The synthesis essay requires us to select a secondary source that will allows us to understand our cultural text to a greater extent. Specifically, we will determine how the secondary source sets evaluative criteria for our argument within the cultural text. It will also allow us to see the implicit messages within our primary source. We will write a 4-5 page essay to describe how that secondary source has helped us to either helped or complicated our analysis and why one secondary source alone will not be sufficient for the long term project. A metacommentary is also required for this essay.
Lastly, we will apply what we have learned in the previous assignments to the research analysis project. The objective of the RAE is for us to write about a cultural text, using research and personal analysis. This 12 page paper requires us to select a primary source and describe its implications of society. In the essay, we will pay close attention to the details and patterns within the cultural text and how its structure contributes to the larger claims that we want to make. We will also select at least five secondary sources that will help us to ultimately support our larger claims. A metacommentary and revision are included in this assignment. This assignment will allow us to demonstrate the skills we have developed over the course of the semester. It will demonstrate our abilities to present an original argument about a cultural text with regards to what it reveals about cultural ideas, influences, and messages.
For my Social Issues and Social Problems class, we recently examined anti-smoking television advertisements. I was drawn to these advertisements because many contained a combination of humorous and shocking visuals that were related to the harmful effects of tobacco use. I plan on taking a series of courses in the American Culture Studies department because I'm interested in learning about the American culture and how its an amalgam of different beliefs and concepts. These ads allude to society by revealing the various stigmas within our culture.
3 comments:
I also posted something about no-smoking ads, but they were video clips not posters like yours. I just found the posters interesting to see after viewing the videos from my blog.
These ads are fascinating, especially given that they don't preach or literally condemn smoking as unhealthy - they suggest it through some really morbid images. It'd be interesting to see if viewers thought they were more effective that 'preachy' ads.
Diane--do you know what kind of American Cultural Studies course you want to take? Do you have a specific period in mind?
As Joseph says (and on David's blog, too) smoking/anti-smoking is drawing some intense interest.
It's worth mentioning that very popular REA topics (particular films like Pulp Fiction, musical genres like hip hop, or specific artists the Beatles) often mean that secondary sources from the library get picked over pretty well.
I'm not saying that to discourage selecting such a primary source, but to warn that the research end of it might require waiting to get books through MOBIUS (the inter-library exchange) if the volumes here are all checked out, etc.
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