English

Your task for this assignment is to think about and compare different kinds of sources. Please refer to the book chapter “Chang’an and Rome: Structural Parallels and the Logics of Urban Form” by Carlos F. Noreña and the New York Times article “China, the World’s Capital” by Nicholas D. Kristof. You can find both in the PDF titled “Readings Wk #10 Cities.”

 

These two readings both represent secondary sources on a similar topic, but there are also important differences in their purpose and style. For this assignment, you will be asked to write a brief response discussing the differences between the two articles, as well as what they have in common.

 

Here are some things to think about:

1. What is the thesis of each? 2. What kinds of sources do they cite? 3. How do they construct their arguments differently? 4. What is the intended audience of each? 5. What is the point, or purpose, of each piece? What are they

trying to accomplish? 6. Which piece do you find more convincing? Which is more

engaging? Why? For your response itself, discuss, using the above questions as a starting point, how the readings differ and the significance of that difference. How do these differences change how we read the two separate articles? What are the implications of these differences for how we study or understand history? Rather than answering the above questions one by one in list form, form a coherent, one paragraph response that addresses these concerns while drawing upon specific qualities of the two articles.