MVSW FALL Case Study Portfolio and Presentations:
Components and Expectations
1) Identify and Define:
The first task is to identify and define your object, topic or event. What is it that you want to explore in relation to both the value of money and the worth of the soul? During the fall quarter you will have three general areas of inquiry presented by faculty: the hamburger, the wilderness, and the arts. During the winter quarter you will have more choice and during the spring quarter you’ll have even more opportunity to pursue your own case studies.
Begin by defining (individually or in a peer group as assigned by faculty) what, for example, a hamburger means to you in relation to the value of money. Then, define what a hamburger means to you in relation to the worth of the soul. Both definitions will require a careful use of language and attention to language’s own symbolic economy. Next, provide definitions of what a hamburger is to others in relation to each of your definitions. In addition to using the appropriate scholarly citation practices for the definitions of others, you are required to create an annotated bibliography of the resources you used to discover what hamburgers mean to others. Choose resources that demonstrate adequate breadth and depth as well as a variety of formats. Use the MLA Handbook, which is a required course text, to learn more about bibliographic matters, particularly chapter 5: “Documentation.”
2) Analysis:
a) Drawing from the toolkit of quantitative methods of monetary analysis presented in class, analyze the cost of your hamburger in terms of money’s value. Then, do the same using qualitative methods to determine the cost in terms of soul’s worth.
b) Exchange the methods: use a quantitative method for analyzing soul’s worth and a qualitative method for money’s value.
Provide a description and example of the methods, a discussion of your use of each method, and the results of your analysis putting your findings into conversation with that of others who have used a similar method. Use appropriate citation practices and create an annotated bibliography of compelling resources used in your analyses.
3) Reflection, Contemplation, Embodiment:
a) Reflect on the quantitative results of your analysis. What does it mean and what difference does it make? What doesn’t this numerical assessment tell you? What’s missing from your analysis? Why? How do you know?
b) Reflect on the qualitative results of your analysis. What does it mean and what difference does it make? What’s missing? Why? How do you know?
c) Does it matter whether you’ve come up with a number (i.e. quantitative analysis) or a story (i.e. qualitative analysis)? How does it matter? Or, why doesn’t it? To complete this part of the assignment you must provide a description of how you experience money’s value in relation to the soul’s worth of your hamburger. For example, does the value or the worth derive from the experience of taste? How much are sesame seeds or the flavor of flame-broiling worth to your eating experience? How do you experience the value of rainforests for wilderness versus ranches for cattle? How do you know, experientially, that it matters whether you eat dead flesh or genetically (or not) engineered soy burgers on gluten-free organic buns? Your description of your real live experience of sensual scholarship should be modeled on—even if in reaction against—some recognized expert or authority of this experience (e.g., Proust’s description of eating a madeleine with lime-blossom tea). Faculty will provide our favorite examples, or you can include and reference your own.
4) Communication:
The task here is to present what you’ve learned to your learning community using two different strategies: marketing and witnessing. How can what you believe to be the truth about the monetary value of your hamburger be performed live-time using marketing practices? How can the soul’s worth of your hamburger (or hamburger substitute) be made real using the practice of witnessing? In addition to presenting your ad and your testimonial, you must create an annotated bibliography of compelling resources (texts and technologies) you used to develop your strategies. That’s compelling resources for your marketing strategy and for your witnessing strategy.
5) Community: Action Research and Other Approaches to “So what?”
The task here is to act on your research. This might take a variety of forms including a letter to the CPJ, a change in your diet or your household’s shopping, or community service. In addition to collaborative possibilities with the College’s Community Based Learning Center, faculty will provide resources regarding action research and service-based learning.
6) Presentation:
During weeks 4, 6, 9 and 10 each peer group will have 15-30 minutes to present your case study to the entire program during class. You will need to think carefully about what to present and how to present it. Faculty will evaluate your success in demonstrating both the monetary value as well as the soulful worth of your work and its object.
7) Portfolio:
Your program portfolio, as described below, should contain a specific section for your case study work. Materials to be included are notes and a roster of weekly case study project group meetings as well as clearly documented evidence of work completed for items 1-6 as described above. Portfolios will be peer reviewed during all-program activities in weeks 5 and 10.
Program Portfolio – This is where all your work for the program comes together. During the fall quarter this will be compiled with “hard copy.” Start now saving and organizing important program documents in a binder according to the following categories: 1) Seminar Reflection Papers, 2) Case Study: a) Weekly peer group meeting attendance record and activity notes, b) Draft responses to all parts of the case study assignment, c) Finished presentation; 3) Soul Sensing Studio: weekly inquiries; 4) Economics Workshop: weekly quizzes; 5) Skills Workshop: assignments and notes; 6) Examples of other work that you do in the program and that you feel is important; 7) Other items that that may be required by the faculty as the quarter progresses.