900 words Essay question: In “Cultural Studies, Multiculturalism, and Media Culture”, Douglas Kellner explains how a Cultural Studies approach “opens the way toward more differentiated political, rather than aesthetic, valuations of cultural artifacts”. This, he claims, will assist us to “distinguish critical and oppositional from conformist and conservative moments in a given cultural artefact” (i.e. a movie) (p. 8).
Referring back to either Kellner’s article or the readings on ideology in O’Shaughnessy & Stadler, make a claim about the “political” value of the week 6 or week 7 film (just write on ONE of the films, not both!).
Is the movie “critical/oppositional” or “conformist/conservative”? What evidence are you able to provide from your chosen movie – its script, setting, depiction of protagonists, overall visual style, and/or soundtrack – to support this claim?
You may find it helpful to refer to any of the articles on your selected movie (see under the “Essay” banner on topic FLO site), though you are not required to do this.
General guidelines:
Students will need to complete the “feedback” activity, located next to the Essay #2 submission portal, before submitting this essay
Essays must refer explicitly to EITHER Kellner or O’Shaughnessy/Stadler; you are not arguing against them, you are using their ideas to support your observations
As with your first essay, Essay #2 will be marked according to the essay rubric (included in the Handbook); please consult this before you start
As before, essays must follow appropriate rules in citation and paraphrasing. Any referencing style is acceptable, provided you are consistent in how you use it. Relevant information is located under the “writing resources” link towards the top of the FLO site
You are advised to make use of the text-matching portal on topic FLO site prior to submission
As before, be specific in your choice of media elements you choose to talk about. Be strategic: pick those which really help you make your point
Please keep paying attention to grammar, sentence construction, punctuation, and spelling
If in doubt about academic integrity/ referencing, see back of Handbook or on-line resources on Topic FLO site