For this project, you are being asked to reflect on how you came to embrace/reject a particular aspect of
your culture or identity. For example, if I–your instructor–were to do this assignment I might reflect a
little bit about how in my childhood my family almost always gathered for dinner on Sundays. Through
my reflections of those times and the experiences I had, I can easily make an argument/thesis statement
on why I believe family dinners are important communal practices in Southern African American
families. I wouldn’t use any sources outside of myself and my experiences on the topic (as reflective
essays are usually pretty informal, personal pieces of writing), BUT if approached strategically I can
show/conclude through my memories and musings how the practice of gathering on Sundays relates to
something much more culturally important. To do this assignment correctly, it may be necessary for you
to have a deeper understanding of the words culture and identity. So, I encourage you to check out the
hyperlinks provided.
Purpose
While purpose of this assignment is for you to get into the practice of writing, this reflective essay is also
designed to give you practice in 1) critically examining and analyzing parts of your culture/yourself in
ways that you might not have previously, 2) developing a strong thesis statement around a realization or
conclusion you’ve made regarding yourself/the topic, 3) developing an essay where your thesis statement
is supported primarily through a compilation of personal claims and experiences, and 4) writing in a way
that allows you to (possibly) come to new understanding about yourself.
Source Requirements
For this assignment, there are no outside sources required. Instead, I encourage you to pull from your own
experiences and knowledge to develop your argument/position.
THIS IS FOR A ROUGH DRAFT