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Programs: Representational Trends

Teaching Resources: The Research Paper

Tried & True Home  |  Representational Trends | Workshop a Paper

Representational Trends and the Final Research Paper

Examples of the types of cultural and representational trends that students have identified, researched, and analyzed.

  1. “The Christian Religion and How it is Portrayed in Contemporary Films”
    (Primary texts: Genre: Contemporary Hollywood Film)
    How is Christianity portrayed in contemporary dramas that depict present day life?
    Does religion seem to have a positive or negative affect on the characters?
    What are the parallels between a Hollywood and the Biblical apocalypse?

  2. “Madonna: The Controversy of Change in Music”
    (Primary texts: Genre: Music Videos)
    How has Madonna presented herself in this medium?
    How has she evolved personally and musically to stay in the popular circuit?
    How has Madonna shifted and shaped her identity to satisfy and/or to oppose the public’s expectations of a female musician?
    To what extent does Madonna represent the American cultural view of female stereotypes?

  3. “Conformed Individualism"
    (Primary texts: Genre: Advertisements)
    Major claim/trend: Advertisements in teen magazines reflect contradictory messages through the dual emphasis on individualism and conformity.
    Are the messages of individualism and conformity inextricably linked?

  4. “College Marketing to the New Generation”
    (Primary texts: college and university recruiting brochures and college and university Web sites)
    How do colleges and universities represent themselves to potential students?
    What is the relationship between students’ expectations of the school and the “actual” status of the school?
    How have colleges and universities shaped their image to fit or disprove students’ expectations?

  5. “Wartime Words”
    (Primary texts: Presidential speeches at times of crisis)
    How does the language of these speeches serve to bring about a sense of unity and hope during a time of uncertainty and fear?
    What kinds of rhetorical strategies are used to rally support?
    How do more recent speeches build on earlier speeches and the established history of presidential addresses at times of crisis?

Have an idea for Tried and True? Send it to fywp@osu.edu!

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