LATI 180. Reparations Politics

Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography Assignment

Instructions: This assignment is divided into three distinct sections, each with its own specific guidelines. Please carefully read and follow the instructions for each section, as they are tailored to different aspects of your research on reparations politics.

● Section I: Historical Background involves annotating at least three secondary scholarly or tertiary scholarly sources and requires you to provide context for your chosen topic by focusing on key historical events, social factors, and reparations efforts.

● Section II: Analytical Framework involves annotating at least three primary or secondary scholarly sources, analyzing their relevance, context, and contribution to your understanding of reparations politics.

● Section III: Primary Sources involves annotating at least three primary sources, summarizing and analyzing connections to your topic or themes of reparations politics.

Research: You are encouraged to research and combine different types of sources for each section of the annotated bibliography. See Handout for more:LATI 180_Reparations Politics_Research Tips and Guidelines

Formatting: The final version of your Annotated Bibliography section will have two parts. It is recommended to complete each section as separate tasks. Start by selecting and annotating your individual sources to then write up a synthesis of combined sources at the beginning of each section (copy/paste Mode/Template below p.5 for formatting).

Section I: Historical Background

Objective: The goal of this section is to provide a tailored historical background that contextualizes the theme of reparations politics in relation to your chosen topic. This background should illuminate the specific injustices of the past and consider efforts to draw attention to or address them.

Length:

Approx. 250-750 words for the Historical Background Synthesis

Approx. 75-150 words per annotation entry

Citations and Format:

Following the MLA style, include proper in-text and Works Cited citations. For guidance on reliable sources, see the attached Handout above.

Content Guidelines:

The final version of this section will have two parts (see Template Model below for formatting). The first is a synthesis of combined sources that identifies the historical relevance, social contexts, and reparations efforts. The second part is the annotations which will include a brief summary and analysis for each individual source.

● Historical Background Synthesis involves identifying key events, examining social contexts, identifying reparations efforts measures taken, and concluding with your focus questions. In this writing, you should combine information from each of your listed sources and analyze how they are relevant to each other and your topic.

○ Historical Relevance: Identify key historical events directly related to your specific topic of research. How have these events have impacted the social, economic, and political realities for the communities affected by the issues you are investigating?

○ Social Context: Examine the social contexts surrounding these historical events and their relevance to your topic. How did societal attitudes and structures contribute to the injustices you are focusing on?

○ Reparations Efforts:

■ Identify and discuss any measures taken in the context of reparations efforts. Consider symbolic actions (e.g., apologies, memorials), legal measures (e.g., lawsuits, legislative initiatives), economic reparations (e.g., direct payments, land restitution), or putative efforts (e.g., educational programs, community investments).

■ Identify the various groups and individuals involved in reparations efforts. Discuss differing interests, agendas, and positionalities concerning your specific area of focus. This may include victims, activists, policymakers, and institutions as well as indirect beneficiaries of injustices in society.

○ Focus Question(s): Conclude your synthesis by formulating your  own focus questions that will guide the rest of your annotated bibliography. These questions should reflect your specific interests and areas of inquiry related to reparations politics. State what you hope to explore further and how these questions will shape your analysis.

● Historical Background Annotations involves creating short annotations for your chosen sources that summarize and analyze the text. Address the 5Ws and/or the 5As in each entry: Who, What, When, Where, Why and/or Aim, Approach, Argument, Author, and Audience

Section II: Analytical Framework

Objective: The goal of this section is to construct an analytical framework you can apply to your topic to analyze and frame. findings.

Length:

Approx. 250-750 words for the Analytical Framework Synthesis

Approx. 100-200 words per annotation entry

Citations and Format:

Following the MLA style, include proper in-text and Works Cited citations. For guidance on reliable sources, see the attached Handout above.

Content Guidelines:

Your final version of this section will include two parts (see Template Model below for formatting). The first is a synthesis of combined sources that evaluates their relevance in relation to your topic. The second part is the annotations of individual sources which will include a brief summary and analysis for each entry.

● Analytical Framework Synthesis involves discussing the analytical frameworks you have found in your research and critically analyzing their relevance and relationship to each other and your topic. Consider:

○ What specific examples, evidence, or data used to support their arguments did you find compelling from the texts?

○ What specific examples, evidence, or data did the arguments leave out from their texts?

○ How do the texts, frameworks, and key concepts relate to each other?

○ How can you apply frameworks offered by scholars to analyze questions related to your own topic?

● Analytical Framework Annotations involve contextualizing each entry with the following items:

○ Background: What is the historical context in which the text was written or created? Who is the intended audience? Where is the author writing “from”? What are some main objectives for producing the text? What issues were they seeking to understand or draw attention to?

○ Summary: Summarize the key points or the main argument of the text with your own words, focusing on key points most relevant to your topic.

○ Key Concepts and Terms: List and define 3-4 concepts or terms that the author(s) use to elaborate their argument or analyze their findings.

Section III: Primary Sources

Objective:

This section should provide short summaries and contextual analyses as well as discuss the relevance of the primary sources to your specific topic and/or general themes related to reparations politics.

Length:

Approx. 250-750 words for the Primary Sources Synthesis

Approx. 100-200 words per annotation entry

Citations and Format:

Following the MLA style, include proper in-text and Works Cited citations. For guidance on reliable sources, see the attached Handout above.

Content Guidelines:

The final version of this section will have two parts (see Template Model below for formatting).  The first is a synthesis of the listed sources that evaluates the source for relevance to your topic. The second part is the annotations which will include a brief summary and analysis for each entry.

● Part 1. Primary Source Synthesis involves contextualizing the main themes and messages and highlighting their relevance to your specific topic. Consider:

○ Why are these sources significant to the topic of reparations politics?

○ Explain how the sources contribute to your understanding of reparations politics.

■ What insights do they offer that are particularly relevant to your research question or focus?

■ How might you use them in relation to the frameworks and Key Concepts discussed in Section II: Analytical Framework?

○ Consider the complexities and nuances the sources highlight about the reparations discourse, including differing viewpoints or tensions among groups involved. How might the sources interact with or challenge each other?

● Part 2. Primary Source Annotations involve contextualizing each entry with the following items:

○ Provide a brief overview of the primary source using the 5Ws and/or the 5As, as much as is possible:

■ What (e.g., a testimony, report, artwork),Who, When, Where, Why

■ Aim, Argument, Approach, Author, Audience

○ Summarize the main themes conveyed in the source.

○ As much as possible, identify the author or creator of the source and discuss their background or possible motivations or perspectives related to the issue.Reflect on any limitations or biases present in the source.

○ Discuss the historical and social context of the source in relation to specific events, actors, agendas, etc. discussed above, in Section I: Historical Background.