Socio-ME-ology: How un-essay assignments aid in students' explorations of sociology and self


Sarah Yercich, Capilano University; Connor MacMillan, York University

Un-essay projects are an innovative approach to engaging learners in sociological exploration. This presentation explores an un-essay assignment, Socio-ME-ology , which is used in Introduction to Sociology courses as a means through which students make sense of the relationship between sociology and self. The Socio-ME-ology project supports learners’ engagement with their sociological imaginations to unpack their lived experiences through the lens of socio-structural concepts. This project challenges the boundaries of traditional academic expression and assessment by allowing students to choose their own medium(s) for conveying their “sociology of self” including, but not limited to, photography, film, art, music, poetry, storytelling, and performance; that is, anything other than an academic essay. The primary objective of the Socio-ME-ology un-essay project is not conformity but authenticity, emphasizing the compelling and meaningful connection between personal experiences and sociological ways of seeing and knowing. By dismantling the traditional rules of essay writing and conventional knowledge translation, students are encouraged to craft narratives that resonate with their lived realities. This presentation will delve into the transformative power of un-essays, shedding light on how they empower learners to reclaim their voices, untethered by the constraints of conventional academic ways of knowing. Attendees will share in the exploration of a diverse array of un-essay projects, each a manifestation of learners’ distinctive sociological perspectives. Through these creative expressions, we hope to engage the audience in reflective conversations on the intersection of personal narratives and sociological understanding, as well as the importance of alternate ways of learning and demonstrating knowledge in higher education.

This paper will be presented at the following session: