Submit your typed Reaction Paper for Unit 1

Your Reaction Papers may be informal, and they should each be about one-two page, or 3-4paragraphs long. Use active (not passive) voice in your writing. Write in the first person (using“I”). Assume your readers have also read the readings, but that they need a reminder about thespecific details (key terms/concepts) you wish to discuss. Run a spell-check and grammar-checkon your Reaction Papers before printing them.

For this first Reaction Paper, react to the Unit 1 readings *and* the 30-minute long portion of the radio program “This American Life” on the topic “#1 Party School” — audio clip below.

Write a Reaction Paper for Unit 1 in which you articulate connections you find between the stories you hear in this radio program and the Unit 1 class material (what you’ve learned about in class so far, and from the Unit 1 readings).

Be sure to address:

– What “social institutions” do you hear mentioned in the radio program?

– How does what you hear connect to Unit 1 readings?

– Has the experience of hearing these stories made you perceive your own experiences as a college student differently?

Note: The clip below contains Acts 1 and 3 of the radio program; if you would like to listen to the entire program, you can stream it for free at the following website:

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/396/1-party-school (Links to an external site.)

Click below to listen to the radio program audio clip “#1 Party School”:

The above is an excerpt from the full Reaction Paper instructions – To review the complete Reaction Paper instructions (distributed at the beginning of the semester), click below:

You will write one (1) Reaction Paper for each of the Units 1 through 6 (as listed on the courseSyllabus). Because there are six (6) total Units, you will write a total of six (6) Reaction Papersthroughout the semester. Your Reaction Papers – a form of participation and discussion – arecollectively worth 10% of your course grade (2 points each).

Instructions
For each Unit, first complete all readings for that particular Unit by the Tuesday night due

date noted on the Syllabus (in bolded italics to the right of the Unit title, copied below):

Unit 1: INTRODUCTION Reaction to Unit 1 readings and “#1 Party School” due 9/8Unit 2: EMERGENCY SERVICE INTERACTIONS Reaction to Unit 2 readings due 9/22Unit 3: JUSTICE SYSTEM INTERACTIONS Reaction to Unit 3 readings due 10/6
Unit 4: MEDICAL INTERACTIONS Reaction to Unit 4 readings due 10/27
Unit 5: SCHOOL-FAMILY INTERACTIONS Reaction to Unit 5 readings due 11/17Unit 6: POLITICAL INTERACTIONS Reaction to Unit 6 readings due 12/8

Then, write up a Reaction Paper responding to those readings and the material you havelearned in class during that Unit by:

• demonstrating engagement with the readings for that Unit (e.g., mentioning key concepts)
• connecting something you have learned from this course during that Unit to somethingyou have observed/experienced in your own everyday life
• composing an open-ended question that could guide/lead to further investigation intosome issue from that UnitAs you do the readings for this class, monitor for your ‘reactions’ to them: What impact havethese readings had on you? What did you think of them? Did they reveal something to you orteach you something that you had never known or even thought about before? Have they inspiredyou to be (more) curious about some aspect of your social world?A reaction paper is more than a simple summary of the readings, and much more than a simpleassessment or evaluation of the readings. You can state your opinion about a reading, but thenyou need to back your opinion up with a thoughtful elaboration about how and why you feel thatway. And do not simply summarize the readings – instead, write up your reactions to them anddemonstrate through your writing that you are actively engaging with readings for the Unit byworking to figure out how they fit within, and further develop our understanding of, the topic ofthis course.

CMN 588: ANALYZING INSTITUTIONAL INTERACTION Professor Pillet-Shore

In addition to demonstrating engagement with the readings for each Unit (e.g., mentioningkey concepts), in each of your Reaction Papers also include (when possible) a description ofsomething you have observed/experienced in your own everyday life that relates directly to whatyou are learning about in this course during that Unit. What kinds of open-ended questions couldyou now ask about that observation/experience?

For example:

— During Unit 2: Have you ever called 911? Describe your experience and connect it to this class.If not, have you heard about a specific 911-call in the news (on TV or online), and can you connectsomething about it to something you’ve learned in this class? Can you hear a 911-call from the twodifferent participants’ perspectives?

— During Unit 3: Have you ever been a juror, or been called to jury duty? Have you been involved in acourtroom trial (as a witness, audience member, etc.)? Consider visiting your local courthouse andobserving in a courtroom as an audience member. Also, while driving, have you ever been stopped by apolice officer? What was your experience? Can you understand a justice system interaction from thedifferent participants’ perspectives?

— During Unit 4: What was your most recent medical experience? Did you have a routine physical exam?Did you need to see a doctor about a new medical problem? Did you have to go to the emergency room?Can you understand a medical interaction from the different participants’ perspectives?

— During Unit 5: While a K-12 student, what do you remember about how attendance was handled atyour school(s)? (e.g., How were truancies dealt with?) What do you recall about parent-teacherconferences? Were you allowed/encouraged to attend as the student being discussed? Do you work in, orotherwise have access to a school? (e.g., Do you have a relative/friend who is a teacher who regularlyholds parent conferences?) Can you understand a parent-teacher interaction from the differentparticipants’ perspectives?

— During Unit 6: What was a recent broadcast political news interview or press conference that youwatched? Describe it and connect something about it to something you’ve learned in this class. Likewise,what political speech can you recall recently seeing/hearing? When was the last time you had to give aspeech? Can you understand a political interaction from the different participants’ perspectives?

Your Reaction Papers may be informal, and they should each be about one page, or 3-4paragraphs long. Use active (not passive) voice in your writing. Write in the first person (using“I”). Assume your readers have also read the readings, but that they need a reminder about thespecific details (key terms/concepts) you wish to discuss. Run a spell-check and grammar-checkon your Reaction Papers before printing them.