The purpose of this project is to help you reflect on your growth as an intellectual. This is not so much a documentation of what you’ve learned, but rather an account of how you became who you are as a student, thinker, and world citizen.
In writing your intellectual autobiography, you may wish to address some of the following questions:
• What intellectual questions and issues motivate you?
• What authors, texts, and theories captivated or influenced you and why?
• What are your commitments to this world and why do you have these beliefs?
• To what extent are you implicated in social forces of a global sphere?
• How has “place” affected your identity?
• How does your identity (or self) intersect with the diverse fabric of American culture (such as class, race, gender, religion, science, education, sports, etc.)?
• Is there a legacy of the Western program that has influenced you as a learner? If so, how?
Parameters:
• You must cite at least 6 sources (readings—including page numbers, videos) from the course (“Deflating . . .” counts as one source—cite the quote number); a bibliography is needed only if outside sources—in addition to the 6 sources from the course—are cited.
• The piece must be 6–7 double-spaced pages.
• While this piece may draw upon elements of a memoir, it should also contain a critical engagement with the topics and theories discussed in the course.
• This assignment takes the place of a final exam.
Select one of the titles from the list on Canvas and write an analysis in terms of “self” or “place” or both. Cite at least one course reading.