Final Paper: Special Topic and Argument Paper
The final paper provides the opportunity to use course concepts to create an original content and conduct original analyses. Before doing the paper ensure you have completed the assigned materials for Weeks 1-15. Your paper is an opportunity to pick a topic (or a topic that is at the intersection of two or three topics) from all we have examined this semester so far and generate an original argument that interests you from it. The paper is to be between 6-7 pages (including reference page) .
For the Final Paper, you will:
1) Have an idea for your paper. This idea will serve as your general argument. Let your paper be centered around the argument. What issue do you want to address with this paper? What interests you the most about the issue? Ensure it is something that genuinely interests you and you can extensively talk about because this paper is going to be six-seven pages long.
2) Structure your paper in a way that it has a topic. Your topic should reflect the central argument of your paper.
3) Your introductory paragraph should introduce the main idea of your paper, how and why you developed interest in this topic or why you choose to work on it, and briefly what you will be writing on in the paper including what you intend to use as your case study.
4. The bulk of your paper is in your body paragraphs. This is where you should explain the topic, the theories and concepts from class that supports your argument (for example: intersectionality, white privilege, environmental racism, imperialism, colonialism, nationality and immigration, feminism, or any other concept we have examined). Also, this is where you include your case study which can be a film, video game, political event, your life experience or that of someone close to you, historical occurrence, etc. The purpose of your case study is to serve as material that supports your analyses or a material from which you make your analyses and draw examples that supports your argument. The body of your work can contain as many paragraphs as you deem necessary. Basically, this is where you make the argument for your paper and fully express your points.
5. Draw extensively from class readings that support/are related to your paper’s point. Include a minimum of ten readings (both class readings and external resources can make up the ten but ensure to have at least six class readings in your paper). Make use of properly cited in-text citations and a reference page at the end of your paper. You can use any citation style you are most familiar with (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)
6. Just before your concluding paragraph, have a social justice paragraph. The essence of this is to write about possible solutions and how equality can be achieved in relations to the topic and social issue you have examined.
7. Conclusion: Have a concluding paragraph.
8. Reference/Works cited page. This is where you list out the works and readings you have referenced in your paper’s in-text citations. Include the authors name, year of publication, publisher, date of publication according to the guidelines of the citation style you are most familiar with.
***Academic Integrity and AI policy: Please see the Syllabus page 4. I want to see YOUR ideas and YOUR OWN WORDS! All assignments are run through Turnitin’s (and two other programs’ plagiarism and AI checkers. On previous assignments and even discussion board posts, I have had to report some students to SBU’s Academic Judiciary. Please avoid this mess for all of us!
All the Best!
