There are two write-ups, Cultural Profile 1 (due 29th Sep) 2 to 4 pages. Cultural Profile 2 (due 5th Oct) 2 to 4 pages.
Cultural Profile#1 (due 29th Sep) – (2 to 4 pages)
The purpose of this assignment is to examine the structure of a non-U.S. cultural group and provide an in-depth analysis of that particular cultural group. You are to choose a non U.S. culture that you wish to explore in more detail. Read about all the assignments before you choose your culture of study so you know what you are expected to address and can choose a culture that will allow you to gather the information needed. Keep in mind, if the culture you choose is too broad, it might be difficult to narrow down your information into a concise analysis of the discussion points of each assignment. If the culture you choose is too narrow, it might be difficult to gather enough information to address the discussion points of each assignment. You will gather information from class materials, the text, and outside sources of research to create a cultural profile of that particular group that will be broken down into four writing assignments. Each writing assignment will address 3 specific topics (or discussion points)…those 3 discussion points should be the main points of your assignment. The first writing assignment (Cultural Profile#1) should describe which culture you chose to research and why (as a part of your introduction). Your essay should then address your 3 main points (discussion points):
1) Describe the role of family within the culture (including, but not limited to: the forms of family, family dynamics, and cultural variants in family interaction such as child rearing or the elderly)
2) Describe gender roles within the culture (separate from your discussion of family roles)
3) Describe customs or traditions within the culture (including, but not limited to: rituals, holidays, celebrations, food, clothing, art).
CulturalProfile#2 (due 5th Oct) – (2 to 4 pages)
This writing assignment (Cultural Profile#2) should address 3 main points (discussion points):
1) Describe the history of the culture (a brief historical overview describing the key dates and events that have shaped the culture)
2) Describe contemporary social issues the culture faces and/or laws governing the culture/country
3) Describe religion(s) and how that shapes worldview of the culture (what religions are practices, by whom, and how that religion or overall spiritual beliefs have shaped the most important beliefs of this culture).
Expectations/Grading Criteria:
1. Choose a non-U.S. culture you wish to research over the course of the semester. You
will use the same culture for each of the cultural profile writing assignments this
semester.
2. Your essay should explain the following discussion points: the role of family in the
culture (forms of family/cultural variants), gender roles, and customs/traditions
(rituals/holidays/celebrations/food/clothing/art).
3. Your essay should have clear structure with an introduction that grabs my attention
and previews what you plan to discuss (previews main points), body paragraphs
addressing clear main points in order (discussion point#1, discussion point#2,
discussion point#3), and a conclusion that summarizes your findings (summarizes
main points) and ends memorably.
4. Your essay should use a minimum of two outside sources of research (in addition to
your textbook if your textbook is used as a source of research).
5. You should provide citations or footnotes within the essay itself for each of your
main points as will as a bibliography identifying sources used in APA (or
MLA) format documenting the sources you used as research. (City College Tutorials for
MLA and APA format: https://ccc.libanswers.com/SDCC_FAQs/faq/303079 (Links to an
external site.)). In Canvas, we do use Unicheck which is a plagiarism software program
that detects similarities from outside sources, amount of text that comes from outside
sources, and use of citations and references.
6. Your essay should be 2-4 pages in length. It should be a minimum of 2 pages in
length (and a minimum of 500 words) and a maximum of 4 pages in length (maximum
of 1000 words).
7. Your essay should be double spaced, using 12-point font.
8. Your essay should be free from spelling and grammar errors.
9. Your essay should be interesting, insightful, and organized. It should be well
researched and well developed.