Write a research paper outlining whether or not the term “imagined” diminishes the strength and impact of imagined societies.
For this assignment, you will be putting the practices described by They Say, I Say into action. You will craft both a binary and conceptual argument from a selection of prompts, and develop a brief overview of evidence to support your claim(s). See below for the prompts and specific instructions:
Binary Arguments:
For this section of the assignment, you will choose one of the prompts below. Both prompts are binary/close-ended, meaning they’re framed as yes or no questions. You will construct two theses: one that agrees with your selected prompt, and one that disagrees with your selected prompt. Both theses should be accompanied by a brief presentation of supportive evidence. You will decide which statement (agreement or disagreement) will be your leading statement. Once you’ve constructed your leading thesis, use the practices for dialogic analysis outlined in They Say, I Say to construct an oppositional thesis. Be sure to address the points presented in your leading thesis in your second thesis. Then, construct a final paragraph that attempts to reconcile the oppositional claims made in your two theses. In other words, how do we resolve the “either-or binary” embedded in the prompt? Each thesis statement and its supporting evidence should be ~250 words and your reconciliation paragraph should be ~200-250.
Select only one of the following prompts, and indicate your selection on your assignment submission.
Are we post-nation? In other words, are geographic boundaries still relevant in the construction of imagined communities?
Have advancements in translation technology contributed to the homogenization of language?
Does the label “imagined” minimize the power and influence of imagined communities?
Conceptual Arguments
For the second portion of this assignment, you‘ll respond to an open-ended prompt with an argumentative thesis. Your thesis should be accompanied by a paragraph that includes evidence to support your claim. Although your thesis should take a concrete stance on the prompt, you’re welcome to address potential alternate interpretations and/or ambiguity in your response. You should also include an “ultimately” statement that addresses the relevance of your claim in a broader context. Although both prompts are related to individual experience, these prompts are not designed to inspire personal narrative/memoir styles of writing, this assignment is more grounded in the development of argumentation. Your thesis and accompanying evidence should be ~300-350 words.
Select only one of the following prompts, be sure to indicate your selection on your assignment submission.
How has the development of digitized media impacted our understanding of imagined communities?
The root of the word nation is “nati-” meaning “born.” How do one’s geographic origins impact their identification within various imagined communities (national, interest-based, identity-based, etc.)?
How does the relationship between the individual (“I”) and the collective (“we”) impact culturally constructed understandings of nationalism?
How will this assignment be graded?
Binary Arguments – 30 pts.
Theses – (4 pts. each) Your theses will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria discussed during class (arguable, evidence-based, succinct/scaled, engaging)
Evidence/Supporting Claims – (5 pts. each) Your supporting evidence should be clearly tied to your thesis. Be sure to include examples that address all dimensions of your argument. Evidence should be persuasively presented and integrated – remember, you aren’t just summarizing the evidence, you are explaining to your reader why and how your evidence is working to support your claims
Reconciliation Paragraph – (12 pts.) A successful reconciliation paragraph addresses the contradictions within both theses and makes an attempt to mediate said contradiction. Your reconciliation needn’t come to definitive conclusion, but it should endeavor to demonstrate to readers how your oppositional theses could reasonably coexist with one another
Conceptual Argument – 20 pts.
Thesis – 10 pts. Your thesis will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria discussed during class (arguable, evidence-based, succinct/scaled, engaging). Be sure to include a “zoom-out” moment that connects your argument to larger social, cultural, literary, or theoretical themes.
Evidence/Supporting Claims – 10 pts. Your supporting evidence should be clearly tied to your thesis. Be sure to include examples that address all dimensions of your argument. Evidence should be persuasively presented and integrated – remember, you aren’t just summarizing the evidence, you are explaining to your reader why and how your evidence is working to support your claims. The key is interconnectivity– not just how your pieces of evidence individually support your claim, but how they are working together to paint the full picture (think pieces of a mosaic rather than a single photo)
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