The Assignment: Construct a fictional character using particular age, gender, and status characteristics
and describe that person�s life and experience. The essay should show what it is like to live day to day
in this community as this individual. Use a real culture, incorporating your individual into a specific society.
You may NOT conduct an actual interview, use an actual person (including yourself/family/friends), or
reconstruct an already established interview, book, or movie. The character must be fictional – no
exceptions.
The Rules: The paper should be between 5-8 typed pages (double-spaced). You may use both library
and internet resources (you may NOT use Wikipedia!). You MUST properly site your references! You
must use at least three references. Some of the best projects turned in are the ones written as diaries or
mock interviews. Be creative! You can include art work, pictures, music, letters, etc!
Also, make sure you include a conclusion page indicating which sociological concepts were used in this
project! For instance � how did you show evidence of the social construction of gender? How did you
use sociological imagination? What theoretical perspective(s) did you use and how? Etc.
Concept Paper
Introduction
The society today has turned out to become in full awareness of its status as a multi-
cultural unit that is slowly transformed by the proponents of globalization that has turned the
world into a small village. This has seen several changes within the society that include the
awareness of the community of their rights and freedoms. This aspect has been considered as a
functional dilemma since it has thwarted the ethnic and cultural appetites of most of the
communities that still embrace the element of traditional customs (Delanty 68). Habits have been
changed and behaviors transformed as a result of the new wave of transformation that has
brought with it the aspect of development.
Surname: 2
In a small village, South East of Timbuktu, a society is struggling to embrace the element
of change. To this society, the aspect of change being a good element likened to rest does not
make any sense. This society in other words has chosen to fight the arsenals of globalization that
has wrought change in the community. However, their approaches to fighting these changes are
as harmless as a toothless woman. This paper therefore seeks to develop a fictional story that
describes a fictitious persona living within a modern community that is inhibited by several
challenges. The paper additionally seeks to inclusively incorporate the proponents of sociological
concepts that include social construction of gender, the use of social imagination and the
theoretical perspectives included within the fictional story.
The Natives of Kumbaya
Kumbaya is one of the smallest sections of communities in the South Eastern parts of
Timbuktu. This village upholds some of its traditional cultures and believes in the fact that the
proponents of globalization are just but the Western approach of colonization. This determines
the rationale behind their resistance to accept that changes that globalization is bringing within
the towns around them. This community consequently believes in their inherited traditions and
cultures that are tied on by different elements such as language, values and beliefs (Delanty 69).
The only language known to the natives of this community is Kumbayana that is widely spoken
by the inhabitants of this community.
One of the village elders known as Kundida is considered as the right man of their god.
Kundida is aged 85 years old and believes that before the community interacts in any activity,
prior consultation should be done with their god to approve and consent to their activities. This
has seen Kundida consulted to make incantations to their god during planting seasons and in
Surname: 3
allowing the community to even seek health care and education. Any individual within this
community who goes against the directives of Kundida is considered a disgrace and in most
instances punished for their actions.
The village of Kumbaya also has a series of developed norms and values that are
developed by the elders within the society before approval by Kundida who is considered as the
final say in determining what is right for the people of Kumbaya. These values define the manner
in which the population needs to act within the society (Delanty 70). In consideration of the
norms and values in accordance to the views of this community, women are considered as junior
to the male individuals within the society. The manner in which the society views the women in
this case is biased. Kundida has over time refuted the claims of the outside world on the
development of their community’s norms and values that are against the freedoms and rights of
the women. Women in this community are discriminated and treated as tools of trade that can be
exchanged for the furtherance of a family’s objective.
Kundida also believes that education is one of the weapons that is developed by the
Western World to negatively influence the minds of the communities younger generation, a
factor that would lead to the wrought of their cultural values and norms. In an instance, one of
the elites who went through the odds of the society to achieve his goal in pursuing education is
considered as an outcast and burnished from the society (Ferreira 1671). Tumbali has been in the
fore front to transform the manner in which the society views women and other social problems,
a factor that has bore no fruits since the community has been trained to believe in their own
systems.
It is also essential to consider the fact that Kundida does not believe in the aspect of his
community’s prosperity, a factor that determines the manner in which the Kumbayana
Surname: 4
community is socially stratified (Ferreira 1675). The inhabitant of this population believe that no
wealth belongs to a single individual and when there is a need, the community or the individuals
have the authority to get whatever they require to meet these needs. Poverty has in this case
evaded the community of Kumbaya while the other communities that boarder this village
prosper. According to Kundida, the accumulation of individual wealth is one of the sources and
the root of evils within the society.
However, Kundida has ensured that there are traditions that need to be adhered to by the
community members. The community is required to daily bring food into his store house and
ensure that there is enough for him to feed each and every day (Gangas 23). The communities
even in abject poverty are forced to adhere to these traditions since there is a belief that
individuals who fail to adhere to these traditions are likely to be stricken by thunders. This has
therefore developed a social unrest within the community of Kumbaya who are not allowed to
even seek for medical help from intuitions of health within Timbuktu. The sick individuals
within the society are required to use herbal medicines and if the situation worsens, they are
required to seek prayers and meditations from Kundida who is believed to have access to god.
Over time, Kundida has been sported as vocal about the changes that are developing
within the society around him. In his view, he believes that development is evil, and the society
is getting into the Western trap of colonization (Gangas 25). As a matter of this fact, the children
within this society are only allowed to learn their traditional activities that include firming,
fishing and hunting. Education in this community is therefore considered as one of the social
evils that washes away the brains of the children and the youth and develops vices and immoral
actions that consume the community values and morals.
Surname: 5
Several organizations have held talks with Kundida to enlighten him of the important
issues that would see the prosperity of his people with focus on education, health care and the
well being of the community members. However, the people of Kumbaya believe that the final
say rests with Kundida who has access to god and knows what is best for the people of
Kumbaya. Women are used to the manner in which they are viewed and discriminated and
consider this as a normal act. On the other hand, the girls within this community are also
subjected to such harsh treatments and are trained to take up their responsibilities as women as
early as they can walk. The village of Kumbaya is still flowing under the annals of darkness even
when there seems to be no hope at the end of a tunnel.
Conclusion
It is essential to consider that the development of this fictional paper inclusively
incorporated the elements of sociological concepts in developing the actions of the fictional
character within a fictitious community. Some of the sociological concepts used in depicting the
nature of this society include the proponents of values, beliefs, cultures and the language of the
community. On the other hand, the element of social construction of gender in this fictional story
can be seen in the manner in which the community of Kumbaya views women, a factor that has
resulted in discrimination of this gender. Women are in this case treated as junior to any male
individual within the society be it their husbands or their male children, thus pointing out to the
element of social construction of gender.
In this fictional story, the element of social imagination is employed in the manner in
which this community is trained to believe. Kundida in this case has ensured that there are
Surname: 6
traditions that need to be adhered to by the community members. The community is required to
daily bring food into his store house and ensure that there is enough for him to feed each and
every day. The communities even in abject poverty are forced to adhere to these traditions since
there is a belief that individuals who fail to adhere to these traditions are likely to be stricken by
thunders. This has therefore developed a social unrest within the community of Kumbaya who
are not allowed to even seek for medical help from intuitions of health within Timbuktu. The
theory of social stratification is additionally included in the paper.
Surname: 7
Works Cited
Delanty, G. Varieties of critique in sociological theory and their methodological implications for
social research. Irish Journal of Sociology, 19(1), 68-92. 2011. Print
Ferreira, S. Sociological Observations of the Third Sector through Systems Theory: An
Analytical Proposal. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary & Nonprofit
Organizations, 25(6), 1671-1693.
