Social Issues As Expressed in Popular Culture

Learning Activity 1: Which Social Issue Resonates the Most With You?

Getting Started

This Area of Expertise has challenged you to think about five general social issues: violence, indecency/free speech, race/ethnicity, social and economic class, and gender and sexuality, in the context of Modern Popular Culture, However, these are not the only ones. Some social issues fall within one of these five general issues. For example, violence against women is within the general social issue of violence. Bullying might be considered a type of violence but could also be considered an/a indecency/free speech issue. If you spend enough time thinking about it, you could come up with dozens of specific social issues that fall within these five general issues.

ORDER NOW FOR CUSTOMIZED SOLUTION PAPERS

Take time to think of a particular social issue that matters to you; one that you will explore more deeply during this Competency. Perhaps, the issue you choose has been a factor in your life, or in your family’s. Perhaps, you have not been affected directly by this issue but when you see the issue played out in real life—you get uncomfortable, angry, or even moved to action. Once you have selected an issue, review the resources provided and start researching to learn as much as you can about this particular issue, so you will be able to explain why this social issue resonates with you and how it is represented in popular culture, including examples of popular culture artifacts/expressions. Move on to review credible resources found via the Walden Library, Google Scholar, or perhaps a respected news source. You will work with this social issue for all of the following modules as well as in the Assessment for this Competency.

DOCUMENT: DEFINING SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE CONTEXT OF MODERN POPULAR CULTURE

Defining Social Issues in the Context of Modern Popular Culture

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). Defining social issues in the context of modern popular culture [PDF file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Making Connections

Depending on which social issue you selected, visit the corresponding related web pages. You only need to delve into the resource(s) that corresponds to the issue on which you are focusing. However, feel free to explore any that interest you.

WEB RESOURCE: SOCIAL ISSUE – RACE AND ETHNICITY

The Critical Media Project: Race & Ethnicity

USC/Annenberg. (n.d.). The critical media project. Retrieved March 27, 2018, from http://www.criticalmediaproject.org/category/race/

WEB RESOURCES: SOCIAL ISSUE -GENDER AND SEXUALITY

The Critical Media Project: LGBTQ

USC/Annenberg. (n.d.). The critical media project. Retrieved March 27, 2018, from http://www.criticalmediaproject.org/category/lgbtq/

The Critical Media Project: Gender

USC/Annenberg. (n.d.). The critical media project. Retrieved March 27, 2018, from http://www.criticalmediaproject.org/category/gender/

WEB RESOURCE: SOCIAL ISSUE – SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CLASS

The Critical Media Project: Class

USC/Annenberg. (n.d.). The critical media project. Retrieved March 27, 2018, from http://www.criticalmediaproject.org/category/class/

ARTICLES: SOCIAL ISSUE – VIOLENCE

What We Should Be Thinking About Pop-Culture Violence, and What We Will Probably Do Instead

Poniewozik, J. (2012, December 20). What we should be thinking about pop-culture violence, and what we will probably do instead. Retrieved from http://entertainment.time.com/2012/12/20/what-we-should-be-thinking-about-violence-in-pop-culture-and-what-we-will-probably-do-instead/

Why American Television Needs a Break From Violence, Conspiracies, and Maybe Even Serialized Storytelling

Rosenberg, A. (2012). Why American television needs a break from violence, conspiracies, and maybe even serialized storytelling. Retrieved from https://thinkprogress.org/why-american-television-needs-a-break-from-violence-conspiracies-and-maybe-even-serialized-storytell-909436afb229/

ARTICLE: INDECENCY AND FREE SPEECH

Obscenity, Censorship, and the First Amendment

Kessler, R. (2006, July). Obscenity, censorship, and the first amendment. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2006/07/obscenity-censorship-and-the-first-amendment/305073/