Art that Reveals your Feelings
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Incorporating 10 key terms from the list
This information is not officially presented to you until MODULE 6 (Page 14), but I wanted to include it here for those wanting a head start.
You will need to incorporate ten class terms from the list provided below, but if you are not familiar with all of them (as we may not have covered all of them yet, depending on when you are reading this) you can consider some now in your early draft now and add more later.
Some important criteria for incorporating key terms:
Terms need to be in bold font so they stand out from the rest of the text. Only the ten key terms and the section headings of your outline (i.e., Introduction, Research, Analysis, etc.) will be in bold font.
The meaning of the terms should be perfectly clear and understandable to the reader. It is essential that they are utilized in the proper context and that you elaborate on their significance and interpretation. In other words, assume the reader has no idea what these terms mean, so explain them well.
At least two of the terms need to be associated with a particular sociological thinker(s) while you describe their connotation. Academic thinkers connected to particular terms on the list are provided in parentheses.
Do not copy definitions from the modules or any other sources. The idea here is to paraphrase definitions in original wording to reveal genuine comprehension. If a friend heard you use one of these words and asked you what it meant, how would you explain it to him or her?
List of Key Terms (all ten terms must come from this list)
paradigm (Module 2) organic solidarity (Durkheim; Module 2)
social Darwinism (Spencer; Module 2) conflict theory (Marx, Engels, Weber; Module 2)
functionalism (Spencer, Durkheim; Module 2) blasé attitude (Simmel; Module 2)
mechanical solidarity (Durkheim; Module 2) ethnic/cultural enclave (Module 4)
action research (Park, Chicago School; Module 2) environmental determinism (Module 4)
urbanism (Wirth; Module 2) social determinism (Module 4)
empiricism/empirical evidence (Module 3) values (Module 4)
cultural relativism (Module 3) norms (Module 4)
qualitative/quantitative data (Module 3) informant (Module 4)
confirmation bias (Module 3) extreme poverty (Module 5)
ethnography (Module 3) selected poverty (Module 5)
sociological imagination (Mills; Module 3) structural inequality (Module 5)
culture (Module 4) culture of poverty (Harrington; Module 5)
subculture/counterculture (Module 4) exclusion (Module 5)
FORMATTING & WRITING YOUR PAPER
Write your paper as though you are writing an article for a mainstream magazine (like Rolling Stone or Harper’s or something). Imagine that your audience has no understanding of the key terms from the list, so be sure that your usage of these words are very clear and comprehensible (this shows me that you understand the terms correctly).
To create a magazine article aesthetic, try to put the writing in columns (just highlight all of your text and click on the formatting options in your word processor to create two columns on each page). Columns are not mandatory, but projects look much better when they have them. All projects will beillustrated with original photos documenting your fieldwork. You may also include some photos from the internet (like a historical image of your group), but the majority of your pictures need to be original (ones that you took).
More info on formatting can be found in Module 6, Page 15.
Before you begin writing anything, ask yourself:
Have you visited your field sites enough times to gather valuable data? Have you taken ample notes of your observations and some suitable photosof your subjects and the areas where you watched and (hopefully) interviewed one or two of them?
Have you conducted sufficient historical background research to enhance your observational work? Have you analyzed this material so that you will know what important information you will actually use and where to combine it with your other findings (and all if it will need to be summarized and paraphrased, as well as properly cited in the body of your paper according to MLA guidelines)?
Do you have substantial material to adequately address all of the sociological guiding question contained within the Outline?
I. Introduction: What is your topic of investigation and why was this specific group selected for this research project? What are some distinctive characteristics that would allow one to identify members of this group as being a subculture or a social unit? Which qualitative and quantitative research methods were used for this study?
II. Research: What is the history of this group? What are the demographics of this group and how have they changed over time? What additional background information is relevant to this study?
III. Fieldwork: Which location(s) did you select as your fieldsite selected and what role does is serve for the group (why are they here)? What are some noticeable social behaviors and group interactions evident through your observations? What perspectives on life, society, and identity do group members have? (This last question will require either participant observation, interview, or survey work.)
IV. Analysis: Using the functionalist paradigm, how does this group fit in with the overall workings of society (what purpose does it serve and for whom)? Using the conflict theory paradigm, how does this group exhibit the competition over limited resources (wealth, power, prestige)? How would the theories of environmental and social determinism apply to members of this group?
V. Conclusion: After background research, fieldwork and analysis, what was learned about this group?
How long does the Midterm Project need to be?
Instead of doing a Midterm Exam in Module 7, your Midterm Project write-up will serve as an artifact that demonstrates your understanding of some important concepts covered in the first half of the semester. Consequently, your paper will need to reflect sufficient time and thought invested in the process in which five modules were given for completion. That being said, you are not expected to write a dissertation!
What is being sought with this paper is quality over quantity. A well-written, substantive paper that meaningfully addresses the guiding questions should easily have a minimum average of 3-4 pages with single-spaced typing before adding photos and other graphics. If you provide a solid introduction, incorporate material from observations, interviews and historical research (to answer the guiding questions), and then wrap things up with a summarizing conclusion, you will find that writing at least 3 or 4 pages is not too difficult a task. Don’t worry about numbers, just describe your experiences and elaborate on the information you found and you should be fine.
Don’t forget your paper will be clearly structured around addressing the provided sociological guiding questions in the OUTLINE.
Each section (i.e., “Introduction,” “Analysis,” “Research,” etc.) will be listed in bold font and then that section will be composed of substantial answers to the guiding questions for that section. You do NOT have to write out the guiding questions within each section, but be sure that all are addressed (you can write them out if you find it helpful).
Your answers will be based on material obtained through fieldsite observations, background research, class material, etc.
Procrastination will only make this project a miserable experience. If you work on it little by little every single day, the whole thing will come together nicely and with little stress and anxiety. According to feedback and emails I’ve received over the years, many students look back on the Midterm and Final Projects as some of their most enjoyable assignments they had while at AAU.
Research:
Many students become frightened by the idea of having to do historical research, but this part is actually quite easy and extremely valuable since it provides interesting contextual and historical information regarding your subject and gives you material to fill your paper. Although you have to cite your sources according to MLA guidelines, it’s very easy to do (plus you can use something like Easybib.com to help format your Works Cited page). No sweat.
Incorporating information obtained through research will help illustrate some deeper issues regarding your subject group that cannot be obtained through mere observation. This material will need to be properly cited in the body of your work (in-text citations) and citations should match bibliographical entries in your separate Works Cited page.
Properly citing information from outside sources is a sign of intellectual honesty and integrity. Researched material adds important context and additional information to the work you are doing.
Conducting proper research means seeking out pertinent data from reputable sources and it does not mean repeating basic abstracts found on Wikipedia.
You are encouraged to use books and articles from trustworthy publications or websites (such as The New York Times).
As an Academy Art student, you have valuable access to magazine and journal databases through our library, as well as electronic books. Check out the library web page (http://library.academyart.edu) and go to “Find Resources”.
Your paper should have at least 3 sources. I’m looking for quality over quantity. I am not impressed with 8 sources listed unless all are used very clearly and properly cited; I’d rather you use only 3 sources and use them well.
IN-TEXT CITATIONS
Example for an article with an author (most will be like this): The origins of this group are known to go back to the earliest mining settlement camps in California (Taylor). Note the period comes after the parenthesis; the complete information for this book will be found in your Works Cited Page.
Example for article with no author listed: The “Care Not Cash” program was passed by the City of San Francisco in 2004, which resulted among other things in General Assistance checks being cut from $349 a month to just $59 a month (“History of Homelessness & San Francisco City Policy”). Note that articles are in parenthesis and not italics; the complete information for this article (what magazine or website it is from) will be found in your Works Cited Page.
WORKS CITED PAGE
All of your sources should be listed alphabetically in a separate “Works Cited” page and in MLA format. (Having the list at the end of the paper and not on a separate page is fine.)
There are plenty of resources available on the web to show you how to properly list sources in MLA formatting; there are even some websites that will format your material for you (Easybib, Noodle, etc.).
Web Page:
Fricke, David. “Forty Years of Beatlemania: A look back at the Beatles’ debut on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show.'”
Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, 19 Sept. 2009. Web. 8 Oct. 2009.
(if no author is given):
“Using Computers to Analyse Sentiments: An Emotional Response.” Economist. Economist, 6 Oct. 2009. Web.
8 Oct. 2009.
