Essay 2 Assignment Instructions (See below for Essay 2 Refle

Essay 2 Assignment Instructions
(See below for Essay 2 Reflection Instructions)
This assignment requires you to critically examine the
similarities, differences, or both between two
subjects.
Topic/Thesis/points of comparison for Essay 2 are due by
Sunday, June 13,
2021. These should be submitted as a Journal using the link in
Module 2. The instructions
for submission are on page 6 of Module 2. This portion of the
assignment is crucial to
making sure you are on track prior to writing your essay.
Topics (Choose ONE of the following):
1. A stereotype is a fixed, oversimplified belief or opinion
about a person or a group of
people, which is often erroneous and damaging. Create an essay
where you
compare/contrast reality with perceived stereotypes of ONE of
the following: gender,
culture, ethnicity or religion. Incorporate support that shows
how these stereotypes may
be perpetuated through the media (for example, movies, TV
shows and commercials,
music lyrics/videos, memes and so forth).

2. The way a group of people is portrayed on a particular
television series is often
exaggerated or dramatized in comparison to real life. Some
examples might be married
couples, mothers, fathers (including single mothers or single
fathers), traditional or
alternative families, doctors, police officers, lawyers, computer
“geeks,” firefighters,
forensic technicians, teenagers, etc.). Choose a television series
and explain the
similarities and differences between how a particular group is
portrayed on the show and
what that group of people (or type of person) is like in real life.
The difference between
this topic and topic #1 is that here you are not choosing
stereotypes of a marginalized
group but rather characteristics of a fictional representation and
real life.
3. Compare and contrast online courses versus in-person,
traditional face-to-face classes.
For this topic, you may wish to limit your scope to
asynchronous online courses or you
may wish to include synchronous remote classes (where
students and instructors have
regular class meetings via an online platform such as Zoom).
4. Choose a current issue such as voting rights, civil rights for a
marginalized group (such as
LGBTQ+ or undocumented immigrants), reproductive care, or
approaches to economic
growth, social welfare, or climate change. Compare and contrast
two different

perspectives on the issue you choose. These perspectives can be
based in political
ideology, but the perspectives do NOT have to align with a
particular political party
(especially in the US). If you have lived in a country other than
the United States, one of
your two topics may address how the issue is perceived in your
home country. For the
purposes of this assignment, the essay should NOT take a side,
but rather it should
present each perspective in an objective and analytical way.
5. The approach US Presidents take to the major issues of the
day differ greatly from
administration to administration. These issues included the
economy, taxes, foreign
policy, domestic policy, immigration, infrastructure and social
issues. Choose two US
Presidents from the past 100 years to compare on three issues of
the day; at least one
President has to be within the last 30 years, and there has to be
some similar context
(such as dealing with war or some other catastrophe) that both
men share.
Content Requirements
Your essay should include the following:
• an engaging, relevant introductory paragraph with a thesis
statement. Your thesis statement should
identify the subjects that will be compared or contrasted, clearly

indicate if the focus will be on
similarities, differences, or both, and state the main point of the
comparison. Your thesis is an assertion
concerning the two subjects chosen for your essay, indicating
the specific significant difference between
the two and the major divisions of your essay.
You may use this format for your thesis:
Although A and B are (similar in some way or ways), A (is in
some particular way different than or
superior to) B because of (major criteria: the divisions of your
essay).
• body paragraphs that are organized using either the Point-by-
point or Subject-by-subject model. The
topic sentence for each paragraph should clearly indicate the
point of comparison you are focusing on in
that paragraph. Balance is important in comparison/contrast,
which means your coverage of points for
each topic should be fairly similar in length and depth.
• at least three properly cited paraphrases or quotations must be
distributed over at least two body
paragraphs (See Essay 1 for how to incorporate these.). At least
two outside sources must be used.
Sources do not have to be “academic,” but they MUST be
reliable (see table and information below under
Source Evaluation). Please do not use quoted or paraphrased
material in your introduction or
conclusion!

• transitions that show comparison or contrast and add
cohesiveness to your body paragraphs. Some
examples include: also, in the same manner, similarly, likewise,
but, however, on the other hand, in
contrast, nevertheless, still, even though, on the contrary, yet,
although.
• a compelling concluding paragraph. One important thing to
keep in mind when writing your conclusion
is that your comparison has to have some larger implication for
your audience other than just saying, "here
are the similarities and here are the differences." Ask yourself
why does this comparison matter? (i.e. “So
What?”) You do not [as writers] have to force a point on the
reader, but you do have to at least lead us to
think about something meaningful—that at least slightly
transcends your immediate topic.
Pro Tips:
• Your essay should have a title, ideally one more creative or
original than “A vs. B.” (The
“ ” are mine; they should NOT be used in a title.)
• In addition, you must assert something about the subjects,
indicating the specific
significant difference between the two. Be sure not to state
merely that one “is better
than” or “superior to” the other; rather, define a specific,
significant difference, one that
all of your details support. So, for example, “A is funnier than

B because...” or “A is both
simpler and more economical than B because...”
• For Topic 2, although you choose only one television show,
you will need to cite the
specific episodes from which you draw quotations. See Scribbr
for how to cite an
episode.
Grading Criteria:
You will be graded on your ability to include the guidelines
below and use them to create a well-
written, college-level essay. Please see “Explanation of Essay
Grading” below for details. The
essay is worth 135 points, and the reflection is worth 15 points
for a total of 150 total points
for the assignment.
Basic Requirements:
• 2-3 pages (or approximately 500-700 words) in length
• MLA style format overall (including 1” margins, double
spacing, and 12pt. font size)
• 1st and 2nd person POV are NOT allowed.
• No contractions (didn’t, can’t, etc.)
• Tone should be suitable for a college-educated audience.
• You must include an MLA works cited page at the end of your
essay. Failure to do so
will result in an automatic failing grade.

• A relative freedom from errors in grammar, mechanics, and
spelling
• A Reflection MUST be submitted with your essay.
Reminder of strategies to consider when writing this essay:
The following approaches might be helpful for you when you
write this assignment:
1. Choose a topic that you can easily relate to and that you
already have some knowledge of or at
least interest in. For all topic choices except #3, you will need
to narrow your topic to create a
specific enough narrowed topic.
2. If you choose topic #2, you will need to watch at least an
episode or two of the television
show you will use.
3. It may be helpful to construct a “t” chart with one topic on
each side. This way you can jot
ideas side by side to see if there is enough information on any
given point for comparison.
This may also aid in thesis construction and in presenting these
ideas to your audience.
4. Jot down any phrases, or brief passages you believe should be
quoted directly because the
particular way they are worded contributes to the meaning. Be
sure to record where they came
from so that you can cite them appropriately.
5. Construct a “working” introduction with the thesis at the end.
If you are not “inspired” to
come up with something you love or even just something
adequate, move on to writing some

other part of your essay. There is no law that says the
introduction must be completed first.
6. Write topic sentences for the body paragraphs that relate to
the thesis and incorporate the
important supporting points.
7. Develop the content of each body paragraph by adding
paraphrases and/or direct quotes. Be
sure that you utilize a lead-in for direct quotes and be sure that
each quote is explained and not
just “dropped in.” (I call these quotes “orphans” since they
seem to be all alone—without lead
in or explanation.)
8. Write a final draft, editing for smooth transitions as well as
sentence level and grammatical
correctness.
9. Remember not to “over-quote”—meaning that your entire
submission is just direct quote after
direct quote. Be selective and choose direct quotes that you feel
best suit the essay and are
unique to the author.
Source Evaluation
Examples of sources that are often the most credible:
● Some official government websites
(a few government agency web sites, such as the EPA, which

have had information altered,
politicized or deleted; some, such as the CDC or NASA are still
credible and reliable)
● Institutional sites that represent universities, regulatory
agencies, governing bodies, and
respected organizations with specific expertise (e.g., the Mayo
Clinic)
● Peer-reviewed journals
● Reputable news sources (see Media Bias Fact Check web site
to determine reputation/bias)
Examples of sources that are often considered less credible (so
DO NOT USE THESE):
● Blogs
● Web forums
● Individual or business websites
● Materials published by an entity that may have an ulterior
motive
Quick Check Chart for Source Evaluation
Factors to consider Least reliable Possibly reliable Most
reliable
Type of source Unfamiliar website Published material Official
websites,
institutional
sites, academic
journals
Author’s background Uncredited Educated on topic Expert in

the
field
Date published None Outdated Recently revised
Depth of review Controversial reviews Good public
response; general
approval
Peer-reviewed
by reliable
sources
Sources cited None Credible sources Citations
referencing
other well-cited
works
Objectivity Clearly biased Sponsored source Balanced,
neutral
Essay 2 Reflection
This portion of the assignment should be on a separate sheet and
included at the end of
your essay (AFTER the Works Cited page) and labeled with the
title “Essay 2 Reflection.”
Instructions: In one or two paragraphs (double spaced, in an
appropriate font and font size),

respond to the following (note that there is an additional
question for this assignment):
• Describe your process for completing this assignment. What
was easy for you? What was
difficult? Describe any obstacles you encountered and how you
approached and
overcame them.
• What do you think is the strongest part of your essay? What do
you think is the weakest
part?
• Did you take any risks in either your approach to this
assignment? If so, what were they?
If not, why not?
• Did you do anything differently from the first assignment to
this one? Briefly
compare/contrast how you approached/wrote your last essay
versus this one.
• What is one thing you need to work on for the next
assignment? Is there anything you
will do differently for the next assignment? What/How?
• Feel free to add any other insights you gained in the writing of
this essay. These could be
about your process, the content that you read, or the assignment
itself.
Research Topic:

The research topic is “Training to lose weight and have better
health.”
Objective/Purpose:
The purpose of the research is to encourage people to engage in
physical training so that they can lose weight and have better
health.
Research Question:
can one train without exposing himself to risks and which is the
best exercise to train for weight loss
Independent/Dependent Variables: The Independent variable is
the training which is the cause, while the dependent variable is
the weight loss and better health which is the effect
Null/ Alternative Hypothesis:
1. (H0)- Not all training can lead to weight loss and better
health.
2. (H1)- Any training can lead to weight loss regardless of the
exercise that one is engaged in
Student 1
Good Student
Professor Dawson
EGL-1010-LD25
9 October 2020
False, Barbaric, and Savage: Western Stereotypes Against
Hinduism
Phineas and Ferb, a popular children’s cartoon, spurred
controversy when one character,

Baljeet, took part in a video game in the form of Hanuman, an
important Deity revered by many
Hindus. Similarly, in Jessie (a Disney channel show), offensive
jokes were made regarding
Hindu rituals and Ravi, the token Indian character. This
stereotypical representation of Hinduism
in Western media and ideology is not new nor appreciated.
Perhaps initially created to define
Hinduism in western terms, these clichés compartmentalize
Hinduism and make it seem like a
savage tradition. Particularly, the differences between the three
major Western religions and
Santana Dharma (Hinduism) make it easy to ridicule the ancient
religion. For instance, one side
emphasizes Heaven and Hell while the other looks at Moksha or
freedom as the ultimate
destination. As a minority in the United States, Hindu
Americans face prejudice as if their
religion is inferior to others because of harmful preconceptions.
The Western perspective,
particularly, heavily stereotyped and negative connotes
Hinduism as a polytheistic, idol-
worshipping, ancient religion which is far from reality.

Stereotyping Hinduism as a polytheistic religion demeans the
religion and implies
mythological representation that is more entertainment than
truth. Hindus worship different
Deities and seem to have millions of Gods; in this way, the
religion could be described as
polytheistic. However, Hinduism can be considered as
polytheistic as it can be considered
monotheistic. There can also be atheist Hindus. The central
conviction of Brahman or God is that
Student 2
“the nature of Brahman transcends all limited human efforts to
fully define and describe it...”
(Rambachan 67). As the restricted human language cannot
describe the Entity, it is understood
that human experiences, cultures, and conditions can diversify
the form of God. Stated in the
Bhagavad Gita, “Howsoever people approach Me..I welcome
them, for the paths people take
from every side is Mine” (Rambachan 68). Recognizing
Hinduism as a diverse religion with
many manifestations of One, the harmful stereotype of
polytheism can be altered to fit the truth.

However, this definition can seldom be found in Western
countries. Monotheism in Abrahamic
religions takes the form of one God. It is defined as the worship
of one true God who is all-
knowing, all-powerful, and supremely good. He is the sole
Creator of the world and the Judge
responsible for separating Good from Evil. These religions have
historically “beaten” the flawed,
polytheistic religions of Greek and Roman gods to stand as the
ultimate truth. Hence, the
stereotype that Hinduism is polytheistic persists in the western
world as it aids in making it seem
false and inferior to the monotheistic religions.
Another stereotype that persists is that Hindus are idol -
worshippers. If a common
American had to define Hinduism, they would probably refer to
it as “the religion with an
elephant god.” Perhaps they would mention cow-worshipping or
a monkey god. The source of
this information could vary from a funny scene in a movie to a
comical article they read on the
internet. In this stereotype, Hindu’s objects of worship are
ridiculed as if an unworthy animal

was being called God. In reality, idols are a mere manifestation
of deities created to represent
stories, symbols, and rituals of God (HAF). There is a stark
difference between a Deity and God.
God is defined as the limitless Divinity that is without
beginning or end and the source of all
creation (Rambachan 67). Deities are forms of God that
celebrate “qualities, virtues, and aspects
of a manifested representation” of God (HAF). However, in the
Western world, idolatry “denotes
Student 3
the worship of something other than God” (HAF). Hence, idols
used in Hinduism are directly
related to God and seem to represent false gods. Also, the many
deities of Hinduism are
misunderstood as ones that fulfill materialistic needs to make
the narrative of a self-serving
religion comparable to hedonistic ones. This idea reinforces the
wrong belief that Hinduism is
filled with half-minded idol worship in which God is found in
inanimate objects and then
venerated.

The third stereotype labels Hinduism as an outdated religion.
The term “ancient” implies
a lack of progressiveness in the religion. It falsely accuses
religion as the cause of social issues
that plague Indian society today. In particular, many assume
that sexism and homophobia are
encouraged through holy texts such as the Bhagavad Gita. In
reality, however, Hinduism is one
of the most progressive religions to exist. The Brahman or
Absolute Divinity is depicted with
both feminine and masculine traits (Rambachan 68). One
example would be Vishnu, the
protector of the Universe. He appears in Indian mythology
clothed in colorful, ornate dresses
which symbolize his feminine qualities as the preserver. Also,
popular deities are worshipped as
Goddesses with popular festivals celebrated in their name.
Major cities such as Kolkata are
named after their patron Kali Maa or dark mother. Ancient
stories portray a third gender that is
resonated in “the gender fluidity of Hindu deities” (Vanita 1).
Typically called hijras, they are
prominent in Hindu festivals or important occasions in which
they are considered an auspicious

presence. In an ancient hymn, it is proclaimed that “no one is
superior, none inferior” (Lucia 1).
This shows how the core belief that every being holds Divinity
within themselves proclaims
everyone is worth equally. The lack of equality and respect for
women and the LGBT+
community emphasizes how religion can differ from culture.
Understanding this concept helps to
Student 4
debunk the stereotypes surrounding religion and separate
extremists in religion from God to
cultural differences.
Hinduism struggles to be understood in the Western world
amidst countless
misconceptions. Common stereotypes label it as a polytheistic,
idol-worshipping, ancient
religion. The effect of such labels separates the Western world
from Hindu ideals by “defaming
and demonizing the faith" Hindu-inspired trends such as Yoga,
meditation, and manifestation are
enclosed in a blanket of “spirituality” to separate them from the
religion. Debunking these

stereotypes could open the Western public to Eastern teachings
and ideals to clear
misunderstandings and bring greater conversations.
Student 5
Works Cited
HAF. “Learn All about the World's Oldest Faith.” Hindu
American Foundation: HAF, 29 July
2020, www.hinduamerican.org/about-hinduism/.
Lucia, Amanda. “Hinduism in America.” Oxford Research
Encyclopedia of Religion, 25 Jan.
2017,
oxfordre.com/religion/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.0

01.0001/acrefore-
9780199340378-e-436?print.
Rambachan, Anantanand. "Hinduism and the Encounter with
Other Faiths." Global Dialogue,
vol. 2, no. 1, 2000, pp. 65-73. ProQuest,
https://ezproxy.pgcc.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-
com.ezproxy.pgcc.edu/docview/211525617?accountid=13315.
Vanita, Ruth. "Same-Sex Weddings, Hindu Traditions and
Modern India." Feminist Review, no.
91, 2009, pp. 47-60. ProQuest,
https://ezproxy.pgcc.edu/login?url=https://www-
proquest-
com.ezproxy.pgcc.edu/docview/212070919?accountid=13315,
doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.pgcc.edu/10.1057/fr.2008.45.
Student 6

Reflection
I believe this is the hardest essay I have written to date. It
required a great deal of
research and thought. A topic such as religion needs more
sensitivity to ensure a thoughtful
conversation is taking place. I struggled a whole lot on how to
structure this paper. After our
meetings, it was clear to me what I wanted in the paper and had
a general sense of what it should
look like. The strongest part of my essay is the concept. I
believe Hinduism is seen in poor
lighting cast by ignorance and stereotypes. However, my
passion may be my weakness as I may
have come across as too defensive or caring. This entire topic
was a risk as it requires a lot of
thought and sensitivity. I gave myself a lot of time to write this
paper. The first paper was a
simple process of reviewing materials given and basing the
paper on that. This one required a lot
more work which forced me to think creatively of different
ways to find unbiased information.
I will work on my time management for the next assignment.
As I found this topic and

essay to be frustrating, I needed to take a lot of breaks.
However, for the next essay, I will try to
power through to ensure I do not burn out. Thank you so much
for your help Professor! This is
the first time I have given so much thought and work into an
essay. It makes me proud of my
work and allowed me to cultivate my thoughts into words. I
chose this topic particularly because
of videos that popped into my TikTok feed that degraded
Hinduism. It was an ironic moment as
there were a lot of parts of my religion such as meditation and
manifestation that were trending
during that moment. Before, I felt as if I needed to take a stance
against the ignorance by
educating myself and writing this paper on how Hinduism is
tainted by Western light. Now, I
realize those videos are part of a small percent of ignorant
people. Most people know to practice
tolerance and respect in regard to religion.
Student 7

Submit your Topic, Thesis Statement and Outline in the
following format:
Topic:
Thesis Statement:
Points of Comparison: (Your points of comparison are the
topics for each of your body paragraphs--these are the points on
which you will compare/contrast your topics, NOT the topics
themselves.)
1.
2.
3.
Example:
Topic: Choosing a new car
Thesis Statement: Although the Toyota Rav-4 and the Honda
CR-V are both small Sport Utility Vehicles, three significant
differences make the Honda a better value.
Points of Comparison:
1. Safety Features
2. Technology Options
3. Long-term maintenance and repair costs
General Instructions:
For this Discussion Board, each student will need to create ONE
NEW THREAD in the Discussion. To create a thread, click on
the "Create Thread" button in the bar above, then type your
responses to the questions inside the text box that will appear
(or you can cut and paste from a Word document). When you
are finished, click "Submit" so that your responses will be
saved. In order to encourage original responses, you will not be

able to see others’ responses until you post yours.
Once you have posted your own, original response, you must
respond to the post of at least one of your fellow classmates.
To do so, click on the subject of their posting and add your
response. These replies must have substance; for example, your
response should not simply be, "I agree with your ideas." or
"You are so right!" Please remember that everything you post in
a discussion board is public, and all students enrolled in the
course will be able to view it.
Pro Tip: Since Discussion Boards disappear once the due date
has passed, cut and paste any information you'd like to keep
into a Word document or Notes file.
For this post, first watch the following video:
https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_
a_single_story?language=en
Once you have viewed the video, please answer the following
questions in a brief paragraph or two:
· What does Adichie mean by a “single story”? What examples
does she give? Why does she believe “single stories” are
dangerous?
· Later in Adichie's story, we learn how other people view her.
How do those views differ from how she describes herself? Is
there a single story that others often use to define you? Can you
think of other examples of “single stories” that may be part of
your own worldview? Where do those “single stories” come
from? How can we find a “balance of stories”?
· Adichie herself admits to sometimes defining others with a
single story. Why is it that people sometimes make the same
mistakes that they so easily see others making?
· What single story have you believed? What have you done to
consider alternative views?
·
· Why is it important to challenge single stories?

· How does this topic relate to the concept of
comparison/contrast? (Or to put it another way, why do you
think I had you watch the video as part of this particular
module?)

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