This “Assignment 2” writing assignment is a comparative essay focused on topics encountered in our HUM 111 class. The project will be based on research but will reflect your views and interpretation of the topic. This project is designed to help you stretch your mind and your abilities as an organized, innovative, and critical thinker. If approached properly, it should also be fun!

Choose one (1) of the topics from the list of topic choices below. Read the topic carefully. Write a three to four (3-4) page paper (750-1,000 words) that follows instructions and covers each part of the topic. (The title page and References list do not get included in this word count).

Note: Your instructor may require you to submit your topic choice for approval before the end of Week 5.

For the topic you choose:

1. Establish a clear thesis about your topic as part of the introductory paragraph (often the thesis is the last thing one determines after doing the basic research and outline; however it will be placed in the first paragraph of your paper).
2. This is a comparative essay. Comparison approached properly will require some critical thinking on your part. Use a point-by-point approach for the essay. That means, if comparing subject A with subject B, don’t do the first half of the essay on subject A and then the second half on subject B–that will seem like two (2) separate essays and comparisons will tend to get lost. Instead, you should be mentioning both subjects in most of your paragraphs as you compare them throughout the essay. Comparisons will identify similarities as well as contrasts.
3. Do not try to do everything on your two (2) subjects. You should end up narrowing your focus to a few insights and issues about the subjects being compared. And, from those fairly specific points of comparison, you will develop a thesis and glean some lessons.
4. Follow closely the instructions below for your specific topic.
5. Include a concluding paragraph at the end. This paragraph will, in some way, refer back to the thesis established in your first paragraph, since now you have demonstrated and supported it. It may be here that you also include your observations relating your study to the modern workplace or society (see your topic). Try to finish with flair!
6. Use at least three (3) good quality academic sources, with one (1) source being the class text. Note: Wikipedia and other similar Websites do not qualify as academic resources. You are highly encouraged to use the Resource Center tab at the top of your Blackboard page.

Topic Choices – Choose just one (1) of the topics below:

• Qualities of the Hero: Comparing Gilgamesh and Odysseus. Write an essay comparing these two (2) heroic figures from ancient epics of different cultures, especially focusing your analysis on the sources about their encounters with monsters: Gilgamesh encounters the monster guarding the forest, Humbaba, in Tablets 3-5 of the Epic of Gilgamesh (see http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/; scroll down to the Tablet links; think of “Tablet” numbers like chapter numbers).” Odysseus encounters Polyphemus the Cyclops in Book 9 of The Odyssey (see http://www.theoi.com/Text/HomerOdyssey9.html; from line 105 to the end). Your paper should:

a) Compare Gilgamesh and Odysseus as to their heroic qualities, noting similarities and differences, using specific examples from the epics.

b) Summarize what this indicates about differences between ancient Mesopotamian and Greek cultures in their ideals and expectations.

c) From this comparison, suggest ways that current cultural ideals and expectations shape modern notions about role models and heroes.

• Confucius and Aristotle on Virtue. Write an essay comparing these two (2) ancient thinkers on the concept of virtue or good ethical character and conduct. Stay focused on the issue; keep any biographical or other information short or limited. As much as possible, analyze their writings (in translation, of course), using Confucius’ Analects (at http://classics.mit.edu/Confucius/analects.html ) and Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics (at http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html ). Your paper should:

a) Compare the teachings of Confucius and Aristotle on what constitutes virtue or good ethical character and conduct, noting similarities and differences in specific ideas or emphasis.

b) Consider what your findings suggest about differences between ancient Chinese and ancient Greek culture.

c) From this comparison, suggest ideas of virtue that can apply to ethics in a modern setting, such as a diverse workplace.

• Comparing Sculptures of Ancient India and Greece. Write an essay comparing the way gods and humans were depicted in sculpture in ancient India and Greece, and identify the cultural values and ideals that these art works reflect in each case. Your paper should:

a) Using specific examples, compare the way gods and people were depicted in the sculptures of ancient India and Greece, noting similarities and differences.

b) Identify the cultural values and ideals that these art works reflect for each society.

c) From this comparison, suggest a modern situation of artistic expression and the ways it reflects or counters prevailing cultural values.

• Comparing Ancient Skeptics. Write an essay comparing Lucretius and Wang Chong (=Wang Ch’ung), skeptical philosophers of ancient Rome and China. They were skeptical about popular religious and spiritual beliefs and widely-held superstitions. Lucretius was an Epicurean philosopher of Roman culture (Chapter 6). Wang Ch’ung was a thinker in ancient Chinese culture (Chapter 7). Focus your comparison on their writings as found at http://www.humanistictexts.org/lucretius.htm and http://www.humanistictexts.org/wangchung.htm#On Not Flying to Heaven. Your paper should:

a) Using examples from their writings, compare these two (2) thinkers on their views about specific subjects and on their approach in explaining and expressing their skepticism.

b) From this comparison, identify popular beliefs in each culture that seem similar and those that seem different.

c) From this comparison, suggest any modern situation in which materialist skeptics confront spiritual and religious beliefs, and comment on the considerations of free expression and cultural respect.

• Comparing Ancient Male Rulers. Take any two (2) of these rulers and write an essay comparing them: Ramses II, Shihuangdi, Constantine, Ashoka, Pericles, or Charlemagne. Select rulers from different cultures. You may also propose (for approval or not) a ruler not listed. Avoid lengthy quoting or lengthy close paraphrasing from biographical sources. Make it YOUR comparative analysis. Your paper should:

a) Compare the two (2) rulers in terms of their situation and methods of rule and their apparent ideals and practices, noting similarities and differences. Use specific examples.

b) Consider what your study suggests about the cultures over which they ruled, identifying any similarities and differences between the cultures.

c) From this comparison, suggest lessons about different types of effective leadership in the world of modern business and / or modern politics.

• Comparing Ancient Female Rulers. Compare the Tang Empress Wu Zetian (also known as Empress Wu or as Wu Zhao; ruled China around 690-705 AD) with either the Pharaoh Cleopatra (ruled Egypt around 51-31 BC) or the Pharaoh Hatshepsut (ruled Egypt around 1478-1458 BC). You may also propose (for approval or not) a female ruler not listed. Avoid lengthy quoting or lengthy close paraphrasing from biographical sources. Make it YOUR comparative analysis. Your paper should:

a) Compare the two (2) rulers in terms of their situation and ascent to power, their methods of rule, and their achievements and resourcefulness, noting similarities and differences. Use specific examples.

b) Consider what your study suggests about the cultures over which they ruled, identifying any similarities and differences between the cultures.

c) From this comparison, suggest lessons about different types of effective leadership by a female in the world of modern business and / or modern politics.

• Other topic choice using a comparative approach (proposed by student or instructor) and approved by the professor and supported by the grading rubric.

The Project Paper will be graded on:

1. The level to which the instructions were followed for the paper generally and for the specific topic.
2. The establishment of a clear thesis about your topic.
3. The adequacy and relevance of information, examples, and details which support the general thesis.
4. Covering each part of the topic as instructed, including the comparisons, the consideration of ancient cultural differences, and the reflection on lessons for modern society or the modern workplace.
5. The quality of your research and your persuasiveness using critical reasoning.
6. The use and acknowledgement of a minimum of three (3) required references (the class textbook plus at least two (2) other quality academic sources) documented using the APA style –including both the use of a proper References list and the use of proper in-text citations.
7. Adherence to standard rules of grammar, punctuation, paragraphing, and mechanics, and general clarity of presentation.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides. Both in-text citations and a References list are required. Citations and references must follow APA style format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions specific to the selected topic. (Note: Students can find APA style materials located in the course shell for guidance).
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length. For our purposes, you may omit any abstract page.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Explain how key social, cultural, and artistic contributions contribute to historical changes.
• Explain the importance of situating a society’s cultural and artistic expressions within a historical context.
• Examine the influences of intellectual, religious, political, and socio-economic forces on social, cultural, and artistic expressions.
• Identify major historical developments in world cultures during the eras of antiquity to the Renaissance.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in the study of world cultures.
• Write clearly and concisely about world cultures using proper writing mechanics.

Click here to view the grading rubric.

The Unit VIII assignment is to create an intervention plan. Specifically, in this assignment, you will create a plan for an intervention, leading the people who experienced conflict from Model I to Model II relationship patterns. This is referred to as transformative change.

For this assignment, write a minimum of three complete pages in length describing your intervention plan to lead the people in conflict toward transformative change. Be sure to use the unit lesson as a guide.

Incorporate at least five library resources to support the ideas you present in your intervention plan. These sources may be drawn from the unit readings or from other sources in the Waldorf Online Library. You should cite these five sources, in addition to the socio-cognitive systems learning model.

Include an introduction, as well as the following elements in your analysis. In the essay describing your intervention plan, please use headings that correspond to these elements. Be sure to refer to the unit lesson for the specific information needed for each section of the intervention plan.

1)      Goals for the Intervention Refer to the unit lesson for the specific information needed for this section.

2)     Describe the conflict situation, discussing what happened leading up to this conflict situation and what happened as the conflict occurred. (Be sure to paraphrase this background information rather than copying it directly from your Unit V assignment. Otherwise, the system will flag it for plagiarism.)

3)     Changing Values Refer to the unit lesson for the specific information needed for this section. In your intervention plan, be sure to detail how you will lead the individuals to test their deep underlying assumptions. How will you design this portion of the intervention? Brainstorm some probing questions that you will ask.

4)     Changing Behaviors Refer to the unit lesson for the specific information needed for this section. How will you design this portion of the intervention? Which specific actions will you take to help lead them toward adopting Model II behaviors? Brainstorm some probing questions that you will you ask.

5)     Double-Loop Learning: First Loop Refer to the unit lesson for the specific information needed for this section of your intervention plan. Be sure to include some probing questions that you will you ask.

6)     Changing Outcomes Refer to the unit lesson for the specific information needed for this section.

7)     Double-Loop Learning: Second Loop Refer to the unit lesson for the specific information needed for this section of your intervention plan. Be sure to include some probing questions that you will ask.

8)    Conclusion Summarize the purpose for transformative learning and, specifically, for this intervention. Also, summarize the process and benefits of your intervention plan.  Use APA style.

Now that you have evaluated the marketing environment and established some marketing goals for MM, it is time to get started with the new product plan. The first step is to research the mobile phone market. Without knowing who is buying phones in certain market segments, Michelle won’t know how to market MM’s new product. She needs your help to determine who the market is for the new product.

Primary Task Response: Read the dialogue below. Within the Discussion Board area, write 400-600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.

Michelle knows that MM needs to determine who the target customer is for the new product. She knows that marketing research needs to be done as part of this market segmentation and product development processes, but she is not well-acquainted with some of the details that are involved in the processes. She has stopped by your office to ask some questions.

“Thanks for canceling your other meeting this afternoon,” she says.

“No problem,” you say. “I rescheduled my meeting with multimedia; it actually works out better for them, too.”

“I’ve heard about quantitative and qualitative research, but I’m not sure I really understand the difference between the two,” she begins. “I’m sure there are advantages and disadvantages to each of them, but without knowing, I’m not sure which type of research we need to conduct. What do you think?”

Before you can respond, Michelle’s cell phone vibrates.

“Excuse me, I have to take this,” she says.

Michelle takes her call and then stands up.

“Well, I’m sorry to do this, but I have an emergency that I have to deal with right now,” she says. “Would you do me a favor? Send me a memo that explains the two types of research and include brief explanations about the advantages and disadvantages of each as related to how they could be used by MM. I’d like to be able to speak intelligibly to this at the next board meeting.”

“Sure,” you respond, thinking that this will make for a pretty lengthy e-mail. “I’ll also include how each method can help us define our target market. Will that help?”

“Yes, great idea,” she replies.

“Ok! I’ll get that to you by close of business tomorrow,” you say.

Responses to Other Students: Respond to at least 2 of your fellow classmates with at least a 100-word reply about their Primary Task Response regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your discussion, please consider the following questions:

• What did you learn from your classmate’s posting?
• What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?
• What clarification do you need regarding the posting?
• What differences or similarities do you see between your posting and other classmates’ postings?

The materials found in the M.U.S.E. may help you with this assignment. Additional information is also provided in the Lessons From Experience series found at the following links:

• Tracking the Skippers
• Aiming at the Right Target

Purpose: The primary goal of this weekly summative assignment is to probe and scrutinize a major political scandal.

Prepare: Review Chapters 11 and 12 in the course text and the following website:25 Biggest Political Scandals In History (Links to an external site.).

Reflect: As you have learned over the last few weeks, politics is often about power. In their efforts to obtain and maintain power, some politicians violate widely held ethical and moral limits and even laws. Political scandals can abruptly end promising political careers, and, sometimes, they are used to gain electoral and political advantages over opponents. These violations are often revealed to the public by the news media. Understanding how scandals affect politics and political actors, and the role the media plays in unveiling these scandals, contributes to a better understanding of how political behavior impacts other public and private arenas.

Write: In your essay of at least three pages, research one major scandal involving politicians (Watergate, Bill Clinton, Iran-Contra Affair, Silvio Berlusconi, etc.), and address the following:

• Describe how the media portrayed the politicians involved (1 page).
• Discuss the outcome of the scandal (1 page).
  • Did individuals gain greater political power and exposure? Did they resign from office or were their political careers cut short due to the scandal?
• Explain what effect, if any, the scandal had on the political environment and the media and why (1 page).

The Political Scandals—Who, What, When, Where, and Why! paper

• Must be at least three pages (not including title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Ashford University Writing Center’s APA Style (Links to an external site.)
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance.
• Must use at least three appropriate sources in addition to the course text.
  • Be sure to integrate the information from your sources rather than simply inserting it. Watch the Integrating Research (Links to an external site.) tutorial for assistance.
  • The web page 25 Biggest Political Scandals in History (Links to an external site.) will count as one of your three sources.
  • You can also include additional resources found on the Ashford University Library website. The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types.
• Must document all sources in APA Style as outlined in the Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.).
• Must include an introductory paragraph with a succinct thesis statement.
• Must include a conclusion that summarizes the main points and restates the thesis.
  • For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.) as well as Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.), refer to the Ashford Writing Center resources.
• Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource for specifications.

Discussion 1

Describe the concepts of organizational stability and organizational innovation. Provide a real-life example of how an organization has maintained stability and promoted innovation. You can use an example from your personal experiences in the workplace or an example that is discussed in Chapter Nine of your textbook. Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7.

Discussion 2

Explain each of the three principles of ethical organizational communication, as outlined in Chapter Ten of your textbook. Then, describe how these principles are important during external organizational communication, such as lobbying, marketing or advertising. Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7.

Final

The purpose of the COM425 Final Paper is to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the organizational communication concepts and skills that you have learned throughout this course. Imagine that you are proposing a new communication structure for an organization. Write a formal proposal in which you discuss at least five concepts that you feel are most important for successful communication within an organizational setting. Explain why these concepts are necessary for successful communication and how best to implement them within an organization. Examples of concepts that you may choose to use are active listening, organizational culture, conflict resolution, key principles of human communication, leadership strategies, formal and informal communication, etc. Your information for this paper should not be based on your own opinions; you must back up your information with research. The research may include readings from this course or from outside sources. In total, your paper must include at least five sources with at least two from the Ashford University Library. This is a formal paper and should include proper grammar, complete sentences, appropriate paragraphs, and correct citations/references in proper APA style. Along with explaining the communication concepts and including the research, you can also use your personal experiences to explain the research that you are presenting in your paper. NOTE: A full sentence outline of this assignment will be submitted during Week Three. You will receive feedback on your outline so that you can make improvements before you submit your final paper in Week Five. The paper must be eight to ten pages in length (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style. You must use at least five scholarly sources (two of which must be found in the Ashford University Library) other than the textbook to support your claims. Cite your sources in text and on the reference page. For information regarding APA samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, within the Learning Resources tab on you’re the left navigation toolbar.Writing the Final Paper The Final Paper:

• Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Must include a title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
• Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
• Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
• Must use at least five scholarly sources, including a minimum of two from the Ashford University Library.
• Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.