700-800 word Critical Book Review – Ethnography Project
rage 0wnz
BookReviewGuidelines.docxCritical Book Review – Ethnography Project[footnoteRef:1] [1: ]
You are required to write a critical book review of an ethnography concerning some topic related to youth and society. A list has been provided in D2L from which to choose from. If you decide to choose outside of the list, please clear your choice with Dr. Prior before beginning.
A critical book review is a thoughtful discussion of a text’s contents, strengths and limitations. A book review should reflect your capacity to read critically and to evaluate an author’s arguments and evidence. This type of analytical essay moves beyond simple description of the text, and instead aims to understand context as it pertains to course material combined with a meaningful argument. Compose your review as you would an essay, with an argument supported by evidence, and a clear, logical structure. In addition to evaluating the book of your choice, you will also be expected to make clear connections to the material and concepts discussed in class.
Your book review should be 700-800 words, with the wordcount included on the title page. It should include a title page and reference page (not included in your word count). Your final paper should be thoroughly proofread, follow your discipline’s primary citation style (use ASA or APA if you are unsure), and should be thoughtful, organized, and well written. Your book review is due and should be submitted on. Papers will be run through anti-plagiarism software.
Initial Steps:
1. Choose your book from the provided Ethnography list
2. Read the book carefully, taking notes on material that you think may be relevant or quotable and on your impressions of the author’s ideas and arguments.
3. Determine the author’s principle argument, the chief themes of the text, the kinds of evidence used, and the way in which the author uses them.
Organizing the Review:
2. Follow with descriptive analysis and evaluation of the text. You may either treat these topics separately, first describing the book’s content, the author’s argument, presentation, and evidence, and then offering your own evaluation, or you may weave the two together. In either case:
a. Clearly set out the author’s purpose in writing the book and whether or not you think the author has succeeded.
b. Describe the author’s arguments and the themes of the book, and give your appraisal of their validity and effectiveness
c. Describe the sources and evidence the author uses to prove their case and evaluate their appropriateness and sufficiency. What are the author’s sources? Should the author have used more, or different, sources?
d. Comment on the author’s organization and writing style.
3. Connect the book to class material. Here you should show how you can make connections between other course material and the book you chose. In what ways does the book you chose help highlight or challenge other concepts we have addressed in class? You will need to be specific and include course references.
4. Conclude. Here you may make more general remarks about the text and the ideas presented in it. If you have not already done so, indicate whether you feel the book is worthwhile, and for what audience. Is the book outstanding? Will it make a lasting contribution to its field, or is it less satisfactory?
Some things to consider: You do not need to answer or follow all of these questions but here are some things to think about:
Analysis of Content:
1. What is the author’s principal argument? What are their conclusions?
2. What does the author choose to emphasize?
3. Does the author’s presentation contradict or refute alternative interpretations?
4. What methods of analysis does the author employ?
5. What sorts of evidence does the author employ?
6. Who is the author? Are they qualified to write this book?
7. When was the work written? How relevant is it today?
Evaluation of Content:
1. Is the book convincing in style and substance? Why or why not?
2. Does the author accomplish their purpose?
3. Is the author fair to their subjects, or is the author overly biased?
4. Is the book accurate or misleading? Does the author describe but not analyze?
5. Does the author treat all available data equally well?
6. Are the arguments in the book equally well supported? Is the book marred by generalizations or speculations?
7. Is the author’s use of evidence adequate and convincing?
8. Does the author omit possible alternative interpretations? Is the author’s approach flexible, or is it dogmatic?
9. Is the book well-organized? Are all parts of the book equally well reasoned and developed?
10. Is the book well written, or is it in some way repetitive, obscure, or confusing?
11. To whom would the book appeal? What audience did the author intend?
