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2-2 Project Proposal
For this project I have chosen the autism awareness ribbon, used as symbol for awareness
and support of the diverse people affected by autism. I have chosen this cultural artifact because I
have been immersed in the world of autism since the diagnosis of my youngest son in 2011. I also have a grandson who is on the spectrum. The ribbon consists of many brightly colored puzzle pieces interlocking to represent the complexity of the autism spectrum. The puzzle piece became the symbol for autism in 1963, created by Gerald Gasson, a parent and board member for the National Autistic Society in London (Muzikar, 2019). The puzzle piece has undergone several changes over the years, originally green with an image of a crying child, it is now the brightly colored ribbon of puzzle pieces, created by the Autism Society of America and adopted in 1999, that is used today. The brightly colored interlocking pieces are what stand out to me, representing the complexity of the autism spectrum and hope for awareness and acceptance. I feel like the creator of the ribbon was trying to express that autism is not a disorder, it is greater than a simple diagnosis. That even though every person who has a diagnosis may be grouped together, they are
each unique. Those unique qualities fit together in their own special way to form what is known as the autism spectrum. The ribbon is a symbol that has been used as a sign of support and awareness since the mid 1900’s, originating from a United States military marching song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon” (Lien, 2014), combining these features effectively represents what the creator was trying to convey.
For my unfamiliar culture, I chose the Jade Dragon. The Jade Dragon is an ancient cultural artifact of China. The dragon is represented prominently throughout Chinese culture, with the Jade Dragon being one of the most famous jade carvings found in China. The image of
