CULTURAL ARTIFACT ESSAY (16 points)
In five-student groups, you will write a 6-8 page (1,800-2,400 words) essay where you:
1. Select a cultural artifact that helps define our cultural notions of what it means to be a woman. The artifact could be any of these things: something we wear (clothing, makeup, shoes), a tool (cooking, gardening, cleaning utensils, art supplies, digital device), a mode of transportation (skateboard, train, a particular car), our bodies (the body as a whole or a body part), a social media space (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), and so on. Your choices are open as long as it’s an everyday artifact. It should be something that group members either know something about or are curious about and would like to explore.
2. Interview five women about the way this artifact has affected their notions of gender. You can interview them over email or in person. One caveat about in-person interviews is that you’ll have to record them and then transcribe the answers, which can be time-consuming. Make sure you give interviewees the choice of being identified by their first name or of being given a pseudonym. You will compose 8-10 questions for your interviews. Make sure to avoid yes or no questions (Do you like MSU?) and instead ask open-ended questions (What do you like about MSU?) so you can get in-depth answers. Every interviewee should be asked the same questions so you’re able to then look at their answers side by side and make some generalizations about the results. You will cite the interviews as MLA in-text citations and on your Works Cited page.
3. Find four reliable sources about your artifact and weave them into your essay alongside the interviews and your own personal experience (if you choose to add it) as you make your arguments. At least two of the sources should come from the MSU Libraries catalogue. You are welcome to also draw from online sources like newspapers, credible blogs, YouTube videos, and so on.
4. Consult the Purdue OWL to answer questions about MLA citations, both in-text citations and Works Cited pages (you will need to have both).
5. Your essay should take a stand about the artifact you have chosen. You should argue that it affects our notions of what it means to be a woman in a particular way and show us through your interviews and research why you think that is the case. Try to keep your points limited to two-to-four main ideas so you can explore them in depth. This is not a five-paragraph essay. You can, and most likely will, take more than one paragraph to make your points.
6. It is OK (and in fact welcome) to bring your personal experience into this piece. Since you are a group, mention the particular group member by her/his first name when you discuss her/his experience here. The rest of the time use “we” to talk about yourselves as authors.
7. If you need to add visuals, make sure you title them and address them in the text so you can provide context for them.
8. The focus of this essay is the relationship between a cultural artifact and how we as a culture understand gender. Make sure that you keep both those topics running through your whole essay or you will end up with a project that doesn't fulfill the assignment requirements.
Cultural Artifact Essay Delivery
In order for your essay to receive full credit, you must do the following:
Send the essay as an attachment to [email protected]. The essay should be a Microsoft Word file. The subject of your email should be Cultural Artifact Essay, followed by the last names of every group member separated by commas and in alphabetical order. The name of the document should be Cultural Artifact Essay followed by the reflection writers’ last names in alphabetical order, i.e. Cultural Artifact Essay Bowler Hidalgo.
Every group member needs to be Cc-d in the email.
I will deduct a point if you do not follow this format as you turn in your essay.
1. Select a cultural artifact that helps define our cultural notions of what it means to be a woman. The artifact could be any of these things: something we wear (clothing, makeup, shoes), a tool (cooking, gardening, cleaning utensils, art supplies, digital device), a mode of transportation (skateboard, train, a particular car), our bodies (the body as a whole or a body part), a social media space (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), and so on. Your choices are open as long as it’s an everyday artifact. It should be something that group members either know something about or are curious about and would like to explore.
2. Interview five women about the way this artifact has affected their notions of gender. You can interview them over email or in person. One caveat about in-person interviews is that you’ll have to record them and then transcribe the answers, which can be time-consuming. Make sure you give interviewees the choice of being identified by their first name or of being given a pseudonym. You will compose 8-10 questions for your interviews. Make sure to avoid yes or no questions (Do you like MSU?) and instead ask open-ended questions (What do you like about MSU?) so you can get in-depth answers. Every interviewee should be asked the same questions so you’re able to then look at their answers side by side and make some generalizations about the results. You will cite the interviews as MLA in-text citations and on your Works Cited page.
3. Find four reliable sources about your artifact and weave them into your essay alongside the interviews and your own personal experience (if you choose to add it) as you make your arguments. At least two of the sources should come from the MSU Libraries catalogue. You are welcome to also draw from online sources like newspapers, credible blogs, YouTube videos, and so on.
4. Consult the Purdue OWL to answer questions about MLA citations, both in-text citations and Works Cited pages (you will need to have both).
5. Your essay should take a stand about the artifact you have chosen. You should argue that it affects our notions of what it means to be a woman in a particular way and show us through your interviews and research why you think that is the case. Try to keep your points limited to two-to-four main ideas so you can explore them in depth. This is not a five-paragraph essay. You can, and most likely will, take more than one paragraph to make your points.
6. It is OK (and in fact welcome) to bring your personal experience into this piece. Since you are a group, mention the particular group member by her/his first name when you discuss her/his experience here. The rest of the time use “we” to talk about yourselves as authors.
7. If you need to add visuals, make sure you title them and address them in the text so you can provide context for them.
8. The focus of this essay is the relationship between a cultural artifact and how we as a culture understand gender. Make sure that you keep both those topics running through your whole essay or you will end up with a project that doesn't fulfill the assignment requirements.
Cultural Artifact Essay Delivery
In order for your essay to receive full credit, you must do the following:
Send the essay as an attachment to [email protected]. The essay should be a Microsoft Word file. The subject of your email should be Cultural Artifact Essay, followed by the last names of every group member separated by commas and in alphabetical order. The name of the document should be Cultural Artifact Essay followed by the reflection writers’ last names in alphabetical order, i.e. Cultural Artifact Essay Bowler Hidalgo.
Every group member needs to be Cc-d in the email.
I will deduct a point if you do not follow this format as you turn in your essay.
FIRST PROPOSAL (2 points)
The assignment is divided in two stages, research and writing, and group members will play different roles during each stage. As you select who will play what role, make sure to go with each group member’s strengths so the group will benefit as a whole. In the first proposal, you will answer the following questions:
Essay Content
1. What cultural artifact have you selected and why?
Research Roles
2. Who will play each of the following research roles?
Interviewers: Two group members will be in charge of finding, contacting, and staying in touch with the interviewees from the research stage until you send them an email with the finished product attached, thanking them for their participation. Before interviewees agree to the project, make sure they tell you whether they want you to use their first name or a pseudonym. When the naming has been agreed upon, the interviewees will conduct the interviews. Once all interviews have been completed, the interviewers will analyze the data to find patterns (places where the interviewees agree, places where they don’t) and to select quotes that would be good to cite on the paper. They will share this information with the researchers.
Researchers: Two group members will find four sources (at least two from the library catalogue). Once the sources have been selected, researches will read them and find sections for direct quoting and paraphrasing, which they will highlight and share with the interviewers.
Writing Roles
3. Who will play each of the following production roles?
Writing Prep and Editors: These two group members will analyze the data produced by the interviewers and researchers and come up with two-to-four main points, as well as decide which quotes from the interviews and sources would help to support those points. As they come up with the points, the writing prep group members should consult with the writers, but it is their job to put the document together. They will also edit the final product once the writers have completed it.
Writers: Using the points and quotes organized by the writing prep group members, these two group members will write the piece. It is OK for the writers to deviate from the plan and quotes designed by the writing prep group members as long as the changes are discussed with everyone. The writers will take into account and make the changes suggested by the editors upon reading the essay’s drafts.
Proposal Delivery
In order for your proposal to receive full credit, you must do the following:
Send the proposal as an attachment to [email protected]. The proposal should be a Microsoft Word file. The subject of your email should be Cultural Artifact Proposal 1, followed by the last names of every group member separated by commas and in alphabetical order. The name of the document should be Cultural Artifact Proposal followed by the reflection writers’ last names in alphabetical order, i.e. Cultural Artifact Proposal 1 Bowler Hidalgo.
Every group member needs to be Cc-d in the email.
You will receive half credit if you do not follow the instructions above or if you submit your proposal a day late. If you submit it two or more days late, you will receive no credit.
Essay Content
1. What cultural artifact have you selected and why?
Research Roles
2. Who will play each of the following research roles?
Interviewers: Two group members will be in charge of finding, contacting, and staying in touch with the interviewees from the research stage until you send them an email with the finished product attached, thanking them for their participation. Before interviewees agree to the project, make sure they tell you whether they want you to use their first name or a pseudonym. When the naming has been agreed upon, the interviewees will conduct the interviews. Once all interviews have been completed, the interviewers will analyze the data to find patterns (places where the interviewees agree, places where they don’t) and to select quotes that would be good to cite on the paper. They will share this information with the researchers.
Researchers: Two group members will find four sources (at least two from the library catalogue). Once the sources have been selected, researches will read them and find sections for direct quoting and paraphrasing, which they will highlight and share with the interviewers.
Writing Roles
3. Who will play each of the following production roles?
Writing Prep and Editors: These two group members will analyze the data produced by the interviewers and researchers and come up with two-to-four main points, as well as decide which quotes from the interviews and sources would help to support those points. As they come up with the points, the writing prep group members should consult with the writers, but it is their job to put the document together. They will also edit the final product once the writers have completed it.
Writers: Using the points and quotes organized by the writing prep group members, these two group members will write the piece. It is OK for the writers to deviate from the plan and quotes designed by the writing prep group members as long as the changes are discussed with everyone. The writers will take into account and make the changes suggested by the editors upon reading the essay’s drafts.
Proposal Delivery
In order for your proposal to receive full credit, you must do the following:
Send the proposal as an attachment to [email protected]. The proposal should be a Microsoft Word file. The subject of your email should be Cultural Artifact Proposal 1, followed by the last names of every group member separated by commas and in alphabetical order. The name of the document should be Cultural Artifact Proposal followed by the reflection writers’ last names in alphabetical order, i.e. Cultural Artifact Proposal 1 Bowler Hidalgo.
Every group member needs to be Cc-d in the email.
You will receive half credit if you do not follow the instructions above or if you submit your proposal a day late. If you submit it two or more days late, you will receive no credit.
SECOND PROPOSAL (2 points)
In the second proposal you will:
1. Provide a list of your selected four sources in MLA Works Cited format.
2. Name the five people you will be interviewing and briefly explain why you have selected them for the project.
3. Submit a list of eight-to-ten open-ended questions you will ask your interviewees.
Proposal Delivery
In order for your proposal to receive full credit, you must do the following:
Send the proposal as an attachment to [email protected]. The proposal should be a Microsoft Word file. The subject of your email should be Cultural Artifact Proposal 2, followed by the last names of every group member separated by commas and in alphabetical order. The name of the document should be Cultural Artifact Proposal followed by the reflection writers’ last names in alphabetical order, i.e. Cultural Artifact Proposal 2 Bowler Hidalgo.
Every group member needs to be Cc-d in the email.
You will receive half credit if you do not follow the instructions above or if you submit your proposal a day late. If you submit it two or more days late, you will receive no credit.
1. Provide a list of your selected four sources in MLA Works Cited format.
2. Name the five people you will be interviewing and briefly explain why you have selected them for the project.
3. Submit a list of eight-to-ten open-ended questions you will ask your interviewees.
Proposal Delivery
In order for your proposal to receive full credit, you must do the following:
Send the proposal as an attachment to [email protected]. The proposal should be a Microsoft Word file. The subject of your email should be Cultural Artifact Proposal 2, followed by the last names of every group member separated by commas and in alphabetical order. The name of the document should be Cultural Artifact Proposal followed by the reflection writers’ last names in alphabetical order, i.e. Cultural Artifact Proposal 2 Bowler Hidalgo.
Every group member needs to be Cc-d in the email.
You will receive half credit if you do not follow the instructions above or if you submit your proposal a day late. If you submit it two or more days late, you will receive no credit.
ASSIGNMENT CALENDAR
Cultural Artifact Proposal 1
Due date: 2/10 by midnight
Cultural Artifact Proposal 2
Due date: 2/17 by midnight
Cultural Artifact Essay Complete Draft (in digital form)
Due date: 2/26 by class time. Incomplete drafts will count as a missed quiz (1 point)
Cultural Artifact Essay Final Draft
Due date: 3/2 by midnight
Due date: 2/10 by midnight
Cultural Artifact Proposal 2
Due date: 2/17 by midnight
Cultural Artifact Essay Complete Draft (in digital form)
Due date: 2/26 by class time. Incomplete drafts will count as a missed quiz (1 point)
Cultural Artifact Essay Final Draft
Due date: 3/2 by midnight
questions
If you have questions about this assignment, feel free to email me, stop by my office hours, or make an appointment.