How to Write and Answer an ‘Examine’ Essay Question

Table of Contents

• Understanding the ‘Examine’ Essay Question
• Planning Your Answer
• Structuring Your Essay
• Developing Cohesive Paragraphs
• Crafting a Critical Perspective
• The Importance of Clarity and Coherence
• Example of an ‘Examine’ Paragraph
• Putting It All Together
• Final Thoughts

Writing an ‘examine’ essay question is a fundamental skill for sociology undergraduates seeking to demonstrate their critical thinking, analytical insight, and depth of understanding in the subject. Such an essay requires you to inspect and dissect a concept, theory, or social phenomenon in detail, exposing its hidden complexities while allowing your own academic voice to come through. Developing this style of writing can prove challenging at first, but with the right structure, paragraph construction, and guiding questions, you can craft a compelling and well-supported argument.

Below, we will walk through the essential steps for approaching an ‘examine’ essay question. We will cover how to break down the prompt, develop a coherent argument, structure paragraphs, use examples effectively, and refine your writing into a cohesive final product. By mastering this approach, you will be well on your way to writing sociology essays that reflect a nuanced and thoughtful understanding of the subject.

Understanding the ‘Examine’ Essay Question

The first step in answering an ‘examine’ essay question is understanding what exactly is being asked. In sociology, ‘examine’ prompts generally require you to:

1. Investigate an issue or sociological concept.
2. Explore it in detail.
3. Consider various perspectives or theoretical viewpoints.
4. Reveal complexities and implications, rather than merely describing.

Essentially, you are expected to delve below the surface, interpret the core elements, and elaborate on the different dimensions of the subject. This typically involves:

• Presenting key arguments: Thoroughly detail the core arguments or perspectives relevant to the question.
• Critical evaluation: Weigh the strengths and limitations of these arguments.
• Contextual exploration: Situate arguments within the broader sociological debates.
• Conclusion: Combine the arguments into a persuasive ending that addresses the question in a comprehensive manner.

Planning Your Answer

Before writing, always allocate enough time to plan your approach. A clear outline will guide your focus, ensure coverage of relevant points, and help you avoid wandering off topic. When creating your plan:

1. Interpret the Prompt: Restate the prompt in your own words to ensure you have full clarity about what you are supposed to examine. If the question is broad, narrow it down to critical elements.
2. Brainstorm Key Ideas: Jot down any relevant theories, examples, or sociological concepts that relate to the question.
3. Select the Most Relevant Evidence: Filter out any ideas that might be interesting but do not directly address the question.
4. Organize Points Logically: Determine a sensible order for your main points, such as historical progression or contrasting theoretical perspectives.

All these elements help form the backbone of your essay. By planning ahead, you will ensure that each paragraph addresses a distinct aspect of the question, preventing repetition and confusion.

Structuring Your Essay

Strong essay structure involves more than simply dividing your writing into an introduction, main body, and conclusion. Each section should serve an explicit purpose:

Introduction

The introduction should spark the reader’s interest, clarify what the essay will cover, and state your overarching approach. For an ‘examine’ question, outline the main aspects or dimensions you plan to investigate. However, avoid giving away all your key arguments in too much detail here. A well-crafted introduction sets the tone, briefly previews your position, and invites readers to continue.

Main Body

Your main body should be divided into paragraphs that systematically address different aspects of the question. Each paragraph should:

1. Start with a Topic Sentence: Clearly state the paragraph’s central point or question. This signpost allows the reader to anticipate the content.
2. Present Evidence/Examples: Provide relevant theories, statistics, studies, or detailed observations.
3. Examine: Critically analyze how this evidence relates to the prompt and whether it strengthens or challenges other arguments.
4. Conclude the Paragraph: Briefly summarize how this discussion supports or expands on your broader argument. Then transition smoothly into the next paragraph.

The ‘examine’ element demands going beyond mere description. Do not simply regurgitate study findings or theoretical positions. Instead, break down the argument, show how different perspectives connect or conflict, and point out any overlooked complexities.

Conclusion

In your conclusion, summarize the main points you have made and align them with the original question. For an ‘examine’ question, your conclusion should:

• Tie together all major threads.
• Address any contradictions or limitations exposed in the discussion.
• Demonstrate a clear perspective or final stance that emerges from your exploration.

While the conclusion reiterates some themes from the introduction, avoid repeating your argument verbatim. Instead, use this section to show how the evidence you have presented strengthens your overall argument or viewpoint.

Developing Cohesive Paragraphs

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Taking the time to outline your paragraphs can help you maintain focus and clarity. Here is a straightforward approach:

1. Topic Sentence: Introduce the main point of the paragraph. For example: “One key aspect to examine when discussing gender socialization is the role of the family.”
2. Provide Evidence: Reference a sociological theory or finding. For instance: “Parsons’ functionalist perspective suggests that traditional gender roles within the family prepare individuals for their adult occupational roles.”
3. Analyze and Examine: Link the evidence back to the essay question by analyzing implications and limitations. You might question whether Parsons’ perspective fully accounts for shifting family structures, or highlight that conflict theorists contest this functionalist viewpoint.
4. Synthesize: Weave these elements together and propose how they fit into your broader argument about the phenomenon you are examining.

This paragraph structure fosters a logical flow and keeps the writing tight and focused.

Using Examples Effectively

Real-life or hypothetical examples can sharpen your argument and make your analysis more relatable. When incorporating examples:

1. Relevance: Ensure each example directly addresses the ‘examine’ element of the question.
2. Depth Over Breadth: Instead of briefly listing multiple examples, pick one or two that illustrate the point in greater detail.
3. Critical Reflection: Resist presenting examples as self-evident; show how they highlight complexities or highlight unresolved debates.

By interweaving examples effectively, you enable the reader to understand the sociological phenomena beyond abstract theory, showcasing how the concepts manifest in real-world contexts.

Crafting a Critical Perspective