Analyze a contemporary news story or cultural phenomenon from the American studies toolkit

Instructions

Write a 4-5 page essay in which you use one or more of the concepts from the American Studies toolkit to analyze a contemporary news story or cultural phenomenon (person, event, text or practice) of your choice. Use the following approach…

       Students can analyze how a current news story or cultural text reaffirms or challenges a particular cultural myth about the United States.

Your paper should aspire to one (or both) of the following: they should use the chosen concept to shed light on some aspect of contemporary American culture, or they should use some aspect of contemporary American culture to shed light on the chosen concept. 

Essay Structure 

       Papers should include an introduction that either defines the concept(s) to be explored in the essay or explains the cultural phenomenon to be discussed. In either case, provide enough background about the subject(s) so that a reader unfamiliar with the texts would be able to follow the argument.

       The introduction should conclude with a clear thesis statement that makes a claim about the relationship between the concept and the cultural phenomenon to be discussed.

       The body of the paper should consist of evidence, drawn from your example, which illustrates the operation of one or more of the terms in the AMST tool kit.

       Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence (a statement that explains what the paragraph will discuss), and all evidence should be explained in relation to your thesis statement. Use course texts when possible to clarify terminology or develop concepts.

       The argument should build to a conclusion that makes clear the significance of your analysis (i.e., why it helps the reader understand the concept or phenomenon).