sociology essay
Keep response to 2-3 pages double-spaced. Response should be in your own words--do not use quotes!
In this assignment you will discuss your own experiences with a popular culture fandom. Popular culture includes (but is not necessarily limited to) television, social media, films, music, dance, novels, comic books and graphic novels, sports, and video games. Be sure to clearly identify the popular cultural text you will be exploring.
Consider the following questions:
What does fandom means to you/How do you define a fan? What kinds of fan practices do you engage in (meaning-making generally, meet-ups, conventions, artwork, fanfic, etc.)? What benefits do you receive from participating in fandom? Are there downsides? What makes your fan practices “productive” as discussed in the readings?
If you have fan art you would like to share, please do so. You can upload any files or links along with your paper.
You must draw upon at least two of the following readings in your discussion:
· Grazian: “Don’t Stop Believing: Audiences and the Quest for Meaning in
Popular Culture”
· Willis: “Symbolic Creativity”
· Radway: “Women Read the Romance”
· Jenkins: Any of the assigned chapters from Textual Poachers
Do not simply describe your fan activities, draw upon course materials to make sense of them. Be sure to use concepts and define them in your own words.
What if I don’t “qualify” as a fan as it has been defined in this class?
First, ask yourself, am I sure my activities don’t qualify? If you still think they don’t: Explore why your consumption of popular culture is not an example of fandom. What sets the practices of fans apart from your use of popular culture?
This paper asks that you do two main things:
1) Demonstrate that you understand the course material by discussing it in your own words. Be sure to explain thoroughly and carefully. Articulate your response as if the reader does not know anything about the topic.
2) You will be analyzing your own popular cultural example in light of course material. An analysis requires an application of the course materials that leads to insights about popular culture. An insight should be a conclusion or realization that is illuminated through the application of course concepts or theories. In other words, you are using sociological concepts to make sense of your life and the larger culture.
Some tips:
· You do not need a formal introduction or conclusion; I’m more interested in your articulation of the questions posed here.
· Just because you are writing about your own example of popular culture doesn’t mean this paper is just a reflection or an opinion piece. It should be sociological—you must apply theory. Subjective interpretation should not be used in lieu of sociology.
· You may not agree with the authors’ theories, but you still have to demonstrate your mastery of their arguments.
· Be sure to explain any examples you give. Define and explain any concepts.
· Because this paper is short, you must be concise. You can’t talk about everything in the readings or your own example. So be selective. Write a longer paper and then cut it down to three pages by eliminating any redundancy, wordiness, etc.
· Proofread your paper and edit several times. Reading out loud can help
· Give credit where credit is due: cite your sources! See the Citations Handout for guidance. But remember—no quotations are allowed in this paper.