Interview a person from the population group your team is researching. Try to push your boundaries by choosing a person you do not already know intimately. Use a comparative analysis to discuss the following components in your paper:
* How have your experiences with cultural privilege in the United States been similar and/or different from this person?
* How have your experiences with stereotyping been similar and/or different from this person?
* How have your experiences in health care been similar and/or different from this person?
The papers are expected to be 2 to 3 pages, typed and double-spaced. A hard copy of the paper should be brought to class for the peer review. Final papers must be submitted on Canvas on the due dates outlined in the course schedule. Papers cannot be turned in late without proof of serious extenuating circumstances. Please be sure to include your name, the date, the course name and section, and the title (i.e. Reaction Paper Number #1) in your heading. Papers will be graded on:
1. Relevance- The paper must be directly related to a topic discussed in class or related to a class assignment. Irrelevant papers will be given a “0” and handed back to the author. The author can choose to explain how they think the paper is relevant or write a new paper for late credit.
2. Clarity- Grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, paragraph structure and spelling are important parts of clear writing. Proof reading your paper, or having someone else proof read it, will help you to avoid unclear or incorrect sentences. Points will be deducted for technical errors.
3. Specificity- Avoid generalizations such as “You,” “Women,” “People.” Remember you are writing to a universal, college audience and do not make assumptions that your audience shares your characteristics. Also avoid unacknowledged stereotypes, i.e. “Men like hunting.” Do not use phrases such as “this class,” “in our world today,” “from the beginning of time,” as they are non-specific.
4. Ownership- All opinions, beliefs, experiences, etc. must be owned throughout the paper using “I think,” “I believe,” “in my experience,” etc.
5. Analysis/Support-The opinions, beliefs and experiences expressed in your paper can be analyzed and supported by both personal experience and outside sources. When using outside sources for support, be sure to cite the information using A.P.A. in-text citation. Be careful that your outside sources are legitimate and valid (NEVER cite Wikipedia as an outside source.)
6. Depth-Your paper should analysis your response to a single topic deeply, rather than several topics, superficially. Having a narrow thesis will help you to more thoroughly analyze your reaction. You may want to try the following pre-writing exercise to deepen your analysis: Write down a potential thesis and then ask “Why?” Write down the answer as a new thesis and then again ask “Why?” Write down the answer as a new thesis and continue to ask why until you feel your thesis is something you can explore deeply.
7. Organization-Your paper must be organized with a clear introduction (to give context), thesis (which should be narrow and inclusive), topic sentences (related directly to the thesis), and conclusion (drawn from your analysis). Avoid using phrases such as “In this paper I will be writing about…” in your thesis, as it is obvious to the reader that you are writing about the topic in your paper.
