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If you are determined to take the Unified State Exam in social studies, then this article is for you. Today we will figure out how to complete one of the most difficult tasks of the KIM Unified State Exam in social studies - an essay.

How to write an essay in social studies? First, you need to familiarize yourself with the criteria for evaluating your work in the exam. The social studies essay is assessed based on three main criteria.

Criterion 1 - finding a problem

This is the most important criterion. This is where your ability to understand what the author is talking about in his statement is demonstrated. There are several risks in this part of the task:

Risk #1: keywords

After reading the selected statement, examinees will most likely see familiar words in its composition and consider it necessary to include these words in their definition of the problem. So, for example, a statement like “Inequality is as good a law of nature as any other.” (I. Sherr.) may mislead the examinee. It would seem that everything is obvious: the author uses the term inequality, which means we can write that he raises the “problem of inequality”... But no, no, no!

If you re-read the above statement several times (by the way, Scherr’s quote is not the most difficult topic to recognize the problem), you will see that the author is talking about how natural inequality is, whether it is something inherent in the human community by nature.

Maybe at this stage the difference will not seem obvious to someone, but in the future your terms and (!!) arguments will produce errors in interpretation. You will need to talk not about inequality as an economic or social phenomenon, but about its inevitability for humans, or, on the contrary, its original unusualness (in case you disagree with the author).

Risk #2: imprecise wording

Over the years of teaching preparation courses for the Unified State Exam in social studies, I have often heard statements from students in the spirit of “I understand what is being said, but it’s difficult for me to formulate and write it down.” So, on the Unified State Exam this circumstance is not a valid reason.

At the very beginning of your social studies essay, the problem of the statement should be formulated clearly and clearly. Don’t force experts to look for a problem in your text; point it out to them, expressing the whole essence in one or two succinct sentences.

The risk is not only that the lack of clear formulation may lead to the fact that the expert simply does not find the problem statement in your essay. By describing the problem ambiguously and unclearly, you yourself become an object of risk, because... You may stumble upon another problem while writing your essay. And there are a huge number of similar examples.

Risk #3: unreasonably complicated

Some guys are too scared of the Unified State Exam. This is a normal reaction, but when writing an exam it will not only not help you, but will most likely harm you.

If you decide to impress the examiners by choosing a philosophical statement, be sure that you understand its meaning correctly. Having prepared for the fact that philosophy is a story about complex meanings, abstract ideas and incomprehensible words, the children complicate the original statement and build logical chains that are too long. Remember that the Unified State Exam is an exam for schoolchildren; no one expects you to repeat the exploits of Nietzsche or Kant.

Criterion 2 - theoretical argumentation

The maximum score for this criterion is 2 points. It consists of two blocks: a reference to theoretical material from a social studies course and an explanation of basic terms.

Let's deal with the first block. As you approach the finish line, you must demonstrate the maximum of your knowledge, and theoretical argumentation is the best opportunity to do this. Have you chosen an essay about economic inequality? Remember the theory of Karl Marx! Agree with him or criticize him, the main thing is to tell him about his contribution.

Don't remember the theory? No problem! In an essay about the problem of the truth or falsity of ideas, remember the criteria for determining truth and its types.

The second block is terms. You need to remember at least two terms (!!) DIRECTLY related to the problem. The terms democracy and political leadership are studied in one thematic block - politics, but if you come across a problem affecting electoral processes, “political leader” will not be the best choice.

The choice of terms for an essay should be based on the “golden” rule of writing any text: think about what else to add and what you can’t do without. Therefore, when talking about elections, it is better to remember the already mentioned democracy, electoral qualifications, political representativeness and the very concept of “electoral processes”.

Criterion 3 - arguments in an ESSAY in social studies

The maximum score for this criterion is 2 points. Now, friends, remember the main rule: you need 2 arguments from 2 DIFFERENT sources. What does it mean? If in your essay on political reforms you make brilliant arguments about Peter I and Alexander II, do not expect 2 points, because both arguments were gleaned from Russian history. Turn to current events (media), remember your favorite literary characters. In the end, you can turn to personal experience to confirm or refute the thesis put forward.

That's all. 3 criteria, 5 points. However, this is not the end of the social studies essay story.

FAQ`s (most frequently asked questions)

  • Do I need to express my position?

Answer: need to. And although the criteria do not clearly state the need for your view of the problem, let's think logically. In order to argue a position (remember K3), you need to have this position. Therefore, friends, we present our position.

  • Is it necessary to state the author's opinion?

Answer: need to. In the part of the essay where you explain the problem you want to talk about, you need to remember one very important thing. The author's position is not identical to the problem. The author may say that a market economy is the worst form of economic relations; this is his subjective opinion. The problem of your statement is a question that cannot be subjective, but on the contrary, calls for discussion. Therefore, the author’s position must be stated separately.

  • I don’t remember the exact wording of the terms, is it possible to write in your own words?

Answer: It is possible, but it is very dangerous. Social science is a subject in which there are no unambiguous definitions; the same phenomenon can be considered from different positions. Expressing your author's position from this point of view is not forbidden, but remember that author's definitions are a task that even graduate students of leading universities cannot always cope with. Therefore, the ideal way out of the situation would not be to invent new meanings, but to try to convey the key meaning of the term, using precise vocabulary and composing a competent sentence.

  • What is better: choose one section and write essays on it all year, or write on all sections?

Answer: This is an individual matter. But as practice shows, it is better to choose not one, but 2 or 3 sections that you like more than others and write an essay on them every week (at least). By choosing only one section, you risk encountering an unexpectedly complex statement and not understanding the problem. Therefore, insure yourself in advance.

  • In what style should you write an essay?

Answer: Social science is not literature (strictly speaking, nothing is social science except social science). Therefore, literary style, epigraphs, and 5-line sentences are more likely to harm your work. The purpose of your essay is to present a problem and talk about how it can be thought about. What is needed here is precision, conciseness and clearly constructed logic. However, at the same time, an essay is not a dry text, but your reasoning. Therefore, everything should be in moderation.

  • Do spelling and punctuation errors affect my grade?

Answer: No, there is no separate criterion for this, but such errors will affect the overall impression of your work.

And the most important rule: start preparing as early as possible. A successful essay is a matter of experience, so feel free to attack your teachers at school or on.

TC "Godograph" sincerely wishes you good luck in your exams!

How to write a social studies essay and get a perfect score

Practical Tips for Writing Social Studies Essays

  • The most important thing is to regularly practice writing essays, submitting them to the teacher for checking, and paying attention to elaborating his comments.
  • Maintain a logical sequence of presentation, do not jump from one example to another.
  • Do not write the entire essay as a draft: sketch only the outline and main ideas.
  • Give an example for each theoretical postulate.
  • Learn to adequately and objectively evaluate both your own and other people’s essays.
  • Familiarize yourself with the criteria for assessing essays in social studies and pay attention to each point in the writing process.
  • Do not get confused in the concepts and terms of social studies.
  • Practice revealing the meaning of a statement using any aphorisms.
  • Watch the news, memorize examples from lessons that can be used as evidence of your position.

Criteria for assessing essays on the Unified State Exam in 2018

An essay, as a creative composition, is distinguished from other methods of knowledge control by the ability to diagnose students’ ability to analyze information, correctly interpret it, build reasoning and give arguments in the form of correctly selected facts, formulate their own opinion and defend their position.

Example of an essay on social studies for the Unified State Exam

Thus, to effectively prepare for social studies essays, you should practice writing them as often as possible, following the above tips and adhering to the required structure. This is the only way to “get your teeth into” and go to the exam with confidence.

How to write an essay on social studies and get maximum points for the Unified State Exam updated: February 15, 2019 by: Scientific Articles.Ru

The Unified State Exam essay in social studies is considered one of the most difficult tasks when passing the exam. According to statistics, only every sixth graduate copes with it. For completing the task you can score from 3 to 5 points. To avoid losing them, it is extremely important to carefully prepare for the written part of the exam. Let's look further at some examples of typical mistakes when performing this task.

Verification criteria

An essay on the Unified State Exam in social studies is written based on one of the selected statements. The assignment contains six quotes. Completed social studies essays are graded step by step. The very first and most important criterion is K1. The disclosure of the meaning of the selected statement is assessed. If the graduate does not identify the problem posed by the author, the examiner gives zero points for criterion K1. In such cases, finished social studies essays are not evaluated further. For other criteria, the reviewer automatically gives zero points.

Social studies essay structure

The task is performed according to the following scheme:

  1. Quote.
  2. Determination of the problem raised by the author and its relevance.
  3. The meaning of the selected statement.
  4. Expressing your own point of view.
  5. Using arguments at a theoretical level.
  6. Provide at least two examples from social practice, literature/history that confirm the correctness of the judgments made.
  7. Conclusion.

Quote selection

When determining the topic on which an essay on the Unified State Exam in social studies will be written, the graduate must be sure that he:

  1. Knows the basic concepts of the subject.
  2. Clearly understands the meaning of the quote used.
  3. Can express his opinion (partially or completely agree with the chosen statement, refute it).
  4. Knows social science terms that are necessary to competently substantiate one’s own position at the theoretical level. Here it is necessary to take into account that the selected concepts should not go beyond the topic of the social studies essay. It is necessary to use appropriate terms.
  5. Can support his own opinion with practical examples from social life or literature/history.

Problem Definition

Here we should immediately give examples. An essay in social studies (USE) can reveal problems from the following areas:

  • Philosophy.
  • Families.
  • Sociology.
  • Political Science.
  • Jurisprudence.
  • Economics, etc.

Problems in the philosophical aspect:

  • The relationship between consciousness and matter.
  • Development and movement as ways of existence.
  • The infinity of the cognitive process.
  • The relationship between nature and society.
  • Theoretical and empirical levels of scientific knowledge.
  • The spiritual and material aspects of social life, their relationship.
  • Culture as a transformative activity of people in general.
  • The essence of civilization and so on.

Social Studies Essay: Sociology

When writing, you can reveal the following problems:

  • Social struggle and inequality.
  • The relationship between subjective and objective factors that influence processes in people’s lives.
  • The meaning of material and spiritual values.
  • Maintaining stability in public life.
  • Features of the city.
  • Youth as a community.
  • The social nature of thinking, knowledge, and human activity.
  • Interaction between society and religion.
  • Features of socialization of younger generations.
  • Historical inequality between men and women.
  • organizations.
  • and so on.

Psychology

As part of writing a social studies essay, a person can act as a key object of study. In this case, problems such as:

  • Interpersonal communication, essence and tasks to be solved.
  • Psychological climate in the team.
  • Relationships between an individual and a separate group.
  • Norms, roles, personality status.
  • National identity.
  • The importance of the communication process.
  • The essence of social conflict.
  • Inconsistency between the aspirations and capabilities of the individual.
  • Sources of social progress.
  • Family.

A social science essay may also address specific functions of the science in question.

Political science

This social studies essay topic may cover the following issues:

  • Authoritarian regime.
  • Subjects of politics.
  • Places and roles of the state in the system.
  • Modern political interactions.
  • Totalitarian regime.
  • Relationships between politics, law and the economic sphere.
  • Origin of the state.
  • Political regime (through the disclosure of its concepts and features).
  • State sovereignty.
  • Civil society (through the disclosure of structure, characteristics, concepts).
  • Party systems.
  • Socio-political movements, pressure groups.
  • Essences of a democratic regime.
  • Mutual responsibility of the individual and the state.
  • Political pluralism.
  • Separation of powers as a principle of the rule of law.
  • and so on.

Economic system

Another common science that can address issues in a social studies essay is economics. In this case, questions such as:

  • The contradiction between the unlimited needs of people and the limited resources.
  • Production factors and their significance.
  • Capital as an economic resource.
  • The essence and functions of the monetary system.
  • Efficient use of existing resources.
  • The meaning of division of labor.
  • The role of trade in the process of social development.
  • Efficiency and production incentives.
  • The essence of market relations.
  • State regulation of the economy, etc.

Legal discipline

Within science, a number of key problems can be identified and any of them can be addressed in a social studies essay:

  • Law as a regulator of people's lives.
  • The essence and specific features of the state.
  • Social significance of law.
  • The political system and the definition of the role of the state in it.
  • Similarities and differences between morality and law.
  • Welfare state: concept and characteristics.
  • Legal nihilism and methods of overcoming it.
  • Civil society and the state.
  • Concept, signs and composition of offenses, classification.
  • Legal culture, etc.

Cliché phrases

In addition to revealing the problem, the structure of the social studies essay suggests an indication of its relevance in the modern world. To effectively implement this task, you can introduce cliche phrases into your text: “Given in the conditions ...

  • globalization of relations in society;
  • the controversial nature of inventions and scientific discoveries;
  • worsening global problems;
  • formation of a unified economic, educational, information field;
  • strict differentiation in society;
  • dialogue of cultures;
  • modern market;
  • the need to preserve traditional cultural values ​​and the nation’s own identity.”

Important point

In an essay on the Unified State Exam in social studies, as well as in written assignments in other subjects, you should periodically return to the problem raised. This is necessary for its fullest disclosure. In addition, periodic mention of the problem will allow you to stay within the topic and prevent reasoning and the use of terms that are not related to the selected statement. The latter, in particular, is one of the common mistakes of graduates.

Main thought

In this part of the essay on the Unified State Exam in social studies, the essence of the statement should be revealed. However, it should not be repeated verbatim. You can also use cliche phrases here:

  • "The author is convinced that..."
  • "The meaning of this statement is..."
  • "The author focuses on..."

Determining your own position

In an essay on the Unified State Exam in social studies, you can agree with the author’s opinion partially or completely. In the first case, it is necessary to refute with reason the part with which the conflict of opinion arose. Also, the writer can completely deny the statement or argue with the author. You can also use a cliche here:

  • “I agree with the author’s opinion that...”
  • “I partly adhere to the expressed point of view regarding ..., but I cannot agree with ....”
  • the author clearly reflected the picture of modern society (the situation in Russia, one of the problems in the modern world)..."
  • “I beg to differ with the author’s position that...”

Arguments

An essay on the Unified State Exam in social studies must contain a substantiation of the writer’s expressed opinion. In this part, it is necessary to recall the key terms related to the problem and theoretical provisions. Argumentation should be carried out at two levels:

  1. Theoretical. In this case, the basis will be social science knowledge (opinions of thinkers/scientists, definitions, concepts, directions of concepts, terms, relationships, etc.).
  2. Empirical. Two options are allowed here: use events from your life or examples from literature, social life, history.

In the process of selecting facts that will serve as arguments for your own position, you need to answer the following questions:

  1. Do the examples support the opinions expressed?
  2. Do they agree with the thesis stated?
  3. Can they be interpreted in a different way?
  4. Are the facts convincing?

By following this scheme, you can control the adequacy of examples and prevent deviations from the topic.

Conclusion

He must complete the essay. The conclusion summarizes the main ideas, sums up the reasoning, confirms the correctness or incorrectness of the statement. He should not convey verbatim the quotation that became the topic of the essay. When formulating, you can use the following cliches:

  • "To summarize, I would like to note..."
  • "It can therefore be concluded that..."

Decor

We should not forget that an essay is a short composition. It must be distinguished by semantic unity. In this regard, a coherent text should be formed and logical transitions should be used. Also, we should not forget about the correct spelling of terms. It is advisable to break the text into paragraphs, each of which reflects a separate idea. The red line must be observed.

additional information

Your essay may include:

  • Brief information about the author of the quote. For example, information that he is an “outstanding Russian scientist,” “a famous French educator,” “the founder of an idealistic concept,” and so on.
  • Indication of alternative ways to solve a problem.
  • Description of different opinions or approaches to an issue.
  • An indication of the polysemy of concepts and terms that are used in the text with justification for the meaning in which they were applied.

Job requirements

Among the variety of existing approaches to writing technology, a number of conditions that must be met should be highlighted:

  1. Adequate understanding of the meaning of the statement and the problem.
  2. Correspondence of the text to the issue raised.
  3. Identification and disclosure of key aspects pointed out by the author of the statement.
  4. A clear definition of your own opinion, attitude to the problem, to the position expressed in the quote.
  5. Correspondence of the disclosure of aspects to the given scientific context.
  6. Theoretical level of substantiation of one's own opinion.
  7. The presence of meaningful facts of personal experience, social behavior, public life.
  8. Logic in reasoning.
  9. Absence of terminological, ethnic, factual and other errors.
  10. Compliance with language norms and genre requirements.

There are no strict limits on the length of the essay. It depends on the complexity of the topic, the nature of thinking, experience, and level of training of the graduate.

Mistakes in formulating the problem

The most common shortcomings are:

  1. Misunderstanding and inability to identify the problem in a statement. On the one hand, this is due to an insufficient amount of knowledge in the discipline to which the statement relates, and on the other, to an attempt to fit previously reviewed, written or read works to the identified issue.
  2. Inability to formulate the problem. This error is usually associated with a small vocabulary and terminology in basic sciences.
  3. Inability to formulate the essence of a quote. It is explained by misunderstanding or incorrect understanding of the content of the statement and the lack of necessary social science knowledge.
  4. Replacing the problem with the position of the author. This error occurs due to the fact that the graduate does not see or understand the difference between them. The problem in the essay is the topic on which the author discusses. It is always voluminous and extensive. Different opinions can be expressed on it, often completely opposite. The meaning of the statement is the author’s personal position on the issue. The quote is just one of many opinions.

Shortcomings in defining and justifying your position

The absence of arguments confirming the graduate’s position indicates ignorance or ignorance of the requirements for the structure of the essay. Frequent mistakes when using concepts are unjustified narrowing or expansion of the meaning of a term, substitution of some definitions for others. Incorrect handling of information indicates an inability to analyze experience. Often the examples given in the text are loosely related to the problem. The lack of a critical perception of information obtained from the Internet and the media leads to the use of unverified and unreliable facts as justification. Another common mistake is a one-sided view of certain social phenomena, indicating an inability to identify and formulate cause-and-effect relationships.

In this article you will learn how to write an essay on social studies. Examples are attached.

First of all, it is necessary to understand that in order to learn how to write an essay in social studies, it takes quite a long time. Without preliminary preparation, it is impossible to write an essay that would be rated high by experts. Sustainable skills and good results appear after 2-3 months of work (about 15-20 essays written). It is systematic training and determination that bring high results. You need to hone your skills in practice with the direct help and careful supervision of a teacher.

Video - how to write an essay on social studies

If you haven't tried essay writing yet, watch the video.

Unlike an essay on literature or the Russian language, where the minimum amount of work is clearly specified and general reflection is allowed (“philosophizing” without specification), in an essay on social science the volume is not limited, but its structure and content are fundamentally different. A social studies essay is actually an answer to the question: “Do I agree with this statement and why?” That is why an essay on social science must contain strict argumentation, scientificity and specificity. At the same time, it should be noted that very paradoxical, unusual statements that require imaginative thinking and a non-standard approach to revealing the problem are often used as the topic of an essay. This inevitably leaves its mark on the essay writing style and requires maximum concentration of strength and attention.

I would also like to add that the exam essay is assessed by specific people. In order for an expert, who checks from 50 to 80 papers a day, to mark an essay as worthy of attention, this essay must not only meet all the requirements set out below, but also be distinguished by a certain originality, originality and originality - this is implied by the genre of the essay itself. Therefore, it is necessary not only to present scientific and factual material on the topic, but also to pleasantly surprise you with the originality and flexibility of your thinking.

Algorithm for writing essays during the Unified State Exam

  1. First of all, during the exam you need to properly manage your time. Practice shows that writing an essay requires spending at least 1-1.5 hours out of the 3.5 hours allotted for the Unified State Exam in Social Studies. It is most advisable to start writing an essay after all other KIM tasks have been completed, because This type of work requires maximum concentration of the graduate’s efforts.
  2. Carefully read all the topics offered to choose from.
  3. Select topics that are understandable, i.e. – the student must clearly understand what this statement is about, what the author wanted to say with this phrase. In order to remove doubts about whether he understands the topic correctly, the graduate must restate the phrase in his own words, defining the main idea. The student can do this orally or in a draft.
  4. From the selected understandable statements, it is necessary to choose one topic - the one that the student knows best. It is necessary to note the fact that examinees often choose topics that are easy, in their opinion, but which turn out to be difficult when covering the topic due to the limited scientific and factual material on this issue (in other words, the phrase itself says everything, nothing can be added). In such cases, the essay is reduced to a simple statement of the meaning of the statement in different versions and is rated low by experts due to poor evidence base. Therefore, you need to choose the topic of the essay so that the student, when writing it, can fully demonstrate the completeness of his knowledge and the depth of his thoughts (i.e., the topic must be winning).
  5. When choosing a topic for an essay, you must also pay attention to what social science this statement belongs to. Practice shows that a number of phrases can refer to several sciences at once. For example, I. Goethe’s statement “Man is determined not only by natural qualities, but also by acquired ones” may belong to philosophy, social psychology, and sociology. Accordingly, the content of the essay should vary depending on this, i.e. must be consistent with said basic science.
  6. There is no need to write the entire essay as a draft. Firstly, due to limited time, and secondly, due to the fact that at the time of writing an essay some thoughts come, and at the time of rewriting - others, and redoing a finished text is much more difficult than creating a new one. In the draft, the graduate makes only an outline of his essay, approximate short sketches of the meaning of the phrase, his argumentation, the points of view of scientists, concepts and theoretical positions that he is going to present in his work, as well as the approximate order of their arrangement one after another, taking into account the semantic logic of the essay.
  7. Without fail, the student must express his personal attitude to the chosen topic in a clearly defined formulation (“I agree”, “I disagree”, “I don’t completely agree”, “I agree, but partially” or phrases that are similar in meaning and meaning) . The presence of a personal attitude is one of the criteria on the basis of which experts evaluate an essay.
  8. Without fail, the graduate must state his understanding of the meaning of the statement. Those. The high school student explains in his own words what the author wanted to say with this phrase. It is more advisable to do this at the very beginning of the essay. And if you combine the requirements of this paragraph with the provisions of the previous one, then this is what, for example, the beginning of an essay on philosophy “Before talking about the benefit of satisfying needs, you need to decide what needs constitute the benefit” will look like: “I completely agree with the statement of the great Russian writer of the second halfXIX– beginningXXcenturies L.N. Tolstoy, in which he talks about real and imaginary needs."
  9. You need to be very careful in selecting arguments to support your point of view. Arguments must be convincing and justified. Data from relevant sciences, historical facts, and facts from social life are used as arguments. Arguments of a personal nature (examples from personal life) are rated the lowest, so their use as evidence is undesirable. It should be remembered that any personal example can easily be “transformed” into an example from public life, from social practice, if you write about it in a third person (for example, not “The saleswoman in the store was rude to me, thereby violating my consumer rights”, A “Let’s say that the saleswoman was rude to citizen S. Thus, she violated his rights as a consumer.” The number of arguments in an essay is not limited, but 3-5 arguments are most optimal for revealing the topic. It should also be remembered that examples from history are most relevant in political science, partly in legal and sociological topics, as well as in philosophical topics related to the theory of social progress. Examples from social practice (public life) - in sociological, economic, legal topics. Data from the relevant sciences must be used when choosing any of the topics.
  10. The use of terms, concepts, and definitions in an essay must be competent and appropriate in relation to the chosen topic and science. The essay should not be overloaded with terminology, especially if these concepts are not related to the chosen problem. Unfortunately, some graduates try to insert as many terms as possible into their work, violating the principle of expediency and reasonable sufficiency. Thus, they show that they have not learned to correctly use scientific terminology. The term should be mentioned appropriately; such a mention should indicate its correct understanding.
  11. It is very welcome if a graduate in his essay indicates the points of view of other researchers on the issues under consideration, provides a link to different interpretations of the problem and different ways to solve it (if possible). Indication of other points of view can be direct (for example: “Lenin thought this way:..., and Trotsky thought differently:..., and Stalin did not agree with both of them:...”), but can be indirect, non-specific, non-personalized: “A number of researchers think this way:..., others think differently:..., and some suggest something completely different:....”
  12. It is very welcome if the essay indicates who the author of this statement was. The indication should be brief but precise (see example in paragraph 8). If, when arguing your position on this issue, it is appropriate to mention the views of the author of the phrase, this must be done.
  13. Arguments must be presented in strict sequence, the internal logic of presentation in the essay must be clearly visible. The student should not jump from one to another and return to the first again without explanation and internal connection, connecting the individual provisions of his work.
  14. The essay must end with a conclusion that briefly summarizes the thoughts and reasoning: “Thus, based on all of the above, it can be argued that the author was right in his statement.”

Essay Examples on the topic of:

Philosophy “Revolution is a barbaric way of progress” (J. Jaures)

For the highest score

I completely agree with the statement of the famous French socialist, historian and political figure of the first half of the twentieth century, Jean Jaurès, in which he speaks about the features of the revolutionary path of social progress, about the distinctive features of the revolution. Indeed, revolution is one of the ways of progress, movement forward towards better and more complex forms of organizing the social order. But since a revolution is a radical disruption of the entire existing system, a transformation of all or most aspects of social life, occurring in a short period of time, this form of progress is always accompanied by a large number of victims and violence.

If we remember the revolutionary year of 1917 in Russia, we will see that both revolutions entailed the most severe confrontation in society and the country, which resulted in a terrible Civil War, accompanied by unprecedented bitterness, millions of dead and injured, unprecedented devastation in the national economy.

If we remember the Great French Revolution, we will also see the rampant Jacobin terror, the guillotine, “working” seven days a week, and a series of incessant revolutionary wars.

If we remember the English bourgeois revolution, we will also see a civil war and repressions against dissidents.

And when we look at the history of the United States, we will see that both bourgeois revolutions that took place in this country took the form of war: first, the War of Independence, and then the Civil War.

The list of examples from history can go on and on, but wherever a revolution occurs - in China, Iran, the Netherlands, etc. – everywhere it was accompanied by violence, i.e. barbarism from the perspective of a civilized person.

And even though other thinkers exalted revolution (like, for example, Karl Marx, who argued that revolutions are the locomotives of history), even though reactionaries and conservatives denied the role of revolutions in social progress, the point of view of J. Jaurès is closer to me: yes, revolution is a way of progress, a movement for the better, but carried out using barbaric methods, that is, using cruelty, blood and violence. Happiness cannot be created through violence!

For a small point

In his quote, the author talks about revolution and progress. Revolution is a way of transforming reality in a short time, and progress is moving forward. Revolution is not progress. After all, progress is reform. It cannot be said that the revolution does not produce positive results - for example, the Russian revolution allowed workers and peasants to get rid of a difficult situation. But by definition, revolution is not progress, because progress is all that is good, and revolution is all that is bad. I disagree with the author who classifies revolution as progress.

Essay outline

Introduction
1) A clear indication of the problem of the statement:
“The statement I have chosen concerns the problem...”
“The problem with this statement is...”
2) Explanation of the choice of topic (what is the significance or relevance of this topic)
“Everyone is concerned about the question...”
“The RELEVANCE of this topic lies in...”
3) Reveal the meaning of the statement from the point of view of social science, 1-2 sentences
4) Introduction of the author and his point of view
“The author argued (said, thought) from such a point of view...”
5) Your own interpretation of this phrase, YOUR OWN POINT OF VIEW (DO YOU AGREE OR NOT)
“I think...” “I agree with the author of the statement...”
6) Expressing your position, moving on to the main part of the essay

P.S. It would be a plus if in the introduction you provide information about the author of the statement and insert a definition of the chosen field of the essay (philosophy, politics, economics, law, etc.)

Argumentation:
1) Theoretical argumentation of the problem. At least 3 aspects of the theoretical discussion of the topic must be presented.
For example: reveal the concept itself, give examples, analyze features, functions, classifications, properties.
2) Practical argument or example from public life

1. If there is a specific block, then we turn to it immediately. BUT! There may be an extremely “narrow” “bad” quote in your favorite block, which means you need to look for a quote from another social studies block.

2. Select a quote.

3. Let’s compare the quote and the block from the social studies course, it is listed next to the quote! We immediately begin to think in terms of this block (sociology, political science, economics, etc.)

4. We make a draft list of terms that need to be reflected in the essay. BUT only those that coincide with the topic of the essay!

5. If we cannot make a list of terms (at least 3 terms), then we choose another quote that we can open.

6. We write out the quotation on the draft and underline the KEY words, on the basis of which we build the KEY IDEAS raised by the author.

THIS IS THE FIRST PARAGRAPH OF THE ESSAY – THE MOST IMPORTANT CRITERION, if it gets 0, then the whole essay gets 0!

7. We derive theoretical judgments from key ideas (2 exactly), accompanying them with terms from the list.

THIS IS THE SECOND PARAGRAPH OF THE ESSAY – THEORETICAL ARGUMENTATION

  • Need to clarify...
  • Researchers understand...
  • The following types are distinguished...
  • The classification is based on...

8. For each theoretical proposition, we select an illustrative example. Various sources! History, literature, social experience, books, films.

Examples should not be of the same type and abstract. Must clearly reflect theoretical judgments. You must show why you are using this fact as an illustrative argument!

THIS IS THE THIRD PARAGRAPH OF THE ESSAY – PRACTICAL ARGUMENTATION

  • As an example…
  • Firstly (if we say, firstly, then it must be, secondly; if we say on the one hand, then on the other side!)
  • Experience...illustrates

9. In the conclusion, it is necessary to formulate and show how/why the ideas raised by the author in the quotation are important (we go from bottom to top of the essay)

PARAGRAPH - ENDING

  • The importance of development….
  • Thus,
  • Hence…

10. Slogan phrase as the logical conclusion of creative thought.

An essay is an option for creative work:

  • I hope,
  • I think it's important
  • I think it is necessary...
  • This will improve…
  • Will create the preconditions for improvement...

Here is a specific DETAILED plan for how to write an essay on the Unified State Exam in social studies. It consists of 7 important points.

Essay writing plan

  1. Quote.
  2. The problem raised by the author; its relevance.
  3. The meaning of the statement.
  4. Own point of view.
  5. Argumentation at the theoretical level.
  6. At least two examples from social practice, history and/or literature confirming the correctness of the opinions expressed.
  7. Conclusion.

How to write a social studies essay in 2019 - webinar

1. Choice of statement

  • When choosing statements for an essay, you must be sure that you know the basic concepts of the basic science to which it relates;
  • clearly understand the meaning of the statement;
  • you can express your own opinion (fully or partially agree with the statement or refute it);
  • you know the social science terms necessary to competently substantiate a personal position at a theoretical level (the terms and concepts used must clearly correspond to the topic of the essay and not go beyond it);
  • you will be able to give examples from social practice, history, literature, as well as personal life experience to confirm your own opinion.

2. Definition of the problem of the statement.

For a clearer formulation of the problem, we offer a list of possible formulations of problems that occur most often.

After formulating the problem, it is necessary to indicate the relevance of the problem in modern conditions. To do this, you can use cliche phrases:

  • This problem is relevant in the conditions...
  • ...globalization of social relations;
  • ...formation of a unified information, educational, economic space;
  • ...exacerbation of global problems of our time;
  • ...the special controversial nature of scientific discoveries and inventions;
  • ...development of international integration;
  • ...modern market economy;
  • ...development and overcoming the global economic crisis;
  • ...strict differentiation of society;
  • ...the open social structure of modern society;
  • ...formation of the rule of law;
  • ...overcoming the spiritual and moral crisis;
  • ...dialogue of cultures;
  • ...the need to preserve one's own identity and traditional spiritual values.

The problem must be revisited periodically throughout the essay writing process. This is necessary in order to correctly reveal its content, and also not to accidentally go beyond the scope of the problem and not get carried away by reasoning that is not related to the meaning of this statement (this is one of the most common mistakes in many exam essays).

3. Formulation of the main idea of ​​the statement

  • “The meaning of this statement is that...”
  • “The author draws our attention to the fact that...”
  • “The author is convinced that...”

4. Determining your position on the statement

  • “I agree with the author that...”
  • “One cannot but agree with the author of this statement regarding...”
  • “The author was right in asserting that...”
  • “In my opinion, the author quite clearly reflected in his statement the picture of modern Russia (modern society... the situation that has developed in society... one of the problems of our time)”
    “I beg to differ with the author’s opinion that...”
  • “Partly, I share the author’s point of view regarding..., but with... I can’t agree”
  • “Have you ever thought about the fact that...?”

5-6. Argumentation of your own opinion

Argumentation must be carried out at two levels:

1. Theoretical level - its basis is social science knowledge (concepts,
terms, contradictions, directions of scientific thought, relationships, as well as opinions
scientists, thinkers).

Cliché phrases:

  • Let's consider the statement from the point of view of economic (political, sociological...) theory...
  • Let's turn to the theoretical meaning of the statement...
  • In economic (political, sociological...) theory, this statement has its basis...

2. Empirical level - There are two options here:

  1. using examples from history, literature and events in society;
  2. appeal to personal experience.

When selecting facts, examples from public life and personal social experience, mentally answer the following questions:

  • Do they confirm my opinion?
  • Could they be interpreted differently?
  • Do they not contradict the thesis I expressed?
  • Are they convincing?

The proposed form will allow you to strictly control the adequacy of the arguments presented and prevent “drifting away from the topic.”

7. Conclusion

Finally, you need to formulate a conclusion. The conclusion should not coincide verbatim with the judgment given for justification: it brings together in one or two sentences the main ideas of the arguments and sums up the reasoning, confirming the correctness or incorrectness of the judgment that was the topic of the essay.

To formulate a problematic conclusion, cliche phrases can be used:

  • “Thus, we can conclude...”
  • “To summarize, I would like to note that...”
  • In conclusion, we can conclude that...
  • Based on all of the above, it can be argued that...

In addition, an additional advantage of the essay is the inclusion in it

  • brief information about the author of the statement (for example, “outstanding French philosopher-educator”,
    “great Russian thinker of the Silver Age”, “famous existentialist philosopher”, “founder
    idealistic direction in philosophy”, etc.);
  • descriptions of different points of view on a problem or different approaches to solving it;
  • indications of the polysemy of the concepts and terms used with justification for the meaning in which they
    used in essays;
  • indications of alternative solutions to the problem.

And in conclusion. Let's watch a webinar that discusses the structure of writing a mini-essay, provides exercises for training, and discusses evaluation criteria:

The most common mistakes when writing essays

  • The saddest situation is that there is no plan at all. The man was afraid to write it, got confused, and stupidly didn’t have time to rewrite it from the draft. The draft is not tested in any Unified State Examination, is everyone aware? Neither an appeal nor tears change this situation.
  • “Required” items are highlighted incorrectly. Yes, with the innovations it has become more scary, but it’s still worth a try. For example, to cover the topic “Political Parties”, the “mandatory” points on the exam were the features of political parties as public organizations, the functions of political parties and the classification / types of political parties. That's bad. Do you know which points are required for this topic?
  • There are less than 3 points in the plan or none of the points are disclosed in the subparagraphs.“If you don’t know the rules, you won’t get points.” Learn the criteria.
  • Plans for legacy templates no one needs it, it's a waste of time and points. There is no need to write the first paragraph with the question: “What is a market?” - this formulation is long outdated.
  • There is no need to try to “stand out” or “show a special view of the world.” This is not a casting, this is just one of the tasks of the Unified State Exam.
  • Spelling errors don't bother anyone, but if you can’t formulate a thought, your points will be reduced
  • The plan is written off-topic or does not cover the topic “in essence”.
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