Speech 1: Introductory Speech



Paradigm Shift Essay

RCL 1 – Ben Henderson

Assignment (about 1500-2000 words (~5 pgs), double-spaced):

Identify, discuss, and analyze a “paradigm shift” you recognize in our cultural past or contemporary moment. In addition to recognizing a certain kind of change and analyzing its potential meaning(s), you might discuss possible ramifications in terms of where our culture is heading and how we have come to view or value certain things.

Some examples:

• What is the significance of the inundation of i-products? The “I” and “Me” and “My” craze isn’t just limited to Apple products (iPhones, iPods, iPads, etc.).

• You might explore the arrival of “nonundelows” in our grocery stores (Glassner’s snarky term for non-, un-, de-, and low- labeled products) or the explosion of coffee culture.

• You might consider the terminological shifts from environmentalism to sustainable living.

• You might see the rise, fall, or emergence of a particular product, standard of beauty, convenience, consumer attitude, category of service, fashion trend, or celebrity as important in relation to consumer culture.

• What about irony? Why does it seem to be a dominant form of humor in the US today? What does it say about us that we like (and “like”) things ironically?

• Perhaps you could consider our changing understanding of “friendship” in light of texting culture. (Or our understanding of sex in light of sexting culture.)

• Maybe you see changes in the representation of different groups of people (in terms of ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, etc.) in film, television, art, and literature as particularly significant. (What does the rise in self-mocking hyper-masculine advertisement mean?)

Whatever shift you choose, you will want to identify something new(er), tell us how it evolved out of and/or is different from something older, and explain how this portends a new set of ideas and values that are brought to bear on our culture. While you can certainly support your arguments with your own observations and examples, you should bolster your arguments with at least four cited sources.

This paper should have a distinct thesis and should be rich in evidence that “proves” the shift. Be sure that you are not arbitrary with your before and after timeline.

The main goals for this assignment are as follows:

1. To identify (through research, perceptiveness, and discussion) a subtle but significant shift in cultural values, practices, or attitudes.

2. To conduct library and internet research thoughtfully and critically, demonstrating an awareness of sources with more and less credibility.

3. To integrate research in a sophisticated, engaged way throughout the essay.

4. To conduct research across an established time period and to consider chronology and history in your argument.

ESSAY GRADING OBJECTIVES:

Engagement: Be interesting. Go beyond the obvious.

Content: Make a strong claim (thesis) about the paradigm shift and its significance. The rest of the essay ought to support this thesis through the use of effective analytical sentences and rich analysis. Use concrete details, particularly from cited research, as evidence to support your claims.

Organization: Organization should be coherent with an interesting introduction, well-developed body, and definitive conclusion. Transitions between your key points, paragraphs, and sentences should be smart and stylistic. Paragraphs ought to be controlled by (explicit or implicit) topic sentences, be well developed, and progress logically from what precedes them. 

Style: Write in a lively, unique, memorable voice and style. Use original verbs, precise phrasing, and a variety of sentence structures. Be clear.

Mechanics: Edit and proofread to eliminate errors in grammar and mechanics.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download