WORLD CULTURES

WORLD CULTURES

 

  • Assignment 1: Essay
      Due Week 4 and worth 100 points
    Choose  one (1) of the three (3) reading selections from the list of topic  choices below. The focus is on brief but important primary source  material written by major authors. Read the selections  as identified  with each topic below. Write a three to four (3-4) paragraph essay (250  words minimum) which analyzes the “surprise ending” of the reading  selection. 
    Topic Choices
     
  • Reading selection from  Descartes’ Discourse on the Method (Part IV). Descartes begins with a   proof of one basic conclusion and ends with a proof of something much  grander. Remember to focus on the surprise and point of realization, not  the details of the philosophical argument. Read Part IV of the  Discourse on the Method located at http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/descartes1637.pdf(then scroll down to Part 4, pp. 14-18). This is only four or five (4 or 5) pages of the larger work.
     
  • Reading  selection of Swift’s A Modest Proposal. It is essential to recognize  the genre of this work, as discussed in our class text, which you should  consult and cite. Swift promotes a radical solution, but subtle options  are mentioned. You are looking for surprise and a point of realization.  Read and focus on A Modest Proposal located at http://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/swift/modest.html

     

  • Two  (2) reading selections from Voltaire’s Candide. Consider how these  readings start and end in terms of the action and the beliefs. You are  looking for surprise and a point of realization. These selections can be  found on pp. 840-841 in the textbook. In addition, consult the class  text at pp. 824-825.
  • For the reading selection you choose:
     
  1. Clearly  state in your own words the “surprise ending” in the reading you  selected. Clearly identify the point in the reading when you realized  that there were elements in the reading that surprised you. Not all of  the surprises come at the end.
  2. Evaluate how successful the  author was in convincing you to accept the validity of the “surprise  ending” that was different from what you expected. 
  3. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
     
  • Be  typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with  one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA  Style format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.  (Note: Students can find APA style materials located in the Additional  Resources section of their Student Center within their course shell for  reference)
  • Include a cover page containing the title of the  assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title,  and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in  the required assignment page length.
  • Use the source(s)  identified above for the topic you choose, focusing on the main primary  source of that author. You may use additional sources also if they are  of good academic quality for college papers (Wikipedia and similar  websites do not qualify). Use proper APA style in-text citing and also a  matching APA style References list at the end.  
  • The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
     
  • Explain how key social, cultural, and artistic contributions contribute to historical changes.
  • Explain the importance of situating a society’s cultural and artistic expressions within a historical context. 
  • Examine  the influences of intellectual, religious, political, and  socio-economic forces on social, cultural, and artistic expressions. 
  • Identify major historical developments in world cultures from the Renaissance to the contemporary period. 
  • Use technology and information resources to research issues in the study of world cultures.
  • Write clearly and concisely about world cultures using proper writing mechanics.

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