Term papers

Introduction to Latin America
Dr. Medina
Term Papers

Rationale: The paper allows you to further explore topics of interest to you and to continue the conversation about Latin America that we have began in class. I advise you to study a topic that fascinates you, captivates you, magnetizes you, entices your curiosity, or moves you. As a humanities course, you must include a Latin America or US Latino humanities text (art, literature, film, documentaries, children's literature, comics, and so forth) as a key component of your paper. Attempt to address topics discussed in class: the social-cultural-political-economical or historical context, the representation of sexual/gender roles, issues of national identity, the subversion, revision or validation of official historical versions, ideology, the representation of the Latin American "Other" and comparing or contrasting your world with the world depicted in a particular work you study.

Sample topics: NOTE: This should serve as a mere sample. not as a shopping list of topics.

1. The representation of class, race and gender in the film Roma.

2. Female characters in María Luisa Bombal’s fiction.

3. Defining “blackness” in Afro-Colombian fiction.

4. African roots of Candomble religions in Black Orfeu.

5. Government and social inclusion/exclusion in “The Slaughter House”

6. The Indigenous “other” gets a voice in the novel Huasipungo.


Paper format: Papers must conform to the following criteria:

Length: 1500 - 2000 words, approximately 6 - 8 pages, if using a Times Roman 12 cpi type font.

Typed, double spaced

Use correct and proper rules of grammar and style

Follow the current MLA style. Please consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers for information on cover pages, page numbering, documenting your sources, designing a list of work cited, etc. The list of work cited and the paper itself must show that you researched the topic.


Deadlines:

1. Tuesday, February 9: Select a topic and notify Dr. Medina, via e-mail, of your selection.
2. Tuesday, March 16: Turn in your thesis statement, tentative title and bibliography
3. Thursday, April 15: First draft due
4. Thursday, April 27: Revised draft (final version) due.

PROPOSAL
Please visit these sites to see a sample proposal and general guidelines on how to write research papers:
1. Dean's Book w/ Prof. Connie Griffin, U of Mass, https://blogs.umass.edu/honors291g-cdg/how-to-write-a-paper-topic-proposal-thesis-statement/
 2. Purdue University OWL Center, https://owl.purdue.edu

A proposal must include the following:

  1. The tentative title of your paper
  2. The paper’s thesis statement: Formulate it as an assertion ("statement") that you will defend and demonstrate through your research. A thesis statement takes a position on an issue and it provides an answer rather than a question.
    Example: "The female characters in The House Mango Street find a space in the novel to speak from a place of silence"
  3. A brief description of what you plan to research/write about (125-200 words) containing the following:
  1. The name(s) of the work(s) you will study
  2. One or two sentences summarizing what other scholars have studied about this work, if applicable.
  3. Mention your critical approach, in general (feminism, gender roles, anthropological, subaltern studies, ideology, narrative techniques, film studies, etc.)
  4. Why do you want to embark in this research project? Why does the idea appeal to you?
  5. A working bibliography of academically reputable sources that you plan to use to write the paper.