Proposing a topic for the Multimedia Project What is a proposal? The object of a

Proposing a topic for the Multimedia Project
What is a proposal?
The object of a proposal is to help you to choose a topic and draft a topic statement.
This class requires us to think about the social, cultural, political, economic, and historical circumstances that shape specific lives, experiences, and communities. Choosing a topic on the subject covered by this course is challenging both because of the sheer number of potential choices you could make about gender/sexuality, race, and class, including identities, cultures, and communities.
You should use the following guidelines to write a topic statement in three paragraphs of at least 150 words total (you may write as much as you wish), submitted to Blackboard by no later than October 3.
How do I write a topic statement?
Paragraph 1. Choosing a broad topic:
As you formulate your topics in discussion over the next ten days, you need to think about the issues that interest you most. While this course provides an overview of the course themes, there is no possible way that this course can engage each and every topic. Our readings will focus primarily on the following broad topics, which you may certainly consider:
1) social construction and historical formation of gender, race, class, etc. identities;
2) the ways in which institutions and organizations foster, shape, and at times limit community;
3) the legal and political institutions that frame gender, race, and class differences;
4) diversity and intersectionality, and the ways in which race/class/gender/bodily difference determine privilege and oppression within society; 4) activism and social movements; and
5) gender/sexuality, race, and class, etc. within the context of cultural and artistic expressions. Even this list is far from exhaustive, and you may wish to consult with the instructor to generate other topics of interest.
Paragraph 2. Framing your topic
As you think about your topic, think about presenting a critical range of perspectives, interpretations, and arguments rather than thinking of presenting this information as a “settled fact.” Write up your broad topic in a paragraph explaining why it is important, especially if it is directly related to an issue in contemporary US or global society or carries particular ethical weight.
Then, describe any additional features you want to explore within this topic by narrowing your frame in the following areas:
What time period will you be discussing, or will you be discussing the present-day? Remember that you need a manageable time period and that it may not be realistic for you to cover a century-long span.
Name any important people or groups of people important to your topic.
What is the geographical region (or regions) you wish to explore? Is your topic national (or international) or local? How so?
What kinds of media, research materials, or other resources do you think you will use to develop your project?
Paragraph 3. Format
What do you think the best format for your topic is? Social media? If so, what format? Instagram, Tumblr, or Twitter? Will you create a short film for Youtube? Use the third paragraph to explain a little bit about the audio/visual material you might use for your project, and the best ways to present this for an audience outside of our class.
Goals, tips, and assessment:
This is an open-ended assignment that asks you to think about and propose a potential topic for a Multimedia Project. Please note some of the following aspects of this assignment:
Pick a topic based on your own interests. What person, place, event, concept, etc. fascinates you the most? What do you want to know more about?
Your topic may change, and the instructor might give you feedback that might lead you to change your topic by making it more specific, or by completely shifting gears and selecting a completely new topic.
If you complete the assignment, you will earn an automatic pass (95). Only students who do not complete the assignment or who do not make a good faith effort to complete the assignment will not pass. Students who submit no work will earn a 0, and students who fail to meet the minimum requirements will be asked to rewrite the proposal/topic statement.
Your proposed topic may change slightly from your final presentation. This happens all the time and is expected, but you should try to think about your topic as a way to narrow the scope and scale of your project.
Once you’ve submitted your topic proposal and statement, pay close attention to any feedback from the instructor and feel free to make an office hours appointment (online) to consult with the professor.