Essay: Pop-Culture Analysis

FINAL VERSION OF ESSAY #3:

POP-CULTURE ANALYSIS

Assignment Objective:

Formulate a research question pertaining to popular culture on any topic that you like, conduct research to answer that question, and then use that research to write an essay of at least 3,000 words either as a report or an argument.

Instructions:

Based on our readings and the discussions we have had in class, select an issue related to popular culture and analyze it. Ideally, you will continue looking at the same artifact/issues from your first two essays, but you are welcome to analyze an entirely new issue.

It could be a current event, such as questioning if Facebook leads to depression, or if smart phones are causing us to be more or less social, or if Empire is an accurate representation of the music industry. Or it could be something from the past, such as questioning why Elvis was so important to the American identity, or how NASA influenced the way cars were designed in the sixties, or how "fake news" influenced the 2016 presidential election. There is no issue or debate that is better than any other—choose one that interests you.

You must use at least EIGHT sources, but you are encouraged to use as many sources as you need beyond those eight to adequately analyze the issue. Strive for sources that offer differing viewpoints. You are not required (though you are encouraged) to use scholarly sources. Regardless of whether it is scholarly or popular, each source must be timely, relevant, and credible.

You can write your paper in one of two ways: as a report, or as an argument.

Option One: Report Style

Begin by posing a driving question. A driving question is a type of thesis statement, except that it poses an interesting and researchable question and leaves room for inquiry and investigation. The paper will be your attempt to answer that driving question.

Your task will be to analyze the various positions on the issue, paying attention to the conflicting arguments, strategies, beliefs, and/or motives of each side in order to understand and explain why this question isn’t easily answered, or why the issue isn’t so easily resolved. Be sure to discuss the question or issue in terms of such things as artifacts, consumers, and producers.

There are five main objectives that will enable you to compose an effective report:

• 1. pinpoint an issue that interests you

  2. pose a driving question that you will attempt to answer

  3. research this issue to learn more about it

  4. analyze the issue by discussing the artifacts involved and the various stakeholders’ positions, such as consumers, producers, advertisers, retailers, and designers (note: a stakeholder is anyone affected by the issue)

  5. demonstrate why it isn’t an easy question to answer

  6. withhold judgment: attempt to answer your driving question and analyze the issue without arguing for any certain position.

Option Two: Argument Style

This option isn't terribly different from option one. The main difference is that instead of posing a driving question that you will attempt to answer, you will make a claim (in the form of a thesis statement) and then defend/argue that claim in your paper. Where option one leaves a lot of room for open-ended questions, doubts, and discovery, this option will need to be tight and focused with all claims and evidence supporting the position you take in your thesis statement. This is a good option if you already have a strong opinion about the issue.

There are five main objectives that will enable you to compose a persuasive argument:

• 1. pinpoint an issue that interests you

  2. take a stance on that issue that you will attempt to defend in your paper

  3. research this issue to learn more about it

  4. argue your stance by providing evidence from your research (quotes, statistics, stories, etc.)

  5. persuade the reader to do (or stop doing) or think (or stop thinking) something

Technicalities (for both options):

• 1. Your essay must be at least 3,000 words.

  2. You will need to incorporate at least EIGHT SOURCES (such as books, scholarly articles, newspaper/magazine/web articles, blog posts, and personal interviews).

  3. You must incorporate data from a survey that you create and administer.

  4. Your essay must be formatted according to APA or MLA standards. I don’t care which one you choose, but be consistent.

Student Writing Samples:

Click here for samples of pop-culture analysis essays written by students. Scroll down to "Intermediate Writing," subcategory "Issue-Analysis Report."

Additional Advice to Help You Write Your Paper:

• Finding & Evaluating Sources

• Writing an Essay

• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

• Intros, Conclusions, & Titles

• Writing an Argument

• The Writing Process

• The Importance of Writing Badly