The theories of Marshall McLuhan (the medium as the message) and Neil Postman

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Compare the theories of Marshall McLuhan (the medium as the message) and Neil Postman (the medium as the metaphor), as presented in Klassen’s text (pp. 174-175). In 1-2 paragraphs, summarize these and highlight the important differences between them. Then, in an additional paragraph (or 2, if needed), demonstrate which of the two you find more convincing, in light of the relation of these theories to the forms of religiosity Klassen explores in this chapter.

Sample Solution

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Clement Greenberg’s 1939 essay “Avant-Garde and Kitsch.”

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Section 1:
Hi, in the Documents section of Blackboard, you will find Clement Greenberg’s 1939 essay “Avant-Garde and Kitsch.” You don’t need to read through it with immense concentration (and you only need to read up to page 20), just skim through and make sure you understand the basic concepts, then answer the following questions (you may post as a direct answer to my questions or as a discussion or response to your classmates, if you choose the latter, indicate whose post you are responding to by writing their first name in the subject line of your post):

  1. In your opinion, is his perception of high and low art correct to some degree? If yes, why so? If not, why not? Is high art any more valuable that “low” or “mass” art? Or are they both significant in different ways? If high art is the peak of any one artistic genius at a given time, can mass art then not be considered the marker of a collective whole, an entire population, at a moment in history?

Section 2:

  1. Osmu Tezuka believed comics are a bridge between cultures and often dabbled into adaptations of classic literature into manga. His assumption was that this is an effective way to bring ideas to individuals incapable of accessing them otherwise. However, something else may be at play here as well. If comics are a universal language, does their adaptation of literature then in turn make the literature more universal and more easily understood through comics? For instance, there are certain specificities in local cultures, ways of expression, phrases, traditions, modes of thinking, etc., which are actually quite difficult to reconcile with to someone from a profoundly different culture. But, because of the ‘placeless’ nature of comics, or rather cartoons who have no distinct features bound to any locale, does that make the work itself more easy to assimilate and even agree with, despite cultural differences? Does it become easier to appreciate a foreign culture through comics? Does the universality of cartoons in turn succeed in presenting an accurate portrayal of a different culture or not or does it create an unrealistic illusion?

Sample Solution

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Mythic qualities of a persuasive message

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STEP 1 First, use a theoretical lens to assess the narrative and mythic qualities of a persuasive message (of any kind). Choose from the following (or make the case for another theory of your choosing): Dramatism (focusing on comic- and tragic-framing), Genre theory, Equilibrium theory, or Codes theory.
STEP 2 Critique a published narrative inquiry, concretely explaining the construction and effectiveness of the essay’s central claim.
STEP 3 Develop a prospective research agenda for a project using narrative inquiry, which you will deliver as a 4-8 minute (virtual) presentation. Your agenda should: (a) concretely explain a culturally relevant, communication-intensive phenomenon or event; (b) present a research question or hypothesis about how narrative and myth are embedded in the phenomenon or event; and (c) provide a clear rationale for the project, explaining its relevance, its use of narrative inquiry, and its use of a select theoretical lens.
STEP 4 Lastly, create a visually-engaging instructional guide for conducting a narrative inquiry (entirely in your own words).

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The film “Intangible Asset No. 82”

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For this optional extra credit assignment, you will watch a film and write a short essay on the questions provided below. The film is titled “Intangible Asset No. 82” and is 1 hour and 30 minutes. You can rent the film for streaming on Vimeo for $7.99, using this link: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/intangibleassetnumber82. (Links to an external site.)
After watching the film, write a short essay of roughly 600 to 800 words that addresses the following questions:
• What do you think were the biggest differences that Simon Barker discovered between Korean shamanic music and his jazz training? Please be specific in mentioning examples of scenes or dialogues from the film to help explain your points.
• Towards the end of the film, Barker reflects on the healing ritual that he witnessed for Kim Seok-Chul, and describes how he (Barker) gained a different perspective on the music after that experience. In your own words, how do you think that Barker was transformed by that experience of witnessing the healing ritual, and what questions did it raise for him?
• Finally, share your own reflections on what this film tells us about the potential of music for increasing cultural understanding. Can music help us better understand cultural differences? What can we learn about this process from the story told in this film?

Sample Solution

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