Write a 4 ½ – 5 page, MLA format, double-spaced analysis essay on one aspect of gender/race/class, or culture in the U.S. (or your home country…or both). The goal is not to explore superficial practices, traits, issues, etc, but to explore one topic in greater depth.

For example, to compare and contrast, you will discuss the similarities (compare) & differences (contrast) between genders, economic classes, cultures, ethnic characteristics that you believe are significant in order to understand our society more fully, to work to better or society, for example. To divide and classify, you will look at the parts that make up a whole. For example:

In the past few years, communities around the U.S. have been dealing with serious racial divisions and protests often in response to incidents of confrontation w/ local police. What are the debates that are taking place? What are the arguments about the source(s) of the problem? What are the arguments about the solutions? What do you learn from your research that you think others need to know? OR

Many states are being very restrictive about what the poor are allowed to do w/ state financial assistance. Many political leaders don’t believe college students should get assistance paying for college…some want to raise the interest rate on student loans. Many families struggle to make ends meet living on the minimum wage, but politicians and business people say they don’t want the U.S. to raise the minimum wage to a more livable amount. Many people look down on the poor and blame them for their circumstances. But what really are the causes of poverty in the U.S. (or in your home country), in your home state? Is there really a “cycle of poverty”? What are some of the myths and realities about poverty? What are some of the debated solutions?

Your topic needs to directly relate to gender/race/class/culture in U.S. or global society. Here’s just a short list of possible topics, some lighter, some quite serious, just to get you thinking (you do not “have to” choose from this list, but check w/ me first if you pick a different topic)
Race and the legal/justice system
The causes of violence in our society and world
“Family” in the 21st century, and what it means today
The kinds of obstacles women still face versus men in the workplace, in family roles, in education, in society, in the church, etc.
Different degrees of poverty people/children suffer
Myths and realities about immigration in the U.S. (a big hot topic right now!)
Different kinds of music (the relationship between blues & jazz; compare/contrast classical violin w/ the country/western fiddle, the instrumentals in the Moody Blues w/ classical symphonic music; discuss the criticisms about rap music; etc.)
Gender, race, &/or sexual orientation in sports
Different kinds of firearms—in the context of U.S. gun violence and the argument that Americans should have free access to any firearms they desire (remember, Malala also talked about how the Taliban would use the money they’d get from the people in the community to get more weapons; North Korea uses its money for bombs instead of food for its people)
The pressures of reaching/maintaining societal standards for body images/beauty (perhaps including consideration of very real health concerns of the extremely obese or the dangerously underweight); could include a comparison/contrast of notions of “beauty” between two cultures
Discuss sexual assault on college campuses in the U.S. or rape of women as a weapon of war
Explain “food deserts” in poor regions of the U.S.
Analyze regional/ethnic foods, explaining perhaps their cultural meaning/history
Cultural/religious holidays of a particular group
Help us understand the many layers/definitions of “terrorism” (maybe exploring how if we’re not careful we can use that label to excuse hateful behavior by us as a nation as well as by us as individuals)…could be an exploration of “bullying.”

Sources: You will find all your own sources and while I Am Malala might be one source for some of you, it is not required and it won’t be the main source you’ll use.

You will find 3-4 sources to help you conduct your analysis, and to help you build your main point about your topic (Absolutely no more than 6 sources). Because our goal in this class is to help you learn to evaluate quality sources and practice citing and documenting them in MLA style, you may look for just online sources. BUT
No online advertisements or book reviews are allowed
No Wikipedia or any site beginning w/ “wiki”
No “about.com” sources
You need to include online articles, not just Web sites
If you use a blog, you’ll need to research the writer for whether s/he is worthy to be a source
You can only have 1 news source (from Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN, etc.) unless you have at least 4 sources

Audience: You are writing to a general, at least semi-educated audience of men, women, readers from various cultural backgrounds & beliefs, readers with different levels of financial means, etc. If you make reference to Malala, you can’t assume your audience knows about her or has read her book. If you make reference to religious scripture, you can’t assume your audience all shares your beliefs/understanding or values that scripture in the same way you do. Your goal is to inform your audience about a topic, and make sure they understand the specific point you are trying to make is important and relevant.

Parameters:
MLA format in every detail: paper format, in-text citation & bibliography (Works Cited)
Thoughtful, audience centered title, introductory paragraph (no longer than 2 paragraphs), and conclusion (no longer than 2 paragraphs)
Clearly stated main point (thesis) somewhere in the introduction
Good organization throughout the essay and in each paragraph
Each paragraph needs a well-placed topic sentence (unless you try a strategically placed 1-sentence paragraph for emphasis)
Both exact quotes and paraphrasing of your selected sources
Use of source data will (at least most of the time) need good introductory tag phrases (_____ explains, according to _________, As__________________ points out, etc)
Thoughtful, descriptive, active vocabulary
At least 2 sentences using semi-colons; at least 1 sentence using a dash (2 hyphens)
Correct use of Standard English grammar, sentence structure, punctuation; correct spelling
Neatly aligned and stapled final drafts
All WC and PR review drafts turned in w/ final draft; participation in PR required
At least 2 WC attendance forms from two different weeks in your WC file showing work w/ a tutor on WA2
3 typed drafts for active participation in Peer Revew
Printed out copies of all sources used for WA2 must be submitted w/ your paper

Points deducted for not taking typed drafts to the WC or not participating in Peer Review w/ TYPED draft copies.

I will upload my writing, I hope to be able to help me change the composition to WLA format. I need to find all of the source, and print them out, if you can not find one source, you can find a similar and replaces the original. I hope you can help me find all the source on the page, screen shots, and then sent to my mailbox:. Lixiang19931130@gmail.com so that I can more easily print out.