Now that we've awakened the research mindset in Unit 1, in Unit 2, we'll kick off the first phase of 'real' college research with a little reflective research - by looking first into the self and then out through the self and into the community.

But what does this all mean? Good research and good research-writing arises from a researcher/writer knowing themselves. When we're aware of where we come from, where we're trying to go, and why, we're much more likely to do good work. This is because we're more likely to care about the work we do, which means we get to learn and write -about what we care about. We can even find a way to be interested in/care about assignments that otherwise we wouldn't. Plus, we're more awake to opportunities for discovery and more willing to work hard. In a nutshell, taking stock of who we are pays off.

In coming to know the self, we also need to think about the people and groups to whom we feel strongly connected. There's an old saying that goes, "You're born alone, and you die alone, so you better make friends with yourself along the way." There's a lot of truth in that statement; in many ways, we do -all face the world out of just one body every day. But none of us really live in complete isolation, so when we go to 'make friends with ourselves,' we end up having to make friends with a lot of other people, too. Human beings are social animals; generally, we need one another in order to survive. Thus, the connections we have to other people and groups help shape our sense of identity, and we help shape them.

We're all members of multiple groups or subcultures, so our identities are layered.

y the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Use writing to reflect on your existing knowledge and experience with a college topic (subcultures + individual identity)
• Develop your ideas through engagement with those of others
• Integrate the ideas of others in your own writing
• Participate in constructive dialogue with colleagues
• Analyze the elements of compare/contrast writing

To Do

• Watch/Read
  • Unit 2 Overview
• Complete Journal
  • Unit 2 Taking Stock
• Post and Reply to Core Content Discussion Board
  • Unit 2 - Subcultures
• Watch/Read
  • Unit 2 Compare/Contrast Essay
  • Essay Style Overview: Compare/Contrast Writing
• Post to Blog
  • Unit 2 Mode Analysis - Compare/Contrast

ANSWER:

• Summarize in your o-wn words what the Unit 2 Essay Assignment is asking you to do
• What questions do you have about the essay assignment?