TMA 03

The assignment
Cut-off date: 12 noon on 15 January 2015

Important
These pages provide guidance on how to write your assignment. Please ensure you read all of

this information right through until the checklist at the end.

Other information on Assessment Guidance for this module can be found here. Additional support
and guidance including advice on plagiarism, referencing and the marking system can be found
here in Social Sciences Assessment Information.
Please do consult your tutor if you are unsure about anything related to assessment as
failure to comply with relevant guidance could result in the loss of marks or other penalties.

Part 1: Essay plan

(Part 1 is not awarded separate marks but non-submission means Part 2 of the assignment can gain no more than a bare pass mark 4054)

Part 2: Essay

Examine this essay question in some detail BEFORE even thinking about your plan; apparently simple-stated essay questions are usually
much more complex than they first appear!

(90 per cent of the mark for this assignment)

Explore the view that a consumer society produces both winners and losers.

MAKE SURE YOU FULLY

UNDERSTAND THIS
QUESTION!!!

[Here we have the statement or, more accurately, the argument, proposed by the person making the statement; this is the position you are expected to
examine using materials from the course to show that you understand social science debates and arguments, and how these are constructed using
explanations, theories and evidence.]
Word limit: 1,250 words

Part 3: Self-reflection
(10 per cent of the mark for this assignment)
Outline one or two examples of something your tutor highlighted from TMA 02 as requiring improvement and describe how you used this feedback in your
preparation and writing of TMA 03.
Word limit: 100 words

What to submit for TMA 03 (in one file):

1

Part 1 An essay plan (not awarded separate marks but non-submission means Part 2 can gain no more than a bare pass mark)

Part 2 A 1,250-word essay (90 per cent of marks)

Part 3 A 100-word self-reflection (10 per cent of marks)

Guidance
Before you complete your assignment make sure you read these guidance notes carefully so that you can follow the advice and instructions they contain.
In the following pages, you will find:

student notes for each part of this assignment

learning outcomes addressed by this assignment

a checklist to ensure you have done everything required for this assignment.

TMA 03 Part 1 Student notes

In my view, the Student notes are the single most important advice section in every TMA
issued anyone who ignores this material normally loses many marks as a result; please
read VERY, VERY CAREFULLY!!!
Part 1 of TMA 03 will help you to organise your notes and ideas prior to writing the essay for Part 2 of TMA 03. In essence, an essay plan helps you to work out
what you want to say and what order to say it in so that a reader can clearly see how you have addressed the question.

Information sources
Writing assignments: Outlining a social
science argument in Week 11

This provides you with a variety of tips on outlining a social

science argument and developing an essay plan.

Writing tips
Planning your essay requires several stages, and although people have different ways of working, we suggest that you work through the following stages
systematically.

Read the essay question several times, so that you are sure of what you are being asked to write about. Remember, if you are not sure, you can always
contact your tutor to help you work through the requirements of the essay question.

Identify the material you need to use, including page numbers or web links for any study materials that you will need to reference.

Identify the arguments that relate to the TMA question and the different elements that comprise them.

Organise the material into a logical order to answer the question. For this essay, this will mean outlining the different elements of the arguments presented
questions, claims, evidence in turn, after having first defined a consumer society.

Create your plan with an introduction, a main body consisting of a number of paragraphs (each paragraph relating to an aspect of the
topic) and a conclusion.

You may need to repeat this process several times before you are satisfied that you have produced an effective plan, but its likely to be time well spent and will
make writing the actual essay that much easier. The plan itself can be produced in any form that will be clear to your tutor, and may well be best in note format (but
not so condensed that it is difficult to follow). Tables, flow charts, spider diagrams and concept maps are also ways of presenting an essay plan and, although
diagrammatic forms are often very useful for helping you to generate ideas, you will probably find that you need a second stage in which to organise this material.
While there is no set word limit for this first part of the TMA, we would suggest that a plan of a single page in length would be a useful target.
It is a requirement of this TMA that you submit an essay plan, otherwise you will be penalised and be unable to achieve higher than a bare pass grade. Also,
please note that, as the plan forms part of the assessment, your tutor cannot comment on drafts of your plan prior to its submission.
In Part 1 of TMA 03, your tutor will be looking for you to:

present a coherent plan which is reflected accurately in the essay

choose a format to set out the key elements of the arguments outlined as part of this plan.

A plan for a different sample assignment question its the format you need to examine here. (Taken from 3.4, Week 11 Activities)
Question: Outline the argument that supermarkets provide both advantages and disadvantages for local communities.
Introduction
Firstly outline the background and key debates around supermarket power (see paragraph 1)
Secondly claims that supermarkets are beneficial
Thirdly claims that supermarkets are not beneficial
Overall conclusion which side of the argument is most convincing?

Main body
Paragraph 1
Set out the background and key debates around the assignment topic, e.g. growth in supermarket share of the market and two sides to the argument: supermarkets are
beneficial vs. supermarkets are harmful for local communities.
Explain and define key terms/content words bring in concepts of zero-sum and positive-sum power here?
Paragraph 2
Point supermarkets are beneficial for local communities
Explain ways in which they bring benefits to local communities, e.g. greater choice for consumers, job creation so positive-sum game.
Evidence Competition Commission Inquiry + (need to identify another piece of evidence here if possible)
Paragraph 3
Point supermarkets are disadvantageous for local communities
Explain ways in which they disadvantage local communities, e.g. lead to closure of small, independent businesses so less choice for consumers.
Evidence 2011 survey of small and medium-sized businesses; Simms, Tescopoly book and quote from Blythman: Where there were half a dozen grocers, one remains
(cited in Allen, 2014, p.163)
Conclusion
Summarise main points from paragraphs 2 and 3 and, given the weight of evidence, conclude that although there are two sides to the debate, there is more evidence to
suggest that supermarkets are disadvantageous to local communities

TMA 03 Part 2 Student notes

Part 2 of TMA 03 gives you the opportunity to demonstrate the skill of (1) outlining a social science argument and the ability to (2) write an academic
essay, as well as (3) plan its various stages. TMA 03 builds on earlier skills that you have acquired in defining concepts as an integral part of constructing a
social science argument.
You are required to write an essay which outlines the argument that a consumer society produces both winners and losers. A good starting point is to provide
a clear definition of what is meant by the term consumer society, and to think about who wins in this type of society and who may be its losers. Social divisions
and inequalities are therefore likely to

be a central theme of your essay, both in relation to consumers and, more broadly, in relation to the power of the supermarkets, high street traders and
workers abroad.

Your answer will need to identify the central claims of Baumans

Chapter 5 of Understanding Social Lives,
Part 1

This chapter looks at the lines of division that have

opened up in a market-driven, consumer society,
where choice, or the lack of it, determines winners
and losers. Baumans argument is set out in detail, as
a set of claims about consumer society and the extent
to which our choices are our own.

argument that consumers are divided into the seduced and the
repressed, with the former better placed than the latter to
access the trappings of a consumer lifestyle. In setting this out,
you may also want

to consider the pattern and form of inequality that is said to underpin these divisions in a consumer society. Such inequalities draw attention to the power of the
big supermarkets over that of traditional shopkeepers on the high street and their overseas suppliers. You should pay particular attention to the distinction
between zero-sum and positive-sum games. This will help you to think about how there are different sides to the argument over the nature of a consumer
society, and different views about whether people benefit or lose out.

The above section basically outlines the form and main content of your essay and this will be expected to be seen by tutors in
your submission; failure to pay heed to the advice given here will almost certainly result in a poor mark!

Chapter 6 of Understanding Social Lives,

Part 1

This chapter explores the nature of super- market

power and sets out an argument between pro- and
anti- supermarket campaigners. This is framed as a
zero-sum and positive-sum game.

Chapter 9 of Understanding Social Lives,

Part 1

This chapter reflects upon how a consumer society

has been made and remade, and considers the
different elements involved in the making of social
science arguments.

Video Remaking retail (Week 7, Section 5)

This video looks at the recent history of shopping

and consumption in the UK, the rise of lifestyle
shopping and the role of debt in fuelling
consumption.

Video The high price of cheap clothing?

(Week 8, Section 6)

This video looks at the plight of garment workers in

Bangladesh and the importance of the industry for the
Bangladeshi economy.

Information sources

Skills Activities: Identifying elements of a social

science argument (Week 7, Sections 3 and 4)
and Outlining a social science argument
(Week 8, Section 5)

The first skills activity in Week 7 looks at each of the

different elements of a social science argument, in
particular the role of concepts in shaping questions
and claims, whereas the second activity looks at
Baumans argument in detail. In Week 8, the skills
activity helps you to practise how to identify the
different elements of a social science argument.

The main sources of information for the essay are summarised in the table
below:

Writing tips
The question invites you to outline a social science argument
around social divisions in a consumer society.

You should ensure that you have worked through the Skills
Activities on identifying the different elements of a
social science argument in Week 7, as well as the
Activity in Week 8 which focuses on the different
elements combined. Whilst both provide guidance and
examples on how to identify questions and claims, the Week 7
activity focuses directly on the role that concepts play in shaping both the questions asked and the claims made in relation to them and then looks at Baumans
argument in detail. The Skills Activity in Week 8 extends this analysis to include the role of evidence in a social science argument.
The distinction between questions, claims and evidence are not always obvious in social science arguments, so there are a number of points you might like to
bear in mind:

If you start with Baumans argument about the nature of consumer society, you should think carefully about the question that he is trying to answer. For that,
you might find it helpful to think about his main line of argument as a kind of provisional answer to a specific question. The same would hold for the
arguments of the pro- and anti-

TMA 03 Part 3 Student notes

supermarket campaigners which stem from a concern about the power of

supermarkets to shape consumer choices.

The identification of the questions asked about winners and losers, and the claims
made in relation to them, will involve you in a consideration of particular concepts.
The concepts themselves, like consumption and choice, or that of the seduced and
the repressed, draw their meaning from one another and serve to frame the object of
inquiry. Their particular meaning may rest upon everyday usage, yet they gain a more
precise definition when used together as a type of conceptual framework.

Such frameworks serve to make sense of the particular claims made in an argument.
The claims themselves are best thought about as a type of assertion, the key points of
an argument that one wants to get across. In thinking about winners and losers, you
should try to pin down what points someone like Bauman, for instance, is trying to
convey about social divisions and inequality. Likewise, in the argument over whether
or not supermarket power is zero-sum or positive-sum, you will need to think carefully
about the claims put forward on both sides about consumer choice.

Claims themselves, however, will remain plain assertions unless they are supported
by some kind of evidence. An outline of a social science argument is not complete
unless you have considered the various pieces of evidence put forward in support of a
particular claim, in this case about who are the winners and losers in a consumer
society. You are not being asked to evaluate such evidence, but rather to identify it in
relation to the claims set out.

Good answers will identify and outline each of the different elements of a social
science argument. Its important to remember that you do not have to agree or
disagree with the overall lines of argument that you outline. You may have
reservations about particular claims, but you do not have to make judgements at this
particular stage of the module. What is important here is that you have developed the
skills of pulling a social science argument apart and considered its different elements.

Good answers will also be clearly structured and address the question in a direct and
focused manner.

Finally, remember to reference the sources that you are drawing upon, both in the
body of your essay and in a reference list at the end of your essay, and to include a
word count. The reference list at the end of your essay is not included in the word
count.

The above bullet points once again provide very solid

guidance on how to compile a very good answer.
In Part 2 of TMA 03, your tutor will be looking for you to:

outline a social science argument

identify questions, claims and evidence, and the role of concepts in shaping an
argument

present a structured and coherent outline in essay format, keep to the word limit and
reference appropriately.

TMA 03 Part 3 Student notes

Sample references for Part 2

In-text citations which you might include in the text of your assignment should look like
this:

For book chapters:

Allen (2014, p. 157)

Hetherington and Harvard (2014, p. 129)

For module videos:

(The Open University, Year of Study)

For module online activities:

(The Open University, Year of Study)

Full references which you might include in the reference list at the end of your assignment
should look like this:
Allen, J. (2014) Supermarket power: winners and losers, in Blakeley, G. and Allen, J. (eds)
Understanding Social Lives, Part 1, Milton Keynes: The Open University.
Hetherington, K. and Havard, C. (2014) Consumer society? Identity and lifestyle, in
Blakeley, G. and Allen, J. (eds) Understanding Social Lives, Part 1, Milton Keynes: The
Open University.
The Open University (Year of study) The high price of cheap clothing? [Video] DD102
Introducing the Social Sciences. Available at https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.
php?id=453552&section=6 (Accessed date).
The Open University (Year of study) Outlining Baumans Argument [Online] DD102
Introducing the Social Sciences. Available at https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.
php?id=453547&section=4 (Accessed date).

If you cite a source that is mentioned in the module materials but that you havent actually
read yourself, this should be presented as a secondary reference. An example of an in-text
citation for a secondary reference is:
(Bauman, cited in Hetherington and Havard, 2014, p. 125).
For the full reference, you simply show the publication details of the source that you have
read:
Hetherington, K. and Havard, C. (2014) Consumer society? Identity and lifestyle, in
Blakeley, G. and Allen, J. (eds) Understanding Social Lives, Part 1, Milton Keynes: The
Open University.

TMA 03 Part 3 Student notes

Part 3 of TMA 03 consists of a reflective exercise which aims to continue to help you to
develop as a reflective learner. Your task here is to consider how you work with, and make
the most of, tutor feedback.
Your tutor will have provided feedback on TMA 02 (and previously on TMA 01). This is an
important resource for you.
Write no more than 100 words in total addressing the following:

Give one or two examples of something your tutor highlighted from TMA 02 as
requiring improvement.

Describe how you used this feedback in your preparation and writing of TMA 03.

Learning outcomes

Getting feedback from your tutor is one of the most important aspects of your study with
The Open University. A number of activities have already helped you to think about how to
engage effectively with this feedback. If you have not already done so, please look at the
following resources:
Week 6, Section 4 invited you to think about how to get the most from your tutor feedback
and Week 5, Section 6 provided an opportunity to think further about how you learn and to
do a reflective quiz in Activity 15.

Information sources
Before tackling this part of the assignment, you will find it helpful to do the following:

Look at the feedback you received for TMA 02 and reflect on what you found really
useful.

Think back over your preparation for, and writing of, TMA 03: did you read your tutor
feedback on TMA 02 carefully before you began TMA 03? Did you return to it while
you were writing your assignment? How did the feedback affect what you did in
preparing and writing this TMA?

Writing tips
Your response should be written in complete sentences. One way of structuring your
response might be to have one paragraph per example. You might find it helpful to
dedicate one paragraph to each example and one paragraph to describing how you used
the feedback. Please include a word count for this part of the assignment. References will
not be needed.
In Part 3 of TMA 03, your tutor will be looking for you to:

identify one or two examples of something your tutor highlighted from TMA 02 as
requiring improvement

provide specific examples of how you used this feedback in preparing for

and writing TMA 03

keep within the word limit of 100 words.

Learning outcomes
Each TMA is designed to help you to develop particular skills and knowledge. These are
referred to as learning outcomes.
Elements of the following module learning outcomes are addressed by the different parts
of TMA 03:

An awareness of the nature of the social sciences and the ways they develop through
a process of questions, claims, evidence and criticism

An understanding of selected concepts, theories and debates within the social

sciences

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Wednesday 3rd September 2014

TMA 03 Checklist

An ability to select, interpret and use both quantitative and qualitative evidence

An ability to access, and make notes on, information from a range of sources
including written, audio-visual and ICT

An ability to communicate information accurately and appropriately to the subject

matter, purpose and context

An ability to engage with feedback received from previous work and to reflect on own
learning processes

TMA 03 Checklist make sure to use this to avoid

any unnecessary loss of marks!!!
Have I:

Yes

No, where can I look for

guidance?

looked at the feedback on my

previous work?

Your tutor will have commented on

your previous TMAs to provide you
with some guidance about how to
develop your skills for future TMAs.

read all of the guidance notes

for this assignment?

Read through these assignment

notes to check you have followed all
the advice and instructions.

written in my own words?

In Week 3, Section 6 contains

useful advice on how to write in
your own words, while Section 7 in
the same week contains useful
information about how to avoid
plagiarism.

referenced my sources of evidence?

The following activities will help

you to develop and practise the
skill of referencing: Week 2,
Activities 2.12.4, Week 5,
Activity
5.9 and Week 9, Skills Activities
9.59.8.
Also, remember to look at the
sample references provided in the
student notes for each TMA when
doing your assignments.
For TMA 03, referencing will need
to be comprehensive (though
small errors may be accepted) in
order to obtain a good pass (70
84%).

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Wednesday 3rd September 2014

checked my word count?

The guidance notes tell you the word limit

for each part of the TMA.
TMAs should not exceed the word limit by
more than 10%. It is Faculty policy that
students who exceed the TMA word limit
once will receive a warning and guidance
from their tutor on complying with the word
limit. On a second occasion, however, the
TMA will be marked down by 10 marks (10
percentage points).
An answer that is shorter than the word
length by more than 10% is likely to be too
short to have fully answered the question.
For further in- formation on writing to length
go to
Social Sciences Assessment Information.

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written the word count at the

end of each part of my TMA?

Check the word count and write that figure

clearly at the end of each part of the
assignment.

set out my assignment properly?

Read the conventions for presenting work in

Section 3 of the DD102 Assessment
Guidance.

completed each part of

the TMA?

TMA 03 has three separate elements an

essay plan, an essay and self-reflection. Each
part must be submitted in one single file.
Read through these assignment notes
carefully to check you have followed all the
advice and instructions.

Wednesday 3rd September 2014