Purpose

We have limited time during the semester, and there is a lot of scholarship about sexual communication that we do not address for very long, or even at all. This assignment is meant to help you develop greater expertise on a specific topic of your choice. You may choose a topic from our syllabus, or something that we did not spend time discussing in class but that is still relevant to interpersonal communication behavior.

Also, we all encounter tons of advice about sexual communication from mainstream (i.e., not academic) sources. By taking a specific example from the popular culture and critiquing it based on the scholarly literature, you will become a more informed consumer of sexual communication advice (and probably a better advice giver than some of those "pros" who write advice columns).

General Description

For this paper, you will compare an artifact of popular North American culture to the scholarly literature on sexual communication.

First, you will find an "artifact" that at least implies advice about sexual communication, broadly defined. This artifact can be a magazine article, a book, an excerpt from a TV show, or even something from the internet. Regardless of the source, it must have the following three qualities: (a) it must be intended for a large, popular audience, (b) it must be related to sexual communication, and (c) it must at least imply some sort of advice. There are many, many examples of this sort of thing ranging from topics like "How to get what you want in bed" to "What your man's nonverbal cues are really saying" to "How to talk to your kids about sex" Before continuing, you should have your artifact and topic approved by your discussion section instructor.

Second, you will find at least 5 scholarly sources that are related to the topic in the artifact you choose. These sources should help you evaluate the artifact (that is, you will critique the artifact based on the scholarly literature). By scholarly, I mean either primary research sources such as those found in academic journals or secondary sources that summarize the primary literature in a reputable manner. In addition to these sources, you may reference readings from the syllabus as well as class notes to bolster your arguments.

Third, you will use those scholarly sources, and apply the knowledge you have cultivated this semester, to critique the piece of popular culture that you are evaluating. The main thrust of your paper should involve comparing the popular culture artifact to what researchers know about sexual communication, but you can also include other information if it is relevant and you can make a cogent argument for it. (For example, I can imagine one making a convincing case that some advice may be somehow useful even if it does not entirely match what the research literature says. If this is a compelling argument, it will be appropriate.)

Getting Started:

As you write your artifact critique, make sure you address these things:

-Begin by providing a general discussion of the artifact. This includes telling your reader the subject of the artifact (e.g., online dating, overcoming infidelity, talking to teens about sex, spicing up your marriage, etc.) and giving an indication of the intended audience for the book. As part of this section of your review, provide a brief explanation for why you choose the artifact.

-Discuss the education and background of the author(s) of the artifact. Give your impression of the author's credibility. How did your assessment of the author's credibility frame your reading of the artifact?

-Identify the passages in the artifact that relate to course concepts. Cite examples from your artifact. How does the author talk about these issues (what kinds of sources did they cite? Is it just his/her opinion on the issue?)? Is the way that the author talks about the course concepts consistent or inconsistent with readings and lecture from class?

-Discuss the benefits and the drawbacks of the advice given in the artifact. Cite the five sources you found as part of your analysis.

-Given your knowledge related to sexual communication, would you recommend this artifact to someone? Give reasons why or why not you would recommend it.