DD101 Introducing the Social Sciences - 3 days to go !!!

Still waiting for it to be proof-read. Looks like it will be a Sunday submission.

DD101 Introducing the Social Sciences - 4 days to go !!!

FINISHED !!!!

Really, this is as good as it is going to get.

1634 words and all I'm doing now is making such small changes that they do little to change the content, just the way the essay reads. It is now getting counter productive, so I am finished, bar something serious being highlighted if I can ever get it proof-read.

DD101 Introducing the Social Sciences - 5 days to go !!!

A social engagement means nothing further will be done on the essay today.......... I guess its all about priorities :-)

DD101 Introducing the Social Sciences - 6 days to go !!!

I'm now struggling to get my proof-reader motivated to read my assignment, and to be fair having read it myself several times I can understand her reluctance :-)

So no further forward towards submission today, but there is still six days to go ........ I think this may go down to the wire......

DD101 Introducing the Social Sciences - 7 days to go !!!

The suggested time table for Week 30

      ‘Conclusion’ to the ‘Ordered lives’ strand of Exploring Social Lives (30 minutes) .
       ‘Reflections on “Ordered lives”’ (Audio CD 3) (1 hour) .
       Online Reflective Quiz: Exploring Social Lives, ‘Ordered lives’ (10–15 minutes)

Most of your time this week will be spent preparing for your final assignment, Assignment 07. Or, if you are running a little late, there is some time to catch up.

To be completed by 9th September

I have to admit to not listening to any of the audio for the last  bit of the course, there just hasn't been time. Flicked through the conclusion and aced the quiz. The quiz you get at the end of each section all seem too simple and limited to actually test you. I think they should either be longer and more involved or drop them.

Nothing more done on the TMA, will read it again tomorrow or Wednesday, and I need to get my proof reader motivated :-)

DD101 Introducing the Social Sciences - 8 days to go !!!

1605 words and very close to finishing this. My proof reader (wife) was however on-call over the weekend and spent most of the time on the phone or actually at work so no proof reading was done, and I was hoping if she could read the essay and understand everything (let alone spot spelling mistakes) then it would be about ready to submit. However, the NHS have scuppered that plan.

There are one or two points I may wish to add, but I need to prune back the work count first, but I think that is enough for today.

DD101 Introducing the Social Sciences - 9 days to go !!!

Well, I've had a good go at getting some words down today although after starting to tackle the essay in the normal way, by working on the introduction and struggling a bit to get in to a rhythm, I gave up and did what I was most certain of.

So I have ended up writing the essay backwards ??? Started with the conclusion which was obvious, then I wrote the outcome of the three tests of empirical adequacy, coherence and comprehensiveness - although I obviously wrote them in the order comprehensiveness, coherence and empirical adequacy.

I then wrote how Jill's story showed the many actions and interactions with the state and then defined the state. The introduction was a bit easier after all that. Managed to work in several references from previous chapters on identity, social order and discourse - which to be fair may be obvious that that is what has been done - still it proves that I've done some reading.

Leave it for tonight and re-read it tomorrow and see if it needs re-written or not. There is definitely enough there for the minimum pass I need, but having put so much effort in this far, I would be very disappointed with less than a very good mark..... we shall see.....

The good thing is that by the time we get the marks, I should be so engrossed in the next course that they won't really matter.

DD101 Introducing the Social Sciences - 10 days to go !!!

Good telephone tutorial last night, well for me anyway - not sure what the others thought. Confirmed that my basic plan is heading in the right direction,

i.   Intro
ii.  Definition of 'The State'
iii. Look at Jill's story and tie this to interactions with the state
iv. Use same three tests of an argument as in last TMA - Empirical accuracy, that it makes sense and comprehensiveness of argument.
v. Discuss outcomes of the tests
vi. Conclusion

Need to get as many references as possible from previous chapters and 7,8,& 9, definitely looking at identity and discourse, and hopefully some others.....

The tutor also pointed out some other arguments I could use, although they did also say that with a limited word count and much to write about you have to be very selective in what you wish to write about.

Hopefully, I will have broken the back of this by the end of the weekend.

DD101 Introducing the Social Sciences - Week 29

The suggested time table for Week 29

            Chapter 9 of Exploring Social Lives (7 hours) . 

            Online Activity 43 . 

            ‘Making connections: POLIS and social policy and criminology’ (Audio CD) (45 mins) . 

            Online Quiz: Exploring Social Lives, Chapter 9 (10–15 minutes)

To be completed by 2nd September.

Right this is done, telephone tutorial later today then just two weekends left to get this TMA done....

Feels like time is pressing, especially as the course materials for the next course have now arrived.....

I would like a lot more time, but then I'd only slack off until the last two weeks so better crack on.

A222 Exploring Philosophy - Study materials delivered, tutor assigned and website open.

Well this is an interested distraction, but one that I could really do without :-)

A222 looks very interesting and as the final TMA on DD101 is beginning to drag a bit I'm looking forward to starting a new course afresh.

DD101 Introducing the Social Sciences - Week 28

The suggested time table for Week 28

       Chapter 8 of Exploring Social Lives (7 hours) .
      ‘Citizens and the state’ (Audio CD 3) (1 hour) .
       Online Activity 42 (1 hour) .
       Online Quiz: Exploring Social Lives, Chapter 8 (10–15 minutes)

To be completed by 26th August.

Well this Chapter was obviously of more use than Chapter 7, didn't really find much substance in Chapter 7 unless I have missed something. I have looked at Chapter 9 and it would seem to be of more use to Option A, but I'll read that tomorrow.

DD101 Introducing the Social Sciences - Week 27

The suggested time table for Week 27

         ‘‘Introduction’ to ‘Ordered lives’ strand of Exploring Social Lives (30 minutes) .
            Chapter 7 of Exploring Social Lives (7 hours) .
            'Integrating different sources’ (Developing skills Audio CD) (30 minutes) .
            Online Activity 41 (1 hour) .
           Online Quiz: Exploring Social Lives, Chapter 7 (10–15 minutes).

To be completed by 19th August.

Well what happened to the timetable..... now doing things in the wrong order........

Having decided on Option B, I am now reading Chapters 7,8,9, looking for relevant parts to include in the TMA Essay. Not ideal, but effectively losing 4 weeks of study between handing in TMA 06 and now, due to work, holiday and getting married means something has to give.

Oh well I'd better get on with it !!!

DD101 Introducing The Social Sciences - TMA 07, descision made.

Good tutorial on Saturday and it has really helped me decide which option to go for between,

Option A:
Critically assess the claim that states are necessary evils.

or

Option B:
'Jill's story tells you all you need to know about the state.' Explain and evaluate this claim.

I will be doing Option B, as the discussion with other tutors at the session made it seem that this is the more obvious question to answer correctly, partly because the answer is obviously 'no it doesn't', but also because there is a better framework for the essay rather than Option A which is a far more open question and so the risk of going off on a tangent is greater.

Also, the discussions and guidance notes regarding Option B seemed to make far more sense and offer far more help.

I am a bit behind where I would ideally be, but with two weekends before the final submission this should not be too of a panic. So re-read chapters 7,8,& 9 looking for obvious theorists and references and see how I can tie this in with previous parts of the course and once done I ampretty much ready to start putting the essay together.

DD101 Introducing The Social Sciences - TMA 07, back from holiday

Back from holiday and with very little done on this part of the course I need to get a wriggle on as there is a day school tutorial this weekend, and the deadline is fast approaching.