Assignment: Critical History of Radio & Television
Final Paper Assignment
Your essay must be 5-7 double-spacedpages and must include at least 3 scholarly sources. You may use any citation format of your choice (MLA, APA, etc.) when writing your paper. However, you must use this format consistently throughout the essay.
In this essay, you will write on a topic of your choice pertaining to the history of television, past or present. You may write on one of the many subjects we cover in our class. As an alternative, you may write on a topic we do not cover in class. This paper is your chance to explore in greater detail an aspect of television history that interests you.
To decide on a topic for your final paper, you might do one of several things. First, I suggest you think about the aspect(s) of television history that most interests you and write on it. Again, this topic can be one we discuss in class or one we do not cover in the course. I also recommend you read the comments I give you on your response papers. In these comments, I will often tell you that the subject of your response would also be a good topic for your final paper. Thus, if you have difficulty thinking of your own topic for the paper, consider taking one of the suggestions I give you in the comments. A third possibility is to review the list of topics below and find the one that most interests you.
Here is a list of possible topics for your final paper. This list is not exhaustive. Nevertheless, it gives a sense of the kinds of issues you might explore for this assignment.
1. An analysis of a TV program's significance in the history of television.
2. The representation of gender on a television show(s).
3. The portrayal of race and/or ethnicity on a television show(s).
4. The representation of class on a television show(s).
5. The portrayal of sexuality on a television show(s).
6. A television show's representation of other identities besides the ones listed above.
7. A television show's treatment of intersectional oppression.
a. One's experience of simultaneous oppression on the basis of different aspects of their identity.
b. E.g., the oppression of African-American women on the basis of both their race andtheir gender.
8. An analysis of a particular television genre and/or some trends within this genre.
9. An exploration of a TV show's treatment of social and/or cultural issues.
10. An auteur analysis of the work of a particular television showrunner.
11. An analysis of a specific trend within the U.S. television industry.
12. The television adaptation of a book, movie, play, game, etc.
13. The adaptation(s) of a television show by other media (cinema, graphic novels, etc.).
14. An analysis from a non-U.S. television program.
15. An analysis of a non-U.S. television industry.
16. A television show's representation of a political viewpoint(s)
To receive an A grade, your paper must have the following elements:
1. An introduction in which you state the topic of your paper.
2. A thesis or central claim you are making about the topic of your paper.
3. Evidence in support of your central claim/thesis about the topic, including:
a. Examples
b. Quotes
c. Sources
4. Analysis in which you demonstrate how your evidence supports your thesis.
5. At least 3scholarly sources. In this case, scholarly sources can include:
a. Books
b. Articles from peer-reviewed academic journals (available through GSU library database).
c. Popular press articles, such as newspaper and magazine articles.
d. Documentary films or programs related to your topic.
e. Publicly available interviews
f. DVD commentaries and/or special features
6. Proper citation of all sources
7. Abidance of the page length and spacing guidelines listed above.