Day 8
Wed. Apr. 14
Finish critical incident: “Left Out of the Conversation”
Speakers & Discussion: Behaviors in Boyhood
Intro to Essay 2
Homework
➤ English Homework: Notice one new word or phrase (again!)
First, read my feedback on your previous new word or phrase.
Then, do it again: Between now and next class, notice and write down one new word or phrase (preferable a phrase -- a combination of words) that you could imagine using to communicate in the situation you identified, or about the topic you identified.
Note the context: Who said or wrote it? What was the phrase being used to refer to or describe?
Then, write a sentence using that phrase to express something meaningful to you — a sentence that you could actually imagine saying or writing in the future.
Put these things in a Word document and upload it to Box (Folder: “10-New word or phrase”).
➤ Read instructions for Essay 2
Read the instructions for Essay 2, and (once it’s posted) read my feedback on your short writing exercise in which you described a behavior that intrigued you in Boyhood.
➤ Find at least one good source
Find at least one promising source that you think sheds some light on the cultural practice you’re researching and the question that you’re interested in. In the folder “11-Possible sources for Essay 2” upload a document with a link to your source (or if it’s something you can’t link to, describe what it is) and include a brief statement explaining why you think this source will be helpful, what you’re learning from it, and how that relates to the question you’re investigating.
➤ Come up with a list of interview questions
Regardless of whether you’re doing a personal interview as part of your research (I encourage you to, though!) please come to next class with a short list of questions that you could ask an American (or someone deeply knowledgeable about American culture) that could help shed light on your question or questions. Obviously, there are some things that don’t make sense to ask directly—you’ll have to think carefully about what kind of questions could elicit the kind of information you want.
➤ Preview readings by Michele Gelfand
Look over these readings — excerpts from Chapter 2 and 3 of the book Rule Makers, Rule Breakers, and Gelfand’s 2012 academic article “Culture's Constraints: International Differences in the Strength of Social Norms.” Primarily ask yourself this question: What is Michele Gelfand’s purpose in writing these things? (Your answers may be different for the book and for the academic article.) Come ready to share your thoughts on this question next class.
➤ Don’t forget about Osland and Bird
Don’t forget about this article! We’ll talk about it next class. Please bring it to next class and be ready to share the details I originally planned to have you share today.
➤ Speakers: Kaige, Viviette, Tianji
Let’s be in touch over WeChat to decide on the topic of your mini-presentations.