Artifact Analysis Essay

Analysis Essay

 The main point of the 750 word assignment – show off your ability to apply what we’ve been learning in class. 

·         Artifact selection:  Pick a cultural artifact (this could a film, a painting, a sculpture, an ad, or another visual cultural artifact.

·         Show it: Put an image of the artifact or about the artifact in your essay

·         Analyze: Using the skills you have learned in your analysis posts, analyze how this artifact reflects, reveals, applies, synthesizes, evaluates, and/or challenges gender in our culture. 

·         Research:  Find out how others have viewed this same artifact.  Do research, interview others, create studies, test out theories, do surveys.  Sources required.

·         Develop a thesis:  What point do you want to make about this artifact?  What point do you think it is trying to make?  How has it been received by others?  How do you see it?  What does it show us about gender in our culture? 

·         Outline:  Develop an outline of the main reasons your thesis is true. 

·         Bring in evidence:  Cite your source material using APA or MLA style.

·         Conclude:  sum up your findings. 

 

 

To write a good analysis paper: 

• Be literate in WGS:  understand key vocabulary and key concepts.
• Choose a good artifact
• One that is small enough
• One that’s related to course materials—things that we’ve already read
• It’s often helpful if this artifact is something you disagree with so that you can analyze it and explain what the problems are.  If you agree, there’s not much to say.
• Describe/unpack effectively
• Make connections between the artifact and relevant readings:  identify and use evidence
• Read effectively so that you can identify relevant readings and the arguments and observations being made in the readings.
• Analysis: 
• You need to be able to see things in a way not completely shaped by your own and your culture’s assumptions.  For instance, you’ll sometimes be framing analyses by saying, “Our culture thinks X, but I want to argue (and/or our readings argue) Y.”
• You must be able to articulate why:  why do we care about this question, why should I read this paper, why does your interpretation matter?
• You must be able to assess/evaluate, using a range of appropriate evidence.
• Write effectively