Write a 1200-1700 word (5-7 pages, double-spaced) analysis of your object that addresses the following questions and requirements:
AIMS OF THE ASSIGNMENT
Your goal in this project is to describe and analyze the object as a cultural artifact both in the context of African diaspora religions but also in relation to their display in the Spirited Things exhibition at the Fleming Museum. Thus your research on the object should investigate two interrelated sets of questions:
DESCRIPTION—HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT OF OBJECT. This part of your research should investigate the communities and activities in which the object is found. Some questions that will animate this part of your research include: What is it? What does it do? Where does it come from? Who uses it and how? Why and how was it created? How do the people who use it talk about their use of it? At the same time, you will also address issues of display and representation of African diasporic objects in a museum exhibition; in order to address issues of how scholars translate and communicate African religious ideas to American audiences.
ANALYSIS—CONCEPTUAL IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOLARS OF RELIGION. This part of your research should discuss how your assigned object relates to the questions and issues addressed in our class readings. These include issues such as: misunderstandings of African religions by Western writers (i.e. Hegel), theories of the African diaspora, theories of syncretism and hybridity, the idea of altars, and indigenous (or emic) conceptions of the aesthetic power of objects.
Note that the description and the analysis are interconnected. What you describe about the historical and cultural context of your object will depend on the kind of analysis that you wish to make in your research.
AUDIENCE
Your analysis should appeal to a variety of audiences (scholars, members of the general public, museum-goers, etc.). Your writing should be clear, compelling, and accurate and should be appropriate for publication as a short article (for example, in a magazine or on a blog) for an interested reader who knows little about the object but is eager to learn about it. The best submissions will be published on the “Spirited Things” blog that is connected to the exhibition at the Fleming Museum.
FORMAT
You are welcome to be as creative and exploratory as you like in writing your analysis; however the following elements should be present:
Introduction: You should introduce your object to your reader by (1) explaining why YOU chose it, (2) describing the appearance of the object fully and in a compelling writing style, (3) explaining what you wanted to know about your object (your research questions and argument), and (4) providing an overview of your essay (“In this essay I will first provide some background on X, then I will explain A, B, and C.”).
Note: You do not need to limit your introduction to a single paragraph; however you should move quickly and clearly to outline your discussion before moving on to your analysis.
Background information: This section should present basic background information on your object and your research questions that your reader will need to know before she can understand your argument. For example, you may need to explain what syncretism is and summarize how it has been used to analyze Black Atlantic religions before moving on to show how your object adds to or complicates discussions of syncretism. Alternately, you may need to provide some background on Yoruba indigenous religion before you discuss the role Yoruba oriṣa play in Santeria as an African diasporic religion.
Presentation of argument and evidence: This is the answer to your research question. It should consist of your argument backed up with evidence (properly cited) from research you have done.
Be sure to make specific references to your sources, either by quoting your source directly, or by paraphrasing or summarizing information from your sources. In either case, you need to provide a citation that refers the reader back to your sources. Remember that we are using the Chicago Author-Date style in this class—that means that you should refer to your sources in-text, using parentheses. For examples see here.
Image or other multi-media: You should also include at least one image of your object (you may use a photo from the SABA website, a photo that you took of the object in the museum, or another photo that represents your object) in your preliminary draft. You can also include links to videos, songs or other materials that connect in some way to your object and will help the reader to better understand its significance. Be sure to clearly explain the connections between this media and your argument in your analysis.
Conclusion: Your conclusion should restate your research question and main argument. You should also explain the consequences of your argument and its relationship to broader questions about Black Atlantic religions more generally. You can also use your conclusion to connect your analysis of the object to the object’s appearance in the Fleming Museum exhibition.
Bibliography: Be sure to include a complete list of all sources used in your analysis–whether they are class readings or sources that you found in the library. Again, you should be sure to use Chicago Author-Date style to format your bibliography entries. See here for more information.
NOTE: A good essay should fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece should fit into its place perfectly. It should NOT fit together like a collage where disconnected, unrelated interesting passages are pasted together in no particular order.
Post your essay to the class blog by 11:59pm on Monday, October 30.