Module 6 Assignment – Op Ed

I’m sure you’ve noticed I’ve picked some strange, almost undergrad-esque assignments this semester. Part of the reason for that is I strongly believe we need to find ways to engage non-academic audiences when it comes to sociology, criminology, and deviance. This week I’m going to ask you to do just that by writing an op ed related to medicalization on a subtopic of your choosing. Op eds are opinion-based pieces that are part of newspapers, magazines, and other informational news sources. 

Now, just because this is opinion-based, this does not mean I want you to rant. As social scientists, we use data and research to back up our claims. I want you to do that, but write about your topic in a persuasive, accessible tone. To put it another way, you need to put forth an opinion, and then write persuasively about it, using facts, data, and theory to support that opinion. You must express your opinion (thesis) in the first paragraph, and you must offer a solution to the problem.

Module 6 Assignment – Op Ed Answer

One day you experience something irregular in your chest. You are aware of your family’s history of heart ailments and you are afraid for your health. So, you book an appointment. When you met your doctor, he asked about your personal and family history, conducted some physical examination, ordered you to undergo some test and then told you to go back three days later for the interpretation of the results. After the session, you work three jobs, go back to your dilapidated apartment with your three children waiting.