Final Exam
Please answer one question from each of the two sections below. Responses should be 500 words (approx. 2 pages, size 12 font) in length and incorporate citations from the course readings. I recommend a minimum of two direct quotations in each short essay.
Please note, students may only answer one question relating to Neil Postman.
Please see the checklists for previous assignments to be sure your responses are well-structured (thesis, argument, conclusion). Please respect all the requirements of Academic Integrity.
Section A: Engaging an argument
1. Frederick Engels writes, “We have already seen how the working class was called into existence by the introduction of machinery.” Discuss in relation to our readings and lecture on the Industrial Revolution.
3. Wendell Berry writes, “This is what is meant, and is all that is meant, by ‘sustainability.’ The fertility cycle turns by the law of nature. The cultural cycle turns on affection” (131). Discuss in relation to Berry’s essay.
4. In her book, The Battle for Home, Marwa al-Sabouni writes, “You build by making a livable home for both rich and poor, Muslim and Christian, owner and tenant, adult and child, in which parts, localities, functions and businesses are woven together in a continuous fabric, and in which a shared moral order emerges of its own accord” (176-77). Discuss in relation to al-Sabouni’s interview with Dr Stephen Blackwood.
5. Neil Postman writes, “The skin of a Bismark herring makes about as much sense as a vinyl alloy of encomial dioxin” (6). Discuss in relation to Postman’s argument about the problem of information in the modern age. Note: Students may only write on one Neil Postman question.
Section B: Crafting an argument
- “Another way of saying this is that a new technology tends to favor some groups of people and harms other groups” (Postman 2). Discuss in relation to your conception of the engineering profession and its responsibilities. Note: Students may only write on one Neil Postman question.
- “We should, as our culture has warned us over and over again, give our affections to things that are true, just, and beautiful” (Berry 126). Discuss in relation to your conception of the engineering profession and its responsibilities.
- Marwa al-Sabouni’s central insight has been described this way: “We are what we make.” Discuss in relation to your conception of the engineering profession and its responsibilities.
IF YOU WANNA GO WITH THE INTERVIEW HERE’S THE LINK FOR THE SAME: https://www.ralston.ac/podcasts/marwa-al-sabouni-architecture-as-life-or-death
THE QUESTIONS OF THE ASSIGNMENT ARE MENTIONED ABOVE. I WANT YOU TO ONLY USE THE REFERENCES FROM THE FILES I SUBMITTED TO YOU, NO EXTERNAL SOURCE CAN BE USED. KINDLY ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM EACH SECTION(A and B). WITH A MINIMUM OF 500 WORDS IN EACH SECTION. IF I’VE MISSED ANY SOURCE FILE FOR THE QUESTION YOU HAVE SELECTED, KINDLY ASK ME I’LL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE SAME BUT ONCE AGAIN NO EXTERNAL SOURCES! DO MAKE SURE YOU NOTE THE NOTES MENTIONED IN EACH SECTION. LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS. DOUBLE IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE YOU CITE ALL THE SOURCES!
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY PROFF:
What is the difference between Part A (Engaging an argument) and Part B (Crafting an argument)?
Part A invites students to offer a close reading of another person’s work — engaging with their argument by describing for your reader its central ideas. We are looking primarily for evidence of understanding. Completing Part A requires reading the source under discussion
Part B invites students to use a central insight from one of our readings to inspire your own reflections on the engineering profession — crafting an argument. The emphasis is less on the reading or author you choose (though their work should be briefly considered) and more on how this person’s insights might help think about the work of an engineer. Be sure to clearly connect the work of the author you choose and your engineering insights. This is an opportunity for creativity!
May we use additional sources?
No. Given the very short length of these brief response papers, please avoid the use of additional sources. The only exception is the use of documents from our class reading list. For example, when discussing Wendell Berry one may cite or refer to Marwa al-Sabouni.
The uses of any other sources will result in a minor deduction in marks. The use of sources that are unacknowledged will result in an Academic Integrity allegation.
Must I cite my sources?
Yes. Intext citations with page numbers for all paraphrases and direct quotations are essential. A brief Works Cited should also be part of this assignment.
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