Paper II: Position Paper
DUE: At or before 5 p.m., Tuesday, April 3, BU131
Introduction:
At this point on the semester, we have explored several texts or cultural productions that concern the values of American capitalism and the marketplace and how they impinge on society. This paper will offer you the opportunity to pull your ideas together and to propose a thoughtful response to the course inquiry question.
Assignment:
In about 4 pages, write an essay in which you discuss your own thoughtful response to the question, “To what extent do the values and goals of the business world form and constitute our values, assumptions, and perceptions?” Successful papers will be centered around a strong argumentative thesis that states the main point of your response. You should think of your paper as arguing a point, trying to convince the reader that your point of view is how it really is.
Resources:
Mandatory:Obviously, you have lots of material at your disposal, and my list may make is sound as if “anything is game.” However, I would like you to choose and use mostly material from our course (in other words, you should not write a paper that is mostly personal experience; this type of paper always ends up sounding too much like a diary entry). Once you have thought about your resources in conjunction with your thesis, it seems to me you will want to select and discuss no fewer than 3 (so your argument is convincing), but no more than, say, 5 or 6 sources (so you can discuss each in sufficient detail) in your paper.Barber’s Jihad vs. McWorldOptional:The texts we have read and studied in L216.
The ideas we discussed in the art tours.
Architectural insights (from your assignment).
Video productions (Berger or Cradle will Rock)
Ideas from your 1-page responses
Ideas from class discussions
Your own personal experience
Your paper on Success in America
Grading Criteria: