Research Paper Assignment Sheet

I thought it might be a good idea to post the research paper assignment for those students who might have misplaced the sheet they got in class.

Research Paper
Stuff Is Good: An Examination of Advertising

"The Ad and the Ego" claims that advertising creates needs, encourages over consumption, warps American culture and makes us insecure about ourselves.

Is it true?

This paper will be an analysis based upon your research. Research the four questions below. Divide your paper into six segments: A. introduction, B. answer to question 1, C. question 2, D. question 3, E. question 4, F. conclusion. Find credible sources to research your answer. You will be graded on the quantity and quality of your sources, and how well you use them in your text. Cite your sources, MLA style, as you use them in the text. Be sure to use full MLA-style citation information in your works cited section. Students who merely provide a list of web addresses will be marked down.

Length: Around 1500 words (plus works cited section) Below are the four questions that you will research:

•Does advertising frequently reinforce traditional gender roles?
•Does some advertising make particular groups of people uncomfortable with their own bodies?
•Does advertising put ideas across in pictures that the viewers would be more likely to question if they were put forth in words?
•Do some ads portray a sort of dream life for the targeted viewer?


Research

The depth and quality of your research matters. Quotes from The Ad and the Ego and your textbook are only minimally acceptable as sources. Your research should branch out beyond those two sources. You may cite articles or books about advertising as sources. Be careful about using web sites as sources; many of them are not credible. If you cannot clearly state who is the writer of the material on the web site and what qualifies that person or persons to be an authority on the subject, then you probably do not have a credible source.

Please don’t feel that this paper must steer you toward an anti-advertising or anti-materialistic position. If your position is that advertising is good economically and culturally, please feel free to take that position. Just make sure that you find sources (perhaps in advertising or business journals or magazines) that support your case.

About the Ads

Although your research should focus on expert sources, you may also cite specific broadcast, print, or online advertising as examples of points that you are trying to establish. Just make sure that the ads are sophisticated enough to be worthy of analysis. For example, if you are trying to determine how advertising uses symbolism to create needs, pick ads that are likely to contain symbolism, such as perfume ads.

Due Date