Updates & Links & Bonus Posts

For the week of May 24th, begin your essay #3 draft. See the guidelines below and the example from class. If you're doing option one, you'd want to start by editing your interview Terkel-style.

Try posting your first paragraph: see if you can succeed in catching your reader's attention and bringing them into your topic.

Here's is a source that might be useful:

Here, here, and here are three parts of a question and answer with Joshua Freeman, a historian (and CUNY professor!) about working class history in New York.

And now, some bonus posts:

Schlosser's article "The Most Dangerous Job" ends with Kenny's story. What did you make of Kenny's attitude towards his job and the company he works for? How does it compare to your experience and that of people you know?


Here is an article about how enforcement of imimgration laws have changed things since Schlosser's article. Notice the testimonials along the side. Describe how you would follow up on Schlosser's article if you were writing it now. How do you think current anti-immigrant laws and sentiments will affect coditions for workers?



Here is a long interview with Studs Terkel - thanks to Mwani for the link! Share your responses!

Step Three: Essay #3

Once you have done steps one and two (posted about the archives, posted about the interviews you read from Terkel, and come up with your research question), you'll begin the process of gathering sources.

For option one, this means choosing the person you'll interview and coming up with research questions. You can see some student posts of interview questions here and here.

For option two, that means selecting two course texts to help answer your question and using databases to find periodical sources (or book chapters) and selection course texts. Then you'll put together an annotated biography. Course texts can include anything we've read or watched over the course of the semester. You can find some examples of student annotated bibliographies here and here, and some guidelines here.

Once you've completed this step, for option one, you'll next conduct the interview. For essay two, you'll begin your draft. Think of the bibliography as a kind of pre-writing that suggests how each text will help answer your question.

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Let's say your research question is: What long-term impact does emotional labor have on workers, the workplace and American culture as a whole?

Some preliminary database searches might take you to these three sources.

In the comments, answer the following questions for your source.

1) What *kind* of source are you looking at? Who is its audience?

2) Briefly summarize the source (you should be able to do this without reading the whole thing, at least for the first two).

3) What database do you think this writer used to find this? Why?

4) Do you think it will be a useful source for this writer? Why or why not?
1) http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=11&did=391729811&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1242161905&clientId=13053


2) http://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/12/business/when-may-i-help-you-is-a-labor-issue-the-customer-service-assembly-line.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/S/Strikes&scp=1&sq=emotional%20labor&st=cse

3) http://tigger.uic.edu/~mastracc/EL.htm

Essay #3 Outline

For your last essay, you'll have a chance to go a bit more in-depth, explore your interests in a more open ended way, and do a little of your own research - this means seeking out or creating sources as well as using the ones we've been discussing in class.

Because this essay is a little longer, it's broken down into steps. Your grade on the essay will depend on your work on each of the steps, not just the final product. All the steps except the final essay will take place on the blog. So it's especially important that you check in. Read your colleague's blogs and leave comments and suggestions. I'm working to arrange some lab time so we can use some class time to work with these essays.

There are two main options for the final essay. With option one, you'll interview someone of about their experiences with work. Your final essay will include the notes or transcript from the interview, and edited version, and your reflections drawing connections between the interview, your own experiences, and our course text and themes.

With option two, you'll use your reading of the archive interviews and those from Terkel to select a work-related topic that's of interest to you. Then you'll do research using periodical databases to find current articles that discuss the state of this issue today. With this option, you'll do more of a traditional essay than with option one, but you will also have the opportunity to draw on your own experiences.

Step one: (Due on May 5th or 6th): Archive Blog Post (see below.)

Step two: (Due on May 10th or 11th): Select two interviews from Terkel that interest you. In a blog post of at least 250 words, discuss the issues that these interviews raise. What do they tell us about the factors that shape the experience of work? What questions does it lead you to? Draw connections to other course texts and to your own experiences. Then select a central research question you'd like to know more about.

Step three: (Due on May 17th or 18th): For option one: Select your interview subject and post your list of interview questions. Draw on the archive interviews, Terkel, and the link to the Spring 2009 blog for ideas. For option two: Find at least two outside sources from periodical databases that address the current state of your topic. Some good options: articles from the New York Times, The Daily News, or New York. In your blog post, do an annotated bibliography of your sources, which should include at least two course texts and two outside sources.

Step four: (Due May 24th or 25th) Draft of Essay. For essay one, conduct your interview and write the edited version and your reflections. For essay two, use your course and outside texts to write a text-based essay of at least 1200 words. Respond to at least two colleague's drafts by May 26th/27th.

Final Essays Due on Friday, June 4th, 5PM in my mailbox.

Post your questions in the comments!