assignment guidelines:
• Your final will be an analytical paper based off a particular topic or piece of media.
• Your topic should be presented in the following ways:
o The Prompt: One piece of film media (Jasmine Sullivan album, Heaux Tales) from the course that you’re developing an argument about. When doing film analysis, you should utilize quotes and timestamps, as if it’s a scholarly text.
• You must use at least 3 readings from the class. Think about how later readings build off the foundational texts. ( attached below)
• You can use up to 2 secondary, peer-reviewed sources apart from sources on what you’re analyzing. If you feel you need to use more, please contact me.
• You should think about applying the concepts in class to analyze something external to class and come to a particular conclusion (intersectionality & double conciousness)
Your final should:
Reflect an in-depth engagement with course readings, including authors’ arguments and key concepts.
Reflect engagement with concepts from class lectures and discussions.
Start with a clear thesis with body paragraphs proving the argument.
Make connections between/across readings.
Respond to prompt clearly.
Use strong, well-chosen supporting evidence from course material that is properly cited (APA or Chicago).
Be 8-10 pages double spaced (1750-2500 words).
Guidelines & Tips for Writing:
Introduction & Thesis: Your first paragraph should be an introduction of your topic and include a thesis and roadmap for your paper. The thesis should respond with a clear answer to the prompt and link the key texts. A roadmap should tell the reader how you are going to prove your argument by stating what you will write in each body paragraph.
Background: Provide a one paragraph background on your topic or media for the reader. Do not spend too much time on describing your topic; you should spend more time centering your analysis and argument.
Body paragraphs: You should have a few body paragraphs that all work to prove your argument. (See AXES).
Your body paragraph should start with a clear and direct topic sentence, include an example, your description of the example, how it links to your paragraph, and how it links to the overall thesis.
Your body paragraph should include a discussion of a component of your topic, link to your argument, and citation of at least one scholar.
Each body paragraph should have one main idea.
Conclusion: Your conclusion should be a summary of your essay, but it should also include some type of significance. State what is important about your argument and why it matters, so that you can end on an interesting note.
Authors’ arguments: Represent authors’ words properly and ensure that you are making claims that link to their arguments. Try to avoid if the argument is “true” and “false” and think about what they’re trying to say and why.
Quotations: Your use of evidence will be assessed, so ensure you’re selecting the most useful and helpful quotes. You don’t want to rely too heavily on quotes, so find the ones that work best and use them intentionally. Always introduce your quotes and explain them – never leave them hanging.
Names: When mentioning a scholar for the first time, write out their full name. Then use their last name.
Titles: chapters, articles, essays, albums, are in quotation marks.
Describing arguments: Use clear argumentative terms with the authors’ names: “argues that…,” “examines,” “contends,” “questions”… You can use Manchester Phrasebank for more tips: https://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/referring-to-sources/
Grammar: Proofread your text and read aloud to ensure your sentences sound correct and make sense.
Formatting:
Times New Roman, 12pt font, 1in margins, double spaced
You must have an original title (“Heaux Tales: Exploring Intersectionality and Double Consciousness in Jazmine Sullivan’s Narrative of Black Womanhood”)
Include a bibliography in Chicago or APA format with the texts you referenced.
Include in-text citations for all quotes or paraphrasing. Refer to Purdue Owl for Chicago Author-Date Format or APA Format. Do not worry about it being perfect, but it must be consistent and easy for me to find the place in the text.
Include page numbers with your last name in the header or footer (e.g. Ahuja 2)
Include a bibliography in Chicago or APA format with the texts you referenced.
Include in-text citations for all quotes or paraphrasing. Refer to Purdue Owl for Chicago Author-Date Format or APA Format. Do not worry about it being perfect, but it must be consistent and easy for me to find the place in the text.
Include page numbers with your last name in the header or footer (e.g. Ahuja 2)
OUT LINE TO FOLLOW FOR PAPER:
Jasmine Sullivans album Heaux Tales:
Introduction
Thesis Statement: Jazmine Sullivan’s “Heaux Tales” navigates the complexities of Black female identity through the lenses of intersectionality and double consciousness, offering a profound commentary on race, sexuality, and identity.
Background Information: Overview of Jazmine Sullivan’s career and the significance of “Heaux Tales” in contemporary music.
Purpose of the Paper: To analyze how “Heaux Tales” reflects and addresses the themes of intersectionality and double consciousness.
I. Understanding Intersectionality
Definition: Introduce Kimberlé Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality.
Application in “Heaux Tales”: How the album addresses multiple facets of identity, particularly focusing on race, gender, and sexuality.
Reference: Crenshaw, Kimberlé. “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex”.
Examples from the Album: Specific songs and lyrics that illustrate the intersectional experiences of Black women.
Analysis of tracks like “Bodies” and “Lost One” in the context of intersectional identity.
II. Double Consciousness in “Heaux Tales”
Definition: Explain W.E.B. Du Bois’ concept of double consciousness.
Reference: Du Bois, W.E.B. “Of Our Spiritual Strivings” from The Souls of Black Folk.
Application in the Album: How Sullivan’s music captures the dual awareness of Black women in American society.
Lyrics and themes in songs such as “Pick Up Your Feelings” and “Girl Like Me”.
Cultural and Social Struggles: The portrayal of internal and external conflicts faced by Black women.
III. Intersectionality, Double Consciousness, and Patricia Hill Collins
Sexuality and Empowerment: Exploration of how Sullivan addresses sexual agency and empowerment within the framework of intersectionality and double consciousness.
Reference: Patricia Hill Collins, “Mammies, Matriarchs, and Other Controlling Images” from Black Feminist Thought.
Historical Stereotypes and Resistance: Overcoming historical stereotypes and reclaiming identity.
Examination of tracks like “On It” and “The Other Side” in the context of Collins’ analysis of controlling images and Black women’s resistance.
Identity and Social Commentary: How the album challenges and subverts traditional narratives about Black women.
Connecting Sullivan’s work to Collins’ exploration of Black feminist thought and the reclamation of Black women’s identities.
IV. Conclusion
Summary of Key Points: Recap the main arguments about intersectionality and double consciousness in “Heaux Tales”.
Significance of the Album: Highlight the cultural and social impact of Sullivan’s work.
Future Research: Suggest areas for further exploration on the intersection of music, identity, and social justice.
V. References
Complete citations of all referenced works and scholars.
Conclusion
This outline sets a framework for a detailed analysis of Jazmine Sullivan’s “Heaux Tales,” integrating scholarly concepts from Crenshaw, Du Bois, and Collins to provide a comprehensive understanding of the album’s engagement with complex themes of identity, race, and sexuality.
