Posted: April 4th, 2015
Research Paper: Instructions and Rubric
PURPOSE
Relating to the university- There exist several purposes for the research paper assignment. One purpose is to meet the fourth goal of the university’s strategic plan. This goal reads: “Become more inclusive and diverse.” This assignment offers students the opportunity to become more aware of “diverse cultural, critical, and historical perspectives”.
Relating to the program-This assignment also offers the opportunity for each student to identify, understand, and value cultural traditions (Program Outcome 3).
Relating to the course-The purpose of the research paper assignment is to offer students the opportunity explore the issues of race or gender as they are presented and re-presented in American media, particularly in film. Through this research and writing assignment, students meet the following course learning outcomes:
Explain and employ cultural studies theories and methods
Develop and practice visual literacy.
Question and conceptualize the American cultural identity.
Critique the relationship between American media and patterns of consumption
DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENTS:
Papers must reflect comprehension of critical concepts and ideas introduced this semester, as well as relevant insight or analysis you might provide supported by evidence from scholarly sources and considered refutation of the material in the readings. In other words, each student’s work ought to reflect an understanding or critical race, feminist, and/or cultural studies theory. In addition, students are expected to integrate other scholarly sources, offer an analysis of the primary source, and include at least one alternative perspective on the media studied. Students will investigate and analyze one multicultural issue or subjectivity position (i.e. race or gender, through the lens of one American film. Do not attempt to focus on more than one perspective. Students will use a minimum of five scenes from this one American film and use ideas, concepts, theories etc. from 10 sources (see below). Consider whether the film conforms to or contradicts ideologies of race or gender.
This paper will comprise a minimum of 2500 words (excluding quotes and formatting), will include a works cited, will include a thesis that directly addresses the multicultural issue and film, and will include the student’s position on this issue and/or representation. In other words, you must have something to say about the representation of _race or gender within __insert name of film__. Why does this film matter? How does it shape the American cultural identity?
This is NOT a movie review, opinion piece or a plot summary. This is a formal textual analysis of your chosen film. It may include an analysis of the political economy of the filmmakers’ creation, marketing and distribution and/or the audience reception as it relates to the formal textual analysis. The crux of your analysis must be a formal textual analysis. A genre analysis may be an appropriate component of your analysis. Determine if this is crucial to your intended argument. A genre analysis should be a tangential component of your analysis should you implement this into your paper. You should offer a counter-argument/alternative perspective within your paper. Offering a considered refutation of your argument contributes to constructing a persuasive argument.
This paper must include a works cited page with a minimum of 10 citations (4 from our course materials, 1 is the film, and 5 of your choice- 2 of this 5 must be scholarly sources). You may use the chapters relating to film history offered as a part of our course materials, but this type of source should only be used in the most peripheral manner.
Refer to the “Writing Resources” section in webcourses for helpful writing advice.
I strongly recommend that you attempt to use the language of film studies within your paper. In other words, try to use film terms to describe your chosen scenes and then analyze the meaning of the scene in support of your thesis statement.
RECOMMENDED PROCEDURE
CHECK LIST
GENERAL: DO’S
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE/WORKS CITED: DON’TS
FORMATTING/MLA STYLE: DO’S
EDITING/GRAMMAR/MECHANICS: DO’S
RUBRIC
60% Development/Coherence: Thesis Statement/Paragraphs with topic sentences/Funnel introduction – intro, body, conclusion, quotes from text, relation to film, appropriate detail
20% Sentence-Style/Variety: NO second person (you), complete sentences, concrete words, active voice, pronoun-antecedent agreement, and effective transitions
20% Grammar/Mechanics: Conventions (italicize film title)/Mechanics – maintain present tense/Correct Punctuation, Spelling, Citations (parenthetical & Works Cited), use characters’ names not actors.
Development/Coherence (60 points)
Point value Description
10 Fulfills all assignment instructions. (Clearly completes a textual analysis of the representation of race or gender within an American film. Uses five scenes from the film, integrates 10 sources and uses cultural theory applicable to representations studied, provides and clearly identifies multiple perspectives or at least one counter argument. Suggests significance or implications of conclusions.
10 Argument is logically organized. Each paragraph contains a separate idea and begins with a topic sentence. Follows funnel introduction structure – intro, body, conclusion, quotes from text, relation to film, appropriate detail.
10 All details are correct and support argument. Plot summary, if any, supports the argument directly. Multicultural aspect is used correctly and defined correctly. No broad generalizations are made. Provides specific scenes from the film to support/defend the argument.
10 Competent analysis of the film. Draws conclusions from five scenes and the overall film. Addresses technical, emotional, and aesthetic representation of multicultural issue. Considers social implications.
10 Thesis is clearly stated at the end of the opening paragraph and asserts an arguable claim.
10 Effective transitions are used throughout. Ideas flow smoothly.
Sentence-Style/Variety (20 points)
Point value Description
10 Consistently uses complete sentences, concrete words, active voice, pronoun-antecedent agreement, transitions, and correct word usage.
5 Uses third person, NO second person (you), NO first person (I, we, us)
5 Consistently maintains academic/formal tone. No instances of conversational tone (NO colloquialisms or clichés).
Grammar/Mechanics (20 points)
Point value Description
5 Virtually free of punctuation, spelling, or grammatical oversights.
5 Film titles are italicized. Maintains present tense. Uses characters’ names, not actors. No contractions.
5 All sources are fully integrated. All citations are correct (parenthetical/in-text and Works Cited page). Citations are fully integrated (no floating or standalone quotes). *Minimum deduction for each non-integrated source is five points.
5 Consistent standardized formatting throughout (e.g., MLA). Includes appropriate heading, page numbers, and title.
You may not earn higher than a C- for a paper that lacks the incorporation of at least 10 sources as describe above, lacks a clear thesis statement and/or does not meet the minimum word count. The word count requirement is 2500 words of original writing.
The minimum word count EXCLUDES the works cited, direct quotes, and/or headers. PARAPHRASE instead of quote.
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