Research Paper Assignment

Length: 3-5 pages mla format

Research Reaction paper: What is your culture? How does it impact your practices of holidays, birthdays, vacations, etc.? Students should be prepared to cite critical resources from the Library (not Wikipedia or Google) to consider an element of their own culture in a broader context. Specific information must be included in the research reaction paper that explicitly addresses the following questions:

1. Where does the information for this cultural practice come from? Direct observation, interviews, research databases with restricted access, etc.?

2. How has this cultural practice, event, or object changed over time and what circumstances or pressures have caused this change?

3. How does this cultural focal point relate to other unfamiliar or seemingly very different parts of the same culture and different cultures?

4. How would you critique or limit the scope of the source of your information about this cultural practice? For instance, how do interviews limit the scope of your commentary? How does a scholarly academic resources face constraints? What does each kind of source overlook or fail to consider?