking into what influences peoples wedding days - how it used to be the Royal Family but how its now celebrities and how people try and imitate them and their weddings. So theory wise I'm doing postmodernism, consumerism, hyperealism etc.

I wouldnt like to take on your topic. Very, very intersting but I bet theres a lot of work involved and there must be sooooo much to cover. What mark did you get for it?

Reply 5

white_haired_wizard

it involved discussing consumerism from the 'keeping up with the Jones' angle, i threw a bit of Marx into the assessment, growth in ppl buying stuff they want and not what they need, "war on want" etc...and as i'm into my sport, i discusssed consumerism from a sports clothing angle...i also talked about green ethics, this relatively recent increase in green politics, i.e. they talk the talk but do/will they walk the talk etc...

i found it really difficult taking on my dissertation title and then narrowing it down and applying it to an area. I'm a "look at the whole" kind of fella but in this dissertation i think i was encouraged to narrow the focus, which feels difficult when you feel so much in life is inter-linked...

i got a 62 in the dissertation, i worked pretty hard for it but the most stressful part was the beginning, the first 4-5 weeks when i was planning the content, structure etc. Very tricky!

conspicuous consumption! That's the one ; ) (that too!).

Reply 6

pipedreams1

i cant wait to do mine! I havnt even started my first year though.......

Reply 7

emzay

I was just wondering what sort of assessment methods were used when studying sociology? Is there a lot of exams, or oral assessments? Or essay writing?

Reply 8

suicidal_dream

exams + essays.

although the exams are essays..

coursework which is mainly essays probably accounts for about 20% of your total degree i think... roughly

Reply 9

coppies13

Any1 out there willing to gave me their dissertation??? Just to help me out

Reply 10

Jemwa60

Hi there, I'm starting my third year this Sept and doing mine on marriage and identity......question? Does a woman's identity change when she gets married! Wish me luck...loads of sorting and searching and narrowing my search to do. Good luck with yours. J.A