Popular Culture

Write a paper: Your paper should analyze a specific artifact of popular culture. This can include television shows, movies, documentaries, comic books, cookbooks, subcultures, websites, social media sites, photographs, street art, magazines, graffiti, fashion, or advertisements. You are welcome to use an example you used in a journal.

your paper should consider the following:

Discuss how your example represents at least one aspect of identity

Using material we have read in the class, consider how the example you chose makes sense of race, gender, sexual identity, physical ability, ethnicity, nationality, faith, and/or class. You can focus on one throughout (e.g.: gender) or discuss two or more (e.g.: race and gender; ethnicity and sexual identity, etc.). How might it shape how the audience sees that identity? Does it reinforce a traditional or dominant way of seeing that identity, or does it try to challenge or reinvent that identity? What is complicated or one-dimensional/simplistic?

Connect that representation of identity to specific concepts from class

What strategies did your text use to represent identity? How might it use media/technology to direct/shape how the audience interprets the text? We discussed a number of things that might influence how a text considers identity. Some of them were: Lateral surveillance, disciplinary power, the gaze, the glance, political economy, commodifying empowerment, commodifying difference, marketing diversity, popular feminism, postfeminism, hegemonic ideas of identity (both normalizing/reinforcing dominant ideas about race, class, gender, etc., as well as challenging/unsettling them), hybridity/hybridism, parody, irony, national belonging, transnational identity, diasporic identity, crisis/instability in identity, queering texts. (Note: This is not an exhaustive list).

Discuss some of the consequences be of these representations of identity

How might the things you identified in questions 1 and 2 encourage or discourage political action? What ideologies are apparent in your example? Would it be good, bad, or possibly both to think about the identity/identities you focused on the way the text does? Does the text provide a problematic way of understanding identity or a liberating/positive one? Why or why not? How might certain types of power be encouraged or challenged?

How to Succeed in this Assignment:

For a PAPER

 Typed, double-spaced, standard margins and 12-point font

– 3-6 pages. Papers with fewer than 3 pages will earn a grade of C at the highest

– Reference at least two readings

– Include works cited page for any references to course texts and examples

2. Use specific examples from the text and specific course concepts:

Try not to just say things like “this show represents Latina identity” or “my project critiques masculinity”. Instead, reference specific quotations/aspects from the text you are analyzing/creating, and connect it to specific readings from the class.

3. You are welcome to use your previous work do develop the assignment

You can copy from your journal posts or case studies in the paper – just make sure to correct any errors based on feedback. You should reference concepts from the readings and develop your own thoughts on the questions I the prompt.

4. Consider grading criteria:

For the paper assignments, your work is evaluated based on the degree to which it is developed, responsive, clear, thoughtful, and engaged.

Grading Rubric

Points

Criteria

94-100

The developed assignment that correctly applies theories from class with a clear and consistent connection to identity, a specific articulation of course concepts that shaped that identity, a specific discussion of consequences, engages course material with specific references to course readings, includes specific examples from the pop-cultural text, is clearly written and error-free and contributes an original insight.

90-93.75

A finished assignment that applies theories from class with a clear and consistent connection to identity a discussion of course concepts that relate to identity and their consequences, engages with course material, uses specific examples, is clearly written, mostly error-free, and attempts to contribute an original insight.

86-89.75

A finished assignment that applies theories from class with some discussion of identity and discussion of concepts and consequences engages somewhat with course material, uses examples, is clearly written, mostly error-free, or attempts to contribute an original insight.

80-85.75

The finished assignment that makes an attempt to respond to the prompt, mentions course material, references the chosen example, and/or contains multiple errors

79.75 or below

An assignment that neglects to respond to the prompt doesn’t reference specific course material or examples from the text contains multiple errors, and/or fails to meet a basic requirement.

Outcomes:

This assignment helps us meet student learning outcome 2 (being able to demonstrate the ability to analyze and evaluate communication practices), and 4 (Describe and explain the relationship between communication and culture), and course outcomes 2.3 (apply perspectives on studying culture), 4.1 (Describe how pop culture influences and is influenced individuals and social trends) and 4.2 (Explain how culture influences how we see the world). For more information on Popular Culture  check on this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_culture

Popular Culture sample essay Australia Assessments.

Popular Culture sample essay Australia Assessments.