Megan Little's Instructor Page

During this last unit in class, we will read a few works that will help you conduct successful, interesting interviews and observation sessions. We will also read some more tips on academic writing and methods of analyzing texts. However, most of our time will be spent just collecting data, sharing data, interpreting what we've collecting together in class discussions, and practicing different ways of writing up our interpretations.

Your first formal paper was an interpretive argument and comparative analysis of other people's arguments, based on their first-hand observations. Your second formal paper was a formal project proposal, another common kind of academic paper. Your last paper allows you to blend a descriptive narrative of your interview or field experience with your an interpretive academic argument (similar to your paper in unit 1). In other words, you'll get to emulate the style of other authors we've read this far. For example, there's the way Foley blends multiple vignettes with his own argument about their relevance. Or, the way Shostak blends unedited oral history with more formal anthropological analysis. How will YOU blend your findings, as a narrative or "story" with your ARGUMENT about your findings? How will you close-read and analyze vignettes you write to provide EVIDENCE for your argument?

I'm hoping this last paper will encourage students to burrow deep into their data and focus on specifics, and then, get creative with blending their narrative and descriptive write-ups with the conventions of academic discourse that we've been studying all semester. I personally feel that these kinds of papers are the most fun and rewarding to write, so I'm genuinely excited to see what you come up with!

Your prompt: In a five to seven page paper, present an interpretive argument about the socialization theme or topic related to your human subjects research project.

Assignment schedule

Grading criteria (review of academic discourse skills for the semester)