Rough Draft Due: April 19th, 2017
Final Draft Due: May 3rd, 2017
FORMAT AND REQUIREMENTS
Rough draft: 3-4 pages double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt font, 1-inch margins, no cover
page.
Final Draft: 5-6 pages double spaced, Times New Roman 12pt font, 1-inch margins, no cover
page
In “Being WEIRD,” Ethan Watters looks at the work of social scientist Joseph Henrich,
whose research challenged long-held beliefs that humans share inherent psychological traits.
Henrich’s study of the “Ultimatum game” outside the industrial West showed that thinking and
decision-making processes are heavily shaped by culture; culture shapes how people perceive
the world around them, as well as their relationship to it, maybe even more than originally
assumed. Heinrich's research paper, co-authored with Steven Heine and Ara Norenzayan, finds
that Americans are significantly overrepresented in all kinds of scientific studies while also being
the most “weird” (by which Henrich et al. mean Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and
Democratic). The research by Henrich and his colleagues put culture at the front of all kinds of
experimental human research: as Watters puts it, “if human cognition is shaped by cultural
ideas and behavior, it can’t be studied without taking into account what those ideas and
behaviors are and how they are different from place to place” (499).
Watter’s “Being WEIRD” Contributes to the field of science, most specifically
anthropology and psychology, in many ways. His essay could be used as a starting point for
analyzing how specific aspects of American culture affect its citizens’ psyches and
decisionmaking.
Assignment Objectives:
For this paper, you will choose ONE aspect of American culture and use Watters'
"Being WEIRD," to form an argumentative analysis of how this cultural aspect affects
individuals in the United States. You should include at least one reference to another text we
have read as a class thus far.
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION:
Argument: Argument directly and fully answers the prompt; is clearly stated early in the paper;
is original, compelling and logical, avoiding absolute claims.
Evidence: Appropriate amount of relevant, accurate, and justifiably interpreted quotation.
Quotations are thoroughly introduced, explained, analyzed, and connected to argument/other
texts. Possible counter-arguments are considered.
Organization: Paragraphs maintain argumentative focus, exclude extraneous information,
appear in a logical order, and transition smoothly. Introduction sets forth argument and goals of
essa. Conclusion opens up avenues for future research.
Audience: Consistent, academic tone. Appropriate amount of contextual information,
anticipating audience questions. Addresses significant issues and makes them important to
audience. No first or second person pronouns.
Grammar and Format: Errors in grammar, spelling, and usage limited or non-existent. Correct
MLA format, ...
General Principles of Intellectual Property: Concepts of Intellectual Proper...
Rough Draft Due April 19th, 2017 Final Draft Due May 3rd,.docx
1. Rough Draft Due: April 19th, 2017
Final Draft Due: May 3rd, 2017
FORMAT AND REQUIREMENTS
Rough draft: 3-4 pages double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt
font, 1-inch margins, no cover
page.
Final Draft: 5-6 pages double spaced, Times New Roman 12pt
font, 1-inch margins, no cover
page
In “Being WEIRD,” Ethan Watters looks at the work of social
scientist Joseph Henrich,
whose research challenged long-held beliefs that humans share
inherent psychological traits.
Henrich’s study of the “Ultimatum game” outside the industrial
West showed that thinking and
decision-making processes are heavily shaped by culture;
culture shapes how people perceive
the world around them, as well as their relationship to it, maybe
even more than originally
assumed. Heinrich's research paper, co-authored with Steven
Heine and Ara Norenzayan, finds
that Americans are significantly overrepresented in all kinds of
scientific studies while also being
the most “weird” (by which Henrich et al. mean Western,
Educated, Industrialized, Rich and
Democratic). The research by Henrich and his colleagues put
culture at the front of all kinds of
experimental human research: as Watters puts it, “if human
cognition is shaped by cultural
ideas and behavior, it can’t be studied without taking into
2. account what those ideas and
behaviors are and how they are different from place to place”
(499).
Watter’s “Being WEIRD” Contributes to the field of science,
most specifically
anthropology and psychology, in many ways. His essay could be
used as a starting point for
analyzing how specific aspects of American culture affect its
citizens’ psyches and
decisionmaking.
Assignment Objectives:
For this paper, you will choose ONE aspect of American culture
and use Watters'
"Being WEIRD," to form an argumentative analysis of how this
cultural aspect affects
individuals in the United States. You should include at least one
reference to another text we
have read as a class thus far.
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION:
Argument: Argument directly and fully answers the prompt; is
clearly stated early in the paper;
is original, compelling and logical, avoiding absolute claims.
Evidence: Appropriate amount of relevant, accurate, and
justifiably interpreted quotation.
Quotations are thoroughly introduced, explained, analyzed, and
connected to argument/other
texts. Possible counter-arguments are considered.
Organization: Paragraphs maintain argumentative focus, exclude
extraneous information,
appear in a logical order, and transition smoothly. Introduction
sets forth argument and goals of
3. essa. Conclusion opens up avenues for future research.
Audience: Consistent, academic tone. Appropriate amount of
contextual information,
anticipating audience questions. Addresses significant issues
and makes them important to
audience. No first or second person pronouns.
Grammar and Format: Errors in grammar, spelling, and usage
limited or non-existent. Correct
MLA format, including proper quotation citation.
