Leslie G.Ousley Jr.

Minority Group Relations / Exam 2: Take-Home, 50 points

 Due Monday, March 7, beginning of class—PRINTED COPY ONLY
 NO emailed or late copies will be accepted
 5-6 typed pages total, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt. font, 1 inch margins, stapled

1. Apply each of the five interlinked processes in the Cultural Identity Wheel to
Azadeh Moaveni’s life in a specific chapter of the book you find particularly apt for
discussion regarding her self- and cultural identity. Be sure to address how her self-
identity links up to her cultural identity. [10 points]

2. Use Labelling Theory to analyze a passage of your choice from Lipstick Jihad. [10
points]

3. Give specific examples of kinds of conflicting ideologies AND discourses Azadeh had
to contend with while growing up in California and what impact that had on either
her identity or her actions/behavior. [10 points]

4. Using as much course vocabulary as you can, discuss examples of how diasporic life
impacted families in each of our case studies similarly or differently. Include
discussion of Accidental Asian, Lipstick Jihad, Lemon Tree, and Namesake. [20
points]
 Leslie G.Ousley Jr.

FINAL PAPER ASSIGNMENT

Choose one of the films screened in class [see list below] to use as a cultural case study for your paper.
Use intersection theory as a primary perspective from which to analyze how race, ethnicity, gender,
class, and any other minority positions can be seen to impact societal constraints on, opportunities for,
and behavior of the people and society/ies portrayed in the film. Decide what issue the film primarily
represents that is of interest to you and of relevance to the course (Cultural identity? Marginality?
Flexible citizenship? Collective memory? Prejudice or discrimination?) and select a specific topic from
there. You might instead choose to write a critique about how the director portrays minority group(s)
and related issues in the film. Much of your grade will be determined by the amount of class
vocabulary, and application of other class theories and concepts you appropriately use. You must also
include contextual information on the society portrayed (your textbook could be a good source for
this).

Minimum of 3 sources required: You must use at least 1 course reserve article assigned for class; 1
scholarly journal article, book, or chapter from a source outside of class materials; and your textbook.
You must cite all source material meticulously, using proper APA or MLA style for both the bibliography
and parenthetical citation.

* Whatever film you choose CANNOT be related to the class subtopic (e.g., “mixedness and mélange”)
the film was selected to demonstrate in class. You might choose, then, to analyze how whiteness or
whiteness as an ethnicity (e.g., material from week 3) operates in the film Whiteboyz, or how flexible
citizenship or diasporic collective memory (material from week 7) operates in the film Namesake from
week 5.

* Rough draft, worth 25 points, due as a PRINTED copy ONLY, handed to me in person at the beginning
of class Monday, March 28th.

* Final draft, worth 75 points, due as a PRINTED copy ONLY, handed to me in person in the first 30
minutes of our official final exam period.

Film List
Do the Right Thing Crash Wounded Heart Smoke Signals
Namesake Lemon Tree Mixing Nia Mississippi Masala
Pinky White Boyz Black & White Boys Don’t Cry
Transamerica City of God Hideous Kinky

Grading Rubric [75 points]

Writing mechanics______/5
Quality and quantity of class vocabulary______/10
Use of intersection theory______/10
Use of other theoretical concepts from course______/10
Use of required sources______/5
Quality of sources______/5
Bibliography (APA or MLA)______/5
Parenthetical citation (APA or MLA)______/5
Thesis statement (quality and precision)______/5
How well the paper supports your thesis statement______/5
Quality of argument______/10