In an expository essay of 300 words or more, you are going to play the role of an anthropologist examining the ethnic character of Philadelphia and its surrounding area (including southern New Jersey, if you so choose). In your single, integrated essay, you will do several things.
1. Define three (or more) distinct ethnic areas within Philly and nearby areas and describe a combination of three (or more) different cultural factors that make each of these ethnic areas stand out from other areas in the city.
The ethnic factors you choose for these areas do not have to all be the same. There can be overlap between the three areas, with respect to the factors you choose, but there does not have to be.
2. Choose your ethnic factors from the ethnic/cultural traits discussed in your readings for this module or determine your own traits. Music, religion, food preferences, first language, language accents, from where people may have immigrated, and just about any distinctive cultural trait can qualify as an ethnic marker. If you are uncertain about the factors you choose, feel free to contact your instructor to discuss what you have chosen.
Whatever factors you choose, dont just name them. Provide detail where you can. For example, if you list religion as one factor defining an ethnic area, what religion is it? What specific subgroup is it? For example, is it characterized by a particular Islamic sect or specific branch of Protestantism? What practices, history, or other issues associated with this factor make that subgroup different from other subgroups within the city? Why is that factor important to the people you are defining as an ethnic group and why is it important enough for you to use as a defining factor? Discuss these points.
3. In your conclusion, discuss ethnicity in Philadelphia in broad view. What patterns or issues do you note that you did not discuss earlier in your paper? Consider whether one dominant factor or the combination of factors is critical in defining the three ethnic areas you discuss. For example, do you think religion is the primary factor? If so, why? Based on your examination of ethnicity, is it a meaningful way to think about areas within Philadelphia? Discuss.
REMEMEBER, this exercise is not focused on race and the physical factors used to determine racial affiliation in the U.S. Your paper is about ethnicity and the cultural factors that define it. Also, this exercise is done in the spirit of cultural relativism (as all anthropological projects are), so your descriptive comments are meant to be factual and neutral, not value laden.
