Week Four Overview: Start Here
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Welcome to Week Four! Learning Outcomes for Week Four
Week Four: Cultural Analysis AssignmentThis week you begin the second major assignment. Begin by thoroughly reading the assignment overview and sample essays. Find connections between what the assignment is asking you to do and how it is executed in the sample essays. The sample essays are not perfect, but they are strong examples that offer a range of ways to address the assignment. Begin brainstorming possible topics. Commonly asked questions: 1- Should I do research? How do I support my argument? No, do not use outside research. Your argument must be supported by textual evidence (specific details, including but not limited to dialogue and visuals) from the primary source (show, movie, video games, etc.). 2- May I use a movie or show that is set in a different time period? Yes, but you can't judge the show by current standards. 3 - May I use 2-3 shows and focus on one area of analysis? Yes (check out the example essays) 4 - May I use a video game? Yes! Video games, anime, commercials, movies, etc... all work well for this assignment. 5 - How much of the show should I watch? Do I have to be an expert on all of the seasons? No, you only want to analyze a small amount of the show. For example, just the pilot or a specific episode or two. This assignment isn't a reason to binge re-watch your favorite show ;-) This is a start, but please ask any questions you have under the "Questions about the Course" discussion board located in the Course Headquarters.
Week Four: Discussion BoardsThere are two discussion boards designed to help prepare you for the Cultural Analysis essay. One provides an opportunity to practice locating textual evidence and making assertions about the possible impact and the other provides foundational knowledge regarding how social norms are created and maintained. Doing these assignments is key to successfully completing this essay. 1- Project Implicit and Tim Wise This week we will also be moving into the second unit, beginning by taking a couple of tests that help to uncover subconscious biases as a way of locating the lenses through which we see the world. These tests should be taken as a precursor to watching Tim Wise's lecture regarding subconscious bias and racism. Project Implicit (from the website https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit (Links to an external site.) ): Project Implicit is a non-profit organization and international collaboration between researchers who are interested in implicit social cognition - thoughts and feelings outside of conscious awareness and control. The goal of the organization is to educate the public about hidden biases and to provide a “virtual laboratory” for collecting data on the Internet. Project Implicit was founded in 1998 by three scientists – Tony Greenwald (Links to an external site.) (University of Washington), Mahzarin Banaji (Links to an external site.)(Harvard University), and Brian Nosek (Links to an external site.)(University of Virginia). Project Implicit Mental Health launched in 2011, led by Bethany Teachman (Links to an external site.) (University of Virginia) and Matt Nock (Links to an external site.) (Harvard University).
Tim Wise Tim Wise (https://www.speakoutnow.org/speakers/tim-wise Links to an external site.): Tim Wise is among the most prominent anti-racist writers and educators in the United States. He has spent the past 25 years speaking to audiences in all 50 states, on over 1500 college and high school campuses, at hundreds of professional and academic conferences, and to community groups across the country. Wise has also trained corporate, government, entertainment, media, law enforcement, military, and medical industry professionals on methods for dismantling racial inequity in their institutions, and has provided anti-racism training to educators and administrators nationwide and internationally, in Canada and Bermuda. Wise is the author of nine books, including his latest, Dispatches from the Race War (City Lights Books). Other books include Under the Affluence, Dear White America: Letter to a New Minority and Colorblind (all from City Lights Books); his highly-acclaimed memoir, White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son, (recently updated and re-released by Soft Skull Press); Affirmative Action: Racial Preference in Black and White; Speaking Treason Fluently: Anti-Racist Reflections From an Angry White Male; and Between Barack and a Hard Place: Racism and White Denial in the Age of Obama.
2- In the "Practice Analysis" Discussion Board, you will be working with your peers to locate aspects of the provided video clips and coming to conclusions about them. You will notice you and your peers have different views of what a clip is conveying; this is normal and useful. For example, there are hundreds of published pieces of analysis for every work Shakespeare wrote. Some are certainly stronger than others, but all were published because the arguments are supported by different textual evidence. |