There will be four main sections in this paper: overview, analysis, application, and reflection.
Suggested questions/issues to address in your write-up:
• What media choices have you chosen? Briefly summarize them
• How do your media choices present family and intimate relationships?
• Are the representation of family and interpersonal relationships in your media choices accurate?
• What historical and cultural influence may have contributed to these representations?
• Apply concepts/terms/theories from no less than four chapters in the textbook to your chosen media choices.
• Do you see a connection between how family and interpersonal relationships are presented in the media and how they play out in your life?
• How might the media influence your own views of family and interpersonal relationships?
• What does academic research say about the course concepts you’ve seen in the media representations?
• What does academic research say about the course concepts you’ll be applying to your own personal life?
Further Details for the final paper:
• Paper must be your own original work. You must use in-text citations when drawing from an outside source, either quoting directly or paraphrasing.
• You must be culturally sensitive in your paper. You are to investigate your topic of choice and present it in your paper without prejudgments.
• Must be typed and doubled-spaced, with 12-point Times New Roman font and one-inch margins.
• Page requirements are only a recommendation. Your assignment will be graded on how well you cover the requirements of the paper and connect it to course material.
• Poor grammar and excessive spelling errors will result in loss of points, but the occasional typo will not count against you.
• Any assignment handed in once assignments have been collected will be considered late and will suffer a loss of points based on the course late policy.
• The final paper should have a minimum of 3 academic references to reputable and academic sources of information. Your textbook and course materials may not count as one of these 3 references, but you should cite it in the text where necessary and include it in the bibliography.
• Your media choices should be cited and included in your bibliography but do not count as one of the three academic references.
• Although online references are allowed, make sure they are reputable, verifiable sources. Joe Schmoe’s blog will not count as an acceptable source. Internet based Encyclopedias such as “Wikipedia” may not be used as a referenced resource and will result in a loss of points.
General Suggestions:
• Make sure that you reflect on what we have been learning in this class. A paper that does not tie in concepts we are learning in this course will not receive a good grade.
• Make sure that you’re writing is clear and academic.
• Do not include broad overgeneralizations in your write-up.