Write a 1500-word essay (no more than 1750 words), on the topic and two cultural groups you have proposed and researched.
Include at least 7 internal citations within your essay (with at least one from each of your sources: your textbook and six outside sources), in support of your explanations. So this means:
Use your Perspectives textbook as ONE of your sources. This will be good for your anthropological concepts!
Use THREE outside sources for the ’historically marginalized group’ within the U.S.
Use THREE outside sources for the ’historically marginalized group’ outside the U.S.
Quotations should be 10 words or less.
The essay assignment should include:
1. Introduction: In your opening paragraph, introduce the topic and the two cultures you are studying. Include in-text citations for your sources.
a. Introduce the topic.
b. State the names and geographic locations of the two cultural groups you are studying for your cross-cultural analysis.
c. Explain why you chose the topic and the cultural groups.
d. Introduce anthropological concepts.
2. Exploration of the cultures and topic: This is the heart of your essay! It is a detailed discussion of the specific topic you have chosen, in each of the cultures in your research project. Support and document your findings with citations from your sources. Address the following areas in your essay, to share what you have learned during your research.
a. Exploration of the cultures and the topic.
1. Introduce the first culture you have studied for this assignment, and explain how they incorporate aspects of the topic you are studying into their lifeways.
2. Introduce the second culture you are studying, and explain how they incorporate aspects of the topic you are studying into their lifeways.
b. Application of anthropological concepts — these should be woven into your information on each of the cultures (not “tacked on” at the end).
Explain and apply the anthropological concepts you have chosen, and use them to help define and analyze how your topic is incorporated into the lifeways of each culture. For example, how does an understanding of gender shed light on the ways people create and incorporate coming of age ceremonies in these cultures? Be sure to use an in-text citation from your textbook for each concept.
c. Cross-cultural analysis.
Compare AND contrast the way specific aspects of the topic are incorporated in each culture. For example, each group may have a coming of age ritual, but the rituals will be specific to each culture! Be sure to explain one similarity AND one difference between the two cultures.
3. Conclusion: Reflect on your research, and think about future research!
a. Explain one way this cross-cultural analysis has deepened your appreciation for the uniqueness of each culture or the topic in your essay.
b. Discuss the cultural and anthropological relevance of your research.
c. Describe one new area you would like to explore in your cross-cultural analysis. Explain how that would broaden your knowledge of the cutures or their lifeways.
4. Bibliography or References List at the end of the essay.
Formatting
Your essay should be a minimum of 1500 words (no more than 1,750 words), double-spaced. Include the word count after the last sentence in the paper for only the body of the paper. Don’t count the words in the heading, title or Works Cited/Bibliography. Remember, the assignment is graded for word count, not page length.
Type your full name and “Semester Research Project” at the top of the first page.
Include a Works Cited or Bibliography. Be sure to use full bibliographic references for all sources, including websites, formatted according to the citation style you have chosen.
Use the following links for each of the citations styles (MLA, Chicago, APA):
MLA Style – Excelsior Online Writing Lab
APA Style – Excelsior Online Writing Lab
Chicago Style – Excelsior Online Writing Lab
Remember to proofread and edit for spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Use the spell and grammar check!
(I have my proposal essay) This is the feedback I got on it (Good choices for your final essay Michelle. My main comment is that you also needed to share the references for those two concepts you chose (both as in-text references as well as full references in the bibliography), so be sure to add those in your final paper.)
