Preferred Language Style: English (U.S.)
Final Paper:
“Whatever happens, we can be certain that much of our society’s future will be influenced by which ‘mirror’ we choose to see ourselves…By sharing their stories, they invite us to see ourselves in a different mirror” (Takaki 17). As Takaki suggests, frequently we have to examine our histories in order to understand our self-identity. So, what is your history? For the final project, please interview a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, an elderly family friend, a god-parent, etc and ask them to relate an experience that has shaped their identity. This event could encapsulate an aspect of Education/Schooling, Rural/Urban Life, Gender, Class, Race and Place, Labor, Religion, Migration, Etiquette, Family, Resistance, Voting/Party Politics, or Popular Culture. Relate and analyze their experience in relation to one of your own. Be critical of time, history, and any trends we’ve broached in discussions, readings, or videos. Describe that experience using all available and appropriate modes of inquiry and then engage a larger set of societal values or attitudes. It is perfectly fine to simply point us to those values and attitudes; in other words, you do not need to lecture, moralize, or “conclude” with some big point. Also, be careful not to reveal too much, please remember this is a class assignment and try to tailor your work to the larger themes we cover. Paper will be 6-8 pages, Times New Roman 12 font, 1 inch margins.