Essay proposal

Propose your own topic for the final essay! You can write about social media and society, the Internet, networked technologies, or anything else related to the themes of the course, (“The new electronic interdependence recreates the world in the image of a global village.” –Marshall McLuhan
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, Reddit, 4chan, WeChat, What’s App, Skype, YouTube, Twitch, Tinder, Uber, Amazon, Google… the list goes on. Social media and digital platforms are deeply embedded in our contemporary lives. But what consequences do they have for how we think, how we feel, how we socialize, how we understand ourselves, and how our networked society and culture functions? Students in this course will explore, examine, and debate these questions with reference to their everyday experiences and current examples.)including topics not covered in class.

Your essay proposal should describe in a full paragraph (not point form) what you plan to write about, the approach you plan to take, and some possible key points or examples. You must have a clear, specific research question you plan to pursue – or example: “What role do memes play during the pandemic?” or “Can selfies can be a form of feminist activism?” These could be made more specific, too: “What role do memes play on the University student Reddit during the pandemic?” or “Can selfies be a form of feminist activism for disabled women?”

Whatever you choose, make it something that you find genuinely interesting and want to learn more about! If you have trouble thinking of a topic, feel free to contact me. Your proposal may include a preliminary thesis if you have developed one based on your research so far, but it is not required.

As you prepare your proposal, you should also do some preliminary research on your topic, and include a preliminary bibliography listing at least 6 academic articles, books, and other sources not included in the course readings you will use in your final essay (you may include course readings as additional sources as well). Sources should be legitimate, reliable, and from relevant fields of study (see the list of relevant journals on the syllabus). Remember that reading is an important part of the research and writing process!

In my comments on your proposal, I will provide feedback to help you develop it into the full-length essay. In the final version, your thesis should be well supported with both external research and your own analysis of specific examples.

In both the proposal and the final essay, be sure to cite your sources properly and include a Works Cited page. Submit as a PDF (double-spaced, 12pt Times New Roman, 2.54cm margins)