Description

Your major assignment for this course is a 15-page research paper that examines how a major media format, platform, technology, or object (such as fan-produced/utilized objects in convergence culture) and it/their socio-cultural-historical use and function. This class covers a lot of material, so I want you to apply it to a study that falls into your own distinct area of academic and professional focus or interest. I know a number of you consider yourselves to be fans of a variety of popular cultural texts, and since we discuss fandom and its intersection with emerging media platforms, this is a perfectly acceptable area to explore. However, this is not the only avenue you can pursue. We also examine the evolution of media, what it means to be “new” media, and how all of these examples are more than just their mechanical/functional components when examined through their socio-cultural use. Pick an area that resonates with you and explore it further.This has to be a research paper that is well supported using existing academic discourse. I expect you to exhibit an understanding of the present conversation happening in the field and how you can contribute to that discussion with this specific study.All citations must be in APA format. The paper needs to be double spaced, 12-point font, and 1-inch margins. DO NOT USE BLOCK QUOTATIONS. These are space fillers and will result in major point deductions.CLass booksGitelman, Lisa. Always Already New: Media, History, and the Data of Culture (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2006)Jenkins, Henry. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide (New York: NYU Press, 2006)Taylor, T.L. Play Between Worlds: Exploring Online Game Culture (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2005)