- 15 Mar, 2021
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religion of American
Instructions
For this final essay of the class, we’re going to be doing the something similar, attempting to offer perspective and insight into a topic, using our own thoughts and opinions. But these will be held at bay, to a degree, as we try to explore a sub-culture in our society. We’ll do side-research into the culture, offer facts and evidence where prudent, but our first goal is go to the source itself and interact with it, which may be the truest form of a primary source. Then from this experience, we’ll add our personal thoughts but do so objectively using empathy and reflection.
First, you need to find a sub-culture in society. This can be anything in which you consider yourself an outsider. Think of yourself as a documentary filmmaker immersing yourself for a while into a “foreign” world. For instance, maybe you’re Christian—visit a mosque during a ceremony. Or if you’ve never been to a comic-con or seen LARP performed—spend a couple hours at these events—observing and interacting. What do people get out of tailgating—if you’ve never done it before? Maybe there’s a protest (take back the night, Black Lives Matter, etc.)—attend and hear what they’re saying and why. We want to actively attend these events with a curious mind. Invest in the subject and try to get at the core of what it means for people.
Second, once you come back from these “events” with notes/ideas, write an essay that’ll include:
Formal research: We want to integrate a summary of our experience with outside sources and evidence to add and enrich our own personal encounter within a larger context
Details: We want details of the experience. What did people say, how were they dressed, what was the setting, did you see some interesting behavior? We need to paint a very specific picture for those who haven’t experienced this world, and from these moments we need to then.
Reflection: In these details we want to offer our own insight. Interpret what they mean in a larger cultural (anthropological, psychological, sociological) context: what are people getting out of this? What are their motives? What are some positive/problematic things you’re observing? And then we need to also connect it to the personal—how do you connect to this in some way that adds personal insight into your life? What is a point of connection and what does it mean?
We don’t want to box ourselves in with a thesis (opinion). We’ll also have an anti-thesis: a way to consider this world from multiple/contrasting points of view. Then we want to try to synthesize these ideas in new ways in order to understand what is behind our diverse world.
include .. Introduction and conclusion must include