Choosing an excellent primary source early in the semester when thinking about the PSA can save you a major impending headache later in the semester when you're working on your SSI or ARP. The image or short video that you select as your primary source will be the basis of each step of the ARP. This source will be the focus of your paper for the entire semester, so if you don't choose wisely, you could be kicking yourself in a couple of months (and we don't want that!)
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| Don't end up like this guy! |
The Basics
- Must be image-based (photograph, advertisement, short video less than 7 minutes like a music video, commercial, or movie trailer)
- Can NOT be text-based (no newspaper articles, journal articles, websites, books. etc.)
- Must fit within our course theme of (Socioeconomic) Class in America Today
- Must have a minimum of 5 different details that you can base analysis paragraphs on
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| Back away from the journal article. Slowly. |
So are you are looking around the interwebs or in magazines for your primary source, ask yourself these questions:
1. When starting out with your search: What different sub-topics that fall under the larger umbrella course theme of Class in America Today interest me? Am I curious about inequality within eduction? Do I want to know more about homelessness? Try thinking about what interests you in general (maybe fashion, real estate, dialects/accents, sports, etc.) and how those could connect to Class in America Today. If you start with topics that you are already interested in, you're much more likely to choose a primary source/topic that won't bore you later on.
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| Your HGTV addiction could finally be useful! |
2. Once you've found a few options for your primary source: How many different details can I identify within a single source? Think in terms of visual details like a chainlink fence, a boarded up window, an overturned garbarge can, a grey sky, graffiti on the side of a building, etc. If you are looking at a video source or if there are short bits of text written on your image, you can also analyze short words or phrases (i.e. the word "change," the phrase "don't know what to do," etc.) You won't be able to analyze whole scenes or conversations. Think small. Analysis is about breaking a source down into tiny pieces and then making meaning from those little fragments.
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| Example of not enough details. This source could make your life really unfun. |
3. Looking at different source options: How does this fit into our course theme of Class in America Today? (Sometimes students will accidentally choose a source that isn't set in America or that isn't current in representing class as it is now.) Can I make a really specific, narrow connection? (The sub-topics of "homelessness" or "differences in appearance between classes" are still too broad. You will need to find a really focused angle like "the increase in homelessness amongst female veterans." You certainly don't have to know what your exact angle will be starting out, but it's helpful to think ahead because you'll eventually--in the SSI stage and beyond--need to find journal articles that will help you support your analysis of your image/video).
What sorts of subtopics are you interested in that would fit within our course theme? What kinds of sources are you considering for your primary source?
***Either make one original comment or respond to two comments.***
Two of the subtopics that I want to touch on include generational poverty/wealth and class mobility. These fit well in the course theme, in fact they both made an appearance in the "Invisible Child" essay we read this week. Still, I think I may be one of few in this class to be tackling them. As for potential sources, I think we all would love to find some sort of layered, deeply metaphoric image or political cartoon, but I doubt that's likely to be found to support views like these. So rather, I think that that a portrait of someone who reflects the aspects of American society that I have in mind, and then elaborating on their lives and others, would do well to support my point of view.
ReplyDelete-Matt Inniger
I think that the two subtopics that you have chosen are extremely interesting. I am interested to hear specifically about generational poverty and really get an idea of how hard it is for people who come from lower-class families to make it out of poverty. Your second subtopic of class mobility is also an important topic to look at. Additionally, I think that it could be very interesting to see how the two subtopics relate to each other. Finally, I think that your idea of using a portrait from your primary source is very intriguing and will likely yield interesting results.
Delete-Elan Kodish
I like your second topic, but i feel like your first topic on general poverty/wealth is a little to broad. You may want to consider narrowing down the scope, perhaps into the interactions between the wealthy and poor, or the views each group has for the other. As far as your source, the idea of a political cartoon intrigues me. As most are supposed to be satirical but have a valid point, if you could expand on the idea in the cartoon it would be neat to see a strong argument coming from a piece of satire.
Delete-Marcus Nogaj
I am interested in writing about the wealth gap in America and in class mobility. I think an interesting way to discuss these topics would be to use a satirical comic like the ones found in newspapers. They often offer lots of meaningful detail that the author drew in for a reason. It would give me plenty of points to talk about as well as an interesting image to look at. My second choice of sources would be videos, but I am confident I will find a comic worth discussing.
ReplyDelete-Caleb Mahoney
I think that using satire is a really creative idea. I'm also interested in writing about the wealth gap in society today, but I think I would utilize a more traditional approach and use images to illustrate my topic.
Delete- Sarah Griffin
I think that analyzing satire about this topic is a very smart choice. Satirical authors and artists have the luxury of being able to attack their point directly and strongly without having to fear criticism as much as other authors and artists. This allows for more in depth analysis, as the point has been clearly and strongly made already, instead of being vague or weak.
Delete-Kian Fotovat
Two subtopics I would like to write about would be differences in health and differences in nutrition between the classes. Nutrition is a passion of mine and I feel there are many areas to write about in how nutrition affects health and how different class levels vary in meeting their nutritional requirements. The types of primary sources that I feel will work best are either tv ads about nutrition/health or a photograph depicting an aspect of nutrition/health pertaining to a particular class.
ReplyDelete-Tyler Young
I think nutrition should be important to everyone! I think you have a great concept about the differences between the classes and their certain health constricts. I was also thinking about doing something in regards to health and nutrition.
Delete-Shawn Harris
The subtopics you have chosen will certainly offer an interesting way to analyze the differences between social classes in America. Health and nutrition are key to one's well being. I think it will be extremely interesting to investigate how health and nutrition differs between the social classes in America. I would guess that lower-class people generally have a lower level of nutrition and health than middle and upper-class people since they do not have the money to get great health care or worry about nutrition. Also, I think that using TV ads about nutrition and health will be a great primary source to use for the project.
Delete-Elan Kodish
Two subtopics that I would be interested in would be dialect and speech. This interests me because the American language is English, but yet it feels as if classes are speaking different languages through nuances of words and tone. A good primary source for this would be music. Specially the social class the musician grew up in and their speech.
ReplyDelete-Brighton Kahrs
I agree! I think that a heartfelt musical piece could really be a good primary source for this project as it can bring up a lot of emotions!
Delete-Elizabeth Goedde
I have been looking into focusing on lack of higher education leading to rising poverty levels and lack of homeless shelters in certain cities in America. Funding people in need to be able to reach their higher education goals is something I feel strongly about and keeping the homeless off the streets is something I feel government should be working harder against. An ad about higher education and ways to fund one's education would be an ideal primary source.
ReplyDelete-Emma Nicholson
I agree that higher education would help reduce the poverty rates. The requirements and standards set by states are often not priorities in poverty stricken and thus learning and studying becomes a burden and at young ages education is seen as a burden rather than a key to unlock the future away from poverty and homelessness.
Delete-Jaxon Meadows
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ReplyDeleteI want to write about the possible solutions to solve or at least reduce the issue of homeless and poverty. Education is brought up in Invisible child but there are more further questions. How many children from homeless families can get a normal education? Is a high school diploma good enough for them or it takes a bachelor degree? After they graduate, will they be able to find a decent job to support their own family? If not, what kind of hardships they might encounter?
ReplyDeleteI think the primary sources I should be looking for is a video. A single picture might not have the enough details.
-Shihao Wei
A topic that I am very interested in for this would be the connection of race and education with poverty. Racial inequality could have an extremely large impact on poverty and the possible injustices should be investigated. Also education is one of the most influential factors of social mobility. I was thinking of certain movie trailers could be a great primary source due to the vest film on this subject alone. However, many different things are in factor in movie trailers so a political cartoon or a picture from a magazine could be just as effective with more subtleties.
ReplyDelete-Ali Razvi
Two subtopics that I would like to write about are access to health care and health inequality. I can explore the different accesses to health care among the classes and health hazards. The type of primary sources that I would use for this are perhaps a commercial advertisement about health care, or a picture.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteMelissa,
DeleteI really like that topic and there are a lot of different ways you can go with it as well. Zeroing in on health inequality maybe you can look at fast food advertisement. I'm sure you've already noticed the price difference between Whole Foods and Kroger, and then comparing the price of making your own pizza from those stores to the $5 Hot and Ready's at Little Caesar's. It comes down to something I'm sure you'll read about over and over, quality and the poorer the quality the higher the percentages of obesity and related health problems targeting people in lower socioeconomic classes. Hope I helped, ma'am.
-Chris Brown6442
As someone who plans to go into the field of healthcare, I am definitely interested in how access to healthcare is affected by one's class. I think that access to healthcare opens so many opportunities and allows people to live longer and healthier lives, which is so important in today's society, especially with the obesity epidemic.
DeleteTwo subtopics that I would possibly want to write about are the large salaries of athletes and also the gender gap in salaries in terms of athletes and other fields. I could break the topic of athlete's salaries up into the big market and small market sports, then of course, men's and women's sports. And for the gender gap, I could focus on the fields in which the gender gap is more prevalent. For sources, I think I would use a ESPN documentary or Sports Illustrated article, or possibly a political cartoon of sorts.
ReplyDelete-Ben Greenwell
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTwo subtopics that I would be interested in using for this project would be how social class affects participation in youth sports or the different types of sports traditionally played in each social class. Sports have always been a passion of mine so I think it would be interesting to learn more about how socioeconomics plays into them. I think a good primary source for this could be an advertisement from the NFL's Play 60 movement, a clip from one of ESPNs 30 on 30 films, or maybe even a photograph depicting the the differences in real life.
ReplyDeleteTaylor,
DeleteThat's a great topic and I was thinking about doing something like that, having coached high school sports in low-income and high-income areas I've seen difference in not only equipment provided but also available sports for the kids to play. I saw a lot more of soccer in El Paso and staggering amounts of lacrosse, especially at private schools, in Denver and Salt Lake City. I just wasn't sure how I can capture that in a single image or GIF..I can think of using Nike advertisements from the two different areas or even what Dick's puts up in their stores, but I feel like that'd be difficult to really capture a lot. I am looking, though! Best of luck.
-Chris Brown6442
Two subtopics that I am interested is generational poverty and chance to give higher education. It is interesting for me that the poverty could be passed by generation, and higher education, especially private university, isn’t affordable for people in lower class. I think it fit the theme that class in America today. The source I want to use is short video, because there would be more information to work on.
ReplyDelete--Yutong Liu
I agree with you! I think that generational poverty is a huge issue in our country today, and I think that most people would find images or videos on that topic to be particularly moving.
DeleteElizabeth Goedde
I think that is a wonderful idea as well. It's almost surreal to think about how the price of an education is going up but the benefits are staying the same. Higher degrees are required for entry level jobs; the importance of education is constantly pushed onto us. It reminds me of an old adage "If everyone is special, then no one is"
Delete-Shawn Harris
Generational poverty is also a very interesting topic to me. The fact that people are just born into poverty with very little chance of escaping is simply surreal. This also relates to the cost of higher education. Imagine working your hardest and getting accepting to the school of your dreams only to find out you cannot attend because of cost. I can imagine it would be absolutely devastating, not to mention unfair.
Delete-Kian Fotovat
Concerning the socioeconomic theme, I am interested in subtopics such as education inequality based on class, and the difficulties of those who are homeless getting back on their feet. A primary source could include many pictures of homeless people or families on the street with signs and analyzing the different things they may put on their sigh. Also, I would look for pictures of higher class schools compared to schools that are located in lower class areas.
ReplyDelete-Bethany Nemets
Education inequality is very important,and very real, and I think that it fits in nicely with the socioeconomic theme that is presented for us in our project. I also think searching for pictures with education inequality and homelessness would be a relatively easy search. All the best in your pursuit!
DeleteI would be interested in writing about the growing wage gap, or uneven wealth distribution, and decreasing class mobility. In particular I would like to focus on how difficult it is to advance in a professional setting or acquire new skills. My primary source will probably be a political cartoon or trailer for a film. These sources would leave a lot open to discussion, and they would immediately present the biggest aspects of my subtopics.
ReplyDelete-Alex Shank
I am interested in the topic of the declining middle class and the growing difference in wages between the upper and lower classes. I would also be interested in writing about poverty and how children are affected by not having a support system via education through poverty. My primary source would be a documentary on childhood poverty or articles on the statistics with the middle class wages.
ReplyDeleteI am interested in the difference in access to technology between the social classes in America. Specifically, I want to look at the disadvantages lower classes may have and how technology may help to improve their lives. I think now technology can play a big role in people's lives and being exposed to it may give them better chances to get a job or make more money. I'm considering short advertisements for computers or maybe some type of provocative image that can demonstrate my point for my source.
ReplyDeleteI think technology with class structures is a very original idea! However, I do also think that finding advertisements with technology and different class structures is a very specific search, which might not lead to an advertisement that is solely focused on what you're interested in. Regardless, all the best!
DeleteDiffering access to technology could have an impact on the quality of education that people receive. Limited access to technology can limit job prospects and skill development. I think this topic is great and should be very interesting to research.
DeleteI would like to write about the affect on a person's health caused by social class. Specifically I would like to focus on either accessibility to medication or quality of health care. My primary source would probably be a video clip that addresses the high cost of medication. This opens the path to many subtopics, with the most prominent being a comparison of public health insurance plans like medicare to private plans.
ReplyDelete-Tyler Digges
I think this is a great idea. There are a high number of people living in poverty that are simultaneously suffering with addiction to drugs and other harmful substances. Inability to afford healthcare makes it difficult to break the cycle of addiction and poverty.
Delete- Evan McMillin
One subtopic that I am interested in writing about is the differences in family life between different classes and how this effects the lack of social mobility in america. I am also interested in writing about the differences in education, specifically the inequality of education in the poor areas of America. I think a relevant political cartoon or short video clip would be good to sources to analyze for these topics.
ReplyDelete-Aidan Brady
I am also interested in writing about the wealth gap in America. This topic interests me the most especially after reading the invisible child and seeing what it is like to live in a less fortunate way. I feel like this topic is relevant to the course theme of social class in America because one of the easiest ways to distinguish different classes is by their wealth. So, I feel like looking at this problem from the economic side could help me maybe figuring out possible solutions or learning something new about how our economy is set up to have really rich and really poor. I figure I would like to have a primary source as a video rather than a photograph because I hope to learn something from the source, It doesn't have to be information regarding what I would like to write about, but something that would instead let me approach the problem in a different way.
ReplyDelete-Tommy Jung
I would be interested in writing about the education inequality between the social classes.This is a vast topic but I will narrow it down by researching on the relation ship between the social status and education.My primary source will be pictures that shows the social status and the kind of education they are getting.I will also try to find a short video that was done regarding this particular area.
ReplyDelete-Nahom Ofga
The two subtopic I would possibly write are different daily activities and the education quality between different classes. Because the people in high class always get higher education, but some university cost is not affordable for lower class. Also because of different class, their daily activities will be much different. My primary source will be pictures and video, because video contains more information.
ReplyDeleteHaina Yan
What I think I want to write about is how specific adds for products are easily targeted towards certain classes in America. For example, I was looking around the Versace website and found a small throw blanket for $450. I then looked on Walmart and found a similar throw blanket for $19.99. So, for my primary source, I can find an add from a high end brand selling a simple everyday product that we know by just our familiarity with that brand that the product will be overpriced. Another concept that I found interesting that was mentioned in the upper class video that you posted was that when you walk into stores aimed for people living in the upper class, you are more likely to find products that you’ve never seen/heard before. In contrast, if you walk into a store aimed for people in the lower class, such as Walmart, you are more likely to be famailiar with all the products that are sold.
ReplyDeleteI think that is a very interesting topic and I feel like you could find a ton of relevant sources. It would be interesting to see how ads targeting different social classes are made based on what different classes find valuable.
DeleteThis is a very great topic to pick as this is such a true statement. Where I live in Appalchian Ohio we would never receive ads for "high class" products as it is assumed that no one has the need or resources. However, ads from Walmart, Dollar General and Sav-A-Lot flood our mailbox. This will be interesting to see where you go with your writing.
Delete-Jaxon Meadows
A few subtopics of social class in America that I would be interested in writing and researching about would be the differences and inequality of health care between the social classes. Specifically focusing on the constant increasing cost of medicine such as EpiPens or insulin, and how the lower class deals with it. Another topic that I could also see myself interested in would be how social class affects education. This could be analyzed by looking at the rates of graduation for certain classes, and what factors impact a lower class student that others in a different social class might not have. I will try to find a photograph describing the cost of medicine, or for the second topic, a picture/video describing the education of a student.
ReplyDelete-Steve McFarland
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ReplyDeleteOne topic that I would like to focus on would be the separation of the social classes within America. My primary source could be a picture that shows the common family within each class or maybe what each class does as a job. I think this would be a great starting point and have lots of different areas that could be analyzed. Another good idea for a primary source could be a video similar to the ones we watched showing the different social classes. This is a topic that I am very passionate about and I think should be fairly easy to write about given that interest.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be very interesting to look into how socioeconomic class relates to the ability to access health care. I want to look into how being from a lower class limits the health care treatment options as well as quality of care. A possible primary source could be a photograph of a homeless person looking ill or perhaps a commercial for a nice medication targeted toward the upper class.
ReplyDelete-Maddie Ricard
I'm interested in weight control and health among Americans. Because of junk food and high calorie food, the rate of fat people in America is increasing every year. While fast food like Mcdonald's has become one element of American culture, how to avoid eating unhealthy food and balance diet are topics that deserve to be studied.
ReplyDeleteHaosheng Ai
I think this is a great topic. Another aspect of this problem that you could incorporate would be how an unhealthy diet can effect a child's performance in school. Many foods that children are eating today are loaded with sugars that hinder their mental focus.
DeleteI am interested in talking about education in general and the correlation between education and salaries. I think that a major part of people being poor and homeless is because of the lack of education present for them. Nowadays, higher education is vital for most jobs and it would be interesting to see the actual statics behind those two groups. Also, another interesting topic is the correlation between education and salary. Usually, there is a positive correlation between higher education and higher paying jobs. It would be interesting to actually see if this is true and what the actual correlation is between these two.
ReplyDelete-Nathan Michael
Hi Michael!I think the topic you choose is very meaningful ad have a lot of information to work on. I am also working on this kind of topic. Obviously, it' not difficult to find that people those who have high salaries are those who have received high education. I think you can find lots of sources to work on! Good luck on your paper!
DeleteOne topic that I want to talk about in this class is the reality that impoverished people stay in poverty. This is a part of the cycle that needs to be addressed first in my opinion or else there will be no more improvements or change. If we do not encourage people to leave or push them to get jobs there will be no end to poverty. Leading off of that, there needs to be more possibilities in our society for someone to get a job when they are homeless. There are very few job services that aid homeless and few employers that choose them over other candidates. There maybe should be a form or reward for giving the homeless a steady income or job for employers.
ReplyDeleteHey mystery poster, Can you reply to this with your first and last name, so I can give you participation credit?
DeleteI am interested in focusing on the mobility between social classes. This is interesting because I feel that it is difficult to for individuals to move between classes so I would like to learn more about this. I also would like to look at the different factors that prevent people for moving between social classes. Things such as home issues and access to quality education are some factors that could affect this.
ReplyDelete-Dan Makowski
The subtopic I choose will be economic status, because in my opinion that is the main condition determine a person’s social class. It is worthy to talk plenty of things, such as how differently their lifestyle is because of economy. Of course, it will also lead to different education they will get (expensive private school -V.S- free public education). In addition, it is important to know about homeless people because they are an important example of the lower-class in this society. I will find specific numbers, such as average salary for each social class and different charts to make it clear for my audiences. Video sources can be come from news that described the current social class. Those resources can be fit perfect for this course theme, the data may be old but still good enough to represent my idea.
ReplyDeleteThe subtopic that I would choose probably be 'the impact of social class towards health and nutrition.' For someone who has financial problem like the homeless people would be a burden to pay the healthcare insurance. As a results, they do not often get the health care that they need but when they do, they do not get the proper health care that they should get. The healthcare issues can be related to the lack of nutrition. The lower class people do not practice a healthy lifestyle because they do not have the money to buy nutritional food. These kind of people mainly lives in hazardous condition and Invisible Child essay is a good example to show that poverty condition. The source that I will use is a short video taken from a movie. I will also include caricature that represent these social class economy.
ReplyDelete-Aida Batrisyia binti Rosli
Hi! I think your topic is very interesting and I am also working on this kind of topic。 Generally speaking, the large differences in different social classes do have lots of impacts to people physically and psychologically. I think you can find lots of information to work on. Good luck on your paper!
DeleteThe two subtopics that I want to choose to write are the differences and inequalities of education and health care between different social classes. It's more likely that many people of low class may have financial problems and suffer a lot from poverty. These problems may result in that they can not afford good education. Besides, they can't afford to buy various kinds of food, resulting in that they may get sick or malnourished. They are more like to get sick but they still can not afford high medical expenses and health care. The sources that I want to use are videos because I think I can get more information to work on.
ReplyDelete-Xiaoyu Hu
I am interested in inequality in education in the US today, and believe this fits the class theme well. I will find a image as my primary source.
ReplyDeleteSimon Ying