ATH/ITS301: Intercultural Relations
Reflexive Essay
A rich point, according to Michael Agar, is a place where cultural differences between you and your host community become particularly apparent. A rich point may be an event, a place, and activity or even an object that invokes feelings of culture shock, puzzlement or discomfort.
Each student must find two rich points during the semester and write a 1-2 page reflexive essays about each of them. Essays should fit onto two pages unless there is a good and compelling reason to go to a third page (e.g. inclusion of photographs, or the need to carefully describe in detail a particular part of the activity, event or item in order to make a point). Essays should be submitted electronically. Due dates are listed on the syllabus.
The essay should focus on your thoughts, informed by concepts being discussed in the course. It should include a couple of paragraphs describing the event, and a couple of introductory and concluding paragraphs that try to tie the event to course concepts in order to make a point.
Here is a useful (but not required) process for writing a good reflexive essay:
1. Describe the rich point:
i. Summarize the rich point. This should be the shortest part.
ii. Describe how the rich point violated your expectations. What does your cultural background lead you to expect and what was different?
iii. Look for an underlying similarity.
iv. Describe what questions the event raised for you, that is, what would you like to learn more about and why.
2. Connect up the event to the course
i. Ask these questions:
1. How does your encounter with this rich point fit into the topic(s) of the course?
2. What concept(s) from the course is/are relevant to this rich point?
3. What issues did the rich point raise that the course has not addressed?
ii. Turn your answers to these questions into an introduction and conclusion
3. Revise
i. Read through your paper from start to finish and make sure it reads smoothly.
ii. Make any changes you need to improve its readability.
Reflexive essays will be evaluated as follows:
0-50 Poor. Not very informative, not readily understandable.
51-65 Needs Improvement. Well written, but only summarizes the rich point.
66-80 Fair. Summarizes the event, and describes your experience of difference and includes an underlying similarity.
81-90 Good. Summarizes the readings, describes your experience of difference, includes an underlying similarity, and describes what you would like to learn.
91-100 Wow! All the above and ties the event to concepts from the course to make an interesting critical or analytical point expressed in the introduction as a thesis.
Note: Points will also be taken off for poor writing, excessive errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar, as well as late submission.
