Case study 8-10 pages

SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION

CMNS 240

Spring 2020 Harbour Centre Day

Political-Economic Case Study Assignment Guidelines

For this assignment you will be expected to construct an argument around a topic that illuminates some of the issues and concepts we are examining in the course. By now you will be developing a sense of what a political-economic approach to an issue is and the kinds of topics that are relevant to the political economy of communication. For this assignment you will choose a contemporary or historical case study that is relevant to the political economy of communication, and research it from a political economic perspective. The case study must explicitly relate to media and/or communication. Taking up Mosco’s definition and a combination of the core characteristics outlined in Week 1's lecture, you will critically analyze things such as – but not limited to – the power relations, history and social change, and moral implications involved in your case. Beyond this, you have the freedom to choose a topic you are interested in. Maybe you would like to do a political economy of microtransactions in a specific mobile game; how a streaming platform challenges the traditional M-C-M' formula; the uses of a social media platform for journalism and the public sphere; how a particular media franchise is emblematic of the culture industry; the rise of e-sports as a new industry with new labour; whether a specific app turns its users into a sellable commodity; an instance of cultural imperialism in a film; post-Fordist labour in the creative industries; or virtually any other case – there are many, many possibilities.

Research Process

Once you have settled on a topic you are interested in, the research process should unfold in three stages.

· First, you should gather as much recent and relevant academic research as you can on your topic. There will generally be existing research on your topic, and generally there will be research from a political-economic perspective. You should find, examine, and know this literature.

· Second, you will want to scan the news media for articles on the case you are examining and read as many as you can.

· Finally, having scanned the literature, you should decide what aspect of the topic in particular you wish to pursue, what your argument is going to be, and how you are going to structure your paper.

Even though your proposal can be neutral and exploratory since you're still in the research stage at that point, by the time you write your final case study you should have amassed enough information regarding your case to argumentatively take a stance, formulate a concrete thesis, and defend it convincingly to persuade the reader to see your perspective and agree with your take.

Questions to Keep in Mind as You Develop Your Case Study

· Does the topic I’ve chosen have to do with media and communication? If not, find one that does. If in doubt, ask your TA or the professor.

· Have I found the relevant political-economic scholarship on my topic? If in doubt, ask your TA, the professor, or a librarian.

· Am I approaching this topic from a political-economic perspective? In other words… Am I taking a “big-picture” approach to my topic? Am I keeping the history of what I am researching in mind? Am I taking a political/moral position with respect to my topic? If in doubt, ask your TA or the professor.

· Am I incorporating any relevant course material or concepts into my paper?

If your answer is yes to all of these questions you’re on the right track.

Assignment Requirements

Proposal (submission due on Canvas by 5pm Monday February 17th)

To submit your topic for approval, you will write a one-page proposal including a tentative title, a one-paragraph description of your paper’s topic, a one-paragraph description of how you will apply the PEC approach to it, a preliminary thesis statement/argument, and a list of five sources relating to the topic you’ve chosen, including two course readings and two other scholarly sources (i.e. published in a peer-reviewed academic journal or a university press) that use a political economy approach, but you are free to include news stories from reputable news sources here as well.

Case Study (submission due on Canvas by 5pm Monday April 6th)

The final assignment should be between 8-10 pages (2000-2500) words) long, in 12-point font, double-spaced (excluding bibliography), and will demonstrate significant research on the topic. You can use either APA or MLA format for citations, but you must remain consistent with it throughout. You should reference at least 6-8 academic articles/books, including 2 readings from this course. News articles from reputable news media are optional but welcomed.

Late Penalty: Students who do not submit assignments on time will receive a late penalty of one letter grade for every day they are late, to a maximum of five days. Assignments more than one week late will not be accepted and will receive no grade unless the student has made arrangements with the TA before the original due date , or there is a medical or similar emergency with documentation.

Extensions: If you need an extension (due to a reasonable excuse) please contact your TA at least 5 days in advance.