The cultural analysis paper must be 5 pages in Word document format. It must be typed in Times New Roman or Arial, 11 or 12 pt font; double-spaced; have 1-inch margins; adhere to standard MLA style; and have a works cited page. The works cited page is not included in the final page count.
As a cultural analysis paper, the task of this assignment is to choose one of the cultural studies readings and use it as a lens to analyze an everyday, ordinary element of culture – a person, place, or thing that is commonly known in American culture. These terms are admittedly dynamic and can be difficult to define, however, it is the task of your paper to construct strong arguments to support a well thought out thesis. You will analyze your topic from the perspective of the text you choose, develop a thesis about your topic, and demonstrate your understanding of both. In cultural studies, as some of our readings have explored, what constitutes an aspect of culture can be any aspect of any given culture. These can be events, materials, and/or social behavioral patterns. These can be centered around any number of phenomena, such as ethnicity, geography, education, popular media, broadcast media or online media content, sports, national holidays, government legislation, music, political elections, public health crises, etc. This is an exercise in writing from a cultural studies perspective, so choose an aspect of culture that you can establish is broadly relevant and socially significant.
Sources and Citations Requirements: All support for your argument must be rigorous, credible, and objectifiable. All sources must be properly quoted within the text and cited in the works cited page: All theoretical interpretations must be supported by scholarly sources; All information about popular culture must be sourced by popular sources (ex., trade journalism, etc); All technical information must be supported by industry sources (ex., trade reports, governmental research data, etc.). Support your thesis and all subsequent arguments, statements, etc., with sources:
Use ONE of the course readings to use as your critical point of view.
Use SIX sources, including ONE of the course readings. Multiple sources will be used to introduce, contextualize, and explain your topic. The course reading will serve as a lens to make the original argument (thesis) about your topic.
All citations must be in MLA format and must be reputable (peer reviewed publications, reputable journalism, or professional/technical reports).
Do not use the following as sources of information: generic websites; crowd sourced websites; online dictionaries; documentaries; broadcast news on mass media. (In general, do not rely on WebMD, Google, Wikipedia, com; Netflix/Prime/Hulu documentaries; MSNBC/CNN/FOX/etc.)
Do not use information based on common sense or personal knowledge/belief. Do not conduct interviews or field work; All anecdotal information should be avoided for this assignment, meaning you cannot make statements without a source because personal proclamations, opinions, and observations are not credible.