CEP 260 Dynamics in Personal Adjustment Cultural Event Reflection Guidelines

For this assignment you will be required to attend or participate in a cultural event within the community (campus and/or broader). The event should focus on one of the student culture populations that we will explore in the course (social/economic class, gender, race, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, language, and/or nationality). Your task is to experience an aspect of culture that is different from your own identity. This assignment should stretch your comfort zone and give you direct knowledge about a particular aspect of culture with which you are currently unfamiliar. Your involvement in this event must span at least 1 hour (preferably 2). I encourage you to take notes on what you experience and how you feel throughout the event. Also, if appropriate, take time to interview other participants, volunteers, or organizers of the event to incorporate in your writing their perspective along with yours. You must apply course concepts with your experience. Is there anything that we have learned this semester that was reflected in your cultural event experience? Discuss any relevant theories or concepts. Additionally, you may use the following questions to guide your reflection. View the questions as a starting point, but do not simply answer them in list format. How would you describe the event you attended/participated in? Why did you choose this event? What was the experience like for you (given your personal identity/experiences? What is your personal identity and how did this experience affect your personal identity? Why? What new knowledge (personal/factual) have you gained as a result of this cultural event? How did you witness the impact/influences of oppression, power, and privilege? What significance does this construct mean to me now? Compared to before the event? A list of potential campus events may be found at: http://www.events.msu.edu/main.php and I also recommend searching events at the State News and Lansing State Journal websites. These websites are not intended to limit your options. I would be happy to talk with you more about other options you wish to explore.

Writing Guidelines
Double-spaced, 12-pt font, Times New Roman One inch margins on all sides 4 6 pages which means no less than 4 pages in length (number your pages) Include bibliography of cited work (you do not have to include an entirely separate page unless needed) APA citation format see below for more information Upload your paper to the ANGEL drop box before the beginning of class on due date

APA Formatting Throughout the paper, you must cite any sources from which you obtained information. That means ANY information that is not your own opinion or thoughts. If you do not appropriately cite a source, it will be considered plagiarism and there will be severe consequences, as according to the policies on academic honesty as specified in General Student Regulations 1.0, Protection of Scholarship and Grades, and in the all-University Policy on Integrity of Scholarship and Grades. For this course, I am requesting that you use APA formatting, which is the standard academic formatting for psychology (and many other fields). It is your responsibility to learn how to use this type of formatting, but for more information you may go to the Purdue Writing Center online resource, which is very well organized and useful: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ Examples of using APA format: In the paper: In his book, Smith (2006) states that cats and dogs are really cool (p. 304). Additionally Ryan & Johnson (2003) claim that indeed, both pets are fun to play with. Other researchers disagree and often argue that pets such as birds and lizards are easier to take of (Howard, 2004). In the Works Cited page Journal: Smith, R. (2006). Qualitative analysis of the similarities and differences of cats and dogs. Journal of Pet Animals, 18(3), 304-306. Edited book: Ryan, J. & Johnson, A. (2003). The psychology of pets. In R.M. Milardo (Ed.), Understanding the life of pets and humans (pp. 317-340). Minneapolis: Thomson Wadsworth.

Cultural Event Reflections Rubric

Introduction Appropriate Cultural Event Spelling, Grammar, Flow Application of Course Content Conclusion Citations Total 5 10 10 30 10 10 75

CATEGORY
Introduction (5 Pts)

Excellent
The introduction is inviting, states the main topic, the authors thesis and previews the structure of the paper.

Good
The introduction clearly states the main topic, the authors thesis, and previews the structure of the paper, but is not particularly inviting to the reader. The cultural event involved a different culture and stepping out of your comfort zone, but there isnt evidence that you interacted with members of that culture. Summary is complete, but is not organized or concise. Author makes 1-3 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. Almost all sentences sound natural, but 1 or 2 are stiff and awkward or difficult to understand. Supporting details and information are relevant, but may be incomplete. Three or two course concepts are accurately and fully applied to the activity and/or experience. Some connections made between your experience, your culture, and your perceptions of others.

Ok
The introduction states the main topic, but does not adequately preview the structure of the paper nor is it particularly inviting to the reader. The event attended involved a culture that you are already familiar with and wouldn't be outside of your comfort zone. Summary is vague and incomplete. Author makes 4-7 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. Several sentences are stiff and awkward or are difficult to understand.

Needs Work
There is no clear introduction of the main topic or structure of the paper.

Appropriate Cultural Event and The cultural event involved Summary (10 Pts) your interacting with a culture other than your own and it involved stepping out of your comfort zone. Summary is complete yet concise. Spelling, Grammar, and Flow (10 Pts) Author makes no errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. All sentences sound natural and are easy-on-the-ear when read aloud.

No event was attended (paper is based on past experience or a movie)

Author makes more than 8 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. The sentences are difficult to read aloud because they sound awkward, are distractingly repetitive, or difficult to understand. Supporting details and information are typically unclear or not related to the topic. No course concepts are accurately and fully applied to the activity and/or experience. No connections made between your experience and your culture or perceptions of others.

Application Course Content/Concepts and Relation to Your Views/Experience (30 Pts)

Relevant, telling, quality details give the reader important information that goes beyond the obvious or predictable. Four or more course concepts are accurately and fully applied to the activity and/or experience. Clear connections made between your experience, your culture, and your perceptions of others. There is a clear concluding paragraph (at least 5 sentences) that summarizes the major points of the paper and mentions things you learned from the assignment and how it has changed your views. All sources used for quotes, statistics and facts are credible and cited correctly in APA format.

Supporting details and information are relevant, but several key issues or portions of the storyline are unsupported. One course concept is accurately and fully applied to the activity and/or experience. Only a few vague references to the connection between your experience and your culture or perceptions of others. There are a few sentences that summarize or end the paper, but there is no explanation of things you learned from the assignment and how it has changed your views. Some of the sources used for quotes, statistics and facts are credible and cited correctly. Some major errors are made in the use of APA.

Conclusion (10 Pts)

There is an explanation of things you learned from the assignment and how it has changed your views, but there is no summary of the paper.

There is no concluding paragraph, no clear summation or ending to the paper, and no explanation of things learned from the assignment and how it has changed your views. Many sources are suspect (not credible) AND/OR are not cited correctly.

Source & Citations (10 Pts)

All sources used for quotes, statistics and facts are credible and most are cited correctly in APA format.