Group Projects
Visual Literacy & the Sociology of Perception
It is the task of each group to teach the class how to become more skeptical and visually literate about how images are created in our evolving visual culture.
You may use Google slides, Power Point, Prezy, or any other presentation software.
Your presentation must be a minimum of 12 minutes and no more than 15 minutes, and you are graded on the content of your presentation as well as your delivery (eye contact, body language, tone of voice, use of hand gestures, etc.).
Purpose and Content
This presentation should educate your audience, your fellow class members, and must communicate a clear thesis about your chosen topic (The specifics of each topic are presented at the end of this document).
SEE GRADING RUBRIC BELOW FOR MORE SPECIFICS.
Working in groups of three or four, each group must prepare and execute a presentation that is informative, easy to follow, delves deep into the subject, is supported by viable academic research, and REALLY TEACHES us about this important subject both visually and sociologically.
This is a researched presentation and requires LIBRARY RESEARCH. Make use of the library's databases (journal articles, newspapers, magazines, ebooks).
Information taken from the World Wide Web may be used sparingly (no more than 20%), but should only be taken from credible sources. See this link for more info:
Your presentation must include a Works Cited Slide at the end. You must also cite information on each slide. Without it, your presentation will be considered plagiarized.
You may make use of a short video clip, but it cannot be longer than 2 minutes.
Be sure you practice a minimum of 5 times before presenting and timed yourself. If you go over or under time, there is a significant point reduction.
All student presentations are to be on their assigned date.
NOTE: In order to earn a grade for this Group Presentation, every student in the group MUST participate equally in the contribution of research and content to the presentation itself as well as its delivery.
EACH GROUP MEMBER’S SCORE FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION IS DETERMINED BY THEIR GROUP MEMBERS (NOT THE PROFESSOR)
Presentation Topics
Week 3 -- Subliminal Advertising: Then and Now. Research the history and the evolution of subliminal advertising, exploring both the creativity and the ETHICS of this form of persuasion. Be sure to illustrate with numerous examples, delving into early forms of subliminal messages to those used today. Don’t forget to address the “cause & effect” of this form of manipulation as it relates both to the individual and society.
Week 4 -- Gender and Race Bias in Film and Television. Consider beginning with D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation (1915) and take the class on a journey through the depictions of women and minorities in popular film and television of subsequent decades--1950's to present. Identify numerous examples and find research that supports the sociological and psychological impact on individuals and relationships that these repeated stereotypical messages have had for generations. Also discuss how depictions have changed and evolved.
Week 5 -- History Manipulated: Propaganda, Image Manipulation, and Fake Historical Photos. What are we to believe if not our own recording of history? Show multiple examples (and in various mediums) of how history has been manipulated through the use of images in the U.S. and abroad. Be sure to discuss both the intended and unintended consequences of history manipulated.
Week 6 -- Social Media's Visual Argument. As we have discussed in class, visual images often form very convincing arguments. However, can one really trust what one sees on social media? Take the class on a trip and really show us the various types of visual arguments that this medium conveys. Explore this subject and teach us how to best "read" what we see. Show the class, illustrating with multiple examples, the dangers of blinding trusting what we encounter on the various platforms (Facebook, Instagram, etc.). Equally as important, demonstrate for the class what the digital age has done to change “ways of seeing” and understanding the world.
Week 7 -- The Male Gaze – In Art, Film, and Video Games. Research and present on “the relationship of pleasure and images.” How has the camera been utilized as a device for voyeurism and spectatorship? How has the “gaze” objectified its subjects, particularly women, and how has that objectification evolved over the last several decades? Feminist scholar Laura Mulvey’s research is key to your presentation (she coined the sociological term “The Gaze”). Today this issue is addressed through The Representation Project so be sure to include their powerful work as well.
Week 8 -- The Power of Advertising in our Market-Structured Consciousness. Research the effects of advertising and its “spell” of consumerism in this country. Include discussion of the manipulation and blending of images in mass media, and the subliminal and overt messages of envy, desire, and glamour. Research billboard, magazine, and television advertising and present your findings to the class. As media scholar Sut Jhally points out: “It's no accident that the rise of modern advertising coincides with the rise of mass production. As capitalism became better and better at making more and more stuff, it required new methods that would convince people to keep buying. Today's hyper-consumerism is driven by ever more sophisticated advertising and public relations techniques and targeting every age group in this country.
Week 9 -- Tough Guise – Boys to Men. For your presentation, look at the issue of Male Masculinity in our country, how it affects boys and men in sports, the military, relationships, etc. Be sure to research the work of Jackson Katz, an anti-sexist activist and expert on gender violence, media and masculinities. He is key to this presentation. What are the dangers of hypermasculinity to our culture? What is it? How do we define it?
Week 10 -- The Portrayal of the Family in Film & Television. Explore this topic beginning with the end of WWII. Compare and contrast each decade, delving into TV and film’s powerful influence on both the myth of the American family, the emergence of women, blacks, and other “minorities” into the world of TV (and which groups continue to be invisible or marginalized) and explore the sociological impact of all of the above.
Visual Literacy & the Sociology of Perception
(Group Presentation RUBRIC)
TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 30
CONTENT (14 points)
FOCUS (4 points): The thesis is very clearly stated; the topic is narrowed sufficiently; the specific audience has clearly been taken into account when delivering the presentation; information presented contains no inaccuracies
DEVELOPMENT (4 points): All main points begin with a clear topic sentence; all main and supporting points are supported by specific and highly effective examples/evidence; the main and supporting points all relate to each other.
ORGANIZATION (4 points): The presentation has a clear introduction that catches the audience’s attention effectively and is connected to the whole; effective transitions recap each main point; the conclusion effectively summarizes the presentation and is related to the whole
STYLE (2 points): Language is memorable; language is well-chosen; tone is appropriate.
VISUAL DELIVERY (5 points):
Presentation must include 10 to 12 PowerPoint slides (doesn’t include the works cited slide) that are professional and easy to read, and slides make use of effective design. Fonts, backgrounds, are effective, consistent, etc., and contain no grammar/spelling errors. All graphics are attractive (size and colors) and support the theme/content of the presentation. There isn’t too much information on each slide and content is limited to talking points.
VOICE DELIVERY (5 points)
The speaker’s voice in delivery (avoided fillers, spoke with appropriate speed and tone, spoke with enthusiasm). Speaker maintains eye contact with audience and uses appropriate body language.
INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION (6 points; Score Determined by Group Members)
When scoring group members, consider each of the following:
Participation and Communication (0-3 points): Student connected with all members of the group and maintained frequent contact. Student gave timely and constructive feedback to group members. Student was cooperative and enthusiastic about the project
Contribution (0-3 points): Student completed their share of the work.
Grading Scale
27-30 A
24-26 B
21-23 C
18-20 D
0-17 F
