Key Components of Self-Reflection
Personal Motivation and Choices:
Explain why you chose the topic.
Example: “I chose Foucault’s concept of disciplinary power because I find the relationship between power and knowledge fascinating. Coming from a country with a strict education system, I’ve seen firsthand how disciplinary measures are used to control behavior and maintain order.”
Challenges and Solutions:
Discuss difficulties and how you addressed them.
Example: “Understanding Foucault’s language was tough, so I broke down the texts and discussed them with peers.”
Learning and Insights:
Reflect on what you learned.
Example: “I learned how disciplinary power operates in institutions like schools and hospitals. This was particularly enlightening because I have experienced how school rules and regulations shape student behavior and attitudes.”
Personal and Academic Growth:
Evaluate your growth and new skills.
Example: “This assignment improved my critical thinking and analytical skills through …..”
Further Questions and Exploration:
Mention any remaining questions or areas for future study.
Example: “I’m curious about how Foucault’s ideas are applied in digital surveillance today since we are in a world that …….”
MODERNITY
1. Immanuel Kant, “What is Enlightenment?”
2. J.J. Rousseau, ”Social Contract” (Book I)
3. Ibn Khaldun, “Muqaddimah” (pp. 88-162) POSITIVISM
1. Durkheim, “The Division of Labor in
Society” (Book 1)
2. Durkheim, “The Elementary Forms of Religious
Life” (Introduction & Book 1)
3. Durkheim, “Suicide” (Introduction & Book 2)
Marx & Engels “Manifesto of the Communist
Party”
2. Marx, “The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis
Bonaparte” (Ch. 1)
3. Weber “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of
Capitalism” (Part I)
POSTSTRUCTURALISM
1. Georg Simmel, “The Stranger”
2. Karl Mannheim, “Ideology and Utopia” (Ch 2)
3. Theodor Adorno, “The Culture Industry” (pp. 1-
107, including Introduction)
POSTMODERNISM
1. Max Horkheimer, “Traditional and Critical
Theory” (the file on Canvas is the whole chapter)
2. Herbert Marcuse, “One-dimensional Man” (Part
2)
3. Foucault, Discipline and Punish (Part I: pp. 3-73)