Prospectus: The Myth of the Missing Black Father
CES 436 – Black Masculinities Prospectus (40 points possible) As the first part of your “Final Cultural Analysis” assignment you are asked to submit a prospectus that details the cultural text you have chosen on which you will focus your assignment. A prospectus is a proposal of an analytical project presented in a way to convince a reader (in this case, the professor) that the analysis is critical, relevant, and connected to course discussions, as well as has the strong potential to present a creative and intellectually rigorous understanding of black masculinity in the United States. It should provide: • A brief discussion of your chosen cultural text and why you consider it an important text through which to think about the meaning of black masculinity (Worth 15 points) • A statement of your argument regarding your chosen cultural text including how theargument relates to the ideological processes of identity formation, and why you think it is an important argument to consider when analyzing the meanings of black masculinity in the United States.[unique_solution] (Worth 15 points) FORMAT REQUIREMENTS: 1. Your response must be typed. Assignments not typed will not be accepted. 2. The prospectus must be a minimum of 500 words, double-spaced (or 2 pages) and a maximum of 750 words, double-spaced (or 3 pages) using a typical 12-point font (ex. Times New Roman), and standard margins. You will not be eligible for full credit if the prospectus is less than 2 pages or more than 3 pages. 3. You must include a brief “Works Cited” page to include the citations of the scholarly resources included in your brief overview of related scholarship. Your citations may be formatted in either MLA, APA, or Chicago style. Whichever style you choose, be consistent. 4. The heading of your prospectus must follow the guidelines described in the syllabus. 5. Please remember to proofread your response thoroughly. Excessive spelling and grammatical errors will be marked down accordingly. Questions to Consider in Your Prospectus 1. What argument do you intend to make? Explain the argument, showing how it relates to black masculinity and why it is an important argument to think about when thinking about cultural representations. 2. What could possibly make your argument problematic? Are you thinking intersectionally? Who is potentially getting erased within your argument? What disagreements might people have about your argument? 3. What’s at stake in considering this argument? Why is it significant? To whom does it matter? How will considering it advance understandings of racialized and gendered identity formation? How does your small argument connect to some larger social issue regarding black masculinity?