In this presentation, you are being asked to identify a theory from the materials for this week and to present that theory. This should be in your own words and in simple terms – do not use exact phrasing, complicated language, or specific examples from the book or notes. Rather, read about the theory, think about it, and then explain it as if you were to be talking about it with people you know. That doesn’t mean that this should be completely informal and and not comprehensive, but, rather that you should strive to explain the theory in your terms, and, in doing so, illustrate your understanding of it. In explaining the theory, you are being asked to include at least one example to help your explanation of the theory, and to walk through how your example relates to/illustrates the theory. For instance, you may choose to talk about anomie theory and explain how technology and the use of social media has increased anomie. Maybe you want to explain how labeling theory helps us to understand why people recidivate and how things like felony disenfranchisement contribute to this, all because of labeling. Or, perhaps you want to talk about how differential association helps us understand drug use. Whatever example you chose is up to you, but you need to pick an idea and then relate that idea to the theory you have selected. You can even pick a news item/current event as an example and briefly explain what happened before relating it to the theory. You can use other sources than the readings and notes (cite them if you do), but the big objective here is to show that you understand and can explain the theory on your own.
Presentation structure: There is no exact amount of slides that you must have. The slides themselves should not be blocks of texts, but should have smaller digestible points, and the text should not match word-for-word what you are saying in the presentation itself (i.e., do not type what you are going to say on the slides and then read directly off the slides). The presentation must include a comprehensive but concise explanation of your chosen theory and you must include an example. Otherwise, I am not giving you specific prompts or directives – you are free to construct the presentation as you see fit; however, do remember, your grade is dependent on how well you clearly explain the theory using your own words/ideas.
