Key Concept Analysis
Due as a file upload to Canvas (in .doc or .docx) by F 9/25/15 at 5:00 p.m. - note the different date
Overarching Goal
The overarching goal of a "key concept analysis" is to write a critical definition of a term, where "critical" doesn't necessarily mean "negative," but rather "distant, informed, insightful, and deconstructive." In a way, you're looking back by helping to trace the genealogy of your term through some of our course texts, but you are also looking around or forward by considering the term's uptake in contemporary discourse, or in a relevant cultural question. And, you should be prepared to look at the term in ways other than you have always understood it or assumed it to mean. That's probably the most important aspect of this assignment.Assignment
For your third TIRP Assignment, compose an analysis of your (randomly) assigned concept below in which you start to build theory about its relevance for our discussion(s) of "Politics of Literacy and Social Justice":- Community - Andy
- Cross-boundary discourse - Daniel
- Feminist/feminism - Deanna
- Identity/identification - Emma
- Ideology - Idaly
- Literacy - Maddie
- Marginalized/marginalization - Robert
- Resistance - Sam
- Voice - Zahra
By "build theory," I refer to the definitions of "theory" that are driving this course -- Foss, Foss, and Griffin's, and Dobrin's -- and you'll see that that includes equal parts reading and reflection, and it considers "theory" to be both outwardly focused and inwardly focused. In essence, you're trying to offer the most useful but informed explanation that you can offer at this point by using several resources:
- one of this week's readings (Kinneavy, Kirsch/Ritchie, Royster, Flynn)
- one previous reading in the semester that might be relevant
- one identifiable, published media source (e.g., film clip or trailer, television episode, digital essay, weblog article, web or print magazine article, web or print newspaper article).
In reality, any of these terms could be relevant to most of our readings this week, but usually 1 or 2 of them deals with your term more explicitly than the others -- although you are always welcome to include more. You are looking back to at least one previous reading in the course to help you fortify or complicate your definition. Here are some specific things I'll be looking for your analysis to achieve:
- discusses in some depth your perspective/impression of how a particular scholar treats the concept, including any subconcepts or related concepts s/he takes up;
- offers several examples from the reading and several examples from the media source;
- explains the purpose of the term in writing/composition studies as you think the scholars are describing it;
- notes (or resolves, if you can) any dissonance between the various ways the term gets taken up, if it seems to get taken up differently between the reading(s) and the media source. In this case "resolves" doesn't mean you have to explain away or eliminate the differences -- it may be that the differences cause you to realize something altogether new about the concept.
In terms of how to write up the analysis--of how it might look on the page--I'm looking for it to be coherent and to be guided by a claim statement of your own (i.e., some statement explaining what you realized about the status or understanding of this concept).
I'm also looking for you to draw your connections by relying heavily on textual evidence, and for you to move elegantly between making claims and quoting material from the reading(s) and media source.
And, I'm looking for it to be well organized, knowing that ultimately you want to make statements that will help your own analysis move forward, since it won't move forward on its own. If ever you are feeling stuck, it's not a bad idea to organize you analysis by sub-concept, by usage, by instance, or by relationship.
Finally, as before, I'm looking for some framing--not necessarily a long, illustrious introduction, but some kind of framing statement in the beginning that helps me, as a reader, understand why I'm reading, and some concluding statement at the end that leaves me fulfilled while also wanting more. These will most likely not be explicit statement such as, "In this analysis I will/plan to ..." or "In this analysis I have just finished showing that ..." Really, framing is subtle and implicit, but it helps a reader to value what s/he will read. Be as creative as you would like, so long as the creativity enhances--rather than precludes--your good analytical work.
Feel free to embed your media source at the end of your document if it is a screenshot or an image.
Format
- ~2-3 pages, single-spaced, word-processed or typed
- Show the intertextuality of your discussion by citing, quoting, and paraphrasing using parenthetical or in-text citations -- or, for your media sources, by noting the scene or segment where it appears).
- Include a short "Works Cited" list at the end of your analysis with the full MLA citation for all of the readings you use and for your media source(s). You'll be able to find the MLA citations on our course reading list in Canvas. If you're uncertain how to cite other kinds of texts, you can find MLA citation patterns at the Purdue OWL (use the left-hand drop-down menu to find the type of source you are trying to cite).
Looking forward to reading these and happy to answer questions as you work through them!
-Prof. G
