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Dimensions of Culture Program
http://marshall.ucsd.edu/doc/doc3
CAPSTONE PROJECT:
DOC 3: Imagination
Spring Quarter 2015
CREATING AND ANALYZING A CULTURAL TEXT
Lecture B: Dr. Jade Power Sotomayor
For your DOC Capstone Project, you will create and analyze your own cultural text in a three-step process.
1) Proposal: (10 points)
In no more than 500 words, summarize the project you plan to create. Include descriptions of the genre (e.g.,
short story, video performance, etc.), the details that will be included, and what you think the main point of
the project will be. Conclude by connecting your project idea to larger DOC concepts.
2) The Capstone Project: (50 points)
Choice of Projects/Plan (select one from the following four):
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Choose one of the genres below and create a project that re-imagines the American Dream, or
represents a key contradiction of the American Dream, either in the present or in some historical
moment
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Choose one of the genres below and create a personal/family history project in which you situate
yourself, a family member, or an ancestor within a larger historical and cultural context that we have
covered in DOC this year
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Choose one of the genres below and create a project that brings visibility to marginalized history,
groups, or issues by building on topics or readings we have covered in DOC this year
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Create a plan (and some preliminary rough drawings or sketches) for murals, artwork, sculptures, or
statues that attempts to bring marginalized or silenced histories or issues into a public space (such as
our UCSD campus or some other public space)
Choice of Genres (select one from the following four):
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Write a short story, a short play (or scene from a play), a short memoir (or chapter from a memoir) or
a poem (or series of poems)
Create a video, a website, a piece of art, or a storyboard for a comic or graphic novel
Create and record a song, a spoken-word poem, or some other kind of performance
Create a photography portfolio
3) Cultural-Analysis Essay: (40 points)
In a four-page essay you will: 1) Frame your essay with a clear, concise introduction that includes a strong
thesis statement about your project; 2) Briefly summarize your project; 3) Use several body paragraphs to
critically analyze your project using tools, relevant readings, and historical context from the DOC sequence.
Conclude by reflecting on how your project turned out differently than you expected, and/or what you
learned from the process of working on it.
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Dimensions of Culture Program
http://marshall.ucsd.edu/doc/doc3
DOC 3: Imagination
Spring Quarter 2015
Guidelines
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Students may work individually or in pairs, but not in groups of three or more.
If students elect to work in pairs, the final project should reflect the work of two people or the grade
will be reduced.
If working in pairs, each student still needs to submit a separate original analysis paper (step 3
above).
All project proposals must be approved by TAs by week 7. Projects that are not approved by TAs in
week 7 will not receive a passing grade.
If you wish to change your topic at any time, you do not need to write a new proposal, but you must
still consult with your TA for approval.
See your TA for questions regarding the appropriate length of written projects.
NOTE: All written work must be typed, double-spaced, with 1 inch margins, 11 or 12 point font, with an
appropriate heading, title, and works cited page.
Due Date:
The complete final project will be due in the second section of week 9, either Thursday, 5/28 or Friday, 5/29.
Pre-Writing Calendar
1. Formal Proposal (Step 1) – Due in the beginning of Week 7, via your TA’s instructions
2. Project (Step 2) as a “Work-in-Progress” – Due Week 8, first section (5/19 or 5/20)
3. Rough Draft of the Cultural Analysis of your own project (Step 3) – Due Week 8, second section
(5/21 or 5/22)
4. Final Capstone Project (including Proposal, Project, and Cultural Analysis) – Due Week 9, second
section (5/28 or 5/29)
Late Projects
Final Projects submitted to TAs after section (May 28 or 29) will be considered late, and will have their
grades lowered by 1/3 of a letter grade. Projects submitted the day after the due date will have their grades
lowered by 2/3 of a letter grade. The penalty will increase accordingly for each additional day late. Students
turning in late projects are encouraged to talk with their TAs.