To what extent does the media reinforce social difference and construct or enable distinct forms of community? Can the media also do the opposite? Y

To what extent does the media reinforce social difference and construct or enable distinct forms of community? Can the media also do the opposite? Your object is to provide a critical summary of the debates and issues raised by the essay question. This means you should, in general, provide a discussion of the different theoretical and empirical materials you use – in particular you should try to relate texts to each other, point out whether they confirm or contradict one another, and make it clear when they are focusing upon different or similar aspects of the topic. Your assignment structure should therefore largely look as follows: General Introduction to the topic and to the arguments you will make. A paragraph for each point of your argument defining the relevant concepts and theoretical frameworks, providing supporting evidence from the research literature for the critical usefulness of those concepts and theoretical frameworks, and providing empirical examples of those arguments where warranted. Make sure that you also draw comparisons between the theoretical and empirical examples that you use and treat them critically – that is, as a set of propositions that are open to debate, and which you evaluate on the basis of counter-arguments (providing supporting evidence for those too, of course, from the relevant literatures). You should therefore be making positive or negative critical comments where appropriate. Note that critical comments should not just set out what you ‘think’, but should focus upon providing evidence-based reasons why an argument is or is not plausible. Concluding section, drawing together links/contradictions between the different sources, making any general positive/negative criticisms and summarising the key issues you have covered during the course of the discussion.