Overview
- PAPER FORMAT:
- I. Introduction
- Overview of section: Summarize the topic of your study: name the organization and introduce the topics you found most interesting and your primary concern (e.g., identity, community, religious organizations, religious experience, social justice, community, identity, ritual, transformation of the person, etc.). Briefly state what you found most interesting and why it is important within the context of understanding religion, religion in America, or America. This is the “so what?” factor – this should serve as a frame for the rest of your paper. Provide some brief background information for the reader about the group you researched. Keep in mind this is just an introduction. Save the details for the body of the paper (i.e., “Observations” and “Analysis”).
- Detailed description of introductory section (added Nov. 29, 22)
Introductory paragraph(s):
This paragraph should provide a "road map" for the paper. In this paragraph, you should briefly explain the topic, argument, or what you intend to explore in the paper (i.e., your primary concern) and then provide the reader with a brief overview of how you will go about discussing this in the paper. This will serve as a framework for the rest of your paper.
If you would like, you can always address your expectations described in your research proposal and briefly address whether your expectations were confirmed or not confirmed.
- Make sure to include the name of the place of worship (or group) and their location (this could be as general as the city or could be more focused in terms of an address).
- Advice: after you've completed writing your paper, you will want to go back and revise your introduction to make sure that it correctly "maps out" what you actually did in the paper itself.
- Introduction section:
If necessary, provide a description of the place of worship and any pertinent background information that will help to support your primary concern. This gives you an opportunity to begin citing work regarding your primary concern.
- Provide some introduction or background information about the concepts you will use in this paper (e.g., values, community, religious activism, race and religion, contradictions, leadership positions and gender, culture and religion, immigration and religion, racial and ethnic inequalities, social media, practices and rituals, etc.) and address why these are important and/or what others have written about them.
Then address how your observations (or additional research that can include what you've learned in this class) add or help confirm what is already known (i.e., what you've written about above) or provide new insight or something new. This should be the "so what?" factor (i.e., why other students and scholars should care about your work/what's in this paper).
Advice: Keep in mind this is just an introduction. Save the details for the body of the paper (i.e., “Observations” and “Analysis”).
- II. Observations
- Describe the most pertinent aspects of the organization you observed.
- What did you learn about the organization?
- How did the people in the organization act?
Who were the people in the organization?
- Remember: use the observations that are applicable to your primary concern. You should not be describing things you observed that are not central to your primary concern.
- III. Analysis and Discussion
- The following are possible prompts. This section is meant to be an opportunity for you to analyze and critically think about the information or data presented in the "Observations" section.
- Reflecting on your central observations, what do these observations have to do with your primary concern (e.g., identity, community, religious organizations, religious experience, social justice, contradictions, leadership positions, and gender, etc.)?
How do the people, artifacts, or organization of the group reflect the ideals of the group itself? Or do they?
What contradictions or questions come up from your observations?
- Use concepts learned in class to analyze what you have observed. How have some of the lessons learned in this class helped you to understand this group? Important lesson: be explicit. Don’t be afraid to use concepts that we’ve learned or reference material that we have read (make sure to cite it).
You can also bring in examples or aspects from your previous history or media papers if appropriate.
- IV. Larger Interpretation - Conclusions
- Prompts for the conclusion:
- What does your analysis say about other religious organizations in the American context?
- What does your analysis of the group say about the context or culture of Northern California, Santa Clara County, or Silicon Valley?
What does your analysis say about America?
What does your analysis say about religion in general?
V: Reflection
- A separate section that you use to personally reflect on what you learned from this assignment.
- VI. Works Cited List
- Cite all sources including materials used in class.
- Use at least four additional sources
- At least two need to be academic resources
The additional resources can be from credible news sources, from the organization’s website, or other popular sources that may help you illustrate something important in your work.
see the attachment that is what I have wrote, you need to based on my field notes