DAS110: Assignments for Fall 2000
The first graded assignment in DAS110 is a paper based on James K. Galbraith's talk (October 5th).
You paper should have two parts: first, a description of what Galbraith says in his speech--his main ideas; and second, your analysis or reaction to his ideas.
Each of these parts should be about one page in length. Try to make your first part quite close to a page in length. (Slightly over or under a page is fine.) The second part can be longer. Perhaps the best essays will in fact have a second section somewhat longer than a page.
Notice that your reaction to the speech--whether you liked it or enjoyed it or not--is NOT part of this assignment. I want you to zero in immediately and exclusively on the ideas presented in the speech. So don't tell me what the setting was like or what Galbraith's speaking style was like. Just go straight to a presentation of his ideas.
In the first part of your essay, you may want to give special emphasis to an idea or two of Galbraith's that you will focus on in your analysis or reaction. But don't start reacting in the first part; just be a reporter (an intelligent and skillful reporter). Then, in the second part of your essay, turn into an editor or a commentator (again, an intelligent and skillful one).
Please note that I don't care whether you take a position in support of Galbraith's ideas or opposed to them. For the purposes of this class, I'm interested in your ability to analyze and react in writing and not in what your position is. In fact, the easiest way to write a strong reaction is to find something to disagree with. If you simply agree with Galbraith, the second part of your essay is likely to be bland and uninteresting. So you might go to the speech looking for something (big or small) to disagree with in your essay. Even if you agree with Galbraith on most points, or in the big picture, you can always find some smaller point on which to take issue with him.
Please use normal fonts and margins. I think it works best to have a cover page, even for a short paper such as this. In that case, do not repeat the title inside the cover page--on the first page of the essay itself.