Student reports on independent research on Southern foodways are due October 11 at 11:59 PM. Please review rubric at end of this post and follow all directions in order to do as well as possible on this assignment.
Shrimp Boil, sometimes known as Lowcountry Boil or Frogmore Stew. By A13ean – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22732079
2-3 well-developed paragraphs, 700-800 words and at least two photos, one of which must show you and the meal onsite. You still need to describe the dining experience in your own words, as well.
Describe or discuss each of the items listed below. Depending on your experience, some of these topics may require a lot of space and some may be answered in one sentence.
Before you upload your essay, review it to see if it is organized logically and to be sure it flows. Don’t forget to sign your essay and give it a title, as well as uploading 2-3 photos.
I. Where You Went & What You Ate
- Describe the criteria you used to decide whether this restaurant is serving Southern food, rather than food associated with a different region, OR describe what makes this organization Southern. (For example, it has existed in this area for xx years, its clientele has a large number of lifelong Southerners, etc. Be sure this is a reasonable conclusion for you to reach and not just a rationalization for writing about a restaurant you happened to go to anyway. Briefly make a case for the Southern identity of the place. If your case isn’t strong, you won’t have much to write about in the blog post, which will make the post less successful.)
- Identify some of the ingredients and preparation techniques in the meal that you believe are Southern. Refer to class discussion and readings to strengthen your case.
II. Dining Experience
Describe the conditions for eating this meal. Where did you sit or stand, how was the food presented/served, what was the overall dining experience like? In your opinion, how did any of these conditions fit with a “Southern” label? Also, if you experienced something that seemed like “Southern hospitality,” try to explain what that was.
III. Southern foodways and Southern identities
- Discuss something you learned in one of the assigned or optional readings that seemed similar to your dining experience or that increased your understanding of it. [Identify the source(s) very briefly in your essay–no bibliography needed, but you may add a full citation if you want.]
- Comment on your personal response to your dining experience. Are you now curious to learn more about something you experienced during this meal? Did the meal give you any feelings of nostalgia for any past dining or cooking experiences in homes, restaurants, or organizations that consider themselves Southern? Did it in any way change or expand your understanding of Southerners’ identities and “Southern food”?
Grading Rubric:
A=1) Essay posted on time, proper length, with photos; 2) includes several specific details on food preparation, ingredients, dining experience (I & II above); 3) reflects author’s familiarity with some of the material we’ve studied regarding Southern identity and Southern foodways (III above); 4) essay is well written and identifies source of any words that are not the writer’s own
B=Essay attempts all 4 items listed for A but falls short in one area
C=Essay attempts all 4, but falls short in 2 areas