You will be developing this project through most of the quarter and it will make up 45% of your grade. It is divided into two parts, due at specified dates during the term. The second part will
take the place of a mid-term exam.
Overview

The purpose of this assignment is to introduce you to scholarly frameworks and methods for examining dimensions of communication. The project is broken down into two sections aimed at developing
and honing your ability to engage in detailed observation and description; formulate meaningful questions; and engage analytical frameworks. Through your work on the project, you will demonstrate
your grasp of key concepts and terminology that we will be exploring throughout this course.

You will begin by selecting a specific example of a form or mode of communication to consider. For the first part, you will be developing an analytic description of your example that breaks it down
into elements that make up the meanings conveyed. For the second part, you will frame analytic questions and pursue consideration of how your example fits into wider concerns, tendencies or
contexts. Together, both parts of this project serve as an exercise in considering the key questions of this course:

• What is communication?

• Where does it occur?

• How does it occur?

• Why does it matter?

• How do we study it?

You will be graded on effort, creativity, thoughtfulness, and the overall quality of your writing – not whether your arguments are “correct.” It is important that you carefully proofread your work
for errors before submitting it. It is strongly suggested that you have someone else read it to give you feedback on the clarity of your writing and ideas.

Note on formatting: Use 12 point “Times Roman” or similar font, and set your margins to 1” on all sides.

Part 1: Denotative and Connotative meaning

Select a concrete example of communication that will serve as your object of investigation. It can be an example of any form of communication, such as a painting, a photograph, a letter, a speech,
a piece of music, an advertisement, a phone conversation, a scene from a film or television program, a website etc. Since you will be doing a very detailed analysis, it is important that you select
an example that is manageable. For example, if you are considering a film you should select a particular scene or sequence of shots to consider. Your example should also be accessible to your TA.
For example, if you are analyzing a film clip, it is best to use one that can be found online, say on YouTube. If you are analyzing an image or song lyrics, attach a copy to your completed paper.In
essay form (1 to 2 pages double-spaced), provide a general description of your example of communication and situate it in relation to the historical period and sociocultural location in which it
takes place. In short: what is it? Where and when does it take place? Who are the participants? Through what mechanism/medium does it occur?

In a two-column format, provide a close reading of the communication example you have chosen (2-4 pages single-spaced).
• In column one, provide a detailed comprehensive denotative description that breaks your example down into basic meaningful elements. You should provide a detailed literal account that
avoids implied meanings or interpretations as much as possible. (Catalog specifically what was said, visual elements and qualities – color, texture, motion, etc.; characteristics of sound or other
elements of perception).

• In column two, provide connotative readings of the elements described in your denotative description. What meanings and association do the denotative meanings convey or imply. This requires
more interpretation but still focuses on the immediate context and commonly available associations of each element. This connotative analysis is also aimed at showing the broadly shared meanings of
the events. Therefore, it should not be based on meanings that the item has only for one person.

This is the part you should work on
Part 2: Analysis and Synthesis
My example is a TV commercial : Thank you, Mom
Here is the link : https://youtu.be/6Ult4t-1NoQ
Also, please only cite the reading materials that I give to you. Do not use any outside resources.
Thank you.

Write an analytical essay (4 to 6 double-spaced pages) that draws on your description of the communication event in part one. Begin by formulating a set of questions to ask about the wider
significance of this example of communication. Your paper needs to be more than just descriptive of what the communication example means. It should provide critical insights into, or an argument
about, the importance or significance of this example to society or culture more broadly. It should also link this to analytic frameworks from the readings (for example, historical frameworks,
frameworks for understanding how discourse functions in relation to institutional structures or interpersonal communication). Some good models from the course readings are Scott Kiesling’s
discussion of the word “Dude” when it is used in specific contexts, and Dwight McBride’s discussion of the dress code, and hiring practices of Abercrombie and Fitch. In your paper, you must do the
following:

• Show how you might relate this communication event to other social, political, economic, cultural, or aesthetic phenomena;

• Consider what connections you might be able to make between this instance/example of communication and other communication;

• Draw upon key concepts, theoretical or critical approaches/frameworks that we have been covering in the course to help answer the questions that you framed about the event. Be sure to cite
the texts that you are drawing on, paraphrasing, and/or quoting directly (engage at least two course texts). Do this by putting the author’s name and the page number in parenthesis. If you cite an
author who isn’t in the reader, do the same and also list the text in a bibliography.
• Describe some of the limits to your interpretation and/or challenges to understanding the issues you take up.