Fall 2008 G104 / A199

Representing Black Women in Popular Culture

Gndr Section #27709/AAAD-A Section # 29810
Instructor C. Thomas-Williams

4 Generative Papers and Final Project

Purpose:
This series of assignments asks you to present evidence in analyzing aspects of representation,
race, and gender specifically applying the ideas we will be studying this semester to a chosen
issue, problem, or aspect of race and gender relations in representations of black women. The
generative papers are designed to help you prepare a final project that will serve as the
comprehensive exam for the course. As evidence of your ability to integrate the course materials
with your outside research, I expect you to use any materials from the course that are relevant to
your topic, and cite these and other references in your written assignments.

The directions below assume a traditional “library research” project or academic format 12 point
font, double spaced, default margins, with separate title page and Chicago style references cited
pages (neither of which count in page total). You will also be expected to summarize your final
project in a short presentation during finals week. There will be two opportunities to present that
week, which you will sign up for at some point during the semester.

If you wish to propose an alternative final project, I am open to any approach that will help you
analyze the topic you chose to explore. The final product could be a work of art, poetry, a song,
a webpage designed to serve as an educational resource, a curriculum guide or lesson plan for
school or community groups. You may also consider conducting a content analysis of race and
gender in a media source, an observation/interview/oral history project or a survey. All of these
alternative projects will require completion of the four generative papers and a modified final
paper. (Consult with me if you wish to explore these options.)

Generative Paper #1: Exploring Possible Topics (due 9/25/08)

Prepare a 2-3 page paper addressing the following. You may simply label each part as the
assignment does and provide the information requested.

Part I – Definitions
Explore IUB’s library online, bibliographies of the course readings, websites, and also look in
the indexes and glossaries, encyclopedias or dictionaries for examples of the concepts we have
been discussing (such as “representation,” “race,” and “gender”) or another set of terms from
class that caught your interest. In a few paragraphs define the concepts you chose and offer your
own reflection on what you discovered in your search. Be sure to properly cite your sources in
Chicago Style format. (See the Style Guide in oncourse resources.)

Part II – Description
Describe at least three topics (issues, problems, dilemmas) you assume would be associated with
“representation,” “race,” and “gender” (or your other choice “keywords”). You may also analyze

Generative Papers and Final Exam 1

primary resource materials. Examples of primary resources are advertisements, songs, art, and
other forms of representational artifacts.

This section should also present a preliminary list of the various areas you expect to research or
project you expect to work on. These might include the history of the specific issue, public or
academic controversies regarding this issue, social problems related to the topic, review of public
policies, theories, or other empirical research about the issue. This paper will help you to focus
and organize your ideas into a final well researched project.

Format: This paper should be presented in paragraph form and make specific reference to the
definitions you developed in Part I. Feel free to use the words and definitions above as search
words on the internet, but be sure that these issues relate directly to black women.

Generative Paper #2: Reviewing Scholarship (due 10/23/08)

Summarize and respond to what five scholars have written about black women’s experiences
with representation, “race,” and “gender,” (or other topics) in relation to the topics you identified
in Paper #1. You must use five scholarly sources, two of which can come from the course
materials. Be sure to check the bibliographies of course texts and articles for additional
resources for your own project. I am not asking for an integrated literature review, but rather
five separate summaries/evaluations. For each summary you must address the following:

1. Provide complete bibliographic information presented in correct Chicago Style

documentation (see Style Guide).
2. Present a brief summary of the author’s thesis or argument. If you use an article or
chapter from a text, briefly describe the author’s main argument or purpose in writing the
selection you choose. For examples use internet search terms “thesis and purpose
statements” and you will find useful resources.
3. Describe the evidence the author uses to fulfill the purpose or support the argument.
4. Respond to the author’s claims in your own words. How does this relate to what you
want to do for your final project?
5. You may also discuss your primary resources here.

Please note: The only acceptable Internet sources for your scholarship review are from peer-
reviewed articles located through IU Library’s Top Recommended Resources .  and the
following list are hyperlinks. Do not use Wikipedia.

• - IUCAT
• - ABI/INFORM Global Suite
• - Academic Search (EBSCO)
• - ERIC (EBSCO)
• - Factiva
• - JSTOR
• - Lexis-Nexis Academic
• - MLA International Bibliography
• - PsycINFO
Generative Papers and Final Exam 2
 • - Web of Knowledge
• - WorldCat

Generative Paper #3: Specific Project Proposal (due 11/21, paper copy due 11/24)

Now that you have explored what several scholars have written about your topic, you will
propose a specific research project that you can complete within this semester. Remember that
this project serves as THE FINAL EXAM for the course, therefore, it should utilize course
concepts and readings explicitly. Your proposal should be at least three pages typed.
Please label each section of your paper as outlined below. Be sure to include your list of sources
in Chicago Style at the end of the paper. (See “Style Guide” in oncourse resources for further
assistance.) The proposal must include:

Introduction: Define your issue and your purpose in writing about this topic in a way that
sparks your readers' interest in the topic.

Rationale: Prove to your readers that this issue is important to you by providing illustrative
examples from your varied life experiences that have brought you to this point in your thinking.
When your reader finishes this section they should understand in no uncertain terms just how
important this issue is to YOU. If you plan to use an alternative project, this is where you
describe exactly what you plan to do. This section is the heart of your proposal and should be
well-developed.

Research Plans: In this section of your paper answer the following questions:

1. What do you already know about this issue?

2. What do you still need to know and want to learn or discover through your research? In other
words, what questions still need to be answered and what are your concerns for finding what you
need? Include here a tentative bibliography containing 7-8 (including class resources) scholarly
sources in Chicago Style. Two sources may be course texts, one should be another book-length
resource, and five may be scholarly journal articles.

Popular materials are encouraged and are considered primary resource materials and do not
count toward the 7-8 resources required for your final exam project. I am not asking for an
annotated bibliography.

Implications: This section of your paper is what I call the “so what” section. Your readers want
to know: Why does this research matter? Why is it worthwhile to conduct research in this area?
Why should we care about this issue? In this section you get to speculate on the implications and
importance of your findings for you, for your reader, for the world, for the future.

Please note: I will respond to this assignment ASAP via email so that you can proceed to the
next paper, which is due shortly after this one.

Generative Paper #4: Project Introduction/Outline/Presentation Title (due 12/4)

Generative Papers and Final Exam 3
Submit an introduction with a title in 3 pages; include separately a detailed outline of your final
paper. You may change the introduction and title of your final draft, but here write a coherent
introduction to your project as if you were writing the final paper. Be sure to include your list of
sources in Chicago Style at the end of the paper. (See “Style Guide” in oncourse resources for
further assistance.)

The outline should show the issues and arguments you will explore and the logical divisions of
your projected paper. If you are doing an alternative project, describe where you are in the
project. Since you will need to write a brief paper describing your completed project, this is a
good place to make your first attempt at that.

Final Exam Project and Presentation (project due 12/18, presentations begin 12/11)
Submit a 10-12 page, typed, double-spaced paper with 12 point font and default 1” margins.
There should be a title page (which does not count in page total) and a bibliography (which does
count in the page total). Citations should be in Chicago Style. See the “Essay How To” handout
for a comprehensive guide to approaching this assignment as a piece of writing.

Your paper is a stand in for a final examination; as such, this paper should reflect a mastery of
the keywords and their definitions directly in the paper. If you have completed each of the four
assignments, this process should be much more like fine tuning and developing the research that
you have engaged in all semester. If you are doing an alternative project see me about paper
requirements.

The presentation should be about 5 minutes to provide the class with a summary of your project.
You may show your primary resource materials, but be sure to get any media resources ready
before class.

Generative Papers and Final Exam 4