Source Analyses
At the end of each unit for which you are NOT writing an Observation Report, you must submit an analysis of an additional source listed for that unit, described to address the concerns of a person mentioned in a scenario from one of the application exercises for that unit. Most of these sources are available (A) in the recommended books available at the bookstore and at the library's reserve collection, a few of which are posted on SacCT, or (B) directly on-line from various web sites; and each unit contains one or two films available (C) at the library media center. NOTE: half a dozen student Source Analyses will be assigned as readings for the final TRA and application exercise.
Site Observation
Site visits and interviews are designed to get you to experience first hand the people and behaviors linked to the Buddhist traditions studied in the course. In SacCT, you will sign up to visit a particular local worship site; you will then then visit the site at the scheduled time, observe participants, and interview one of them to get a sense of what they are thinking. This experience will serve as the foundation for the observation report.
Observation Report
The observation report asks you to describe your observations and one interview among members of a Buddhist community, recorded at a local worship site and related to the observations of an author who has observed a similar traditions in Asia. You write for a peer (vs. a specialist) who is unfamiliar with the topic, possibly for one of the people mentioned in a scenario from one of the application exercises. NOTE: half a dozen student Observation Reports will be assigned as readings for the final TRA and application exercise.