Mass Media, Music and Society
This assessment requires you to choose and write a critical essay on ONE of the following six topics:
i) Author Nelson George (2004: xiv) has argued that “you can tell where black people are at any given point in history by our music.” critically evaluate this assertion by focusing on any twentieth century and/or twenty-first century black American or black British music.
ii) “Music can serve as useful primary source material to understand the character and identity of places” (Kong, 1995: 184). Critique this statement by analysing the relationship between music and a specific city or region, giving due consideration to the authorship, performance and reception of the music you choose to focus on.
iii) Technology has repeatedly transformed the content produced by the mass media and music industries. such transformations have, in turn, frequently re-shaped the structures/processes/priorities of both those industries and of society more broadly. Discuss how this has occurred by focusing on one technology of your choice, one that is associated with the mass media or music industries.
iv) To what extent has cinema both reflected AND shaped attitudes towards gender OR sexuality in society? Choose no more than two case-study films to base your essay around.
v) Examine a specific genre or musician(s) of your choice to critically assess how music has been used to challenge and/or subvert patriarchy in society.
vi) Music, film and TV have long provided key platforms for confronting social injustices. Critique this statement by choosing ONE social injustice theme (e.g. relating to societal attitudes towards sexuality, class, disability, mental illness etc.) and examine how your ONE chosen social justice has been addressed/ confronted in the work of EITHER a particular musician, OR in the content of a particular film or TV show (i.e. essay should be focussed on only one of: music or film or TV).
The essay should contain at least 10 references. These references should overwhelming be from academic journal articles or from academic books.
The remainder should be from factual sources, such as from respected mass media and/or music magazines or other outlets, or from quality newspapers – such as The Guardian or The Times – or from industry reports, or government and/or protest group policy documents.
The criteria on which the essay will be marked is as follows:
1. RESEARCH
Systematic identification and use of academic and relevant resources
2. SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE
Understanding and application of subject knowledge. Contribution to subject debate
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Analysis and interpretation of sources, literature and/or results.
Structuring of issues/debates
4. COMMUNICATION AND PRESENTATION
Clear intention in communication. The needs of the person reading the essay are predicted and met. Presentation format is used skilfully. Work is well structured.
5. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Acknowledges and gives credit to the work of others; follows the conventions and practices
of the discipline including appropriate use of referencing standards for discipline.
