Reference no: EM133795542

Homework: Reading Analysis

A reading response is a specific kind of essay that asks you as a reader to engage critically with the assigned material. What the reading response is not is a simple summary of the main ideas of readings (although it can contain a very brief summary of their main ideas as a starting point). The reading response is still a kind of essay; as such, it should have a clear organizational scheme that makes it easy for the reader to understand. Feel free to pose well-framed questions in your response.

The goal of this homework is to make sure that you have an opportunity to reflect on readings before coming to class, to hone your analytical writing skills, and to ensure that you are keeping up with weekly readings.

The responses will be 1 single-spaced page (approximately 500 words). No cover page is necessary, but be sure not to leave out your name, section, and the date. (Get the instant assignment help.) I expect your reading response to be carefully proofread and free from typos and grammatical errors.

In writing a response you may assume the reader has already read the text. Thus, do not summarize the contents of the text at length. Instead, take a systematic, analytical approach to the text. Do not evaluate texts through a simple "I liked it/I hated it" approach. There are a variety of approaches that you can take to writing a reading response. It can critique the readings, identifying their useful and/or flawed aspects. It can discuss the use of specific sources, concepts, or methods. It can bring the week's readings into dialogue with other issues in the class, or with contemporary academic or political debates. It can identify directions for future research.

Make sure to distinguish between (i) what the author said, (ii) your interpretation of what he/she said, and (iii) your own thoughts on the subject. Examine your wording to make it as accurate as you can. Try to stay away from unsubstantiated overgeneralizations.

Here are some questions that you may consider while writing your responses:

I. What issues are explored in the readings?

II. What are the questions that are posed by the authors? What problems are they addressing?

III. What are some of the key concepts introduced in the readings? How are they connected?

IV. What are the positions of the authors? What are they arguing for or against?

V. Are there any ideas you disagree with? Why?

VI. What are the links between the readings? Are there significant similarities or differences in terms of their arguments/authors' positions/historical contexts etc?

VII. How do these ideas link to themes and issues we are exploring in the course as a whole?

VIII. Has the reading provoked new questions, dilemmas, or curiosities?