Process Essay / Persuasive Essay

Choose only ONE of the following prompts to write about

Process essay:
Americans love recreational activities, especially those that in some way relax us, bring us together, or develop a skill. Whether its perfecting your golf swing or planning the perfect dinner party, we tend to make the most of the activities we enjoy. But for many of us, these pastimes are also ritualized, done in very specific and detailed ways. Remove some component from these activities, and its often just not the same. For this essay you will explore the "process" by which one American recreational activity takes place, walking your reader through all aspects of the experience. For example, what is the process involved in the perfect Super Bowl party, an afternoon at the beach, or a trip abroad? In your analysis, consider the steps involved in this pastime, including time requirements (how long does it take and when?), accessories (which materials are required?), and sequence (what is the order in which this activity happens?), as well as why each aspect is important. Feel free to use any of the recreational texts we read in class to supplement your essay.

Persuasive essay:
If the so-called "Great Recession" has illustrated anything, its been the increasing economic inequality present in contemporary American society. In recent years, we've not only seen the wealthy get wealthier and the poor got poorer, but the middle class increasingly contracting. Traditionally, the middle class has been the class of the American Dream. The nuclear family, suburbia, and upward mobility are all tenants of the American middle class, and yet, recent years has seen a sharp decline in their financial stability. They are now plagued by high debt, foreclosures, and unemployment. Should this trend continue, what might a future America without a middle classslook like? What would be the consequences of an America made up of mostly rich and poor, with few in between? In a persuasive essay, argue for the preservation of the middle class. Persuade your reader that the middle class must be  preserved and why.

Requirements:

• MLA format, including parenthetical citation 
• 2.5 pages minimum

Due: Thursday, Dec. 9th

Week 15: Pastimes in America / Conclusion

"A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz."

—Humphrey Bogart  
 

Tu 12.7

Read: CR—“Food is Good” by Anthony Bourdain, “Satin Worship” by Holly Welker
In-Class: Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: Journal 8

Th 12.9
In-Class: Course review
Due: Persuasive essay OR Process essay; Extra Credit due by email by Friday, Dec. 10th at midnight

Journal 8: Get a Life!

If there is one thing Americans cherish, it's their recreational time. Downtime is a valued commodity in American society and we'll often spend as much time (and money) as possible pursuing our interests. Still, not all activities are viewed equally. There is clearly a hierarchy of recreational activities in America, where golfers and political junkies are respected, but scrapbookers and fanboys are derided. Nonetheless, each person has their own ideas about what constitutes a worthwhile pastime. For your final journal, consider those activities that, from your point of view, are a waste of time. Which activities baffle you? What can't you imagine spending your time doing and why?

Include at least one of the following pieces in your discussion:

• "World of Warcraft—Not Just for Nerds” (Huffington Post)
• "Memory Makers" (Wall Street Journal)
• "Why are Guys Obsessed with Sports?" (Marie Claire)
• "American Harry Potter Fans Conjure an Online community" (USA Today)

Due: Tuesday, Dec. 7th

Extra-credit Assignment

sub·cul·ture n. 1. A cultural subgroup differentiated by status, ethnic background, residence, religion, or other factors that functionally unify the group and act collectively on each member

For this optional extra-credit assignment, you will explore a culture not typically highlighted in the American mainstream. You must spend at least two hours emerged in a subculture, then write a full, two-page essay illustrating your experience inside that group. Research on your subculture is not required; however, the more you understand about your group, the better. I also encourage you to particpate in the activities of your subculture—so long as they are not dangerous or illegal.

Guidelines:

• You must embed yourself in a subculture not typically represented in the American mainstream (e.g. fantasy RGP, hot rod collectors, bird-watchers, coupon clubs)
• This should be a subculture with which you have little or no previous experience
• You must spend a minimum of two continuous hours embedded within this group
• Again, you cannot participate in activities that are either dangerous or illegal

Due: Email by Friday, Dec. 10th at midnight

To Guide Your Final Exam Preparation

In preparation for your final exam, I've written a sample essay to guide you in the Department's expectations. It is annotated to highlight specific techniques.

We will discuss this Jihad/McWorld prompt in class. Find the prompt here and the response essay here. Also, the final exam rubric is here.

Journal 7: In My Tribe

One of the big myths in our country is that Americans are all one and the same, that distinct characteristics, such as race and class, do not matter because we all strive to be like one another. In reality, we are separated by any number of distinctions, either intentionally or not. For example, the way we dress, how educated we are, how we eat, and the color of our skin, all impact who we identify with and how we are ourselves identified. Thus, we are as much a nation of rednecks, Muslims, hipsters, Tea Partiers, vegans, Twi-hards, and Native Americans, as we are anything else. Each of us has a group, maybe even more than one, that we most identify with. And we sometimes congregate into these groups almost as if they were tribes. What is your tribe? Who are the people you most associate with? Why do you feel comfortable What are the characteristics that bind your tribe? Describe who you consider to be "your" people.

Include at least one of the following pieces in your discussion:

• "Tribalism Drove the 2010 Results" (The Hill)
• "Is Healthy Food a Status Symbol?" (Strollerderby)
• "Stuff White People Like: An Interview with Blogger and Humorist Christian Lander" (Culture Mob)
• "Atheist Advertising—or Evangelizing? The Holiday Ad Blitz Starts Early" (Politics Daily)
  

Due: Thursday, Dec. 2nd

Week 15: Pastimes in America

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"What's Klingon for I'm going to die a virgin?"

 

—Dan Folger in Fanboys (2008)

 

Tu 11.30
Read: CR—“Erotica and Pornography” by Gloria Steinem, “Against Exercise” by Mark Grief, “Indelible Love: My Son's Tattoos and Me” by Lois Desocio, Prologue from Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger; eR—“Scenes from a Mall” from This American Life (2008)
In-Class: Watch—A Fistful of Quarters: The King of Kong (2007); Preview—Process essay

Th 12.2
Read: CR— Excerpt from Joe DiMaggio: The Hero’s Life by Richard Ben Cramer, “On Anticipation” by Alain de Botton, “Why We Crave Horror Movies” by Stephen King
In-Class: Reading discussion; Final exam prep
Due: Journal 7

Sa 12.4
Final exam: BBC 220 @ 8 AM (Bring a large yellow book)

UPCOMING:

WEEK 16: PASTIMES IN AMERICA

Tu 12.7
Read: CR—“Food is Good” by Anthony Bourdain, “Satin Worship” by Holly Welker
In-Class: Process essay
Due: Journal 8

Th 12.9
In-Class: Course review
Due: Extra-credit essay