Social Commentary Project
In the closing to his 1st Inaugural Address, shadowed under an impending civil war, Abraham
Lincoln called upon Americans to once again listen to and be guided by the "better angels of our
nature." Although much has changed in American culture and society since Lincoln spoke these
words, we continue to fall short of living up to our better nature in all things.
In his 2nd Inaugural Address, Lincoln once again urged Americans to live up to a higher set
of principles and practices in order to transcend the social, economic, and political offenses of
our past and present lives.
With this spirit of open self-reflection and awareness, examine our current social and cultural
character. As we strive to realize and actualize our better nature, what do you see as a major
flaw in the American character and psyche that prevents us from living with integrity or
actualizing our full potential? This flaw or area that can be improved may be any facet of our
society, from social to economic to aesthetic to civic to cultural to ethical to intellectual to
environmental, etc.
Identify this flaw and develop your understanding for how it deteriorates or undercuts our
integrity or hinders our achievement of what we could be. Support your thesis with either cited,
statistical evidence or cited, case evidence—specific examples from specific people—or a
combination of both. You will need to cite 3 sources as supporting evidence for this work. In
addition, discuss what you, yourself, have observed as evidence for your thesis.
You may write your social commentary, or you may combine writing with other media.
Options:
1) Persuasive Essay with research. For this option, in a well-developed essay, develop your
arguments and position.
Typed, double-spaced, standard type size and font, one-inch margins, with a minimum of 3
cited sources and a works cited page. Minimum pages: 4
2) Visual art, Performance, or Multi-media Presentation with research. For this option, you will
supplement your persuasive essay with an artistic meditation on your subject. This may include
2 and 3 dimensional artwork, photography (minimum of three prints), film (short documentary
for example), performance art (music, dance, drama), or a multi-media speech.
Typed, double-spaced, standard type size and font, one-inch margins, with a minimum of 3
cited sources and a works cited page. Minimum pages: 3