17 In-Class Content Analysis

Context and Purpose

This semester we are studying several social categories that often appear in media texts with messages about social power (categories like race, gender, sexuality, class, age, or ability). The purpose of this exam is to look carefully at a very recent media text and explain and analyze the messages you see working to shape your ideas about the social world. To keep this work focused you will focus on messages that are designed to persuade: media texts from advertisers.

These brief media text options will be made available at the start of the analysis.

 Overview

You will write a 5 – 6-paragraph analysis critically examining an ad, focusing on messages related to a social identity (race, gender, sexuality, class, age) or a social construction (e.g., beauty, youth, femininity) as appropriate for the ad.

Your essay should be a concise, well-written, thoughtful, and well–supported with argument or analysis that incorporates and references key concepts that have been discussed in readings and class discussions throughout the semester.

You may compile and use one page of notes about key concepts and theories from class that you believe may be helpful. You may use your notes on this single sheet of paper as reference for this in-class writing. (You can have text on both sides of the single page.)  Your notes page needs to have your name on it, and must be handed in before you leave. 

In referencing ideas from class:

• Be VERY careful about the source of the ideas you use, especially direct quotes. Ideas must be cited, and direct quotes must be identified and use quotation marks.
• You may NOT use any other resource as part of the writing exercise (including course materials, internet resource, other documents, or writing tools (including artificial intelligence tools).