Minimum 800 words in the body of the paper (excluding title and the reference list)
Choose a product from the U.S. and analyze how this product’s life cycle has affected diversity, equality, and structural inequalities in the U.S. (or the world), and reflect on your own positions within these processes. You may consider any product: a product with a physical form (such as clothes, cars, etc.) or without a physical form (such as financial or cultural products, or government policies). You can focus on one or multiple steps in the product’s life cycle. You must discuss the impact on all three aspects (diversity, equality, and structural inequality), and reflect on your own positions/experiences in relation to the product’s impacts on these aspects. Please integrate course material (concepts, theories, discussions, and lectures). Cite at least one course reading and one appropriate source from outside class. All course reading materials are posted on the course HOME page.
Submission requirement: No AI generated text is allowed in your submission. If you use AI tools in an appropriate manner as discussed in class (such as for brainstorming, generating ideas, etc.), you must include an AI use statement at the end of your paper to specify which AI tool you use and how you use it. You must engage with your sources in your paper to provide evidence for your argument, and include links to all outside sources in your references, and/or upload the PDF files of your main sources.
Instruction: 1. You must focus on a human-made “product,” either a social/political/cultural product or a physical product. 2. Your paper should have a clear structure, including a thesis, body paragraphs with clear topic sentences and focused discussions, and a conclusion. 3. The paper should be detailed in analysis and your argument should be based on specific evidence. Make sure to choose a focus (such as a particular brand, or a particular policy/practice) that allows you to provide specific examples, statistics or any other kinds of factual details or data in your paper. 4. Each body paragraph should start with a topic sentence linked with one of the four topics in the prompt (use the key terms). The paragraph should then explain your ideas (defining the main concept is very helpful!) and cite evidence to support your claim. Then the paragraph should analyze your evidence and link your analysis with the main topic of your paragraph. 5. You may use the first person in your self reflection. 6. You can use APA or MLA citation format, and should include intext citations and a reference list for either citation format. APA citations of all reading materials are listed in the document “APA citations for course reading materials” posted in the first module of the home page and also at the end of the course syllabus. Please put the course material in your references in bold. 7. Please review the rubrics before you start writing the paper.
Format: double space (indent the beginning of each paragraph; no extra space between paragraphs), 12 font size