Culture Repair Projects
The Culture Repair Project asks you to analyze one of the assigned historical records of Asian practice, paying attention the interaction of the three elements of culture. You then draw on what you learned to write and/or draw a set of instructions that could be used to facilitate the similar activity described in the relevant scenario. You have three opportunities to complete a project, one for each unit; the two highest scores count towards your grade.
Step V: Prose Facilitation Plan
If you choose to write in 3rd person, declarative prose, make sure that you adapt what you have written in your worksheet for the City Repair staff (see "Goal & Overview"). At a minimum, in addition to including the introductory statement, this means including
- transitions between paragraphs to clarify the logic of the sequence you follow, which need not be the same as that of the PWs;
- a focused recapitulation of your points and what you have achieved by making them.
Cutting and pasting responses from your worksheet may provide a solid foundation for the final report, but note that in most cases such responses will require substantial revision to receive an adequate score.
Overall, make sure to frame your paper in a way that is understandable to someone unfamiliar with the class or the assignment. Such a person would not know what you mean by "my chosen Asian practice," "the term I chose that relates to the unseen/to community," or "my daily practice;" so delete these phrases and talk in more general terms about, for example, what you and Asian people do, what you and they think about what they do, and who you and they relate to as they do it.
Finally, consider two WRITING TIPS for standard academic prose:
- If you find yourself using a hyperbolic phrase ...
- If you find that you have written any sentence such as
"All cultures have practices that inspire people in various communities to reflect..."
"Throughout this course we have studied many examples of people in Asia doing practices that inspire reflection."
"In considering this practice, it is very important to understand term X."
"There are many similarities but also some differences between my practice and that of culture Y."delete it and focus more precisely on the details of the practice & terms and what you want to say about them. For example
"The practice of A in culture B vividly demonstrates that reflection and community can...."
"At least some of the people engaged in the practice of X necessarily reflected on the concept of Y, as evidenced by..."
"While A is done in culture B and what I do is part of contemporary American culture, they both have a similar goal..."
**View samples of academic prose** [posted by 10/4]
Really REALLY Major, Important Reminder
As noted in the syllabus, I will generally elect severe penalties for academic dishonesty (which in journal reflections usually involves inclusion of material from uncited sources): a zero score for the assignment, and failing the course for a second offense. You are responsible for reading my comments regarding the importance of academic honesty, and my no-tolerance policy for incidents of dishonesty, in FAQ, #10-13; as well as for requesting clarification if there is anything you do not understand.
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