Overview
Now that you’ve had a chance to read and reflect on the secondary sources you found, your next step is to put these sources into conversation with each other by writing a short literature review. Don’t worry if that’s a new term to you! Your primary goal with this essay is to put your secondary sources in conversation with each other to convey clearly and accurately the information you’ve gathered.
We will work on this process step by step in class! First, we’ll start by reviewing the annotations from your Early Draft to look for trends, themes, connections, and throughlines. Next, we’ll fill out a synthesis matrixLinks to an external site.. Once you have identified common themes, you’ll begin to synthesize your sources to write your essay.
Requirements
The middle draft of your Secondary Source Reflection should:
Synthesize your secondary sources to present a detailed background history of your subculture.
Include an introduction and conclusion.
Be organized by topic or theme rather than by source.
Use headings.
Utilize MLA formatting (12pts, Time New Roman font; double-spaced, with title & header).
Incorporate at least six sources.
Be ~1000 words, 3-4 pages.
Include a Works Cited page.
A Research Proposal on the Food Subculture of Homemade Pasta in Filipino-American Families
Introduction
Food is not just nutrition; it manifests culture, beliefs, who we are, and where we come from. In this proposed research study, I intend to explore the food subculture in filipino-American families, such as homemade pasta. This particular subculture was picked because of its abundant historical background, cultural implications, and the complex procedure of producing a popular food heritage. My curiosity is generated by the motive to unlock the specific manner of maintaining this food subculture and its inheritance from generation.
My connection to this subculture stems precisely from the fact that I grew up in an Filipino -American household where Sunday gatherings were impossible without some myriads meticulously prepared homemade pasta. This familiarity forms the basis of my research, allowing me to ask more complex questions and appreciate the grade that those details take. I have a general understanding of the fundamentals, but what interests me is the differences, regional influences, and personalities that shape each homemade pasta.
Position:
Being a college student, I admit that my fixed positions, such as sex, age, and even ethnicity, can influence my perception and interpretation of the subculture. Being close to Filipino-American families, I am an insider with insights into the cultural subtleties. On the other hand, such familiarity may also bring in biases as it blurs some aspects that are normal to behold for a person but attract an outsider’s attention. I know the need to navigate this dual role as an insider and an objective observer.
Access
The field site for this research will mainly be dominated by Filipino-American households, specifically those with a tradition of preparing homemade pasta. With my family and connection to social networks, I have access to several probable candidates willing to share their own experiences out of generosity. Moreover, places such as community centers and cultural events for local Filipino -Americans may be considered alternative field sites to obtain various views (Alba, 238).
Schedule
An effective time is crucial when designing the schedule for this research horizon to enable meaningful interaction and data gathering in the allotted six-hour period. The focus before the Spring Break activities is to translate traditions of homemade pasta into realities during major family and community happenings.
The timetable involves starting the research with in-depth interviews to disclose depths of individual and familial peculiarities regarding homemade pasta. The first contact with the participants will establish a background for future visits, further divided regionally and specifically arranged to occur during pasta workshops or any family gatherings relating to research interests (Ma et al., 20). Respecting the participants’ schedules and routines involves feeling apart from one segment into manageable sessions like shorter interviews or focused observation. In doing so, this approach not only propels a more malleable and embracing research process but also guarantees a whole representation of the homemade pasta subculture as one that comprises family matters and evokes presence from the community context.
To conclude, this research proposal intends to peel off the other layers of meaning in the pasta food subculture within Filipino -American families. The research seeks to add depth to a broader understanding of how culinary practices influence social identity by reflecting on personal relationships, cultural pressures, and intergenerational dynamics.
