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Cultural Currents II, Winter 2018
Instructor: Dr. Natalia Pakhomova
Term Paper.
(30% of total grade)
Due dates: Annotated Bibliography (5%) – February 8, 2017
Outline (5%) – March 13, 2017
Final Paper (research essay)(20%) – April 26, 2017
1. Strategy:
Make a trip to the Museum of Fine Arts (Musee des Beaux-Arts: 1380
Sherbooke Street West) or attend a full-length live performance of your choice
(live full-time theatre play, opera or ballet performance), research a cultural
object and write about it.
2. Content:
Choose a work of art (painting, literature, performance or music) from the eras
studied (Baroque, Enlightenment, Romanticism, or Modernism and
Postmodernism), carry out a research on this work of art and analyze the
significance of this work, find a controversy about it or its role.
Give a very brief summary of the chosen work(s) of art, provide some
background information, and then focus on review of researched facts available
from academic and other reliable sources.
Put the work of art in context. Consider questions of cultural object’s impact.
Where and why did it arise? What does the work try to convey? What is its
message? How does its influence affect the more contemporary art or society
at large?
Define your research question/questions, select your data, analyze the
evidence and present what is relevant to your topic and discussion.
Your goal when writing the paper is to think critically. You have to show your
ability to observe, to analyze the information, to question, to investigate and to
synthesize.
You can take and express your position. Your position should be supported by
clear arguments. Your personal impressions and personal commentary should
be based on informed knowledge about the chosen cultural object and should
be relevant to course discussions.
3. Format:
Write a 1000 word essay and discuss the above points. Be sure to include in
your essay basic information such as titles, dates, locations, and sources.
The essay should be typed, double-spaced and indicate the word count at the end.
It should follow the standard form of college essay writing and have a cover page
(with title, date, your name and course information).
4. Structure:
Begin with a brief introduction where you state your topic and argument (try to
formulate your thesis).
Introduction should then be followed by the main part of three to five paragraphs
where you offer relevant information about your research, you provide your
explanations and develop your argument.
Finally, it should be wrapped up with a conclusion.
Citations and works consulted, must be properly referenced and identified in
footnotes, bibliography or in a “works cited” list at the end of the paper.
Your paper should follow MLA style.
Preparation of an Annotated Bibliography and an Outline is part of this project.
Note: If you attended an exhibition or a performance attach the program and ticket
stub to your essay.
NB: Respect the deadlines (February 8, March 13 and April 26, 2017).
Late assignments will not be accepted.