Paper due Sunday, March 17: Carolina’s Diary

Submit a paper going from a general point about Afro-Latin American history during the late twentieth Century (the context) to the life of Carolina Maria de Jesus (one aspect of her life) that illustrates this point. So, go from Latin America to Brazil, and from there to Carolina.

For your point about the context, use the chapter from Andrews’ Afro-Latin America assigned for this week, yet don’t use the exact pages where Reid Andrews examines Carolina’s diary (pp. 174-175). Use your own words to elaborate your point about the context (Latin America and Brazil) and footnote the part of Andrews’ book you are using (as we did last week, you must use your words to paraphrase from Reid Andrews’ book; don’t insert an extract in the paper). 

Then, choose a single aspect of Carolina’s diaries, with an analysis of one extract illustrating the point you elaborate about the context. 

Provide complete footnotes for Carolina Maria de Jesus and Reid Andrews, including cited page(s), all in a paper of 300 words.

Checklist for final version of the long paper

  • For the introduction (about 3 pages), try to divide it into paragraphs that can work with this functionality: intro of the person, place and time, sources (how you know what you know), exceptionality/commonality of the person, thesis statement and outline, and methodology (how you are going to do what you plan to do with the sources). You can order this according to what works best for your materials and the subject of the biography.
  • Criticize the source: Describe and examine the potential and limitations of the primary source that you are working with and how the context of its production shapes your analysis. You can do this in the introduction when you introduce the person and the writings, and also in the sections depending on how the production of the source shaped the content of what you are analyzing.
  • Use subheadings for the sections that say something about the person/history/larger historical pattern and the specific content of the section. Use a verb that conveys an action in the title.
  • In the sections of the paper, use extracts (footnoted) from primary and secondary sources and analyze those extracts as we have done in class in the weekly papers.
  • Provide full footnotes for the materials. There is no need to use (Author, page) but only footnotes with cited pages. If you have doubts about how to use footnotes for different types of materials (including video and the Internet), see Rampolla’s book in the course readings (blog). At the end, provide a bibliography of all materials.
  • Cite academic secondary sources (academic, peer-reviewed books or articles). Limit the content from regular web pages on the internet without academic support.
  • Check past tense consistency for past events and avoid “would” in the present tense.

Fighting whitening in 1991 Brazilian census advertising

cartcens

Rough translation: “Don’t let your color go unnoticed [connotation: blank, white]. Answer with good sense [census]”, 1991.

FLYERCOR_600

Rough translation: “Don’t let your color go unnoticed [connotation: blank, white]. This August, the Brazilian population will be receiving the census takers from the IBGE in order to know how many we are. Confirm your African ancestry no matter your skin color.”

Paper due Sunday, March 10: Reyita

Submit a paper going from a general point about Afro-Latin American history during the early twentieth Century (the context) to the life of Reyita (one aspect of her life) that illustrates this point.

For your point about the context, use the chapter from Andrews’ Afro-Latin America assigned for this week. Use your own words to elaborate your point about the context and footnote the part of Andrews’ book you are using (as we did last week, you must use your words to paraphrase from the book; don’t insert an extract in the paper). 

Then, choose a single aspect of Reyita’s autobiography, with an analysis of one extract from the autobiography, illustrating the point you elaborated about the context. 

Provide complete footnotes for Reyita and Reid Andrews, including cited page(s).

In the last two weekly papers, you had to use your words to narrate an event for Manzano and Batrell. Now, you will use your own words to describe a large historical process from Reid Andrews’ book, which you will illustrate with an extract and your analysis from Reyita’s autobiography. 

 

Undergraduate History Conference May 21: apply by April 5

The application for the 2024 UCI Undergraduate History Conference is now open to all undergraduate students! Students from all majors are welcome to apply to be part of our showcase of undergraduate research on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. To apply, please visit https://forms.gle/nixKJXDUS2bDAbBb7.  The application deadline is Friday, April 5 at 5 pm.

The Undergraduate History Conference is an annual showcase of undergraduate research on history. Students can present work they have done on their own or in a class through a variety of mediums: oral presentations, posters, videos, websites, and more! Any piece of research that concerns history and uses historical methods is welcome at our conference. History majors will also have the opportunity to receive the Outstanding Presentation Award (2 nominations).

How to Apply
To apply, please visit https://forms.gle/nixKJXDUS2bDAbBb7 and complete the application form. As part of the application, you will be asked to submit a Research Abstract (max. 250 words). This should be a descriptive summary of your project and can include your topics, research methods, purpose, etc. If you are not sure where to start, check out this guide from the USC library: http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/abstract. Apply by Friday, April 5 at 5 pm!

Am I eligible to apply?
Undergraduate students from any major and any class level are welcome to apply. Students who graduated before Fall 2023 are not eligible.

Why should I apply?
1. Share your research beyond the classroom.
2. Gain experience with presenting and communicating your research to public audiences.
3. Gain experience to put on your CV for future graduate school and job applications.
4. Get feedback on your research.

What research can I present?
Your research should concern history and use historical research methods. Your research can be from a class project or something you have done independently. Students commonly present course papers, projects from research seminars, and results of independent studies. You are also welcome to use this as an opportunity to present an independent research topic you have had an interest in but have not had a chance to explore in a course setting. The research paper/project you are going to present doesn’t need to be completed when you submit the application – you just need to be able to provide your research abstract (see How to Apply).

What is a historical research project and what are historical research methods?
A historical research project is a project that examines events, ideas, or individuals that occurred/existed in the past. While research methods for historical projects vary, they typically involve the use of primary sources (documents, interviews, films, photographs, etc.) from the time period that is being studied.

What is the presentation actually like?
There are two main types of presentations: oral and visual. Oral presentations are 10-minute-long summaries of your work. You are encouraged to use some sort of projected visual (eg. PowerPoint) during your oral presentation. Visual displays can include posters, photo exhibits, videos, websites, etc. In the application, you will be asked to rate your preference for presentation type.

What if I am busy on the day of the conference?
We will be very flexible with your schedule. Oral presentations will likely span most of the day with a few different sessions. Once accepted for the conference, I will ask you for your availability and give you a presentation window. Even if you are out of town on May 21 – you could still present online or submit a visual display in advance and we can set it up for you.

More Questions?
If you have any questions about the conference, please email the Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Michelle Spivey at spiveym@uci.edu.

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