Assignment:
You discussed a popular culture artifact and selected two artifacts for your Final Project in the Final Project Worksheet. You consider what it means for culture to be popular. How does popular culture become popular? How does it find its audience, or how does the audience find it? Does an audience change over time, or even disappear? If so, why?
There are several popular culture artifacts that have been popular for a long time. For example, the Beatles' music was incredibly popular when first released, but it also has stood the test of time, because many of their songs remain popular.
Some popular culture artifacts fade in and out of popularity. Some examples might be flare leg jeans, trilby hats, or oversize glasses. Certain fashions become popular, then fade away and come back into fashion at a later date. Why is this? What does this say about society?
You consider how popular culture finds an audience and whether an unexpected audience can turn an ordinary artifact into something popular.
You completed a worksheet to start planning your Final Project. You also chose the social issue you will explore. You select at least two popular culture artifacts and research how their messages have changed over time. These will be the specific illustrative examples you use to discuss how your artifact is conveyed.
You may include the popular culture artifact you used in discussion. You may also use any of the items posted in Doc Sharing, or you may find new ones. No matter which artifacts you choose, make sure you have full access to them so you can study them over time. For example, if you select a movie, make sure you can watch and rewatch it.
To prepare, research the history of your popular culture artifact over time. This time period should be at least 50 years but may be longer.
Consider the following:
• How has the audience changed over time in relation to your popular culture artifact categories?
• How have the popular culture artifact categories either reflected or opposed the audience change?
• If the audience has changed over time with regard to one of the popular culture artifact categories, describe the new audience.
Submit a 400- to 500-word paper that addresses these questions for your popular culture artifact. Include at least two references to academically relevant sources. You may use the ones provided in the Learning Resources or research your own.
Please make sure you view the Course Discuss the history of your social issue as expressed in popular culture in general.
• Define the audience for each of your artifacts and explore whether this audience has changed in any way. Consider whether your audience is local, global, or regional.
• Discuss how each of your chosen popular culture artifacts communicates your issue.
• Analyze how at least one additional social issue relates to at least one of your popular culture artifacts.
o Race/ethnicity
o Sexuality
o Gende
r o Social and economic class
o Violence
o Indecency/free speech
• Analyze access and distribution limitations for each.