Communication Analysis Project

Communication Analysis Project 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 (due October 12) 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. 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. A. 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?