In this article you will learn how to write an essay on social studies. Examples are attached.

First of all, it is necessary to understand that in order to learn how to write an essay in social studies, it takes quite a long time. Without preliminary preparation, it is impossible to write an essay that would be rated high by experts. Sustainable skills and good results appear after 2-3 months of work (about 15-20 essays written). It is systematic training and determination that bring high results. You need to hone your skills in practice with the direct help and careful supervision of a teacher.

Video - how to write an essay on social studies

If you haven't tried essay writing yet, watch the video.

Unlike an essay on literature or the Russian language, where the minimum amount of work is clearly specified and general reflection is allowed (“philosophizing” without specification), in an essay on social science the volume is not limited, but its structure and content are fundamentally different. A social studies essay is actually an answer to the question: “Do I agree with this statement and why?” That is why an essay on social science must contain strict argumentation, scientificity and specificity. At the same time, it should be noted that very paradoxical, unusual statements that require imaginative thinking, a non-standard approach to solving the problem. This inevitably leaves its mark on the essay writing style and requires maximum concentration of effort and attention.

I would also like to add that the exam essay is assessed by specific people. In order for an expert, who checks from 50 to 80 works a day, to mark an essay as worthy of attention, this essay must not only meet all the requirements below, but also be distinguished by a certain originality, originality and originality - this is implied by the genre of the essay itself. Therefore, it is necessary not only to present scientific and factual material on the topic, but also to pleasantly surprise you with the originality and flexibility of your thinking.

Algorithm for writing essays during the Unified State Exam

1. First of all, during the exam you need to properly manage your time. Practice shows that writing an essay requires spending at least 1-1.5 hours out of the 3.5 hours allotted for the Unified State Exam in Social Studies. It is best to start writing an essay after all other KIM tasks have been completed, because This type of work requires maximum concentration of the graduate’s efforts.
2. Carefully read all the topics offered to choose from.
3. Select topics that are understandable, i.e. – the student must clearly understand what this statement is about, what the author wanted to say with this phrase. In order to remove doubts about whether he understands the topic correctly, the graduate must restate the phrase in his own words, defining the main idea. The student can do this orally or in a draft.
4. From the selected understandable statements, it is necessary to choose one topic - the one that the student knows best. It is necessary to note the fact that examinees often choose topics that are easy, in their opinion, but which turn out to be difficult when covering the topic due to the limited scientific and factual material on this issue (in other words, the phrase itself says everything, nothing can be added). In such cases, the essay is reduced to a simple statement of the meaning of the statement in different versions and is rated low by experts due to poor evidence base. Therefore, you need to choose the topic of the essay so that the student, when writing it, can fully demonstrate the completeness of his knowledge and the depth of his thoughts (i.e., the topic must be winning).
5. When choosing a topic for an essay, you must also pay attention to what social science this statement belongs to. Practice shows that a number of phrases can refer to several sciences at once. For example, I. Goethe’s statement “Man is determined not only by natural qualities, but also by acquired ones” may belong to philosophy, social psychology, and sociology. Accordingly, the content of the essay should vary depending on this, i.e. must be consistent with said basic science.
6. There is no need to write the entire essay as a draft. Firstly, due to limited time, and secondly, due to the fact that at the time of writing an essay some thoughts come, and at the time of rewriting - others, and redoing a finished text is much more difficult than creating a new one. In the draft, the graduate makes only an outline of his essay, approximate short sketches of the meaning of the phrase, his argumentation, the points of view of scientists, concepts and theoretical positions that he is going to present in his work, as well as the approximate order of their arrangement one after another, taking into account the semantic logic of the essay.
7. IN mandatory the student must express his personal attitude to the chosen topic in a clearly defined formulation (“I agree”, “I disagree”, “I don’t completely agree”, “I agree, but partially” or phrases that are similar in meaning and meaning). The presence of a personal attitude is one of the criteria on the basis of which experts evaluate an essay.
8. Without fail, the graduate must state his understanding of the meaning of the statement. Those. The high school student explains in his own words what the author wanted to say with this phrase. It is more advisable to do this at the very beginning of the essay. And if you combine the requirements of this paragraph with the provisions of the previous one, then this is what, for example, the beginning of an essay on philosophy “Before talking about the benefit of satisfying needs, you need to decide what needs constitute the benefit” will look like: “I completely agree with the statement of the great Russian writer of the second halfXIX– beginningXXcenturies L.N. Tolstoy, in which he talks about real and imaginary needs."
9. You need to be very careful in selecting arguments to support your point of view. Arguments must be convincing and justified. Data from relevant sciences are used as arguments, historical facts, facts from public life. Arguments of a personal nature (examples from personal life) are rated the lowest, so their use as evidence is undesirable. It should be remembered that any personal example can easily be “transformed” into an example from public life, from social practice, if you write about it in a third person (for example, not “The saleswoman in the store was rude to me, thereby violating my consumer rights”, A “Let’s say that the saleswoman was rude to citizen S. Thus, she violated his rights as a consumer.” The number of arguments in an essay is not limited, but 3-5 arguments are most optimal for revealing the topic. It should also be remembered that examples from history are most appropriate in political science, partly in legal and sociological topics, as well as in philosophical topics related to theory social progress. Examples from social practice (public life) - in sociological, economic, legal topics. Data from the relevant sciences must be used when choosing any of the topics.
10. The use of terms, concepts, and definitions in an essay must be competent and appropriate in relation to the chosen topic and science. The essay should not be overloaded with terminology, especially if these concepts are not related to the chosen problem. Unfortunately, some graduates try to insert as many terms as possible into their work, violating the principle of expediency and reasonable sufficiency. Thus, they show that they have not learned to correctly use scientific terminology. The term should be mentioned appropriately; such a mention should indicate its correct understanding.
11. It is very welcome if a graduate in his essay indicates the points of view of other researchers on the issues under consideration, provides a link to different interpretations problem and various ways to solve it (if possible). Indication of other points of view can be direct (for example: “Lenin thought this way:..., and Trotsky thought differently:..., and Stalin did not agree with both of them:...”), but can be indirect, non-specific, non-personalized: “A number of researchers think this way:..., others think differently:..., and some suggest something completely different:....”
12. It is very welcome if the essay indicates who the author of this statement was. The indication should be brief but precise (see example in paragraph 8). If, when arguing your position on this issue, it is appropriate to mention the views of the author of the phrase, this must be done.
13. Arguments must be presented in strict sequence, the internal logic of presentation in the essay must be clearly visible. The student should not jump from one to another and return to the first again without explanation and internal connection, connecting the individual provisions of his work.
14. The essay must end with a conclusion that briefly summarizes the thoughts and reasoning: “Thus, based on all of the above, it can be argued that the author was right in his statement.”

Essay Examples on the topic:

Philosophy “Revolution is a barbaric way of progress” (J. Jaures)

For the highest score

I completely agree with the statement of the famous French socialist, historian and political figure of the first half of the twentieth century, Jean Jaurès, in which he talks about the features of the revolutionary path of social progress, about distinctive features revolution. Indeed, revolution is one of the ways of progress, movement forward, to better and complex forms organizations social order. But since a revolution is a radical disruption of the entire existing system, a transformation of all or most aspects of social life, occurring in a short period of time, this form of progress is always accompanied by a large number of victims and violence.

If we remember the revolutionary year of 1917 in Russia, we will see that both revolutions entailed the most severe confrontation in society and the country, which resulted in a terrible Civil War, accompanied by unprecedented bitterness, millions of dead and injured, unprecedented devastation in the national economy.

If we remember the Great French Revolution, we will also see the rampant Jacobin terror, the guillotine, “working” seven days a week, and a series of incessant revolutionary wars.

If we remember the English bourgeois revolution, we will also see civil war, repression against dissidents.

And when we look at the history of the United States, we will see that both bourgeois revolutions that took place in this country took the form of war: first, the War of Independence, and then the Civil War.

The list of examples from history can go on and on, but wherever a revolution occurs - in China, Iran, the Netherlands, etc. – everywhere it was accompanied by violence, i.e. barbarism from the perspective of a civilized person.

And even though other thinkers exalted revolution (such as Karl Marx, who argued that revolutions are the locomotives of history), even though reactionaries and conservatives denied the role of revolutions in social progress, the point of view of J. Jaurès is closer to me: yes, revolution is a way of progress, a movement for the better, but carried out by barbaric methods, that is, with the use of cruelty, blood and violence. Happiness cannot be created through violence!

For a small point

In his quote, the author talks about revolution and progress. Revolution is a way of transforming reality into short time, and progress is moving forward. Revolution is not progress. After all, progress is reform. It cannot be said that the revolution does not produce positive results - for example, the Russian revolution allowed workers and peasants to get rid of a difficult situation. But by definition, revolution is not progress, because progress is all that is good, and revolution is all that is bad. I disagree with the author who classifies revolution as progress.

Essay outline

Introduction
1) A clear indication of the problem of the statement:
“The statement I have chosen concerns the problem...”
“The problem with this statement is...”
2) Explanation of the choice of topic (what is the significance or relevance of this topic)
“Everyone is concerned about the question...”
“The RELEVANCE of this topic lies in...”
3) Reveal the meaning of the statement from the point of view of social science, 1-2 sentences
4) Introduction of the author and his point of view
“The author argued (said, thought) from such a point of view...”
5) Your own interpretation of this phrase, YOUR OWN POINT OF VIEW (DO YOU AGREE OR NOT)
“I think...” “I agree with the author of the statement...”
6) Expressing your position, moving on to the main part of the essay

P.S. It would be a plus if in the introduction you provide information about the author of the statement and insert a definition of the chosen field of the essay (philosophy, politics, economics, law, etc.)

Argumentation:
1) Theoretical argumentation of the problem. At least 3 aspects of the theoretical discussion of the topic must be presented.
For example: reveal the concept itself, give examples, analyze features, functions, classifications, properties.
2) Practical argument or example from public life

In the Unified State Examination in social studies 29, the task is considered difficult - writing an essay on a statement, chosen from five proposed.

Essay- This short essay in prose, expressing the author’s personal position on a specific issue.

Algorithm for writing an essay in social studies:

• Get acquainted with.
• Read all statements carefully;
• Highlight the main idea in each;
• Think about which idea you can quickly find arguments for;
• Write down the statements on a separate sheet of paper.
• Add at least two empirical examples, but more can be given.
• Monitor the quality of the examples: they must be presented without errors. An example should illustrate the stated point, so do not try to place them at the end of the text.

Sample essay plan

1. Introduction
2. Reflection of the problem in the text:
   • problem statement
   • Why is this problem relevant today?
3. Problem comment
   • what the author writes about
   • as the author writes
   • what conclusion does it lead the reader to?
4. Author's position
5. Student position:
   • agreement/disagreement with the author
   • own position
6. Argumentation (2 arguments)
7. Conclusion - conclusion

Now in more detail about the structure:

1. Quote.

For each topic, try to find quotes. Only they must be justified and accompanied by examples. In order to be able to refute or agree with the author of the statement.

2. The problem and its relevance.

Cliche:

This problem is relevant in the conditions...

• ...globalization of social relations;
• ...formation of a unified information, educational, economic space;
• ...exacerbation global problems modernity;
• ...the special controversial nature of scientific discoveries and inventions;
• ...development of international integration;
• ...modern market economy;
• ...development and overcoming the global economic crisis;
• ...strict differentiation of society;
• ...open social structure modern society;
• ...formation of the rule of law;
• ...overcoming the spiritual and moral crisis;
• ...dialogue of cultures;
• ...the need to preserve one's own identity and traditional spiritual values.

Remember! You need to return to the topic periodically so as not to get carried away by off-topic discussions. This is considered an error.

3. The meaning of the statement.

Remember! There is no need to repeat the verbatim statement. State the main idea in your own words. For this use cliche:

• “The meaning of this statement is that...”
• “The author draws our attention to the fact that...”
• “The author is convinced that...”

4. Own point of view.

Determining your position consists of agreeing or disagreeing with the author in whole or in part. Or argue with the author and express your point of view.

Use cliche:

• “I agree with the author that...”
• “One cannot but agree with the author of this statement regarding...”
• “The author was right in asserting that...”
• “In my opinion, the author quite clearly reflected the picture in his statement modern Russia(modern society... the situation that has developed in society... one of the problems of our time)"
• “I beg to differ with the author’s opinion that...”
• “Partly, I share the author’s point of view regarding..., but with... I can’t agree”
• “Have you ever thought about the fact that...?”

5. Theoretical argumentation.

It is necessary to use knowledge of social science: concepts, opinions of scientists, directions of scientific thought.

Remember! There is no need to overload your essay with terminology. You need to be sure that they are understood correctly and used appropriately. Prepare examples in advance.

6. Examples from social practice, history and literature.

Empirical level:

1. Using examples from social practice, history, and literature.
2. Usage own experience from life.

Remember! When using examples from history or personal experience, pay attention to their persuasiveness. Prepare examples in advance.

7. Conclusion.

The conclusion summarizes the reasoning - 1-2 sentences.

Use cliche:

• “Thus, we can conclude...”
• "Letting us down common feature, I would like to note that...”

• Unified State Examination in Social Studies.
• EGE in social studies.

Essay structure

Topics Philosophy Economy Sociology, social psychology Political science Jurisprudence

2. Problem (topic), its relevance

3.Meaning of the statement

4. Own point of view

5. Argumentation should be carried out at two levels: a) theoretical level b)empirical level

6. Examples

7. Conclusion

How to choose an essay topic?

1. Do I understand the meaning of the statement that I wanted

2. What are the main problems?

social studies related this topic?

3. Do I agree with the above statement?

how to express your attitude towards him?

4. What social science terms do I need?

to properly substantiate your point of view?

5. What examples can you give from history, literature,

social life, your life experience?

The following additional arguments are welcome:

Brief information about the author of the statement (for example:I. Kant, founder of German classical philosophy ).

The names of his predecessors, followers or scientific opponents.

Descriptions of different points of view on an issue or different approaches to her decision.

Indications of the polysemy of the concepts and terms used with justification for the meaning in which they are used in the essay.

Indications of alternative solutions to the problem.

It is necessary to select arguments (evidence), i.e. remember the basic terms and theoretical positions.

Argumentation must be carried out at two levels:

Theoretical level- its basis is social science knowledge (concepts, terms, contradictions, opinions of scientists, thinkers)

Empirical level- There are two options here:

Using examples from history, literature and social reality;

Appeal to personal experience

cliche

The meaning of the statement

“The meaning of this statement is that...”

Own point of view

One cannot but agree with the opinion of the author...

I do not share this point of view...

I cannot agree with this statement because...

The depth of thought of the great is amazing...

The non-standard approach to the problem is surprising...

This phrase makes you think...

For me this phrase is the key to understanding...

The choice of this topic was dictated by the following considerations...

This short statement opens up an amazing scope for thought...

Thinking about this phrase, you come to the conclusion that...

Examples

There are several approaches to this problem...

Since time immemorial, there has been an opinion...

Let's look at the problem from the other side...

Firstly,...secondly,...thirdly,...

Let's consider several approaches...

For example,…

Let us illustrate this point with the following example...

It should be noted...

Conclusion

Based on the above...

To sum up my thoughts...

Thus,…

Let's summarize the discussion...

So,…

This is why I cannot agree with the author of the statement...

That's why I agree with the opinion...

To summarize what has been said, it should be noted...

To begin with, you always need to refer to the assessment criteria for the task that we are analyzing. Download it and continue reading:

Download demo version of the Unified State Exam in Social Studies 201 7

Isolating the problem

So, let's look at the very last pages of the document that you downloaded and take a look at points K1-K3, trying to extract from this the formula for a good essay that will be evaluated by experts

First, you need to directly understand the statement: identify the problem, reveal its meaning and highlight aspects of the problem. A number of cliches will help you here, because the exam is traditionally built on templates and this helps in preparation

What are the problems in the exam? From my experience, I can identify 6 main “flanks” on which you need to try your aphorism:

• Essence problem...
• The problem of inconsistency...
• Role problem...
• Relationship problem...
• Relationship problem...
• The problem of unity...

What does it mean to reveal meaning? In general, I tell my students that the essay must be translated “from Russian into Russian”, in fact from a literary language to a scientific one, based on the block in which you are writing your work. You can end everything with a “reason for increasing your score”: looking at the problem from different angles. This will be the structure of the first part of the essay.

Theoretical argument

Now we move on to the second criterion, which involves argumentation based on theory. What does this mean and what parts should your essay include?
Naturally, these are terms. Hence, if you are an applicant preparing on your own, ALWAYS study this or that topic in the context of any concepts from the area that you are studying

You must also clearly, clearly and consistently formulate your statements and conclusions from what you stated in the thesis of your essay - this is very important element, pay attention to it. In addition, it is necessary to cite various principles and approaches as examples, prove your position and reveal the causes and consequences of the events discussed in the formulation of the assignment

Factual Argumentation

As a fact, you must prove the theoretical material discussed above with the help of media reports, materials educational subjects(usually humanitarian), facts from social experience and their own reasoning. The most interesting thing is that you need to provide 2 ARGUMENTS of a factual nature, both of which cannot be from media reports or history, political life... This is important to understand, otherwise the expert will reduce your score

Well, at the end you make a qualitative conclusion based on the thesis, simply writing it in other words, with a “shade” of completeness. This is all you need to know from the theory of how to write the 29th task in social studies

Speech by T. Liskova - Features of solving the second part at the Unified State Exam-2017

A video of her performance is attached below.

Ready-made essays

Now let's look at the structure. Below I attach 4 of my students’ very first works on politics. I suggest you look through them, highlight the constituent elements, find errors, if any, and write about them in the comments

First essay

“Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely” (J. Acton)

In his statement, the American historian and politician J. Acton raises the question of the influence of power on the behavior of the person who has it. This statement can be interpreted as follows: than more than a person endowed with power, the more often he begins to go beyond the boundaries of what is permitted and act only in his own interests. This problem has not lost its relevance for many centuries and history knows many cases when the unlimited power of a ruler led a country to ruin.

Disclosure of the theoretical part

So what is power and why does it exist? Power is the opportunity and ability to influence people's behavior regardless of their desire to do so. In any state, power is primarily aimed at maintaining order and monitoring compliance with laws, but often the more limitless power becomes, the more it corrupts a person and ceases to be a guarantor of justice, which is why I fully support the opinion of J. Acton.

Examples for revealing K3

A ruler endowed with great power ceases to care about the welfare of the entire people and tries even more to strengthen his position. Let's take, for example, the first Russian Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible: striving for unlimited autocracy, he introduced oprichnina in the camp, which consisted of mass terror, violence, and the elimination of not only the dissatisfied boyars, but also any opposition. Thus, many innocent people were executed on suspicion of treason, which ultimately led the country to a crisis, the destruction of cities and the death of a huge number of people.

My family also faced the consequences of unlimited power during the reign of I.V. Stalin. During dispossession, my grandmother’s family was repressed, her father was sent to the Gulag, and six children were forced to live in a barracks with similarly repressed families. Stalin's policy was aimed at equalizing layers of the population, but the number of those dispossessed during his reign significantly exceeded the number of real kulaks, which is a clear violation of human rights and freedoms.

Thus, we can come to the conclusion that unlimited power corrupts people and brings not so much benefit as ruin and a decline in the standard of living of the population. In modern society, absolute power no longer prevails in most countries, which makes their inhabitants more free and independent.

Second essay

“When a tyrant rules, the people are silent and the laws do not apply” (Saadi)

I see the meaning of Saadi’s statement in the fact that legality is the basis for building a democratic state, while tyranny is opposed to the public good and is aimed only at achieving its own interests. This statement expresses two aspects: the participation of citizens in the life of the state under different political regimes and the attitude of the government to generally accepted laws.

Disclosure of the theoretical part

Tyranny is often inherent in states with unlimited power of one ruler; for the most part, these are countries with totalitarian regimes. Its main difference from democracy, a political regime characterized by the equality of all people before the law and power belonging to the people, is the concentration of all power in the hands of one ruler (party) and control over all spheres of society. With unlimited power, the ruler can interpret laws in his own favor, or even rewrite them, and the people do not have the right to express their own opinion, which absolutely does not correspond to the principle of legality. One cannot but agree with Saadi’s opinion, and history knows many proofs of this.

Examples for revealing K3

An example of tyranny is Italy during the reign of B. Mussolini. Having suppressed rights and freedoms in the country, Mussolini established a totalitarian regime, applied political repression. Heading seven ministries and serving as prime minister at the same time, he eliminated virtually all restrictions on his power, thus building a police state.

A. Solzhenitsyn speaks about the lawlessness of the totalitarian regime in the story “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.” The work shows the life of a former soldier who, like many others, ended up in prison after the front. Solzhenitsyn described the situation of people during the reign of I.V. Stalin, when soldiers who managed to escape from German captivity, were declared enemies of the people and, instead of getting to their relatives, were forced to work in the colony for decades.

Having considered these examples, we can come to the conclusion that under the rule of a tyrant, human rights have no weight, and the people do not have the right to openly express their opinions, since they are constantly in fear for their lives.

Third essay

In his statement, P. Sir expressed his attitude to the problem characteristic features and features of power. The author argues that any decisions that a person in power will ever have to make must be carefully thought out and analyzed from all sides. These words can be considered from two points of view: the positive and negative influence of power on society.

Disclosure of the theoretical part

P. Sir's statement does not lose its relevance to this day, because all the time, rash actions led to bad consequences both for the leaders themselves and for those who subordinate to them. That is why I completely share the author’s point of view regarding this problem. In order to confirm its relevance, it is first worth considering it from a theoretical point of view.

It’s worth starting with the simplest thing: what is power? As we know, power is the ability to influence the actions and decisions of people against their wishes. This usually happens both through persuasion and propaganda, and through the use of violence. Power is an integral attribute of any organization and human group, because without it, order and organization simply cannot form. The main sources of power can be identified as the personal attitude of each subordinate to the leader, and the level of his authority, material condition, level of education and strength.

Examples for revealing K3

To confirm the relevance of P. Cyr's statement, we can give an example from history. The monetary reform carried out by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, which replaced silver money with copper, may act as ill-considered actions. Due to the shortage of coins made from the latter material in the treasury, it was silver coins that collected taxes, which soon led to the almost complete depreciation of copper coins. The reform, which did not foresee such a scenario, did not allow the situation to be corrected, which led to the Copper Riot of 1662. The result of the uprising was the withdrawal of copper coins from circulation. This example clearly illustrates the lack of thoughtfulness and logic in the actions of a politician who had to cancel the transformation he had carried out in order to calm the angry people.

As a second example, this time of successful and planned transformations, we can cite events from recent history. It's about about the policy of the Russian Federation, pursued since the beginning of its existence. Thoughtful, systematic reforms were able to strengthen the disintegrated country. Also, the effect of these transformations was the strengthening of the state and its position in the international economic and political arena. This example shows us that a policy that does not involve sudden and thoughtless transformations, but structured and consistent reforms can lead to an improvement in the situation in the state.

To summarize, we can say that the problem of the characteristics of power and its characteristic features will never cease to be one of the most important issues, on the solution of which the fate of states depends and will continue to depend. Especially now, in the post-industrial age, which is characterized by globalization, incorrectly implemented reforms can have an impact not on individual countries, but on all powers together.

Fourth essay

“The state is something without which it is impossible to achieve either order, justice, or external security.” (M. Debre)

In his statement, M. Debre expressed his attitude towards the main functions of the state and their importance. According to the author, it is the state apparatus that plays decisive role in the life of society, controlling the norms and rules of its behavior, regulating basic laws, and also being responsible for protecting the country’s borders and maintaining the safety of its population. This question can be considered from two sides: the importance of the role of the state in the life of society and the ways in which the former influences the latter.

The words of M. Debre do not lose their relevance to this day, because regardless of the chronological period, the state has always played a key role in people's lives. That is why I completely share the author’s point of view. In order to confirm these words, it is first worth considering them from a theoretical point of view.

Disclosure of the theoretical part

What is the state itself? As we know from the political science course, any organization can be called a state political power, which has a mechanism for managing the society, ensuring the normal activities of the latter. The functions of the state are not limited to any one area of ​​life, but affect their entirety. Besides internal functions There are also external ones, the most important of which is the process of ensuring the defense of the territory of the state and establishing international cooperation.

Examples for revealing K3

To give a first example, let's look at ancient history. States among all peoples began to form for similar reasons, but in this case we will consider this process and its consequences using the example of the East Slavic tribes. One of the main prerequisites for the formation of the Old Russian state was the need for protection from an external enemy - the Khazar Kaganate. Scattered and warring tribes could not cope with the enemy alone, but after the formation of the state, victory over the nomads was only a matter of time. This clearly illustrates to us the effect of one of the most important functions of the state - defensive.

The following example illustrating the impact of the state on society can be cited from New history. As you know, in 1861 Alexander II carried out a peasant reform, the result of which was the abolition of serfdom. This phenomenon had a great impact on the lives of Russian people, because most of the population Russian Empire at that time they were nothing more than serfs. By granting them freedom, the state significantly expanded the rights and responsibilities of the freed peasants. The consequence of the abolition of serfdom was the formation of a new social stratum, a change in the foundations and customs that had developed over several centuries. This example shows us the consequences of government reform, which affected the entire population of the country.

To summarize, we can say that the importance of the role of the state and the necessity of the functions it performs are time-tested. Without influencing, exerting any influence on the citizens of the country, the state apparatus simply cannot exist, and the changes it makes can be perceived differently by citizens

I hope the article helped you deal with a rather problematic exam question. Help spread the word from this article: click on the buttons social networks and subscribe to blog updates to receive new articles in your timely manner email. Bye everyone

Do you want to understand all the topics of the social studies course? Sign up to study at Ivan Nekrasov’s school with a legal guarantee of passing the exam with 80+ points!

The social studies exam is the most popular among the 2019 Unified State Exam subjects, so 11th grade students are interested in what the essay structure should be, what cliches and plan should be used when writing a mini-essay.

We propose to understand in detail the features of task No. 29 of KIMs in social studies, and we present detailed plan how to write an essay on the Unified State Exam in social studies. It consists of 7 important points.

1. Quote
2. The problem raised by the author; its relevance.
3. The meaning of the statement.
4. Own point of view.
5. Argumentation at the theoretical level.
6. At least two examples from social practice, history and/or literature confirming the correctness of the opinions expressed.
7. Conclusion.

1. Choice of statement

• When choosing statements for an essay, you must be sure that you know the basic concepts of the basic science to which it relates;
• clearly understand the meaning of the statement;
• you can express your own opinion (fully or partially agree with the statement or refute it);
• you know the social science terms necessary to competently substantiate a personal position at a theoretical level (the terms and concepts used must clearly correspond to the topic of the essay and not go beyond it);
• you will be able to give examples from social practice, history, literature, as well as personal life experience to confirm your own opinion.

2. Definition of the problem of the statement.

For a clearer formulation of the problem, we offer a list of possible formulations of problems that occur most often.

After formulating the problem, it is necessary to indicate the relevance of the problem in modern conditions. To do this, you can use cliche phrases:

• This problem is relevant in the context of...
• ...globalization of social relations;
• … formation of a unified information, educational, economic space;
• ... exacerbation of global problems of our time;
• ... the special controversial nature of scientific discoveries and inventions;
• … development of international integration;
• ... modern market economy;
• … development and overcoming the global economic crisis;
• ... strict differentiation of society;
• ... the open social structure of modern society;
• …formation of the rule of law;
• ... overcoming the spiritual and moral crisis;
• ... dialogue of cultures;
• ... the need to preserve one’s own identity and traditional spiritual values.

The problem must be revisited periodically throughout the essay writing process. This is necessary in order to correctly reveal its content, and also not to accidentally go beyond the scope of the problem and not get carried away by reasoning that is not related to the meaning of this statement (this is one of the most common mistakes in many exam essays).

3. Formulation of the main idea of ​​the statement

• “The meaning of this statement is that...”
• “The author draws our attention to the fact that...”
• “The author is convinced that...”

4. Determining your position on the statement

• “I agree with the author that...”
• “One cannot but agree with the author of this statement regarding...”
• “The author was right in asserting that...”
• “In my opinion, the author quite clearly reflected in his statement the picture of modern Russia (modern society... the situation that has developed in society... one of the problems of our time)”
  “I beg to differ with the author’s opinion that...”
• “Partly, I share the author’s point of view regarding ..., but I cannot agree with ...”
• “Have you ever thought about the fact that...?”

5-6. Argumentation of your own opinion

Argumentation must be carried out at two levels:

1. Theoretical level - its basis is social science knowledge (concepts,
terms, contradictions, directions of scientific thought, relationships, as well as opinions
scientists, thinkers).

Cliché phrases:

• Let's consider the statement from the point of view of economic (political, sociological...) theory...
• Let's turn to the theoretical meaning of the statement...
• In economic (political, sociological...) theory, this statement has its basis...

2. Empirical level - There are two options here:

1. using examples from history, literature and events in society;
2. appeal to personal experience.

When selecting facts, examples from public life and personal social experience, mentally answer the following questions:

• Do they confirm my opinion?
• Could they be interpreted differently?
• Do they not contradict the thesis I expressed?
• Are they convincing?

The proposed form will allow you to strictly control the adequacy of the arguments presented and prevent “drifting away from the topic.”

7. Conclusion

Finally, you need to formulate a conclusion. The conclusion should not coincide verbatim with the judgment given for justification: it brings together in one or two sentences the main ideas of the arguments and sums up the reasoning, confirming the correctness or incorrectness of the judgment that was the topic of the essay.

To formulate a problematic conclusion, cliche phrases can be used:

• “Thus, we can conclude...”
• “To summarize, I would like to note that...”
• In conclusion, we can conclude that...
• Based on all of the above, it can be argued that...

In addition, an additional advantage of the essay is the inclusion in it:

• brief information about the author of the statement (for example, “outstanding French philosopher-educator”,
  "great Russian thinker Silver Age", "famous existentialist philosopher", "founder
  idealistic direction in philosophy”, etc.);
• descriptions of different points of view on a problem or different approaches to solving it;
• indications of the polysemy of the concepts and terms used with justification for the meaning in which they
  used in essays;
• indications of alternative solutions to the problem.

Clichés for a mini-essay

Is it worth looking? ready-made essays for the Unified State Exam in social studies?

In fact, the idea of ​​finding and learning ready-made essay options comes to many graduates at the stage of preparing for exams. But you should be especially careful here, because there is a lot of irrelevant information on the Internet. Even the examples posted on the FIPI website are works from 2013, and since then there have been many changes in the evaluation criteria for this task. Moreover, you should not expect to get a high score for a standard version of an essay, because experts who have been working on the Unified State Exam for many years now also know these texts very well.

Conclusion - you need to look not for a ready-made text, but for clichés and clever thoughts that can be “strung” onto the above structure, getting your own unique essay for the Unified State Exam 2019. We offer you a selection of such preparations:

Criteria for evaluating mini-essays on the Unified State Exam in social studies in 2019

(compiled on the basis of the Demonstration version of the KIM Unified State Exam 2019 in social studies)

№	Criteria for assessing a mini-essay	Points
29.1	Revealing the meaning of a statement	1 point
	The meaning of the statement is revealed: one or more main ideas related to the content of the social science course are correctly identified, and/or one or more theses are formulated in the context of the statement, which require justification.	1 point
	The meaning of the statement is not revealed: not a single main idea is highlighted / not a single thesis is formulated. OR The highlighted idea, the formulated thesis does not reflect the meaning of the statement / the meaning of the statement has been replaced by reasoning of a general nature (“homework”) that does not reflect the specifics of the proposed statement. OR Disclosure of the meaning is replaced by a direct retelling/paraphrasing of the given statement/sequential explanation of each word in the statement without explaining the meaning of the statement as a whole.	0 points
	Assessment instructions: If 0 points are assigned according to criterion 29.1, then 0 points are assigned for all other evaluation criteria.
29.2	Theoretical content of the mini-essay: explanation of the key concept(s), presence and correctness of theoretical provisions	2 points
	In the context of at least one highlighted idea / one thesis, explanations of the key concept(s) and theoretical positions that are correct from the point of view of scientific social science (without errors) are given.	2 points
	In the context of at least one highlighted idea / one thesis, explanations of the key concept(s) that are correct from the point of view of scientific social science (without errors) are given; theoretical positions are not presented. OR In the context of at least one highlighted idea / one thesis, theoretical provisions that are correct from the point of view of scientific social science (without errors) are presented, the meaning of the key concept(s) is not disclosed. OR In the given explanations of the key concept(s) / theoretical provisions, there are some inaccuracies that do not distort the scientific meaning of these concepts, theoretical provisions	1 point
	All other situations not provided for by the rules for assigning 2 and 1 points, including if there is no theoretical content of the mini-essay: the meaning of the key concept(s) is not explained, theoretical provisions are not given or are not related to the main idea/ thesis, do not reveal the meaning of the statement. OR Reasoning of an everyday nature is given without relying on social science knowledge.	0 points
29.3	Theoretical content of the mini-essay: the presence and correctness of reasoning and conclusions.	1 point
	In the context of at least one highlighted idea / one thesis based on the correct explanation(s) of the key concept(s), theoretical provisions, interconnected consistent and consistent reasoning is presented, on the basis of which a well-founded and a conclusion that is reliable from the point of view of scientific social science.	1 point
	All other situations, including reasoning and conclusions of an everyday nature without relying on social science knowledge.	0 points
29.4	Quality of social facts and examples provided	2 points
	Adapted from various sources at least two correct, comprehensively formulated facts/examples that confirm the illustrated idea/thesis/position/reasoning/conclusion and do not duplicate each other in content. There is a clear connection between each fact/example and the idea/thesis/position/reasoning/conclusion given in the essay.	2 points
	Only one correct, fully formulated fact/example is given that confirms the illustrated idea/thesis/position/reasoning/conclusion. There is a clear connection between this fact/example and the idea/thesis/proposition/reasoning/conclusion given in the essay. OR Correct, well-formulated facts/examples are cited from sources of the same type that confirm the illustrated idea/thesis/proposition/reasoning/conclusion. There is a clear connection between each fact/example and the idea/thesis/position/reasoning/conclusion given in the essay. OR Two examples from sources are given different types, duplicating each other in content. There is a clear connection between each fact/example and the idea/thesis/position/reasoning/conclusion given in the essay.	1 point
	All other situations not covered by the rules for assigning 2 and 1 points.	0 points
	Assessment instructions: Facts of social life (including media reports), personal social experience (including books read, films watched), materials from educational subjects (history, geography, etc.) can be used as sources. 1. Examples from different academic subjects are considered as examples from various sources; 2. Facts/examples containing factual and semantic errors that lead to a significant distortion of the essence of the statement or indicate a lack of understanding of the historical, literary, geographical and (or) other material used are not counted in the assessment.	0 points
	Maximum score - 6

Topics for 2019

No one knows exactly what statements will be offered to 11th graders in 2019. There is a certain bank of problems that are relevant to the main topics of social science, which can be guided by in preparation for the Unified State Exam.

In order for your essay to be holistic, concise, but at the same time deeply revealing the essence of the problem, you must:

• Understand the essence of the problem. Do not take statements whose problem you do not initially understand.
• Choose the right quote. This is an important stage that should be given enough time during the preparation stage.
• Build a chain of reasoning. All blocks of a mini-essay must be interconnected. It is recommended to periodically return to the main idea of ​​the statement in the text.
• Consider the issue from different points of view, if any..
• Find the right examples.

Here are some useful tips to help you choose the examples and arguments that the new structure of the social studies essay requires, taking into account the innovations of 2019:

Main mistakes and shortcomings in graduates’ works

Analysis of graduates’ works allows us to highlight some typical mistakes, which are allowed at various stages of essay writing.

When formulating the problem and the meaning of the author’s statement:

1. On the one hand, misunderstanding and inability to isolate the problem of the statement is associated with a lack of knowledge of the basic science to which the quotation relates, and on the other hand, with an attempt to fit well-known problems discussed in lessons into previously written, read, that is, ready-made essays.
2. The inability to formulate a problem is often associated with a lack of developed vocabulary and terminology in basic social sciences.
3. The inability to formulate the meaning of the author’s statement is associated with a misunderstanding or incorrect understanding of its content, and a lack of necessary social science knowledge.
4. Replacing the problem with the author's position is due to the fact that the student does not see the difference between them.

Problem- this is the topic of the author’s discussion. It is always broad and includes several opinions and positions, often completely opposite to each other. The essence or meaning of the author's statement is his personal answer to the question posed, one of several existing in science or social thought.

When speaking and arguing own position:

1. The lack of arguments is due to the student’s ignorance or ignorance of the requirements for an essay in social studies and its structure.

2. The graduate’s argument only repeats the statement.

3. Errors in operations with concepts: unjustified expansion or narrowing of the meaning of the concept in question, substitution of concepts.

4. Errors in working with information caused by inability to analyze social experience. Often, the examples given by graduates are weakly related to the position under consideration (the connection is either not traceable or is superficial and does not reflect essential points).

5. Uncritical perception of social information from media reports and the Internet. As a result, unverified facts, unfounded or provocative statements, and biased assessments are often used by graduates as evidence in essays.

6. The predominance of a one-sided view of social phenomena, the inability to identify and build cause-and-effect relationships.

Changes in the Unified State Examination in Social Studies in 2019

Due to changes that affect tasks 25, 28 and 29, the total primary score The 2019 Unified State Exam in society will increase to 65 points (in 2018 this parameter was 64 points).

FIPI officially announced that the following changes are planned:

More details about the changes that will come into force in 2018-2019 academic year read in the document.

For an essay, the specifications allow 45 minutes, but tutors recommend leaving at least 60-90 minutes for a mini-essay out of the total exam time, which in 2019 is 235 minutes (almost 4 hours).

Video webinar on essay writing 2019

Also watch the video lesson on completing task No. 29 in the Unified State Exam in social studies for the 2018-2019 academic year:

And this video discusses the structure of writing a mini-essay and evaluation criteria, and provides exercises for training: