The essay should use a simple, readable 12 point font (Calibri, Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana or Cambria), with the edges of the text justified (straight lines on each side), and margins set to 2-2.5cm. Line spacing should be set to 1.5. Coversheets should NOT be used. Overview: All students are required to submit a research essay, worth 40% of their assessment for this course. This assessment is a 1300 word research essay. The assessment is designed to assess students’ course knowledge, research abilities and skills in writing, structure and referencing. There are two options for this task – a choose your own adventure if you will. Both relate to analysing discourse (as discussed in postmodern criminology). One option is to analyse an image and what it represents, the other is to analyse a song (its lyrics, video, etc.). The essay will require students to demonstrate knowledge of, and engagement with, theoretical perspectives covered during the course, and demonstrate research skills. You can select theory (ies)/concepts from any week – but it is essential that the theory/ies you select are clearly relevant to your chosen song or the image presented below. So without further ado, here are your options… OPTION 1 – WHAT’S HAPPENING IN HYDE PARK? An image of NSW Police surrounding a statue of Captain James Cook This is a photo of police in Hyde Park, NSW, surrounding a statue of Captain Cook. During Black Lives Matter protests, prominently positioned statues of certain historical figures came to be targeted for defacement and in some places around the world, toppling over. As the image above suggests, this became a cause for concern amongst police and political leaders. If ‘discourse’ encompasses signs and symbols as a kind of ‘language’ which sends a particular message – Why might protesters have sought to target statues such as this, and what can this image tell us about who and what is being defended? Draw on 1 – 3 theories/concepts from the course modules in your response. OPTION 2 – THINKING MUSICALLY The other option for your essay is to select one of the songs from the list below and undertake an analysis of its lyrics, as well as any associated videos (music videos, live performances, etc.). Here is a list of songs to choose from: Dua Lipa ‘Boys will be boys’ Miiesha ‘Black privilege’ Pip Millett ‘Running’ AB Original ‘January 26’ Petey ‘Don’t tell the boys’ Birdz ‘Black Lives Matter’ Archie Roach ‘Took The Children Away’ Anderson .Paak ‘Lockdown’ Baker Boy ft. Uncle Jack Charles ‘Survive’ Beyonce ‘Freedom’ Garbage ‘The men who rule the world’ Childish Gambino ‘This is America’ Gary Clark Jr & Kiana Lede ‘Youth’ Camp Cope ‘Jet fuel can’t melt steel beams’ H.E.R. ‘I Can’t Breathe’ If you have another song in mind that you would like to analyse by drawing on course theories/concepts – run it by Joe van Buuren prior to writing up your response. Select 1 – 3 theories/concepts discussed throughout the course to respond to the prompt: “Cultural artefacts such as songs and their lyrics can offer insights into contemporary criminological theory”. Points to Note (for both options) Keep in mind that this is an essay for a course on theory, so demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the relevant course theories, and incorporating it, is essential for this essay. If analysing song lyrics, you can include excerpts from the song as a part of your analysis. If you are analysing statues/images – you are welcome to use similar imagery in your essay if you’d like. This is also a research essay, which means that students must find and use academic research to support their analyses; Students are required to find and use a minimum of 6 scholarly sources, of which at least 4 must be from outside the course readings. This is a hurdle criterion, meaning that significant marks will be lost and students are at significant risk of failing the assessment if they rely only on course materials, or, do not use any course materials at all. Basically – use the course materials, and do additional research too! Scholarly sources should be used to support the theory/discussion concepts in your essay If you have selected the song option, musical ‘cultural artefact’ can be interpreted to include the lyrics, and/or video clips and accompanying visual imagery (including from live performances, album covers, etc) Again – if there is a still image that you would like to use in the essay, you are welcome to do this. Please format your essay in 12 point font (Calibri, Times New Roman, Cambria, Arial, Verdana) with the edges justified, your margins set to 2-2.5cm, and the line spacing set to 1.5.