online critical discourse follow-up Sp21

Survey social media for posts that address issues raised by your class 9 illustration on intersections between capitalist class inequities and the entertainment industries.

This follows up on your class 22 assignment that asked you to identify two issues for policy debate raised in your artistic rendering.  The particular angle: how issues raised in your illustration connect to questions of political economy:  who owns, controls, profits, labors, and negative impacts of the products/services produced driven by the logic of profit.

For example, for the illustration below by Emma Balaguer, it would be the exploitation of women of color around the world for the “fast fashion” industry.  Related themes to survey might include fashion industry profits and pay differentials.   

Emma Balaguer Spring 2021

Steps

  1. Survey varied social media streams:  Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, what else?

  2. Keep journal notes on your survey.  Here some prompts:

  • Keep URLs of each significant post you’ve found.
  • Briefly describe a few posts (2-3) that seem particularly meaningful that address these issues.  
  • What are some critical ideas?
  • Who’s speaking?
  • In what ways, if any, do they address issues of context, of root causes?
  • Of political economy:  who owns and controls?
  • Beyond criticism, do they offer alternative visions and demands?
  • Strategies for change, how to mobilize political power to switch it up?
  • For these issues, what are some trending hashtags?
  1. From these journal notes, write a brief mini-essay.  Consider it as a draft to post on a blog or Instagram.

  • No more than two paragraphs.  
  • Start with a strong opening sentence.
  • Draw from the writing you’ve done for your step #2 journal notes.
  • Discuss some meanings and your responses/reflections.   
  1. Post screenshots of one to two of your selections

    to the album class 23 critical online discourse on our class Facebook page.  Include a sentence or several describing the message and its meanings.  

Post all the above to your rolling Google doc.  Include assignment title, date.  Send link to instructor.