INSTRUCTIONS: For this 2 to three-page academic essay (at least five paragraphs), youll use ONE of the nine Bhutan domains to evaluate the societal well-being of the state OR county (not country) in which you live. Based on past experience with this, I recommend you choose one of the following: Psychological Wellbeing, Standard of Living, [Physical] Health, Education, Ecological Diversity and Resilience
Basing your answer on research, how does your states (or countys) well-being measure up against the domain you choose? Answer that question in a concisely written thesis sentence.
EXAMPLE: Lets say you choose the Standard of Living category. You would identify three standard of living issues in your state/county, do some research on those areas, and come up with a thesis sentence that looks something like this: New Jerseys material well-being is enhanced by its employment opportunities and high average income, but damaged by its high cost of living.
STRUCTURE: In your introductory paragraph, introduce the concept of Bhutans GNH and the domain on which youre focusing. End your introduction with a thesis sentence that answers the main essay question.
BODY: Each body paragraph should discuss one specific facet of the domain your thesis mentions. For example, in an essay with the sample thesis above, one body paragraph would discuss how N.J.s standard of living is enhanced by its employment opportunities, another body paragraph would do the same for its citizens income, and the third body paragraph would show how N.J.s material well-being is diminished by its high cost-of-living.
Each body paragraph should meaningfully incorporate credible, logos-based research from sources you found. The paragraph should include research on whatever aspect of N.J. (or your county) youre discussing in that paragraph and subjective well-being. Using the sample thesis above as an example, in the body paragraph about employment opportunities you might include research on N.J.s unemployment rate from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (a primary source) and research about how employment affects subjective well-being. Your body paragraphs will contain statistics, of course, but the paragraph should be more than just a compilation of statistics as that alone is not writing. It is up to you to discuss the significance of the statistics youre presenting, connect them to happiness, etc.
SOURCES: I am requiring that students use at least one peer-reviewed article among the other sources used.
TONE: The tone in this essay is formal and academic. Do not use first- or second-person points of view. Do not use personal examples or refer to yourself in any way.
AUDIENCE & PURPOSE: Think of your audience as educated residents of NJ (or, if youre writing about your county, educated citizens of your county). The primary purposes of this essay are to inform and persuade your audience of the validity of your thesis.
