Final Essay
Directions:
Choose one of the prompts below and respond to it in a double-spaced 2-4 page essay. Submit your essay on Blackboard by Friday, December 10, 2021.
Prompt 1:
This semester we watched the film Black Panther. One of the major themes in the movie is the question of “advancement.” How does the film address the notion of “advancement?” What does “advancement” look like for Killmonger? What does advancement look like for T’Challa? And what of technological “advancement?” What exactly is technology? And what exactly does it advance? Is technology an expression of something else? If so, what? Also, isn’t every “society” advanced? Who gets to decide what “advancement” looks like? How would you reconceptualize “advancement?” Is it just about technology? And is it about others or is it about you? Address all, some, or just one of these questions.
Prompt 2:
This unit we watched the film Black Panther and we also learned about Durkheim’s theory of religion. Name each one of Durkheim’s components of religion (“beliefs,” “symbols,” “rituals,” “rites,” “deity,” “collective consciousness,” “collective effervescence”) and provide a definition for each. What are some instances where each component is apparent in the film? [Hint: Begin your analysis with a discussion on “the sacred” and “the profane.” What is seen as “sacred” in Wakanda?]
Prompt 3:
This unit we watched the film Black Panther and we also learned about Durkheim’s different types of suicide. At the end of the film, supervillain Killmonger (played by Michael B. Jordan) commits suicide. What type of suicide did he commit? Use supporting evidence from the film to defend your answer and in the course of your response allude to and explain Durkheim’s concepts of “integration” and/or “regulation.”
Prompt 4:
Who says everything can’t been seen as sacred? Are some things more special than others? Or is all of it equally special?
Prompt 5:
What did you learn in our class? Your response can be as broad or specific as you’d like.
Prompt 6:
Without any socially constructed identity to pin on yourself, who are you? (Tip: Keep the identities that bring you joy and discard all others. And remember that you can create your own. J)
Prompt 7:
If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you pursue? (Hint: You can’t fail because you have never been a failure and you never will be. I promise … So do what you love!!!!! 😀 #joyisyourguide)
Prompt 8:
“I Am Me.” What does that mean for you? And if everybody’s first name is “I”, middle name “Am”, and last name “Me” .. what does that mean for all of us?
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