Throughout the semester, you have seen how conflict between groups or individuals in society can be
explained through three different theoretical lenses (Marxist, Weberian, and Functionalist). You are to
write an editorial piece in which you describe to the reader of a newspaper why there has been increasing
conflict in the US, by covering all of the following:
1) The extent to which there is conflict in contemporary society (using data you have found reading
the Brooks and Putnam articles) (about one page)
2) Ways in which two sociological traditions (using either the functionalist, Marxist or Weberian
theories) can explain the source of the conflict. (about two pages)
3) Offering solutions through which Lehman College can be engaged in by using its location in the
Bronx and resources already existing on campus (about one page)
Tips for each section:
1) For section 1, you would want to give a reader who does not see the same information as you
enough data to understand the extent to which conflict has become a problem by presenting the
information in a lively, provocative fashion and by giving some sense of how there has been
change over time or how different groups might feel differently. Try to use easy to read language.
Instead of giving many percentages, use varied language (for instance 49% of Americans can be
“roughly half of the population”). To say that African Americans do not trust government these
days would not mean much if you do not also provide some information about how this has gotten
worse over time or how they compare to the rest of the US.
2) For section 2, make sure that you give enough background to understand the theories, but that
you also focus on the parts of the theory that explain the rise of conflict. Make sure that you also
are able to give a paragraph and also transition sentences that connect the two theories by
comparing and contrasting them. For instance, use sentences such as “whereas Marxist
sociologists have focused on X, Weberian sociologists emphasize the importance of Y to
understand conflict”. At the end of the day, your reader should understand what is unique to each
theory and what they should be getting from each theory.
3) For section 3. Take some time to look through the Lehman College website to see whether there
are some resources on campus that could be shared with the Bronx community, other people in
the US or whether there are research centers or departments already working on the types of
topics that can help address some of the sources of the conflict. Make sure that the solution(s)
you offer addresses parts of the theories. For instance, if you do the functionalist perspective as
one of your perspectives, resources at Lehman College that can help build social capital would
probably be a good idea. Finally, don’t forget that Lehman College’s resources are not limitless.
Avoid vague and broad solutions such as “Lehman can give money to citizens of the Bronx”.
General tips
Familiarize yourselves with the tone of a newspaper editorial written by experts. For instance, you can
create a free NYtimes account through the library website or consult other news outlets like
https://theconversation.com/us. Do not forget that you are writing for an audience that might need
information to understand what you are talking about, give enough information (do not assume you are
writing for me who already knows the topic). Use the ASA citation guide to reference sources and the
information you provide. Your argument should be clear, make sure that you have enough time at the end
of the semester to edit your work, to ask a friend to reread it or to go to the writing center