ILS 2385 DIRECTED RESEARCH PAPER ASSIGNMENT
(5 FULL pages to 6 FULL pages, typed, double-spaced, MLA format)
Important Due Dates (See course schedule for specific due dates)
-Informal Academic Article Response related to a topic below (Beginning of week 3)
-Topic Proposal due end of week 3
-Part I of Annotated Bibliography end of Week 5
-Part II of Annotated Bibliography due end of Week 7
-First Draft due end of Week 9
-Submit First Draft to Submittable end of Week 9
-Final draft due Week 11
Assignment Instructions:
Throughout the term, you will hone your visual literacy exercises and critical thinking essay that will allow you to approach this final assignment with a critical eye. Through these assignments, each of you will apply what you have learned in class while finding meaning in imagery and addressing the sociology of perception.
This final assignment will allow you to explore a topic of your choosing from this list below in greater detail by conducting FORMAL academic research (see notes about process and research below)
You may approach this topic in ONE Of three ways. You may choose an informative rhethorical strategy, an argumentative approach, or choose to develop the topic through critical anaylsis. Note, however, that certain prompts and questions are more suited to one approach than another; See more about the purpose of this essay below.
Also, similar to the CT essays, you are REQUIRED to note and identify at the beginning of your paper which TOPIC you have selected and which rhetorical STRATEGY you used when writing your paper:
Informative
Argument/Persuasion
Critical Analysis
PURPOSE
Remember, you may choose your rhetorical strategy/purpose. Here is a brief explanation of each:
Informative paper: Aims to inform and educate the target audience about the particular object, person, event, or phenomenon. The main purpose is to respond to the main question through explaining the topic in details.
Argumentative/Persuasive Paper: is to defend a debatable position on a particular issue with the ultimate goal of persuading readers to accept the argument.
Critical Analysis: The purpose for writing a critique is to evaluate somebody's work (a book, an essay, a movie, a painting...) in order to increase the reader's understanding of it. A critical analysis is subjective writing because it expresses the writer's opinion or evaluation of a text.
AUDIENCE
When you begin writing, assume that you are writing this essay for publication in an academic journal. This means your audience is highly educated and includes professors, Ph.D's, and other academics and scholars (experts in their fields). Your word choice and content should reflect this. Do not use contractions, informal language or slang, or the first person (“I”).
Format
Your essay should have a title. It should also be typed, double spaced, with one-inch margins all around, Times New Roman Font, & 12 pt. Your paper should be 5-FULL pages up to 6 FULL pages and have a works cited page (in addition to that page count). Note that your page count DOES NOT INCLUDE IMAGES INSERTED INTO YOUR PAPER.
If you include images, you must also include captions for those images explaining importance/relevance.
Refer to OWL at Purdue for questions about MLA format and citations:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_overview_and_workshop.html
THE RESEARCH PROCESS
Step 1: Explore Topics
At the beginning of the term, you will begin exploring topics by using the library’s databases to locate an academic article related to a topic from the list below that interests you and writing an informal response.
NOTE: Choosing a topic that interests you is the most important part of the writing process.
Step 2: Submit a Topic Proposal
At the end of week 2, you will submit a proposal that outlines the topic that you have chosen from the list below as well as the approach that you plan to take.
Steps 3 & 4: The Annotated Bibliography (2 parts)
After submitting a research topic proposal, you will begin work on the annotated bibliography which is the research gathering for the Directed Research Paper. Writing an annotated bibliography is excellent preparation for a research project. Just collecting sources for a bibliography is useful, but when you have to write annotations for each source, you're forced to read each source more carefully. You begin to read more critically instead of just collecting information.
You will collect 10 sources for this assignment, carefully, read them and write annotations for each. See the folders for Weeks 5 & & for more details.
Part I (the first 5 annotations) is due by the end of week 5
Part II (annotations 6 – 10) is due by the end of week 7
Step 5: Outlining & Completing the First Draft
After you have completed the annotations, the next step is to identify the information that you have found that supports your thesis/claim and organize it in an outline in a logical coherent manner. Afterward, you should begin a rough draft.
The first draft must be a MINIMUM of 5 FULL pages and no more than 6 and must include in-text citations and a works cited page.
Any student whose draft does not meet this minimum requirement or does not submit their draft on time will lose a full-letter grade on the final score for the assignment.
This assignment MUST be accompanied by reliable and verifiable outside research and must be properly cited using the MLA format. ALL OF THE INFORMATION FOR YOUR PAPER MUST BE FROM A LIBRARY OR LIBRARY DATABASE AND MUST BE AN ACADEMIC AND SCHOLARLY SOURCE. YOU MAY NOT USE INFORMATION FROM THE WORLD WIDE WEB.
Any paper that does not contain source attribution or parenthetical citations INSIDE THE PAPER and/or a works cited page will be returned with a zero for plagiarism. Also, review the rubric below so you know how you will be graded for this assignment.
Be sure to incorporate the interdisciplinary aspect of the course by exploring a “sociological perspective” on your topic. In other words, this Directed Research paper must contain a strong sociological perspective.
Please choose ONE topic from the list below. You may also suggest one to me, but it must be approved before you begin work on it.
1.
Examine how visual arts (art photography, film, painting, or sculpting) or visual media (photojournalism, television, film, advertising, video games, graphic novels) have affected and/or shaped concepts of masculine or feminine beauty. How have these concepts changed and why? What are the positive and/or negative impacts of these images? Be sure to include relevant photos in your paper.
Examine how visual arts (art photography, film, painting, or sculpting) or visual media (photojournalism, television, film, advertising, video games, graphic novels) have affected and/or shaped concepts of masculine or feminine beauty. How have these concepts changed and why? What are the positive and/or negative impacts of these images? Be sure to include relevant photos in your paper.2.Research and demonstrate how the U.S. government utilized photography and made the camera a "weapon of war" to motivate citizens to support U.S. involvement in WWI (1914-1918). Or, demonstrate how the government used photography to "glamorize" WWII rather than reveal the truth about what U.S. soldiers were experiencing in the trenches. Be sure to include the photos in your paper.
Research and demonstrate how the U.S. government utilized photography and made the camera a "weapon of war" to motivate citizens to support U.S. involvement in WWI (1914-1918). Or, demonstrate how the government used photography to "glamorize" WWII rather than reveal the truth about what U.S. soldiers were experiencing in the trenches. Be sure to include the photos in your paper.3.Compare the photojournalistic coverage of World War II to that of Vietnam to that of the contemporary U.S. wars in the Middle East. What is the primary difference between the two? Why does this difference exist? Be sure to include the photos in your paper.
Compare the photojournalistic coverage of World War II to that of Vietnam to that of the contemporary U.S. wars in the Middle East. What is the primary difference between the two? Why does this difference exist? Be sure to include the photos in your paper.4.Explore how and what images have idealized – and distorted – the concept of the American family and/or the American Dream. Do not replicate any research already discussed in class. You may focus primarily on images from advertising, television, film, graphic novels, fine art photography, or professional paintings from visual artists. Choose chose a single medium as a focus. Be sure to include the photos in your paper.
Explore how and what images have idealized – and distorted – the concept of the American family and/or the American Dream. Do not replicate any research already discussed in class. You may focus primarily on images from advertising, television, film, graphic novels, fine art photography, or professional paintings from visual artists. Choose chose a single medium as a focus. Be sure to include the photos in your paper.5.Explore the powerful photography of Lewis Hine who published thousands of photographs of children working in factories and mills in the early 1900s. What impact did his photography have on the American viewpoint and the subsequent changes in child labor laws? Be sure to include the photos in your paper.
Explore the powerful photography of Lewis Hine who published thousands of photographs of children working in factories and mills in the early 1900s. What impact did his photography have on the American viewpoint and the subsequent changes in child labor laws? Be sure to include the photos in your paper.6.Critically analyze the representation of African Americans, or another “marginalized” group (women, LGBTQ, Native Americans, Hispanics, Muslims, Appalachian, gypsies, bikers, etc.) in film and television, deconstructing these stereotypes. Central to your analysis should be the idea of the historical and sociological impact of each film’s imagery. A representation of African Americans in film, for instance, might begin with a discussion of the original Birth of a Nation (1915), move to Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), Do the Right Thing (1989), and then move to more recent representations such as Black Panther or Moonlight. The possibilities are endless.
Critically analyze the representation of African Americans, or another “marginalized” group (women, LGBTQ, Native Americans, Hispanics, Muslims, Appalachian, gypsies, bikers, etc.) in film and television, deconstructing these stereotypes. Central to your analysis should be the idea of the historical and sociological impact of each film’s imagery. A representation of African Americans in film, for instance, might begin with a discussion of the original Birth of a Nation (1915), move to Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), Do the Right Thing (1989), and then move to more recent representations such as Black Panther or Moonlight. The possibilities are endless. 7.Go back to the 1960s and the Civil Rights Movement and make a study of the myriad photographs that documented racism in the Deep South. What impact did these images have on the American psyche and how did these photographs accelerate the fight for equality and desegregation across the country? Be sure to include the photos in your paper.
Go back to the 1960s and the Civil Rights Movement and make a study of the myriad photographs that documented racism in the Deep South. What impact did these images have on the American psyche and how did these photographs accelerate the fight for equality and desegregation across the country? Be sure to include the photos in your paper.8.Critically examine a prominent documentarian, such as Ken Burns, Werner Herzog, Barbara Koppel, Oliver Stone, or Errol Morris and identify the techniques that he/she uses and the effectiveness of those techniques as well as their impact on society. Be sure to include relevant photos in your paper.
Critically examine a prominent documentarian, such as Ken Burns, Werner Herzog, Barbara Koppel, Oliver Stone, or Errol Morris and identify the techniques that he/she uses and the effectiveness of those techniques as well as their impact on society. Be sure to include relevant photos in your paper.9.Step into the world of American photographer and "modernist" Paul Strand and explore how his work established photography as an “art form” in the 1920s, thereby changing the view of photography forever. Be sure to include examples in your paper.
Step into the world of American photographer and "modernist" Paul Strand and explore how his work established photography as an “art form” in the 1920s, thereby changing the view of photography forever. Be sure to include examples in your paper.10.Research stereotyping in comic books/comic strips OR video games. What misnomers do they convey, how have they changed over the last 40 years, and is there any place for them in a modern, pluralistic society? Be sure to include these examples in your paper. You may examine stereotypes of any minority group (women, LGBTQ, African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, Muslims, Asians, Appalachian, gypsies, bikers, etc.). Be sure to include relevant/important images in your paper.
Research stereotyping in comic books/comic strips OR video games. What misnomers do they convey, how have they changed over the last 40 years, and is there any place for them in a modern, pluralistic society? Be sure to include these examples in your paper. You may examine stereotypes of any minority group (women, LGBTQ, African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, Muslims, Asians, Appalachian, gypsies, bikers, etc.). Be sure to include relevant/important images in your paper.11.Research street and graffiti artists – such as the elusive “Banksy” from Britain – and explore this “guerilla” art form. Is it art with a social consciousness and political slant or is flagrant and disrespectful vandalism? Be sure to include the illustrations in your paper.
Research street and graffiti artists – such as the elusive “Banksy” from Britain – and explore this “guerilla” art form. Is it art with a social consciousness and political slant or is flagrant and disrespectful vandalism? Be sure to include the illustrations in your paper.12.Explore the contributions of Marshall McLuhan whose work in the 1970s was viewed as an important “cornerstone of the study of media theory” particularly in the world of advertising and television. Not only did he coin the expressions “the medium is the message” and the “global village,” but he predicted the invention of the World Wide Web close to 30 years before its introduction. What would Marshall McLuhan say about “the medium is the message” (later transformed to the tongue-in-cheek “the medium is the massage”) if he were alive today?
Explore the contributions of Marshall McLuhan whose work in the 1970s was viewed as an important “cornerstone of the study of media theory” particularly in the world of advertising and television. Not only did he coin the expressions “the medium is the message” and the “global village,” but he predicted the invention of the World Wide Web close to 30 years before its introduction. What would Marshall McLuhan say about “the medium is the message” (later transformed to the tongue-in-cheek “the medium is the massage”) if he were alive today?13.Look at the media's portrayal of feminism and leading feminists starting in the late '60s and track it to today’s representation. Observe, and discuss, how the images and media messages have changed -- and distorted -- the meaning of the very word feminism and the movement itself. Be sure to address the sociological impact.
Look at the media's portrayal of feminism and leading feminists starting in the late '60s and track it to today’s representation. Observe, and discuss, how the images and media messages have changed -- and distorted -- the meaning of the very word feminism and the movement itself. Be sure to address the sociological impact.14.Select a topic and find both a documentary and a fiction film that address a topic that has a social issue. Compare and contrast these genres, analyzing techniques used by each and address the sociological impact that each one had. An example might be American History X and a current documentary on skinheads or more recent explorations of racism against African Americans in the documentary I Am Not Your Negro and the film Get Out, The Help, or Hidden Figures. You could also explore films Dallas Buyers Club or Brokeback Mountain and a documentary such as Paris is Burning. You may wish to include images in your paper.
Select a topic and find both a documentary and a fiction film that address a topic that has a social issue. Compare and contrast these genres, analyzing techniques used by each and address the sociological impact that each one had. An example might be American History X and a current documentary on skinheads or more recent explorations of racism against African Americans in the documentary I Am Not Your Negro and the film Get Out, The Help, or Hidden Figures. You could also explore films Dallas Buyers Club or Brokeback Mountain and a documentary such as Paris is Burning. You may wish to include images in your paper.15.Select a controversial photographer, such as Diane Arbus, Shelby Lee Adams, Robert Mapplethorpe, Joel-Peter Witkin, or Mary Ellen Mark and analyze the relationship between the photographer and his/her subjects, addressing issues of ethics, responsibility, pride vs. exploitation, as well as the subject’s “awareness” of society’s view of the content of the photographs. Be sure to include the photos in your paper.
Select a controversial photographer, such as Diane Arbus, Shelby Lee Adams, Robert Mapplethorpe, Joel-Peter Witkin, or Mary Ellen Mark and analyze the relationship between the photographer and his/her subjects, addressing issues of ethics, responsibility, pride vs. exploitation, as well as the subject’s “awareness” of society’s view of the content of the photographs. Be sure to include the photos in your paper.Final Draft, evaluated on the following criteria:
Total Possible Points: 90/
Focus (24 points): Does essay have a clear purpose? Focus on a main idea and clearly identifiable thesis? Are reader’s expectations set and then met? Ideas, examples, and reasons developed in the body of the paper are clearly related to the main focus?
Development (24 points): Are supporting examples, showing details, and data rich and relevant to the main idea? Are the writer’s assertions immediately followed by supporting evidence? Appropriate research supports the writer’s main idea or thesis? The writer shows how or why evidence is relevant to main idea or claim?
Organization (24 points): Do ideas and paragraphs proceed in logical and apparent sequence or pattern? Does writer use sufficient audience cues to let the reader know what has been discussed, what is being discussed, or what will be discussed? Does writer use attention-getting title and lead-in, essay map, summary and forecasting statements, paragraph hooks, transitional words and phrases? Do effective conclusions guide the reader from beginning to end?
Style (10 points): Is language clear direct and readable? Are sentences clear, concise, and easily read by intended audience? Is word choice appropriate for audience? Do sentences reveal and sustain appropriate voice and tone?
Mechanics (8 points): Are there obvious errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar? Are there patterns of error?
NO 1ST DRAFT ON DUE DATE (Must be 5 full pages min., include in-text citations and a works cited page).(Forfeit 10 POINTS)
Submit full draft on due date, include in-text citations and a works cited page (earn 10 points)
NO PROCESS OR PROPER CITATION OF SOURCES=NO GRADE
Grading scale:
A 81-90
B 72-80
C 63-71
D 54-52
F 0-53
