Identity and Cognitive Dissonance Social Sciences Essay

The second writing assignment, which will be based on class lecture, readings in the Miller textbook, the McCurdy Reader, or assigned outside sources, should be about five pages in length, beyond the first two lists (described below). The paper is to be an example of expository writing, which is a straightforward discussion of what is requested, structured around a clear introduction (usually relatively short and to the point and including a thesis statement), several paragraphs of supporting evidence, and a conclusion. (See section on essay structure, on the next page.)
Expository writing is generally not intended to be flowery or artistic or expressive of feelings. It is more akin to analytic laboratory writing than creative writing. Generally, in these assignments, you will be writing to convince your reader of the point or points you are trying to make about your subcultures and the cognitive dissonance (the ability to hold two contradictory ideas at the same time) that exists between them. You will also discuss how you resolve these examples of CG.
ALSO, DO NOT USE OUTSIDE SOURCES UNLESS APPROVED BY THE INSTRUCTOR.
In terms of page format, use 12 font and double space. You do not need a cover page. On the Top Right of your paper, put your name, title of the assignment (Assignment # 1, etc.), course number (Anthropology 112), class meeting time, and date you turned it in. Please staple your pages together in the upper left hand corner. The due dates for the various papers are indicated in the class schedule.
Very importantly, this paper, similar to the first paper, is to be done individually. Paper drafts will be collected in advance of the final due dates for each paper.
Assignment Instructions:
As discussed in class and in Chapter 4 of the Miller textbook, Identity is a subject of importance in anthropology and the broader social sciences. Much of it is defined by the subgroups into which you were born or of which you choose to be a member.
On the first page of your paper, in order of importance to you, list, number and briefly define eight microcultures or subcultures of which you are a member. Don’t discuss your membership in these subcultures. Just define them in the abstract, as though you are writing a dictionary definition. Do this in list form, not in paragraph form, on the first page of your paper. Devote no more than 20 lines, in total to the definitions of these groups.
Then, after this, provide a second list numbered from one to eight that will probably extend onto the second page of the paper, in which you briefly explain what specific facts about you make you a member of each microculture or subculture. (In other words, prove to the reader with evidence that you cite regarding what makes you a part of a specific group.) Limit this section to an additional 20 lines, total in your paper.
The remainder of the paper should be an essay of about five pages in length, with all of the standard components of an essay, including:
1. An introductory paragraph in which you introduce the subject and what you will discuss in the remainder of the paper. This paragraph must contain a clear thesis statement that encapsulates the purpose or goal of the paper. In this paragraph, be sure to mention the four subcultures you will be discussing and give some indication of the direction your conclusions will take.
2. The body of the paper, a number of paragraphs in which you will provide evidence and otherwise explain the two instances of cognitive dissonance you selected. This should include a discussion of the resolution you have come to regarding these instances of CG.
3. The concluding paragraph or two, which are not to be a mere summary. Here you provide additional insight into your subcultures and how you resolve your CG experiences, including, but not limited to, what patterns you see in your choice of subcultures and the mechanisms you come up with to compensate for them. What does this pattern tell you about yourself? Does it help you understand how you “fit” into our culture? Here, if you choose, you can consider whether this assignment has made you rethink your identity (or perhaps think about it for the first time).
In your paper make sure you address the following points regarding Cognitive Dissonance (the ability to hold two contradictory ideas at the same time).
:
• Of the eight subcultures you choose, select two pair of subcultures (four in total), in which the subcultures’ standard values, perspectives, or goals are in direct conflict with one another (for example, being a member of the subculture “Roman Catholics” and “People Who Practice Buddhist Meditation.” Discuss the different values and beliefs that are essential elements of these two subcultures. If you choose to do so, you can choose a third pair of subcultures to discuss.
• For each pair, define the nature of this “disagreement” between the two subcultures clearly. This disagreement is not only external – it is part of you, since these are important subcultures for you.
• Address the issue of recognizing and resolving CG in your life. All people have some degree of this trait. Usually, cognitive dissonance derives from contradictory values between two subcultures of which a person is a member. Have you been aware of CG consciously or has this assignment made you think about it for the first time? How have you resolved cognitive dissonance in your life with respect to your thought and behavior? Precisely how have you balanced the conflicting values of the two subcultures in your life, as you live it? How does cognitive dissonance affect you personally?
• Has recognizing cognitive dissonance in your life, made you re-think and change the subcultures to which you belong, perhaps as you first listed them for this paper? How has it affected the way you ranked your subcultures in order of importance to your identity?
This assignment is not meant to be a list followed by answers to separate questions. Beyond listing and defining your subcultures and explaining what qualifies you to be a member of each subculture at the outset, this paper should be a well-organized, well integrated single essay with an introductory paragraph, thesis statement, body, and conclusion, as discussed above. Essay structure and grammar count in this assignment.