American Culture 399

Matthew J. Countryman

Paper Assignment #2

November 16, 2001

Write a 7 page critical analysis of the racial and/or ethnic presumptions that undergird a specific text or texts. Your paper should examine the way that the author or authors represent (describe) people of different races/ethnicities as well as her/his narrative structure, arguments, and conclusions for evidence of what the assumptions (either explicit or implicit) he/she makes about what race and ethnicity are and how they operate in American society. How does her/his ideal vision of how racial and ethnic relations should operate structure his/her analysis of our racial/ethnic present? And, in your judgment, how do you think the author's racial location (i.e. her/his racial self-identity-- whether stated explicitly or implicitly) shape her/his view of the racial issues that he/she is writing about? The best papers will be those that analyze both the explicit arguments of the text or texts chosen but also what is left unsaid or lies between the lies.

For this assignment, you may pick one of the three following kinds of readings:

  1. Two or more texts from the course syllabus (either books or coursepack readings). In this case, of course, your paper should compare and contrast the authors' assumptions about race/ethnicity and how those assumptions structure their arguments and conclusions.

 

2. "Generation 9-11," the cover story of the November 12, 2001 issue of Newsweek magazine and three-related articles in the same issue: "'They Know I'm About Something'," "Turning John Jay into Terrorism U," "Islamic, Arabic, and Afghanistan 101," and "Our Reporters Head Back To School." These articles examine how the events of September 11 have affected both people of college-age and the post-secondary education system in this country. If you select this option, you should examine what these articles have to say, both individually and collectively, about the impact of 9/11 on the state of racial and ethnic relations in the U.S in the present and in the future.

  1. A fictional or first person narrative about the experience of race and/or ethnicity within American society. Why does the author tell the stories that she or he tells? What conclusions does the author hope that the book's readers will reach about how race/ethnicity operate in the U.S. after finishing the narrative? If you decide to choose this option, please get approval of the book you have selected from myself or Jason (via email or in class) before writing the paper.

Your paper should make an argument. Please illustrate your argument with quotes and examples from the authors that you have chosen. Provide page numbers (in parentheses) for every quote and example that you cite as well as a bibiliography.

The paper is due on December 1 by 4 p.m., in my American Culture mailbox (2408 Mason). Content will determine 70% of your grade, style and grammar 30%. Late papers will be penalized one letter grade per day. Please come see me or Jason during office hours or by appointment if you have any questions or concerns about the paper.