Assignment 2

1. Read the P/Class essay for this week: "Veve: The Sacred Symbol of Vodoun". File path is P/Class/Religion/Suydam/RLST101.01/Articles/Veve. Summarize the major points of this article. Re-read the E-Res assignment, "How do we communicate?" and summarize this chapter's most important points.

2. With your study partner write down 2 symbols each that you found interesting from Malcolm X, chapters 12 and 14, and 2 from the article "Veve: The Sacred Symbol of Vodoun" (pictures of some of the symbols are on the course website) . Ask yourselves the following questions, and then write a 1-2 page paper incorporating them:

a. In what ways are these symbols multivalent? Can they be interpreted differently and if so, by whom? Note that multivalent does NOT mean "across cultures" but WITHIN a culture.

b. In what ways do you think these symbols remain stable, and in what ways can they change over time? Refer to Note above.

c. How do these symbols function to establish group identity? Individual identity?

d. What other symbols have we encountered so far in class? Do all of these symbols function in similar ways?

3. Write up the results of your discussion in one 1-2 page typed paper.