TRS 2243: Women and Religion

Final Paper Assignment

Paper Topic:

For this paper, choose ONE of the following questions and write a thoughtful, 5-7 page analysis:

How would you describe the current situation of women in religion?

When looking at the situation of women in religion, what has or is changing? and What still needs to change?

What might the situation of women in religion suggest about the situation of women in the world at large?

Instructions:

This paper invites you to do more than report on the course topics – it requires that you think critically about the subject matter and ask thoughtful questions. Instead of simply lifting up ONLY the positive or ONLY the negative, ask difficult questions about contributions and limitations. [The weekly journals and syntheses have been preparation for this assignment.] This is not a research paper, so only use the sources from the course, including those used for synthesis assignments.

Guidelines and Tips:

Think of yourself as an investigator – who is trying to learn as much as possible about women and their religion and then helping the audience/reader (not the professor) to understand this topic.

Epistemological Humility – epistemology is the study of knowing – epistemological humility encourages not overstating what one knows or going beyond what can adequately be said about a subject given limited knowledge. This course has only allowed an introductory knowledge – so beware of how your own worldview, your own cultural context limits your knowledge.

SUPPORT any claim or observation that you make using the assigned texts, videos, readings for the course. One of the purposes of the journal assignment is to help develop skills for larger writing assignments like this – so analyze texts and ideas – much as has happened in the journals.

This is NOT an opinion paper, so please refrain from agreeing or disagreeing or liking or disliking. Instead, offer ANALYSIS. In other words, say what you think and have learned, and support these claims.

Requirements:

The paper must be a minimum of 5 FULL pages and no more than 7 pages (the title page and the bibliography do not count in this page requirement).

Start page numbering on the first page of text – NOT on the title page.

Please use 1” margins, Times New Roman, and do NOT double-space between paragraphs.

On a cover page please put name, title, and your thesis statement.

Note that a thesis statement is not: an "in this paper I will” statement. I strongly encourage reviewing the writing resources provided in Blackboard.

Format and organize the paper as any research paper should be formatted – i.e. number pages, introduction, conclusion, proper citations (even when paraphrasing) etc.

Please use MLA for citations and bibliography.

There should be no more than 2 (single-spaced) block quotes in the entire paper.

Use the library and the writing center resources. A paper with strong content and poor citation, mechanics and grammar will receive a grade no higher than a C.

Grading:

Overall, performance is considered in light of these key activities:

Comprehension of the material: apprehension and understanding of the facts, terms and concepts in the readings and material;

Synthesis of the material: ability to relate items of a given text or idea to other texts and ideas, creating new ideas in the process.

Analysis of the material: ability to understand the structure of and relationship between the parts of a given text and subject matter.

Ability to approach material from an objective and critical perspective which asks questions of implication.

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