Booth-- Chapters 5 & 6

List 5 tips that the writers gave you for locating sources and engaging sources that you found helpful and that you didn't know about before. Explain for each why you find that particular tip helpful.

Next, skim the following two sources:

http://www.afghan-web.com/woman/

http://webhome.idirect.com/~yu176197/CF/articles/The%20Stragtegic%20Co-optation%20of%20Women's%20Rights-Discourse%20in%20the%20War%20on%20Terror.pdf


For each source, in about 100 words, evaluate the sources using pages 76-79.

So You Wanna Be a Gangsta?

Explaining in detail, perhaps even using as evidence a couple of films the essay did not mention, do you agree that Hollywood exploits the black community in making gang films? Why or why not? Also, consider other films featuring African Americans that Boyd does not discuss, such as Waiting to Exhale, Dream Girls, or Diary of Mad Black Woman-- how do you think gender plays an important role in film analysis?

Booth, Chapter 4: Thinking about Research Problems

Evaluate the research problems below in terms of the research problem it presents, using Booth's ideas from Chapter 4. Does the statement suggest a good research problem? Why or why not? Take your time with this blog response, really think about how you would help these student writers revise their research problems.

1. I'm studying shoes because I want to find out why shoes are so expensive in order to help my reader understand all the hidden costs involved in shoe-making.

2. I am studying alternative medicine in order to find out why people don't choose alternative medical treatments over traditional medical treatments. I want my readers to understand that there are alternatives to traditional medicine.

3. I am studying MTV because I want to show how MTV influences popular music.

4. I am studying horror films because I want to understand the role of horror films in the history of film-making in order to help my reader learn how horror films have changed the landscape of movies and have influenced Hollywood.

5. I am studying SUVs because I want to prove that SUVs are bad for the environment.

Superhero Worship

For her essay, Postrel interviewed a random fan of Superman about this enthusiasm for this superhero. Borrowing her methodology, interview at least three fans of superheros, asking about the reasons for their responses to these characters. To what extent do they illustrated Postrel's argument about glamour? Use your results to argue yourself what you think the appeal of the superhero character is.

Booth, pages 31-50

Have you ever done research in the steps like the ones the writers in Booth propse in these pages? If so, how did it go and what was particularly frustrating or exciting about the steps and why? If you have never explored a topic in depth and/or moved from a topic to question, do you believe that these steps would have improved a research essay you wrote in the past; if so, describe briefly what happened in that research writing and how the steps in Booth would have helped/improved the essay you wrote. If you don't think they would have helped, discuss why not.

Craft of Research, pp. 3-27

Have you ever thought of research the way the writers of The Craft of Research are describing it in these pages? What have been some of your myths/misconceptions about research in the past? Why do you think you held those myths/misconceptions? After reading these pages, how do you think of research now? Are your opinions the same or are they changed? Why or why not?

South Park and the Open Society

Over the weekend, watch an episode of South Park, either via YouTube, etc. or on Comedy Central when it plays. Analyze the episode-- does it make the sort of political statements that Curtis and Erion suggest? And, do you agree with their assumption that South Park does offer "more than crude animation and tasteless jokes expressed with a juvenile and offensive vulgarity" (par.1)? Does the humor and vulgarity undercut the possiblity of any such political message? Explain.