Individual Paper: Pop Culture Analysis

This assignment is designed to get you ponder and apply key ideas from our course readings on interpersonal communication and to do so in a way that may comment on what the culture producing the artifact considers “good” or “bad” interpersonal communication.  As you write, please be specific, using precise references to the readings and specific descriptions of your artifact.  Do not merely generalize.  

This paper is worth 15% of your grade. 

Format:

Your essay should be roughly five word processed, double-spaced pages in twelve-point Times New Roman (or equivalent) font with one-inch margins. Do not exceed six pages.  To aid me in understanding your analysis and to keep your analysis focused, you must include an appendix (an after-the-essay addition that clarifies content) that gives some comprehensible version of the text you analyze. This should be no more than two pages of single-spaced text (book excerpts, movie or television show summaries, including significant excerpts of dialogue, screen captures, etc.).  Links are not sufficient appendices; you need to provide me with an easily accessible resource that indicates the nature and content of the artifact you have selected.  Appendices and Works Cited lists do not count towards page limits.  You will need to make specific reference to the course readings and also do research beyond the course—scholarly research regarding interpersonal communication and possibly some research (not necessarily scholarly) into regarding your artifact.  All citations must be in MLA format. 

Assignment:

You are going to write a thesis-driven essay that argues something about the good or bad interpersonal communication depicted in a pop culture artifact of your choosing. Choose a pop culture artifact for analysis (a movie, television show, novel, etc.) and analyze an interpersonal communication problem or practice in this artifact through the lens of our course readings (i.e., readings on self-concept and identity, social construction, perception, language use, identity management, self-disclosure, intimacy, and so on).  Analyze an artifact that strongly interests you, as you will need to study it closely.  Be sure to establish a clear thesis (an argument about interpersonal communication in this artifact) and to write an essay that argues consistently in support of that thesis, applying specific evidence from readings, your research, and your own analysis to specific aspects of the artifact you study.  You do not need to address all of the interpersonal communication in the artifact—in fact, doing so would likely dilute your argument.  For instance, you might make an argument about patterns in a character’s identity management in an episode of a television show, but you would not need to consider every character’s identity management. If you have questions regarding your choice of topic or the development of your argument, please speak to me in time to get feeback.