Humanities Homework Help

Religion is not developed or practiced in a vacuum. It influences and is influenced by almost everything else found in culture—food, sexual practices, taboos, rites of passage, music, art, literature, movies, media, sports, science, medicine, and understandings of the natural world.

For this project, choose a topic of interest and show the impact of religion. Some broad examples might be:  Buddhism and Kung Fu (many martial arts practices are based in religion), Jewish history and belief in regard to tattoo body art, Christian expression in NASCAR or American sports, or on the flip side, the claim that sports has become America’s secular religion. If you’re interested in the intersection of religion and politics, you could research Hindu nationalism or Christian nationalism, or you could research native American’s ongoing struggle for religious freedom. The possibilities are endless. The subject area will need to be specific enough to be manageable. For example, rather than writing about Christianity in American politics, for instance, write about the Christian voice in the debate on gay marriage in the United States.

For topic ideas, read through the final pages of each chapter in your book. Contemporary challenges and cultural influences will often be discussed on these pages. Ask friends, other teachers, coaches, or family members for ideas. Consider religious topics in the news, or google information as a way to find a topic. (Googled information cannot, however, be used in the paper.)

You must have a minimum of 3 sources from the EFSC library with at least 2 of those required sources from the EFSC databases, as one of the learning goals for this paper is to develop skills in using the databases. From the databases, you can choose between journal articles, newspaper articles, and e-books.  The third required source may be a print book from the EFSC library. The textbook, however, will be counted as an additional source, not one of the three required minimum sources. Avoid using book reviews and general encyclopedic information. Do not use documentaries or other videos.

Sources may not be “googled” or come from other internet searches or from sources such as Wikipedia or Ask.com, though these sites may help you find keywords for exploring the EFSC databases. You can start with a general search in the EFSC library catalogue search window and it will bring up databases in which suggested material is available, and you can click the link, or you can search individual databases directly from the tab at the top of the EFSC library page.  

Cite any primary source relevant to your paper. For instance, if you are exploring themes from Confucianism in the movie Mulan, the movie would be an additional source to the three minimum required sources. Do not use personal interviews in this paper. 

Having trouble finding sources? Work with one of our research librarians, available at all campus libraries and through e-mail.

Sources must be relevant to the paper topic. If you are exploring Confucianism in Mulan, you need sources that point out the teachings of Confucius in the movie. As this is a research paper, do not take the expert role, for example citing instances of Confucian belief in the movie and drawing conclusions. Instead, research and write about what other experts have said on this topic.

This is a research paper. Do not take a side or argue for a particular point of view. Present the information found in expert source material. With controversial topics, balance the paper by reflecting arguments from all sides. Do not include personal experience, opinion, or personal pronouns. This is a third-person paper.

When writing the paper, do not recount the storyline of a movie/book/television show. 

Use careful MLA style and formatting. Avoid plagiarism by citing ALL sources in the text of the manuscript. This includes quotations, certainly, but also a body of information you learned from a specific source and which you have put in your own words. At the end of that body of information (a paragraph, for instance), simply cite your source in parentheses. Avoid long quotations, or an abundance of direct quotes. It is best to put information in your own words, and then cite the source.

Papers that do not meet the required minimum criteria will receive an “F” without any further grading. 

Minimum Criteria:

           MLA format
           Meets minimum word requirement
           Meets assignment criteria
           Appropriate thesis
           Appropriate sources
           Proper in-text citations (no plagiarism)

This paper must be an original piece of work produced by the student. Do not copy or borrow material from previous student papers or the internet. When you submit your paper, it will automatically go through Turnitin.com. If this shows your paper has been plagiarized in any way, the paper will be rejected and given an “F.” Do not submit your paper to the Turnitin application before submitting it to Canvas. This will give you a 100% plagiarized score and I will reject the paper.

I highly recommend use of the EFSC Melbourne campus Writing Center (they are familiar with this assignment), though other campus writing centers will also be helpful. You might also consider the “Smarthinking” resource on Canvas, though this requires planning as it takes a couple of days to receive back your corrected paper.

See the “Checklist for Research Paper” on Canvas. Make sure your paper meets all those guidelines.