Final Essays

Proposal of final research essay; choose one type

A. Criticizing the "unexamined assumptions" or other "weak" / arguable points in an article (with possible related texts) assigned for the Cultural Geography course

B. Using qualitative research methods (interview or SWOT analysis - please see articles on how to conduct this, uploaded to the Moodle platform) to study an environmental NGO or activist collective Some movements you may want to research:

- Ecology Democracy Network (Midwest): http://ecologydemocracynetwork.org/ 

- Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition (South) : https://www.kystudentenvironmentalcoalition.org, just one of several collectives who have joined the platform Climate Justice Alliance (you can search for more here, https://climatejusticealliance.org/members-of-the-alliance/)

- Sunrise Movement, sunrisemovement.org : youth movement for climate justice, its scope is wide, but you can either select a regional hub, https://www.sunrisemovement.org/hubs/, or a focus/theme, e. g. "the Green New Deal", here https://www.sunrisemovement.org/green-new-deal/

- FFF Washington: https://fridaysforfuturewash.wixsite.com/washington (just one of the Fridays for Future US locations you can find here (https://fridaysforfutureusa.org/local-groups/)

C. "artivism" project (check concept here https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/artivism/) targeted to an environmental or social demographic problem in a specific place of the US

RULES and DEALINES

i) you can write an individual essay or team up with a colleague; final essay, if A or B, should be between 1600-1800 word if individual, or 2500-2900 if by two persons; if C, it should have a rationale of up to 1000 word (1 person) or 1500 (2) (word range is for essay only (Bibliography + TItle Page info with Title, Student name, Academic year, TP, etc. does not count).

ii) by April 9 you have to deliver to the teacher, by email, an essay outline with annotated bibiliography (max. 2 pages TOTAL); it is highly recommended that you discuss with the teacher your choice of paper, texts and/or topic(s)

Suggestion of Essay Outline + annotated bibliography

1. Suggested Title  +  General Theme and relevance within American Cultural Geography / outlook towards the notion of nature and / or environmental justice

2. Research question(?)

3. Simple identification of the reasoning for criticizing an article or text / OR the mission and methods/lines of action of your chosen activist groups and how you intend to investigate them (interview / SWOT analysis ) / OR "artivism" project targeted to an environmental or social demographic problem in a specific place of the US

4. Expected outcomes

5. Annotated bibliography - where you reference and explain briefly at least two sources that you plan to use - ONE at least has to be a scholarly article (from JSTOR or other databases - you can search them in elibrary USA or in google scholar) - see an example in the second part of this post). Preferred citation style is that of MLA 9th

iii) you should bring at least 2/3 of your essays, printed out (2 copies) to the peer-revision class on April 28th. Non-attendance of this class will make you automatically lose 10% out of the 25% the final paper is worth.

iv) Final papers should be delivered on May 16th, by 12 a. m., both printed out (in my pigeon-hole in the English Studies Department) and through the Moodle platform.