Tutorial: Myth of the Middle Class
Fall 2001

If you turn to the left as you enter the library and go to the next to last bookcase, you will find the "Rs" in the reference collection. In this section you will find the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. Starting in the 1890 edition the Reader's Guide has entries under the heading "Middle Class."

For class Thursday, I will want you to read 4 pieces from 1890-1950 about the middle class and write one paragraph that summarizes your analysis of those pieces.

In class on Tuesday we will determine who will read what. So, before you come to class, you should first identify the pieces you would like to read and write about. In order to minimize overlap within the class, I want you to have two back ups for each piece you will read (so 12 in all). List them on a single sheet of paper that includes an explanation of why you chose these pieces. For class on Tuesday, please bring 13 copies of your list and explanation (one for every member of the class).

In choosing pieces, think about the analysis you will have to do. If you want to analyze change over time, spread your pieces out. If you want to analyze how the middle class was thought about in a particular period, choose articles from one period. And so on. Also, you must check to make sure that the library actually has that article before you put it on your list. The library does not have all the periodicals that appear in the Reader's Guide. Check first. You can check either the on-line catalogue or the spiral-bound serials list. Finally, I ask that you not to choose just short, one or two-page articles. If you have more than one short article, you should also have at least one piece that is at least 15 pages long. I want everyone to read at least twenty-five pages.

You may be asking yourself, "What is the purpose of this assignment?" The idea is to teach you how to do a research assignment in a limited amount of time. Like most research assignments, this assignment has three phases: first you choose what to read, second you read, and third you write. To do these steps efficiently and in a limited amount of time, you need to think about step three as you begin step one. So, ideally, when you write down your rationale for choosing your sources, you will also be laying the basis for the paragraph you will write for Thursday. One way to do that is to explicitly state your hypothesis-that is, say what you expect to find when you do the reading Tuesday and Wednesday.

Now you may be asking yourself, "What if I find the four perfect articles to read as a group and then someone else has them on their list? Will all my careful work be wasted." That is clearly a possibility. To limit the damage that might be done to a carefully thought out and presented proposal, I will give first choice to those proposals that provide the best rationale for their choice of readings. So if two or more lists overlap in their first choices, preference will go to those that present the most compelling rationale and the most developed hypothesis. Thus shall virtue be rewarded.

For Tuesday, the actual list of sources should include full citations (author, title, source, date, pages). Indicate your top choices somehow. If necessary, you can shrink the font on the list-so long as it remains legible-so that you have space for your explanation.

On Thursday, bring in 13 copies of your paragraph and one copy of each of the articles you used. The copies should include the citation information and your name.

Any questions?

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Last Modified: 26 October 2001