Assignments - ENC 1101 - Prof. Burns-Davies - Research Guides at Broward College

Formal Essays

The essay should be approximately 750 words in length, and it should be typed and double spaced. Use formal essay structure (introduction, body, and conclusion). Also, the essay must be in twelve-point size and Times New Roman font. Remember to provide a heading (student name, professor name, course, date) in the upper left corner. A title must be in the center just above the introduction. And each page number should be preceded by your last name in the upper right corner.

The content of this essay should be an argument on a subject raised in any of our recent selected readings and/or discussions, such as: marketing, propaganda, political campaigns, the commercialization of hip-hop and other forms of art and culture, etc.

You are required to find and incorporate at least one research source for this assignment. Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and social media do not count toward the research credit. Also, Wikipedia is banned. Follow MLA guidelines by citing your source(s) (both within the essay and with a works cited page).

Be sure to submit your essay to the appropriate folder in Assignments on D2L.

SUGGESTED TOPICS:

Analyze a specific example of propaganda outside of those discussed in Donna Woolfolk Cross’s article, “Propaganda: How Not to be Bamboozled.” In which category does it fit? Is this example a helpful or harmful instance of propagandist tactics? Consider the demographics being targeted through the propaganda.

Select a politician who ran in the 2020 presidential election and analyze how you think they tried to capture the attention of voters. As your evidence, reference specific actions and statements they made, and consider which devices of propaganda they used.

Focus on any historical political candidate and analyze their campaign strategy. Which devices of propaganda were used in their campaign? What might they have done differently? Be specific.

After reading Kyle Coward’s “When Hip-Hop First Went Corporate”, as well as Kay Johnson’s “India and Pakistan, Agree: Emotional Google Ad a Hit,” we analyzed examples of the ways in which art and culture can be commodified. For your essay, choose one specific art form or aspect of culture (ex: genre of music, film, cultural event, etc.) that has been appropriated for commercial use. In what ways has this commodification been appropriate or inappropriate? Which demographics are being targeted and why?

The paper should be approximately 750 words in length, and it should be typed and double spaced. Use formal essay structure (introduction, body, and conclusion). Also, the essay must be in twelve-point size and Times New Roman font. Remember to provide a heading (student name, professor name, course, date) in the upper left corner. A title must be in the center just above the introduction. And each page number should be preceded by your last name in the upper right corner.

The content of this essay should be an argument on a subject raised in any of our selected readings and/or discussions since the first essay: the virtues and vices of technology, including our use of screens such as computers and smartphones, video games, etc.

Be sure to run your essay through a plagiarism check on D2L.

SUGGESTED TOPICS:

What “netiquette” have you learned from using social media? What habits have become acceptable, and are those habits appropriate? Use specific examples, either from your own experience or observations, in sculpting your paper.

Analyze a situation in which you’ve experienced social anxiety because of an online activity (such as the process of “friending” or “unfriending” someone, a photograph of you posted online without your permission, a relationship ending publicly, etc.). How is this situation unique to social media? Analyze how you dealt with the problem and how that worked out.

Should parents monitor their children’s online activity? And if so, what would this entail? For example, should they have access to their children’s login information? And if parents should not monitor their children’s online activity, why is it important for children to have autonomy in their online presence?

Does social media offer an emotional outlet that real-life interaction doesn’t?

Critique the use of technology to track your online behavior. Why do Facebook, Google and other sites catalog your interests? Is this method appropriate or is it a violation of your privacy? Is it reasonable to expect privacy in your online existence?
Offer a position on whether video games better prepare us for or merely distract us from developing skills we need in the real world.

Argue whether video games contribute to or possibly can reduce violence in real life.

The essay should be approximately 1,000 words in length, and it should be typed and double spaced. Use formal essay structure (introduction, body, and conclusion). Also, the essay must be in twelve-point size and Times New Roman font. Remember to provide a heading (student name, professor name, course, date) in the upper left corner. A title must be in the center just above the introduction. And the student’s last name must be followed by the page number in the upper right corner of each page.

The content of this essay should be an argument on a subject raised in any of our selected readings and/or discussions since the second essay. These subjects include discrimination and ethnic, disability, gender, and sexuality stereotypes.

You are required to use research for this assignment. The paper should incorporate at least four sources, and at least two of the four should be from academic databases. You are to cite your sources (both within the essay and with works cited page). Follow MLA guidelines. Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and social media do not count toward the research credit. Also, Wikipedia is a banned source.

Please submit your essay through a plagiarism check on D2L.

SUGGESTED TOPICS:

Oppose or defend one or several points raised by any of our selected authors/speakers since the second formal essay. Explain reasons why you agree or disagree with any of their arguments.

Analyze Jane Elliott’s Blue Eye/ Brown Eye experiment to teach how institutionalized racism functions. Consider, for example, her use of the green collars, the number and placement of chairs, the posters on the classroom walls, the use or deprivation of food and beverages, etc. How do these props emphasize her points?

In The Angry Eye, Jane Elliott compares the students’ reactions to the loss of privilege to the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance). What evidence do you see to support this (whether the material you use is from the video or other works involving Jane Elliott)? What might this tell us about the way racism (or discrimination in general) is embedded in our culture?

While “The Angry Eye” video was made in 2001, consider the possible relevance of Jane Elliott’s exercise today. In the last year alone, what issues (personal observations or experiences, examples from popular culture, political statements or other events) have surfaced regarding race and racism in the United States? Do these issues warrant the use of Jane Elliott’s exercise?

Jane Elliott’s Blue Eye/Brown Eye experiment has been controversial since its inception. Does it deserve any of the criticism it has faced? Examine the virtues and flaws of the experiment to determine whether it has merit in combatting racism.

Considering Nico Lang's "The Real Costs of a 'Marvel Body': How the Pressure to Look Like Thor and Captain America is Hurting Men," analyze how representations of manhood in pop culture and other methods of socialization impact the way men view themselves and their masculinity. In what ways are these representations progressive and/or harmful? Try focusing on one source in particular, such as professional athletes as role models; male action figures; prominent male characters from film, television, video games, etc.; figures in your personal life; etc.

Considering Caroline Heldman’s TED Talk, “The Sexy Lie,” analyze the impact of sexual objectification of women. Focus on a particular example—such as a film portrayal, a magazine cover, a Youtube commercial, a sitcom character, etc.—and offer a criticism or defense of that example.

The Pride on Screen podcast discusses LGBTQ+ portrayals in film and television and analyzes how those representations impact audiences’ attitudes. Offer your own analysis of a specific portrayal of an LGBTQ+ character from pop culture and examine whether it is an offensive or progressive depiction.

Analyze a character (from film, television, etc.) that presents a stereotypical depiction of another group.