Annotated Bibliography
Objectives: Students will demonstrate research capabilities; students will be able to demonstrate skills of textual evaluation; students will be able to compose an argument based on research.
You may not use sources that we have covered in class for this assignment!
You will need to do a 5-7 sources annotated bibliography on the concepts of happiness and happiness in modern day society as they relate to your Essay Three. For your research you can consider what happiness is, how it is obtained, the science and philosophy behind it, really any and all aspects. You can also so research about your media source- really anything that helps you with your essay
Your annotated bibliography will be MLA formatted with 12 pt Times New Roman font.
You will need to make a 2-4-minute presentation of your findings to the class. Details will be given in a separate assignment.
When you are doing research, please know that you do not have to always find things that directly speak about the concept you are researching. You may find materials that speak about a specific aspect that related to happiness, and you can make the connection between your research and the text in your annotation. EX: If I am researching in-n-out, my findings do not all have to be directly about in-n-out; they can be about hamburgers, or fast-food in the west coast. Then in my annotation I will connect my findings back to my topic.
Carefully go over the Annotated Bibliography PPT as detailed instructions are given as to how to compose an annotated bib.
Each source will need to be cited in MLA format, and under each citation you will write 1-2 paragraphs doing the following:
1. Introduce the author and credibility (or lack there of) of the author and source
2. Give a summary of the source (what are the main points? If there are useful quotes, you should include them in this section)
3. Critique the source- tell me why YOU think this is a strong or weak source for YOUR essay (as in the source can be great on its own, but it can not have a strong connection to your essay)
4. Explain the relationship between this source and other sources
Example:
Lewis, C.S. “We Have No ‘Right to Happiness.’” Current Issues and Enduring Questions: a Guide to Critical Thinking and Argument, with Readings, by Sylvan Barnet et al., 11th ed., Bedford/St. Martins, 2017, pp. 747–750.
This piece starts off with author, C.S. Lewis, retelling a conversation; he begins with “After all, they had a right to happiness” (Lewis 747). The piece goes on to describe a situation where a husband leaves his wife for another woman. When his ex-wife commits suicide he responds with, “But what could I do? A man has a right to happiness. I had to take my chance when it came” (Lewis 747). Lewis uses this situation to set up his argument against a right to happiness. He especially focuses on this issue in the context of sexuality because he believes that the people who promote sexual promiscuity use the concept of a “right to happiness” as justification for their behavior. Lewis claims that a “right to happiness” does not make much sense because what effects happiness is out of human control, and nothing dictates that all humans have an inherent right to happiness. He continues by outlining the difference between rights given by society and rights under the Natural Law.
C.S. Lewis was a professor, author, logistician, and theologian who taught and studied at Oxford and Cambridge. As such he is a credible source on the subject matter which focuses on philosophy and logic. The text was published in an academic text which further shows its credibility. The text is an interesting source when considering the concept of happiness because it argues an unpopular position that happiness is not a given right even though most people in the western world live as if it is. This source is in stark contrast with the explicit meaning in Kid Cudi’s “The Pursuit of Happiness” as Lewis says one should NOT peruse it.
