Assessment 2: Research Essay
Description: Catriona Elder has concluded that national identities, though powerful, are never fixed because they are always being contested. [‘Imagining Nations: Telling National Tales’ in Being Australian: Narratives of National Identity, Sydney, Allen and Unwin, 2007, p.38, available as an ereading + book in Short Loans]
Discuss three powerful stereotypes of national identity drawn from the material presented in this subject and trace how they have changed over time.
In your discussion you should focus on how those stereotypes have been challenged (contested) by marginalised groups seeking to bring about change.
That contestation might take many forms – academic or popular histories, comedy, literary production, paintings, rituals, legal challenges, festivals, performances, songs, films, radio programs, photographs, TV or press advertisements….
For each of the three stereotypes you have chosen, discuss two different examples of contestation to them. You will get credit for originality and for selecting a number of different forms of contestation.
Graduate Quality developed: Informed; Independent learners; Problem solvers; Effective communicators
Format: 1,700 words for the essay itself (footnotes and bibliography count as 300 words): Total 2,000 words.
Assessment Criteria: This essay is designed to assess your ability to put together your own arguments in an essay format, based on the ideas and readings presented in this subject as well as your own independent research.
You are expected to seek out some articles for yourself – i.e. beyond the readings presented on this subject outline – especially when you discuss contestation of dominant national narratives.
Look first at the additional reading list on the subject website; do a search on the Library catalogue; speak to or email the Research Help Desk in the library; and check out other libraries near where you live.
Start collecting material for your essay well before the due date – remember, if you have written thoughtful reflections throughout the session they will be an invaluable resource for this essay.
A research essay for a first year university subject should cite at least 8 academic sources. These may be books, journal articles and substantial academic websites (if you use websites you should add a brief annotation in the bibliography to explain who compiled it and why it is a credible source).
Wikipedia and similar sites are good places to start your research, but they do not count as substantial academic sources. Same for lecture notes.
Quality of writing is a major element of the assessment for this task. A carefully structured essay, which leads the reader through a clearly expressed argument is key. Be sure to answer the set question directly.
Spend time providing an overview of the theoretical debates surrounding national identity before plunging into expressing your own points of view and putting forward your own examples.
Think about sentence construction and paragraph structure. Draft and redraft until you are happy with how the essay reads.
You should consult the Style Guide for History Students in the Help with Assignments Folder on the Subject Website.
To see how the essay will be graded, look at the Marking Rubric in the Final Essay folder in the Help With Assignments folder on the subject website, posted in the weeks before the essay is due.
P.S. Please use no more than 2 internet sources/references and make sure they are all from Australian authors.
P.S.S. Please do not call me if you require extra information, contact me via email instead. I will reply promptly.
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