Critical Reflection Paper
What is a Reflection Paper?
A Reflection Paper in this class is a formal written analysis on the connections between the themes in the course and your lived experience.
Guiding Questions: How do the ideas shared in the readings relate to your own personal understanding of politics and our social system? How do the readings enhance your ability to understand the politics of power? How have the readings enhanced your understanding of the use of power in our society? What aspects of contemporary politics are examples of the contradiction between the way your experience the world, the way you've learned or been taught about politics and the American Dream?
Your task is to create a reflection that makes connections between the readings, lectures, and media shared in class. Guiding Questions: How is the material relevant to your own experience? What have you learned about your own personal history that relates to the class content? In what ways are you able to make connections between the various branches of government, decision making and policy.
A Reflection Paper is not a diary or journal, although these may have been a way of processing your reflections before actually writing the paper. It is a type of essay, and as such requires:
You must begin each point with a new paragraph. You may use the first person in a Reflection Paper as it is a record of your own thoughts and experiences. However, a Reflection Paper also requires in-text references to the ideas of others, and a Reference List must be included at the end. (APA or MLA citations are accepted)
A Reflection Paper is designed to show your knowledge of a certain set of readings and, more importantly, your awareness of how you constructed that knowledge. Thus it is an interaction between ideas received from outside (books, lectures, etc.) and your own internal understanding and interpretation of those ideas.
More than anything else, a Reflection Paper invites self-reflection. The capacity for self-reflection is a vital personal and professional quality.
Self-reflection in this context involves a constant questioning of one’s own assumptions, and a capacity to analyze and synthesize information to create new perspectives and understanding. This is a constant process and leads to an on-going commitment to improve and refine one's self.
A Reflection Paper in this class is a formal written analysis on the connections between the themes in the course and your lived experience.
Guiding Questions: How do the ideas shared in the readings relate to your own personal understanding of politics and our social system? How do the readings enhance your ability to understand the politics of power? How have the readings enhanced your understanding of the use of power in our society? What aspects of contemporary politics are examples of the contradiction between the way your experience the world, the way you've learned or been taught about politics and the American Dream?
Your task is to create a reflection that makes connections between the readings, lectures, and media shared in class. Guiding Questions: How is the material relevant to your own experience? What have you learned about your own personal history that relates to the class content? In what ways are you able to make connections between the various branches of government, decision making and policy.
A Reflection Paper is not a diary or journal, although these may have been a way of processing your reflections before actually writing the paper. It is a type of essay, and as such requires:
- a formal introduction
- a well-structured body which presents your thoughts clearly and logically to the reader
- a formal conclusion
- 3 single spaced
You must begin each point with a new paragraph. You may use the first person in a Reflection Paper as it is a record of your own thoughts and experiences. However, a Reflection Paper also requires in-text references to the ideas of others, and a Reference List must be included at the end. (APA or MLA citations are accepted)
A Reflection Paper is designed to show your knowledge of a certain set of readings and, more importantly, your awareness of how you constructed that knowledge. Thus it is an interaction between ideas received from outside (books, lectures, etc.) and your own internal understanding and interpretation of those ideas.
More than anything else, a Reflection Paper invites self-reflection. The capacity for self-reflection is a vital personal and professional quality.
Self-reflection in this context involves a constant questioning of one’s own assumptions, and a capacity to analyze and synthesize information to create new perspectives and understanding. This is a constant process and leads to an on-going commitment to improve and refine one's self.
Critical Reflection #2
The Analysis of a Political Perspective will require each student to pick an item from the links below. You will have the opportunity to write a critical analysis of their views, how it compares to their own views and contemporary examples of solutions towards a central issue expressed by the social movement leader.
Political Leaders (these are the only options you can choose from)
Noam Chomsky (July, 2013) "The Corporatization of the University"
Noam Chomsky (June, 2013) "The Future of American Power"
Angela Davis: How Does Change Happen?
Slavery and the Prison Industrial Complex - Angela Davis
Angela Davis and Assata Shakur's Lawyer Denounce FBI's Adding of Exiled Activist to Terrorist List
Van Jones - Rebuild the Dream
Sister Citizen: Shame Stereotypes and Black Women in America
Requirements:
1) Write an analysis of the political perspectives of the leader from the list of videos above. Watch the videos and take extensive notes. This will help you with your writing.
2) Describe in what ways you agree or disagree with the perspectives shared. Tell why you think there are differences of similarities in your views. How do these perspectives relate to historical or contemporary issues that people are faced with?
3) Find 2-3 examples of how community based organizations, community leaders, public officials or other types of organizations of people are addressing their major concern. What pieces of legislation or advocacy efforts are under way? Name and describe at least two different examples.
4) Four pages – double spaced
5) Use 5 references - including both textbooks and any other resources from the class or online.
Political Leaders (these are the only options you can choose from)
Noam Chomsky (July, 2013) "The Corporatization of the University"
Noam Chomsky (June, 2013) "The Future of American Power"
Angela Davis: How Does Change Happen?
Slavery and the Prison Industrial Complex - Angela Davis
Angela Davis and Assata Shakur's Lawyer Denounce FBI's Adding of Exiled Activist to Terrorist List
Van Jones - Rebuild the Dream
Sister Citizen: Shame Stereotypes and Black Women in America
Requirements:
1) Write an analysis of the political perspectives of the leader from the list of videos above. Watch the videos and take extensive notes. This will help you with your writing.
2) Describe in what ways you agree or disagree with the perspectives shared. Tell why you think there are differences of similarities in your views. How do these perspectives relate to historical or contemporary issues that people are faced with?
3) Find 2-3 examples of how community based organizations, community leaders, public officials or other types of organizations of people are addressing their major concern. What pieces of legislation or advocacy efforts are under way? Name and describe at least two different examples.
4) Four pages – double spaced
5) Use 5 references - including both textbooks and any other resources from the class or online.