You are to write an eight to ten page paper exploring media, technology and society.
Start with a topic: advertising and society or the internet and society. Determine some aspect of a topic you are going to address and make a claim. For example: Many beer ads present narratives in which women are treated as rewards for consuming alcohol. Research your claim and develop an argument. For example: Certain beer advertising campaigns perpetuate the objectification of women while idealizing alcohol consumption. Another option is to frame a question based on a specific area of interest within a topic. For example: What is the debate surrounding retouching of photos in magazines?
The Kilbourne book is a good place to begin thinking about the ways in which we are affected by advertising. Postman provides a useful framework for thinking about media and epistemology. Each author is one good source for your research. You are expected to provide four sources. You works cited should include at least one book, one internet source, and one academic journal.
A good starting point for your research is our library at LACC or the LAPL. Talk to a reference librarian. Librarians are trained professionals. In my experience, most are very helpful.
Search catalogs: books, journals, online databases, trustworthy websites.
Here are some internet resources:
Librarians’ Internet Index: http://lii.org/
The Internet Public Library: http://www.ipl.org
Infomine: http://infomine.ucr.edu/
Starting Points for Internet Research (Purdue University): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/internet/tools/research.html
Follow MLA format. Include a works cited page. Double space. Use quotes. If possible, include copies of the ads and/or links to pages displaying the ads discussed in your paper.
