Provisionally approved Fall 2002 July 2002
CAPSTONE: CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Level IV
RATIONALE: The Critical Analysis capstone provides the opportunity to pursue an in-depth analysis of a topic chosen by the student, for example a topic in the arts, cultural or gender studies, or history. It requires students to sharpen their ability to assess different frameworks and approaches to an issue, formulate relevant questions, develop a coherent position, and be able to explain their knowledge to others. Any student working in public and community service can benefit from these skills, which expand and deepen one’s knowledge on a topic.
PRE-REQUISITES: This competency builds on skills in developing arguments and understanding political and cultural change attained earlier in the curriculum. The particular prerequisites will depend on the topic selected. For example, students pursuing a capstone in the arts should have completed an arts competency at Levels I, II, and III, whereas a capstone focused on historical change would build on the history competencies at Levels I and II and preferably a Critical Reading in history at Level III.
COMPETENCY: Can construct and present effectively an in-depth analysis of a topic or issue that has significance for our social/political/cultural lives.
CRITERIA:
1. Identify a topic for analysis, including formulation of the questions that will guide the work.
2. Provide a literature review of sources that will inform the analysis.
3. Place the topic within a broad context, describing the way your analysis connects to other work that has been done on this topic.
4. Research a range of conceptual frameworks (perspectives/ theories/ explanations/ or approaches) relevant to the questions formulated on this topic and demonstrate that you have a basic understanding of these frameworks.
5. Describe and justify the approach and conceptual framework(s) that will be the focus of the analysis.
6. Develop the analysis of the conceptual framework(s), based on the approach you have chosen. Your analysis should include:
a. description in depth of one or more theoretical frameworks on the topic;
b. comparison of strengths and weaknesses of different frameworks (where relevant);
c. responses to prominent opposing views (where only one framework is developed); and
d. your justification of the framework you favor.
7. Make an oral presentation in which you teach to a group what you have learned from your analysis.
STANDARDS:
1. For Criterion 1, the topic and questions must be approved by an evaluator.
2. The body of literature in Criterion 2 and the conceptual frameworks chosen to fulfill Criterion 4 must be substantive and appropriate to the topic.
3. Consideration of context (Criterion 3) must include a description of the historical context in which the topic first arose as well as later historical developments relevant to the topic.
4. For Criteria 5 and 6, you must include convincing reasons and evidence for positions described, and your analysis must be logical, coherent, and comprehensive. Your analysis must be presented in a substantial paper of at least 15 pages of text.
5. Your oral presentation (Criterion 7) must be at least 10 minutes long. It must be presented before an audience of at least five and must be well-organized and clearly presented, with a strong conclusion. The effectiveness of the presentation must be assessed both through self-evaluation and through audience response.
EXAMPLES OF DEMONSTRATION:
1. Independent Learning. A student who has worked in a rape crisis center decides to work independently on a capstone focused on a feminist analysis of violence against women. In preparation, she completes the Critical Reading Competency at Level III through taking a Women’s Studies course in which she compares several feminist theories. For the capstone, she reads in more depth socialist and post-modern accounts of feminism and then, focusing on a couple of theorists, develops her own position and describes how it can give insight into the issue of violence against women. In her oral report to a group of high school girls, she explains how rape is connected to broader issues of gender politics.
2.
Independent Learning. A group of students get interested in the similarities
and differences between two waves of “new immigration” to the