In this essay, you will do several tasks. First,
imagine you are writing an autobiography or a memoir, or that someone is making
a movie of your life. Who are the important people? What are the
events that shape your story line? When did the events happen?
Write an outline of the key points you would want a reader/viewer to remember
about your story.
Second, think about the concepts we have covered in the
class so far. Review previous pages in the modules and look for key
terms. Make a list of the ones that you think you can see playing out in
your story.
Later in the course we are going to learn that there are
some important characteristics of the life stories of people who do and do not
choose to run for elected office. As you think about your life story, pay
attention to things like: a) was politics discussed in your house growing up b)
did you/do you participate in organizations that give you opportunities to
organize events/people, communicate in writing or orally, lead meetings c) were
religious activities an important part of your upbringing d) did adults close
to you regularly volunteer or attend organizational meetings (like PTA, Rotary,
or the Masons).
Finally, write a short (2-3 page) essay that details your
life story, making sure to call out (using the terms from class) the
application of particular concepts. I’ll give you an example from my own
life. As a young person, there were several structural forces
that were very important to my sense of self: the church, race, and
region. I was raised in an Evangelical Prostestant church and my
grandfather (a situational factor) was both a high school
civics teacher and a pastor. I am a Filipina who grew up in a small
farming community about an hour north of the Ohio River, near the foothills of
Appalachia. This racial/regional/cultural mix was pretty unique in the
1980s (an era effect) and shapes who I am today.
Please format your responses to these questions as a short
essay (approximately two to three pages, 1 1/2 or double spaced, 10 to 12 point
font, 1 to 1 1/2 inch margins). The essay should be uploaded as a Word file or
a PDF. Submit your essay here by the due date listed in the
syllabus.
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