Essay #1—Labor
English 104-007
Draft Due: January 30, 2007
Final Due Date: February 8, 2007
Length: 5-7 pages
Sources: 3-5
Follow the criteria in the syllabus for paper formatting (font, margins, name, etc.). Don’t forget a title and your works cited page.
For this essay we will explore the nature of labor from multiple perspectives. The bulk of the support you will use will rely on your personal experiences, interview(s), and traditional research methods. Many of you have already accrued significant work experience having worked in high school and/or during college. I imagine it is safe to assume that most, if not all, of you are in college in order to earn a degree that will give you entrance to a career, thus labor is an issue you should consider. This first essay should examine your past work history and speculate about your future employment. You will need to ask yourself and others some challenging questions—for example, how are you defined by your work in terms of character, social status, gender, race, etc. In other words, how do/will people perceive you in your vocation? What are the existing stereotypes surrounding the job of your past, present, or future? Why do you think the salary for a particular line of work is justified (or not)? Who determines this and how? How does our culture establish how much money a person’s work is worth? Do you feel that there are any guarantees that you will find work in your chosen profession/field (there are many PhDs who wait tables…)? You might interview someone working in the field in which you wish to work or you could interview someone who is working in a profession much different from the one you are pursuing—the point is to try and evaluate the nature of labor in our culture. How do elements of place play into an issue like employment (think urban, rural, location in the U.S., architecture, and other sorts of determiners of place/space)? How does our public education prepare adults to enter the work force? Is everyone equally and equitably prepared?
Remember that you have a world of research opportunities available to you. I encourage you to use the technology available—challenge yourself to use a variety of research methods and be creative. If you decide to use photos in your essay they cannot be counted towards your page total, but if used effectively they may contribute the overall effect of your essay. Be sure to review the grading criteria established by the class as you’re writing.