Tips for constructing your constructing your cultural snapshot and focused analysis Understanding the Cultural Snapshot This should be an efficient but substantive overview of the nature of your chosen culture, focusing on what you would consider to be the most important and defining elements of the culture. The bolded part of this description is key to this part of the cultural analysis paper and to the project overall.  Start with thoughtful reflection on what might define your chosen culture and build from there. In this project, it is critically important to realize that you are the primary determinant of what you should include.  The themes, elements, and direction of your discussion come from you, and the concept requirements are in place to support your ideas by helping to explain, focus, or clarify your points.

QUESTION

Tips for constructing your constructing your cultural snapshot and focused analysis

Understanding the Cultural Snapshot

This should be an efficient but substantive overview of the nature of your chosen culture, focusing on what you would consider to be the most important and defining elements of the culture.

The bolded part of this description is key to this part of the cultural analysis paper and to the project overall.  Start with thoughtful reflection on what might define your chosen culture and build from there.

In this project, it is critically important to realize that you are the primary determinant of what you should include.  The themes, elements, and direction of your discussion come from you, and the concept requirements are in place to support your ideas by helping to explain, focus, or clarify your points.

So when starting to construct your overview, your primary goal is to identify and describe what you would consider to be the defining elements of your chosen culture.

Below are some questions you might have about the process of completing the cultural analysis paper and some (hopefully!) helpful responses.

Q: What sort of important and defining elements should I include in the cultural overview?

You have broad latitude in terms of what you include.  From the assignment overview:

“For instance, you might identify and discuss factors such as behavioral norms, perceptions, values, symbols, norms of expression, etc.—anything that might reasonably considered a part of this culture and that you can argue is significant is an appropriate choice to include or focus on.”

Please note that you are in no way expected to incorporate all of these possibilities.  It would be exceedingly difficult to cover every aspect of culture that might be significant, especially in a short paper of this length.  You should instead focus on choosing things that you think are important, meaningful, and/or interesting.

Q: Okay, I get it, there are a lot of possibilities and I don’t have to cover them all. Can you help me figure out more specifically what elements I should include?

Again, you should use your own experience, insight, and consideration as a guide, and dedicate some time to thinking and reflecting on this issue, considering questions like: What parts of this culture do you experience most frequently or seem most important to you?  What parts of your life are meaningfully and/or continually impacted by your membership in your chosen culture? Etc.

Q: Okay, I think I understand the general idea here, but I’m still having some trouble getting going. Can you give me some ideas on how to get started?

If you’re not quite sure exactly what you would consider the important and defining elements of your chosen culture to be, these are several ways to potentially approach the task.

The first step in any of these likely involves setting aside come time to think and reflect about the nature of your chosen culture.  Thinking and reflecting are key to completing this project.

If you are still struggling., you could also try some of the following tactics:

• You might brainstorm some answers to general questions in this area (e.g. What does it mean to be a member of <insert culture here>? How does it affect my day to day experience?  How has it influenced me thus far?  What are some associations that other people might make about me on the basis of my cultural membership? Etc.).  As with any brainstorming, in this process you want to continually free-associate and rapidly generate ideas, saving any judgment of them until the end.

• You could have a conversation with other members of your chosen culture and ask them for their perspective of what defines the culture and/or what elements of it are most important. *

• You could look into social media created by members of the culture and try to identify commonalities or themes. *

• You can look into existing traditional scholarship regarding your chosen culture. *

• You can look for and review discussion, portrayal, and other ‘coverage’ in media and popular culture. *

Note that items marked with a ‘*’ will also fulfill the ‘field research’ requirement for the project described in the overview document.

Q: Okay, I’ve got some ideas now. But how many defining elements should I include?

This is mostly up to you.  If pressed to give an answer, I might say 3 is a reasonable target, but you could certainly justify a greater number of elements as being important or defining in almost any culture.

Remember though, that your overview does not have to be comprehensive and touch on every possible area of importance. Focus on the elements you think are most important and most interesting.  It is *much* better to choose fewer elements that you are able to more convincingly address in your discussion than to try to cram so many things in your paper that you don’t give much attention to what you have included.

The minimum number of elements, since the requirement specifies elements, is 2.

Q: Great! I’ve finally figured out the exact elements I want to discuss.  How should I incorporate course concepts required in the assignment?

Review the concepts discussed in the course and look for ones that have a relationship with the elements you have chosen to discuss.

The cultural dimensions are a good place to start, as you already have experience applying them in our cultural descriptions assignment earlier this semester, and these concepts are meant to identify key aspects of human behavior, perception, and communication that are present in some way in all cultures.

Anything covered at any point in the course is appropriate to use though, and cultural dimensions are just one possibility among many.  Including the focused analysis portion of the paper,

Remember, I am looking to understand your individual perception of how a given concept applies.  As long as you are generally aligned with the basic nature of a given concept, and your reasoning in applying it is articulated you will be fine, though, of course, the better you support your applications with clear reasoning and illustrative examples from your experience or field research the better your evaluation will be.

Understanding the Focused Analysis

I generally recommend you get started with this after the cultural snapshot and have already thought about the culture you’ve chosen.  The goal here in this section is more specific: to select and explore in detail a single issue relating to your culture.

The project overview document gives you several choices (refer to the document).  If none of the described choices are appealing to you, you pick something else that is, you just need to be able to relate it to any of the area/concepts described throughout the semester.

The main difference thematically between the focused analysis and the cultural snapshot is that in this portion of the paper you are picking a single area to examine in greater depth.

Q: Any advice on what to choose for the focused analysis?

This is generally a bit easier to get started with, especially if you start this after the cultural snapshot as you’ve already thought a lot about your culture at this point, and there are several specific choices spelled out that are generally applicable across cultures.

The same general principle I mentioned to guide your choices for the cultural snapshot applies here: focus on the option that seems most important, familiar, and/or interesting to you.

If you’re stuck here, you can use some of the previous suggestions for generating ideas discussed in the cultural snapshot portion of this guide.

Q: Does the previous advice about incorporating course concepts in the cultural snapshot also apply to incorporating course concepts in the focused analysis portion of the paper?

Yes, with the revision that rather than recommending you start with the cultural dimensions when considering what concepts might apply, you might be better served starting with the units that directly relate to the area you’ve chosen when possible (e.g. if you’ve chosen stereotypes & labels as your focus, review the unit on cultural labels; if you’ve chosen to focus on conflict, review the unit on intercultural conflict, etc.).

Evaluation

Q: I think I understand things now.  Still, it would be helpful if you can elaborate on how you will be evaluating these papers.

I care most about effort and thoughtful reflection in the spirit of the assignment, and this will be the primary principle in evaluating all parts of the cultural analysis paper.  Beyond these criteria and the broad requirements laid out in the overview, I do not have a detailed, itemized list of things I am expecting to see implemented in any specific fashion.

I will say that my default starting position here is to be extremely open to different individual interpretations of the project parameters, as long as they demonstrate thoughtful and clear elaboration about the key parts of the assignment.

The second thing to keep in mind here is what was previously stated in this guide when: Beyond addressing basic requirements of the project, the better you support your points via clear reasoning and illustrative examples from your experience or field research the better your evaluation will be.

ANSWER

Constructing a Cultural Snapshot and Focused Analysis: Tips and Guidelines

Introduction

When working on a cultural analysis paper, constructing a cultural snapshot and focused analysis are essential components that require careful consideration. These sections allow you to provide an overview of the chosen culture and delve into a specific area in greater depth. To ensure your paper is well-structured and effectively conveys your insights, it’s important to follow some key tips and guidelines. This article will explore strategies to construct a cultural snapshot and focused analysis, emphasizing the importance of thoughtful reflection, incorporating course concepts, and providing clear reasoning and examples.

Constructing the Cultural Snapshot

The cultural snapshot provides an overview of the chosen culture, highlighting its defining elements. Begin by engaging in thoughtful reflection about what aspects you consider most important and influential within the culture. Consider the behavioral norms, values, symbols, perceptions, and norms of expression that shape the cultural fabric. What aspects impact your day-to-day experiences and contribute to your identity as a member of this culture?

To generate ideas, brainstorm responses to questions like, “What does it mean to be a member of this culture?” or “How has this culture influenced me?” Seeking the perspectives of others within the culture can also provide valuable insights. Engage in conversations with fellow cultural members to gain a broader understanding of the defining elements.

Additionally, explore traditional scholarship and media coverage related to the culture. Research existing literature to identify common themes and gain deeper insights. Analyze portrayals of the culture in various media sources to identify significant aspects. These research activities can help you develop a comprehensive and well-informed cultural snapshot.

Selecting a Focus for the Analysis

Once you have constructed the cultural snapshot, the focused analysis allows you to delve into a specific issue within the culture. The project overview document provides several options to choose from, but you can also select another topic that you find compelling and can relate to the concepts covered in the course.

To determine the focus of your analysis, draw from your previous reflections on the cultural snapshot. Identify an area that you believe is significant, familiar, and interesting. Reflect on the impact of this issue within the culture and consider how it relates to the course concepts covered throughout the semester.

Incorporating Course Concepts

In both the cultural snapshot and focused analysis sections, it is important to incorporate relevant course concepts. Review the concepts covered in the course, such as cultural dimensions, stereotypes, conflict, or communication patterns. When considering which concepts to apply, start with those directly related to the elements you have chosen to discuss in your cultural snapshot or focused analysis.

When applying course concepts, ensure that you align with the basic nature of the concept and provide clear reasoning for its relevance to your chosen elements. Support your application with illustrative examples from your personal experiences, field research, traditional scholarship, or media portrayals. This approach strengthens your analysis and demonstrates your understanding of the course content.

Providing Clear Reasoning and Examples

Throughout your paper, it is crucial to provide clear reasoning and examples to support your arguments. Whether discussing the defining elements in the cultural snapshot or exploring the chosen focus in the analysis, back up your statements with logical explanations and relevant evidence. This can include personal anecdotes, observations from field research, references to scholarly work, or examples from media portrayals.

By incorporating these specific details, you enhance the clarity and persuasiveness of your analysis. It showcases your ability to connect abstract concepts with real-world contexts, strengthening your evaluation and demonstrating a deeper understanding of the cultural dynamics

Conclusion

Constructing a cultural snapshot and focused analysis for your cultural analysis paper requires thoughtful reflection, incorporating course concepts, and providing clear reasoning and examples. By carefully considering the defining elements of your chosen culture, selecting an area of focus, and aligning it with relevant course concepts, you can create a well-rounded and comprehensive analysis. Remember to support your arguments with illustrative examples and reasoning to strengthen your evaluation. With these guidelines in mind, you will be well-equipped to construct an engaging and insightful cultural analysis paper.