Sociology
Discuss and evaluate the image of Detroit in popular culture. You may include movies, comic books, television shows, novels, advertising, brands, or any other cultural form. Identify the most prevalent themes. Explain how these images might be useful or detrimental to the city.
There are some readings that you may choose (two of them) to use.
The essay must relate to the readings, the requirement is very clear and it is in the introduction.
Links:
http://harpers.org/archive/2007/07/detroit-arcadia/
http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/planting-seeds-of-hope
http://www.autolife.umd.umich.edu/Race/R_Overview/R_Overview1.htm
http://www.autolife.umd.umich.edu/Race/R_Casestudy/R_Casestudy.htm
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=376
http://hugokugiya.com/latest-work/associated-press/electrolux/
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/30/us/politics/pop-culture-puts-spin-on-grim-realities-of-obama-presidency.html?_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/books/review/Andersen-t.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/opinion/why-chinas-political-model-is-superior.html
http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/catalogs/dlg_show_excerpt.php?id=1056&title=Hispanic+Nation&subtitle=Culture,+Politics,+and+the+Constructing+of+Identity&author=Geoffrey+Fox
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/09/17/does-the-sense-of-american-exceptionalism-help-the-united-states-or-hurt-it
http://msu.grtep.com/core/uploadfiles/components/54405/files/Larabee%20Olmsted%20Reading.pdf
http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/3624.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/weekinreview/01conspiracy.html
http://www1.maxwell.syr.edu/uploadedFiles/exed/projects/idc/GenealogyAntiAmericanism.pdf
https://journals.lib.byu.edu/spc/index.php/CCR/issue/view/1053
http://www.businessinsider.com/these-6-corporations-control-90-of-the-media-in-america-2012-6
http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/MediaManager/File/fashionsupplement.pdf
http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2004/11/15/8191101/index.htm
http://www.salon.com/2007/02/14/fair_and_lovely/
http://www.michelepolak.com/200fall11/Weekly_Schedule_files/Sheyde_1.pdf
http://www.mills.edu/academics/faculty/soc/mhunter/Hunter_Buying%20Racial%20Capital.pdf
Essay Guidelines
This is an argumentative essay and should include the following components:
A debatable claim or thesis. Don’t state the obvious. Your claim should be memorable and provocative. The idea is to provoke debate and new understanding, and to convince your audience that you have an important point to make and to have them accept your proposition. When asked, you should be able to underline your claim/thesis.
Reasons. Once you’ve figured out your claim, list 3-4 reasons in support of that claim. Think of the reader who asks, “What makes you say that?” or “Why should I believe that?” Each of these reasons can form the basis of a paragraph.
Evidence. Support each reason with examples, data, and other forms of evidence. You *must cite two sources from the class readings* and will need to do a bit of research. Make sure to correctly cite all sources you use in the paper.
Arguments often acknowledge alternative points of view. You may want to include this in a brief section.
Grading criteria for essays:
4.0 indicates that the student’s writing was consistently superior and expressed independent thought with grace, clarity and force. Essays addressed the central questions, were organized well, their purpose clear and their ideas supported with pertinent ideas and evidence from course materials. Words were used with precision and suited to the purposes of the assignments. Essays were free from mechanical errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation.
3.0 indicates that the writing was above average in thought and expression, demonstrating both understanding and control of the elements of sound essay writing, as well as some individuality of style; however, it was not consistently superior in depth and originality of thought, effectiveness of development, and freshness and variety of expression.
2.0 indicates work that is acceptable at the college level but lacks an original, significant purpose or point of view. Typically work receiving this grade is characterized by inadequate support of generalizations, pedestrian style, trite expression, reliance on uninteresting details, or errors in mechanics.
1.0 writing meets minimum standards but is insufficient for predicting success in upper-level courses requiring writing. This work is often marred by confused purpose, lack of organization, repetition of ideas, imprecise use of words and frequent errors of grammar, spelling and punctuation.
0.0 work does not meet minimum standards.