MPS 331: Media and Cultural Criticism Essay
MPS 331: Media and Cultural Criticism Essay General Outline
The purpose of this assignment is for you to use the skills you have gained so far in the analysis of advertisements and apply them to TWO chosen print ads. You are asked to write a 1000-1200 word essay, analysing two ads below thoroughly, using semiotic methods of analysis. Also make use of some the critical concepts and tools for language and image analysis you have learned so far.
You are asked to analyse how the two ads create meaning with reference to your focus (e.g. stereotypes or the representation of identities) and show an awareness of the ad’s functions and (potential) ideological effects within a certain culture.
This requires you to:
⦁ briefly describe relevant features of the ad
⦁ analyse the relevant features used in the ad and how they are put together to create a certain meaning
⦁ discuss to whom the ad is addressed and how the ad is arranged to achieve this. This requires you to think about larger cultural and/or political issues and contexts and show an awareness of how your chosen ad relates to these.
Core Requirements for this assignment
MPS 331: Media and Cultural Criticism Essay
Critical Thinking: You will have to think hard and communicate some strong critical thinking ideas, so your critical analysis of the ad will be a significant part of the assessment.
Articulated and developed ideas: You must have a clear focus, research question and thesis statement. Make your point using clear and understandable sentences and push your ideas to their fullest conclusion.
Organization: You need to make conscious choices about how to best structure your ideas and how to connect those ideas.
MPS 331: Media and Cultural Criticism Essay
Assignment Guidelines
⦁ Analyse both print ads shown below and look at their similarities and differences.
⦁ Format your essay in the following way: double-‐spaced, Times New Roman, Font 12. Have a separate cover page that includes your full name, ID, date of submission and the full course name and number. Also include the title of your essay.
⦁ In the introduction describe your research question/problem and frame your analysis that will follow. Provide a concise statement – what are you focusing on and what is your main argument?
⦁ You should also briefly provide relevant information regarding the ad. This may include a brief description of the ad and the product that is being sold, the target market and some further relevant background information if (e.g. company or brand information, social and cultural context).
⦁ In the main body briefly and concisely describe relevant linguistic and visual features of the advertisement on a denotative level. Denotation means you describe what you see in the ad at first glance.
⦁ Identify headline, body copy, slogan and signature. Is there direct address (‘you’, questions, commands), parallelism, positive language, one- or two word- sentences? Is there a testimonial? Make sure you analyse ALL THE LANGUAGE in the ads.
⦁ Explain what and who is pictured in each advertisement and how the ad is arranged. Then move to the connotations of the TWO ads. What are their more hidden meanings? HOW ARE MEN AND WOMEN REPRESENTED DIFFERENTLY IN THESE TWO ADS? ARE THERE ALSO SIMILARITIES? What do these features tell us about the representation of men and women in Western culture? How are the two ads different and how are the differences articulated in word and image?
⦁ Pay particular attention to these things: are the ads of high or low modality? Are the images offer or demand image? Are the ads ‘reason’ or ‘tickle’?
⦁ Make sure you analyse ALL THE LANGUAGE present in the adS.
⦁ Analyse the ads in detail with regard to your focus, using some of the critical concepts we have discussed. Break your analysis down into paragraphs.
⦁ Address questions of audiences and culture, such as who may be the target audience, what impact may the ad have and how? How does the ad relate to and seek to influence potential consumers, society and culture?
⦁ Briefly summarise your main findings at the end of the essay and point out the relevance of these findings.
⦁ Use at least THREE academic references from Semiotics; you may use other academic resources in support of your argument as well as long as you engage, i.e quote from the academic sources in the essay.
⦁ It is not enough to include the references in the appendix; you need to use them (i.e. quote from them) in the essay.
You must upload your essay on Blackboard by the deadline.
⦁ There is no chance to rewrite your assignment if you receive a low grade – so make sure to do it properly the first time and if in doubt, seek feedback before you hand it in
MPS 331: Media and Cultural Criticism Essay
Some questions you may find useful when analysing the ads
⦁ Which product/service/event is being pitched?
⦁ What persuasive strategies are being used? (language, image, colours, etc.)
⦁ What makes you or others want to purchase this product/service or not? How does the ad try to appeal on an emotional level (pathos)? Does the ad use pathos, logos or ethos or a combination of these tree rhetorical strategies?
⦁ What is the intended effect of the ad and how does it try to achieve this?
⦁ What is the ad saying about a society or culture? Which cultural symbols does it use? How may it affect culture and society?
⦁ Who is the audience for the ad? How do you know? How would you describe them? How would you characterise their interests and desires? What assumptions are the writers of the ad making about the people who make up the audience?
You can also use some of the questions from the Media Studies textbook on pages 46-‐47 to guide you in your analysis
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