Definition: Choose a key term(s) relevant to the American diet and offer perceptions about what that term “means” from a variety of points of view (2-3 pages).
An abstract word will work much better for this section than a concrete term. (Select no more than two terms to define.) Think in terms of how this word will relate to your topic. Careful planning now will ensure that your paper flows together as one piece later.
Things to keep in mind while writing:
Give the surface meaning- what everyone assumes the term means.
Relate the definition to Lisa Kwon’s article “Sharing a Koreatown Meal Is My Family’s Special Bonding Ritual.”
Explain how the definition relates to the American diet and why it is important to the reader’s understanding of the discussion. Relate the term to a relevant point of discussion.
Consider any of the following:
Use a synonym- for example, “Comfort” means “relief.”
Explore function (process): explain what the concept “does” or how it “works.”
Consider division- sort it into the major categories that make it up.
Consider illustration- identify and list distinctive features or attributes.
Consider contrast: tell what a word is not; for example, “serious argument” is not name-calling or mere rationalizing.
Consider narration- tell a story which illustrates what the word means.
