In Week 1, we heard Chimamanda Adichie speak about the power of stories to combat dangerous and dehumanizing narratives. At the end of her talk, she says, "Stories matter.
Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity".
As a result, according to her, when we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise.
As we also saw in Week 4, we all have our stories to offer, and the power of the first-person narrative can be helpful in reducing stereotypes, understanding those who differ from us, challenging our preconceived notions, and helping us connect more fully to our human community.
Storytelling has become popular again in recent years, with storytelling competitions popping up across the country. Some, like The Moth and Ex Fabula, aim to celebrate stories from all kinds of people in our country and in our world. Your final project is in the spirit of shared storytelling.
In the story make sure to address the course objectives, which include:
Identify harmful stereotypes used to marginalize groups of people.
Examine the impact of inequality among groups of people.
Analyze historical and contemporary cultural texts related to "othering."
Instructions:
For the final project in this class, you will provide your own story in a creative way that's unique to you. You have a choice in this assignment:
You can either interview a person different from you and share your results and analysis in your presentation, OR
You can tell your own story in a way that relates to the ideas and themes of this class.
Whichever option you choose, you must complete the assignment according to these parameters:
Create a PowerPoint presentation that tells your story or the story of the person you've interviewed.
The PowerPoint must be 6-10 slides in total
It should include images, quotations, photographs, poems, artwork, short videos, original writing, main ideas, graphics, and/or any other visual or textual aid that you find relevant to your life or to the life of the person you interviewed.
Using either the Speakers Notes section in PowerPoint or the Audio function, narrate the story you have chosen to tell.
If you use the Speakers Notes, please write a minimum of 150-200 words per slide;
If you use the Audio function, please keep your narration to approximately 1-2 minutes per slide.
Instructions for how to use these features in PowerPoint, as well as for where to locate free resources for platforms that are compatible with PowerPoint, are available in the "Read Me First" section of Blackboard.
If you choose to interview another person who's different from you, you may include portions of that interview in your Audio narration.
If you choose the interview option, please conclude your presentation by saying what you learned from this experience:
Has your perspective been broadened?
Does it remain the same?
What value, if any, do you find in your interview? Why?
And what new ideas do you take away from this experience?
If you choose to offer your own story, please conclude your presentation by saying what you learned from this experience:
Has your perspective about your own life been broadened?
Does it remain the same?
What value, if any, do you find in telling your story? Why?
And what new ideas do you take away from this experience?