AP/SOSC1140 9.00
Self, Culture and Society
Fall/Winter 2017-2018
ESSAY 3
Assigned: Assigned January 14 on Moodle
Due: Week of February 25 In Tutorial or as Instructed by your Tutorial Leader
Length: 6 pages maximum.
Format: Double-spaced. 2.5cm (1″) Margins. Times New Roman Font. Size 12.
Attach Turnitin Receipt to your essay.
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Use only the Course Kit and class notes. A paper containing any information from the Internet will receive a
grade of zero. Provide proper citations in the format suggested by your tutorial leader.
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ESSAY TOPIC
NOTE: This paper integrates material and ideological conditions. Be sure to balance the two in your paper.
Avoid the mistake of placing more emphasis on material conditions simply because they involve three authors.
It may help to think of the paper as 40% on ideological conditions.
Material Conditions
Polanyi refers to the emergence of market society as “the great transformation” (Polanyi, Kit #16). Discuss what
characterizes market society and show why this transformation is so significant. Include a few points about how
market society differs from the structures of previous social organizations in order to stress the importance of
this development (Heilbroner, Kit #15 and Polanyi, Kit#16). Also, present some of the changes that take place
in the workplace (Rinehart, Kit #17).
Ideological Conditions
Describe the worldview of people in market society according to Weber. Discuss this in terms of the connection
between the “Protestant work ethic” and the “spirit of capitalism” (Weber summarized by Bendix, Kit #18).
Explain the importance of these ideological conditions for the emergence of market society.
Conclude by summarizing why the shift to market society is a fundamental transformation. Include both
material and ideological conditions in this conclusion.
