ENGL 1020 Final Project Instructions Spring 2023
Cultural myths are often founded on principles that present a false reality. As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
tells us in her TED talk, it’s not that the stereotype is necessarily wrong, it’s that is only part of the full
story. When people/cultures/races/ethnicities/genders, etc. are reduced to two-dimensional caricatures, it
becomes easy for the dominant culture to oppress and ignore them. As educated members of the world, it
is our responsibility to prevent that from happening.
So, like the prisoner who broke free from their chains and battled the confusion and struggles of coming
into the light, you too will become enlightened about a cultural myth through research. Then, as is our
duty, you will descend back into the cave to educate those who have not yet seen the light of reality by
communicating your findings via an academic essay.
Our final project has 3 separate but connected assignments. These are designed to give students practice
in the academic research and writing process. The activities associated with this assignment are:
Part I: The Proposal (Due by April 9th)
Locate a cultural myth (NOT MYTHOLOGY!). Feel free to use one from the attached list or find one
yourself. There are plenty out there.
The first step in solving any problem is understanding the problem. Therefore, the first step in our
exploration of Cultural Myths is to understand what the myth is, why it exists, who is affected by it, how
it affects them, and why it’s a problem. This is achieved in an academic setting by doing research. A
preliminary research session helps us understand this information. Then we write a proposal as indicated
below:
Proposal Instructions:
1. Choose a Cultural Myth (NOT A MYTHOLOGY) to use for this final project
2. Do research to deepen your understanding of the Cultural Myth
3. Identify stakeholders: who are the people and groups who have something to gain or lose from this
Cultural Myth.
• Helps you get a better sense of the problem’s scope
• Helps you identify possible audiences to address in response to the problem
4. Define your own ethos in the Cultural Myth: how does this myth relate to you? How do you connect to
the groups of stakeholders you identify?
5. Describe the Cultural Myth and give it presence (presence is making the problem visible—like King
said in Letter from Birmingham Jail when he said: “Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is
covered up but must be opened with all its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must
be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of
national opinion before it can be cured.”):
a. What exactly is the Cultural Myth you have chosen? Be as specific as possible in your
description. What are its origins? What aspects of modern culture are associated with the
cultural myth.
b. What is the problem with this Cultural Myth? Who propagates this myth? Who does it hurt?
Why does it hurt them? Again, be specific. Why is this a problem (if you chose a cultural myth
that isn’t a problem, go choose another and start over).
Your proposal should be 1-2 pages long and follow academic forms and conventions. This needs to be
primarily an OBJECTIVE account of the facts surrounding the Cultural Myth. You will be able to give
opinions in the final essay, but for now, stick to the facts. Your primary purpose in this proposal is to
INFORM the reader about the Cultural Myth.
Cultural Myths: You can use one of these or choose your own:
No one wants to work
The American Dream
The world is a dangerous place
Your body isn’t good enough
Poor people are lazy
Vaccines are dangerous
The Welfare Queen
Being overweight is Unhealthy
Majority Rule
America is the Greatest Country on Earth
Immigrants are stealing American jobs
Happily Ever After
Being “self-made”
Also: Racial and religious stereotypes
Gender Stereotypes like women are more
nurturing than men, or trans people are
mentally ill
Part II: The Essay and Annotated Bibliography
After you have submitted your proposal, you should begin thinking about the final essay. In the final
essay your task is to:
1. Explain the cultural myth, where it comes from, and how it is used and who is affected by it
2. dispel the cultural myth (explain how it’s harmful and an incorrect way of seeing—like it is
merely a shadow on the cave wall) and then
3. provide a new way of thinking about the cultural myth that resolves the problem created by the
cultural myth (drag those readers out of the cave and into the sunlight).
Essay Guidelines:
• 1200 words minimum (minimum means AT LEAST)
• An argumentative thesis statement that includes a claim about your topic (opinion) and how you
will discuss your claim in the essay (your main points).
• Formatted according to MLA guidelines
• Must use at least 3 different sources (at least 2 must come from the library resources)
• Must include a Works Cited page and correct in-text citations
• Due for grading by 4/23 11:59 PM
NOTE: Because this is all one project, feel free to use portions of your proposal in your essay. This is
perfectly okay and very common. You will find that a lot of the information in your proposal is good
information for your Introduction where you set up your argument.
The Annotated Bibliography
In addition to the essay, students will complete an Annotated Bibliography, which is not the same thing as
a Works Cited page. An annotated bibliography is a summary of your research. It is a common
assignment in college and helps students stay organized and shows your professors what kind of resources
you have been interacting with while studying. I will go over this in a separate lecture.
