Progression Two: Autoethnography
This Progression asks you to be both a writer and a researcher simultaneously. An autoethnography is a form of research writing that is self-reflective and which uses the author’s own biography and experiences to better illustrate the discoveries of the research.
The purpose of this Progression is for you to investigate some aspect of the environment that you live in. You should approach your own life as if you are a scientist studying it. For instance: what cultural, social, or political factors have influenced you? How are those manifest in the physical things around you? How do those factors influence your personal experiences?
The final autoethnography should be between 2,000 - 3,000 words and should incorporate the skills you have developed writing word pictures and scenes, and it should include your own field work as well as two additional research sources.
Exercise 1: Word Picture
The goal of this exercise is to practice writing deep description which goes beyond just the cursory observation. Ideally through close study of a physical object you will be able to both paint a picture of it using only words and also - possibly - discover the meaning that object has to you. You should choose an object which may be of use to you in writing your final paper. Be prepared to read your word picture in class. 300 - 500 words. Posted to your Weebly under Progression 2 before class on Wednesday 10/07/15.
Exercise 2: Scene
A scene can take the form of a dialogue between people (as in a movie or interview) or it can be a carefully described and considered description of a place. You should choose a form which will be helpful for you in writing your autoethnography. You could transcribe a conversation, image one, or you can choose a place (your home, your dorm, your place of work) and describe it in depth so that your readers can both visualize it and understand it. Be prepared to read your scene in class. 300 - 500 words. Posted to your Weebly under Progression 2 before class on Monday 10/12/15.
Exercise 3: Fieldwork
An autoethnography is a way of understanding the world and therefore it is helpful to go out into the world and study it. For this exercise you should consider yourself a researcher gathering data to use in your final paper. For example: make notes, take pictures, make recordings, gather data in any form which will be of use to you when you sit down to write. You must briefly describe the data you have gathered and how you gathered it. You should also post the raw data to your Weebly so that you have it to reference later. Posted to your Weebly under Progression 2 before class on Monday 10/19/15.
The Project Prompt
Autoethnography is a form of self-reflection and writing that explores the researcher's personal experience and connects this autobiographical story to wider cultural, political, and social meanings and understandings.
You will use (1) your own personal experiences in life as a way to (2) investigate and (3) describe an (4) issue of social/political/cultural importance and support your description with both (5) formal and (6) informal research, and your project will center around (7) a central metaphor.
General Paper Requirements:
- 1,500 - 2000 words
- At least 2 formal (scholarly) and 1 informal source. You are free to use more sources as you wish.
- Works cited page
- MLA Format
Progression Schedule (Tentative):
Wednesday 9/30/15 - Progression 2, Class 1
Lecture: Autoethnography (cont.)
In class: Discuss “Once More …” and introduction to Progression 2: Autoethnography
Home work:
READ: “On Dumpster Diving” Lars Eighner (pg 139).
WRITE: Consider “On Dumpster Diving” to be an Autoethnography. Where do we see examples of informal research or fieldwork? Where do we see metaphor used as a way to unlock a larger social/cultural/economic issue? (Post to your Weebly).
Monday 10/5/15 - Progression 2, Class 2
Lecture: Semiotics of the real world + How we will assemble our Autoethnographies.
In class: Discussion of White & Eighner + Word Picture examples (Handout).
Home work:
WRITE: A “Word Picture” of an object using White’s descriptions as a model. Choose an object which might be helpful to you later in your autoethnography (Post to your Weebly under Progression 2).
Wednesday 10/7/15 - Progression 2, Class 3
In class: Read/Discuss word pictures.
Lecture: How to write a scene + How scene can be valuable in your autoethnography.
Home work:
READ:
WRITE: Write a scene you observe in the real world. (Post to your Weebly under Progression 2).
Monday 10/12/15 - Progression 2, Class 4
In class: Read/discuss scenes.
Lecture: How to conduct appropriate research and fieldwork.
Home work:
READ: “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space” Brent Staples (394).
WRITE: Explain how Staples uses his own experience of the world as fieldwork in order to deal with a larger issue in our society. (Post to your Weebly).
Wednesday 10/14/15 - Progression 2, Class 5
Lecture: Additional fieldwork/research strategies & citation (or sources, fieldwork, interviews, etc.)
Home work:
READ: “A Woman’s Beauty: Put-Down or Power Source?” Susan Sontag (pg 386).
WRITE: Do fieldwork/observations/research (Post your notes to your Weebly under Progression 2).
Monday 10/19/15 - Progression 2, Class 6
Lecture: Writing strategies
Home work:
WRITE: Finish first draft Progression 2 essay (Post to your Weebly under Progression 2).
Wednesday 10/21/15 - Progression 2, Class 7
First draft due.
In class: Peer Review (Bring 3 copies).
Home work:
REVISE: Progression 2 final essay. (Post to your Weebly under Progression 2).
Monday 10/26/15 - Progression 2, Class 8
Progression 2 final essay due.
Lecture: Progression 3 and SH5 background.
Home work:
READ: Begin Slaughterhouse-Five.
This Progression asks you to be both a writer and a researcher simultaneously. An autoethnography is a form of research writing that is self-reflective and which uses the author’s own biography and experiences to better illustrate the discoveries of the research.
The purpose of this Progression is for you to investigate some aspect of the environment that you live in. You should approach your own life as if you are a scientist studying it. For instance: what cultural, social, or political factors have influenced you? How are those manifest in the physical things around you? How do those factors influence your personal experiences?
The final autoethnography should be between 2,000 - 3,000 words and should incorporate the skills you have developed writing word pictures and scenes, and it should include your own field work as well as two additional research sources.
Exercise 1: Word Picture
The goal of this exercise is to practice writing deep description which goes beyond just the cursory observation. Ideally through close study of a physical object you will be able to both paint a picture of it using only words and also - possibly - discover the meaning that object has to you. You should choose an object which may be of use to you in writing your final paper. Be prepared to read your word picture in class. 300 - 500 words. Posted to your Weebly under Progression 2 before class on Wednesday 10/07/15.
Exercise 2: Scene
A scene can take the form of a dialogue between people (as in a movie or interview) or it can be a carefully described and considered description of a place. You should choose a form which will be helpful for you in writing your autoethnography. You could transcribe a conversation, image one, or you can choose a place (your home, your dorm, your place of work) and describe it in depth so that your readers can both visualize it and understand it. Be prepared to read your scene in class. 300 - 500 words. Posted to your Weebly under Progression 2 before class on Monday 10/12/15.
Exercise 3: Fieldwork
An autoethnography is a way of understanding the world and therefore it is helpful to go out into the world and study it. For this exercise you should consider yourself a researcher gathering data to use in your final paper. For example: make notes, take pictures, make recordings, gather data in any form which will be of use to you when you sit down to write. You must briefly describe the data you have gathered and how you gathered it. You should also post the raw data to your Weebly so that you have it to reference later. Posted to your Weebly under Progression 2 before class on Monday 10/19/15.
The Project Prompt
Autoethnography is a form of self-reflection and writing that explores the researcher's personal experience and connects this autobiographical story to wider cultural, political, and social meanings and understandings.
You will use (1) your own personal experiences in life as a way to (2) investigate and (3) describe an (4) issue of social/political/cultural importance and support your description with both (5) formal and (6) informal research, and your project will center around (7) a central metaphor.
General Paper Requirements:
- 1,500 - 2000 words
- At least 2 formal (scholarly) and 1 informal source. You are free to use more sources as you wish.
- Works cited page
- MLA Format
Progression Schedule (Tentative):
Wednesday 9/30/15 - Progression 2, Class 1
Lecture: Autoethnography (cont.)
In class: Discuss “Once More …” and introduction to Progression 2: Autoethnography
Home work:
READ: “On Dumpster Diving” Lars Eighner (pg 139).
WRITE: Consider “On Dumpster Diving” to be an Autoethnography. Where do we see examples of informal research or fieldwork? Where do we see metaphor used as a way to unlock a larger social/cultural/economic issue? (Post to your Weebly).
Monday 10/5/15 - Progression 2, Class 2
Lecture: Semiotics of the real world + How we will assemble our Autoethnographies.
In class: Discussion of White & Eighner + Word Picture examples (Handout).
Home work:
WRITE: A “Word Picture” of an object using White’s descriptions as a model. Choose an object which might be helpful to you later in your autoethnography (Post to your Weebly under Progression 2).
Wednesday 10/7/15 - Progression 2, Class 3
In class: Read/Discuss word pictures.
Lecture: How to write a scene + How scene can be valuable in your autoethnography.
Home work:
READ:
WRITE: Write a scene you observe in the real world. (Post to your Weebly under Progression 2).
Monday 10/12/15 - Progression 2, Class 4
In class: Read/discuss scenes.
Lecture: How to conduct appropriate research and fieldwork.
Home work:
READ: “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space” Brent Staples (394).
WRITE: Explain how Staples uses his own experience of the world as fieldwork in order to deal with a larger issue in our society. (Post to your Weebly).
Wednesday 10/14/15 - Progression 2, Class 5
Lecture: Additional fieldwork/research strategies & citation (or sources, fieldwork, interviews, etc.)
Home work:
READ: “A Woman’s Beauty: Put-Down or Power Source?” Susan Sontag (pg 386).
WRITE: Do fieldwork/observations/research (Post your notes to your Weebly under Progression 2).
Monday 10/19/15 - Progression 2, Class 6
Lecture: Writing strategies
Home work:
WRITE: Finish first draft Progression 2 essay (Post to your Weebly under Progression 2).
Wednesday 10/21/15 - Progression 2, Class 7
First draft due.
In class: Peer Review (Bring 3 copies).
Home work:
REVISE: Progression 2 final essay. (Post to your Weebly under Progression 2).
Monday 10/26/15 - Progression 2, Class 8
Progression 2 final essay due.
Lecture: Progression 3 and SH5 background.
Home work:
READ: Begin Slaughterhouse-Five.