Category: Cultural studies

As described in the course syllabus, please select a culture different than your own, and then “plunge” into that culture through an immersive experience. Please share a 1-2 page written description of the plunge and what you learned from this experience.

Cultural Artifact (5 FULL

pages; (not including work cited page) 12pt, Times New Roman font, 1 margins, double-

spaced)

THE PROJECT:

This project asks you to explain the cultural

meaning of an object. You should choose and object that has some importance to the culture of Rereading Americasome

object that relates to the homelife described in the short essays you read from section 1,

Harmony at Home or the ones you plan to read from Learning Power in section2. It can also be an object that relates to your major, in which case you will need to do research or have personal experience with that object in that field.

This project is about meaning.

It is not about the history of the object, the factual elements are only to support your

ethos as you make your claim about what the object means. Your paper should focus on how the artifact from the field represents the meaning of your field. Think of the farmer, how that Ram commercial is predicated upon the meaning of farmer and how it ties Ram

trucks to that meaning. But you must

be more honest than the commercial and explain explicitly how the artifact that is your focus represents the meaning of the field.

To write this paper you will need to think about and research the object so that you can have

facts to support the ethos of your claims about what it means.

DO NOT fall into the trap of just reporting those facts though.

Your research should allow you to say things that most who at first think about your profession and artifact wouldnt think of. Your paper uses these facts to make yourself sound like an expert about the object.

LEARNING GOALS:

1) to invite you to inquire into cultural values and/or practices of

literacy (what does it mean to know about a thing?) by choosing an artifact as the focus of

your inquiry; and 2) to give you practice in processes of inquiry: forming and asking

questions, revising questions, and seeking answers.

RHETORICAL PURPOSE:

of the project is to demonstrate the significance of an everyday

item for understanding a larger pattern of cultural values or practices. Your reader should

come away from your essay having learned a new way to look at taken-for-granted artifact

through the cultural values/practices you discover in your analysis of the artifact youve chosen.

THE FIRST STEP:

Learn about the object. To learn about its material, literal, concrete properties. It is important here to dig until you go past the surface, the obvious. You should reach

a point where you discover facts about the object in question that you did not know going in.

These facts become your Ethos as you then describe the previous usage and cultural (figurative)

meaning of the object and the changing usage and how that new usage changes its meaning.

THE GOAL:

Take a common object and research it until its literal and figurative strangeness is revealed.

The object is Bow and Arrow.

1. Angela Davis argues that the blues developed a tradition of openly addressing female and male sexuality and that this tradition was distinctly African American and gave expression to the new social and sexual realities being experienced by African Americans as a free people. Do you agree or disagree with this argument? Why? What does it say about the power of musical expression in Black communities.

They will choose one article and do research concerning the historical and political precedents that contributed to the issue at hand. I will post these on Blackboard in the folder for this assignment by the second week of class. These news articles will be related to the themes we cover in the first weeks of class, and it is expected that you will use scholarly sources in your paper. This will be a shorter essay, 2000 words minimum, but it is expected that good quality sources will be used (at least 5 scholarly sources and 8 sources total). Appropriate citations and referencing are mandatory article to use- helping indigenous entrepreneurs grow and sometimes heal by andrea smith date jan 15,2026

this paper asks you to analyze and interpret the role of place in shaping identity. Some guiding questions include: What does the relationship between place and identity look like in the text(s)? What is the significance of place or environment for the text and its characters? Does the scenery influence the narrative? What are some Chicanx/a/o perspectives that are being created/perpetuated or countered/pushed back against and how does setting or location play a part in this? I have also uploaded my work for reference but please make a new paper.

As you write, be sure to cite specific examples of evidence from each text, pointing out the use of literary and cinematic devices where appropriate.

Start this week by revisiting MODULE #3 on our ‘Class-Modules’ section. Here, a link to an important United Nations [UN] database is provided as part of the regular lecture notes. Follow the provided link to access the important UN database.

https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/upr/documentation

Once there, choose one European or one Asian/Middle Eastern country to focus on [choose one country from the many available on the list. Our focus is on regions that we have covered up to this point].

For this assignment, we will pay close attention to two main sections of the available country reports:

1. Compilation of UN Information [which is the initial report on a country’s Human Rights record].2. National Report [which is a chance for the chosen country to answer back/give a rebuttal to the UN report].–See the instructions below:

a. Start by clearly introducing your chosen Asian, Middle Eastern or European country. Be sure to offer some useful background information on the country [Location, form of government, demographics.]

b. Now proceed to briefly analyze the available parts of the report for the chosen country. List and explain:

b.1. At least two major areas of concern as per the Compilation of UN Information document. Be sure to include specific information on the core instrument that forms the basis of the stated violation

and

b.2. The follow-up rejoinder on the same two issues as per the provided National Report. As you compile your response, pay close attention to how the chosen country addresses the issues at hand [whether directly or through convenient explanations.]

c. For our debate question: In your opinion, how effective are the available UN reports in addressing outstanding Human Rights violations in the chosen country? What suggestions would you make in this regard? Please explain.

Chapter 4 of the course textbook discusses HB2281 in Arizona (2010), which banned the teaching of ethnic studies and became the subject of many student-led protests. While eventually overturned, it remains an important case as public debates regarding the teaching of racial, ethnic, and gender studies continue. More recently, those debates have shifted to whether matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) should be part of public school (or university) curriculum.

Using the perspective offered by the case of HB2281, assess the contemporary debate over DEI curricula in schools. What is it that those arguing against DEI in education claim is the cause for concern? And what do those who advocate for the value of DEI in education have to say in response? Are there parallels that you can see between the HB2281 case and the current debate over DEI in schools?

(In order to answer this, it would be helpful to review the Chapter 4 discussion of HB2281 as well as find your own resources regarding that case and the contemporary discussion of DEI.)

Length: minimum of 250 words

Your response should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards where appropriate. Additional resources are not required but be sure to cite any you use.

(I currently do not have access to the textbook due to online issues with my school, however I have attached links below that’ll help with writing the discussion post)

Links:

Essay 1 Visual Media Analysis How does pop culture reflect, influence, critique, and comment on social issues, and how can we read into these narratives more incisively? Your task is to select a visual media text and analyze what that text reveals about contemporary culture. In what ways is your text tapping into, mocking, or reinforcing cultural ideologies? How does the text work to establish or critique social norms? Objective: Write a thesis-driven analytical essay that explores the cultural impact of a visual media/pop culture text a film, TV series, ad campaign, social media trend/influencers content, video game, or other visual form of mass media. Using evidence from 3-4 sources to develop your analysis, explain what this text reveals or satirizes about contemporary U.S. culture or the culture of another country you have lived in/are connected to. (5-6 double-spaced pages + Works Cited, due February 10) Source and Citation Requirements: Your essay will include evidence from a primary source the specific visual media text and 3-4 secondary sources to develop an analysis of your selected text and the cultural work/effects it produces. Locate and incorporate relevant evidence from 3-4 secondary sources (either texts written about your primary text specifically or texts that help you to develop an aspect of your analysis). AT LEAST ONE of these must be a scholarly source, such as a peer-reviewed article in an academic journal. Use MLA format for in-text citation and documentation; include a Works Cited list that documents the sources you cite in the essay. Consult Everyones An Author (563-602, 617) for assistance in compiling your Works Cited page accurately, in correct MLA format.