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For this Site Visit, students will perform field research by attending a religious service outside of their own religious tradition. The goal is to immerse each student in an unfamiliar religious context (example: Christians and Catholics should perform field research on a non-Christian religion, like Buddhism, Hinduism, etc.).
At the top of your paper, please include the name, address and contact information of the religious site visited, the date(s)/time(s) visited, the specific name(s)/type(s) of service(s) you attended, the names of any individuals you may have interviewed, and the particular sect or denomination of the religion that practices at the site. Please also indicate here your own specific religious background/upbringing for reference purposes. For example, if your background is Christian, is it Southern Baptist? Episcopalian? If you are Jewish, are you Reform, Orthodox, Reconstructionist? NOTE WELL: The religious site you choose to visit may NOT be of the same sect/denomination as your own nor even the same religion.
Be specific when identifying your research site: If you visited a Muslim mosque, was it Sunni or Shi’ite? If you visited a Jewish synagogue, was it Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform? If you visited a Buddhist temple, was it Theravada or a Mahayana sect? You may want to ask this when you call to find out if your visit is acceptable.
Upon completing these three stages, write a detailed and insightful essay describing the visit(s) and what you observed during your visit(s). It should demonstrate a general understanding of the religious tradition; use your research to explain your experience at the site. Your essay should include the following information where appropriate:
Structure and format of the service(s) observed
Approximate number of attendees, their age range and gender
Social roles played by various people during the service(s)
Physical characteristics of the site, the service, its officiants, and its participants/attendees (note special forms of dress, behavior, seating, etc.)
Material used in the service(s) or the setting of the service (e.g., art, images, symbols, religious objects, etc.)
Rituals performed (if any)
Texts—written or oral—utilized (if any)
Special nature of the day/time of your visit(s) related to this community’s religious calendar
Additional observations
Make sure to address the meanings of the preceding list of things you observed in their social and doctrinal contexts (based on your research including possible interviews with attendees or officiants).
Finally, include your personal reaction to the service and to the experience of writing this essay. How did you respond during the visit? Did you enjoy the visit? Did you feel uncomfortable? Did you encounter any difficulties? Were your opinions about the religion challenged or confirmed by the site visit? What were the most negative and positive aspects of fulfilling this assignment?
Assignment Details
Format:
MLA format required
Double-spaced, 12 point size, Arial or Times New Roman font
Length: 1800-2000 words (not including your Works Cited page)
Content: Field research and supplementary research
Sources: 3 academic sources minimum
Works Cited page (MLA format) required
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