Rhetorical Analysis: Exploring Media Depictions of Professions
For this assignment, you will be analyzing how jobs in your field or discipline are represented in pop culture through various media, such as film, television, advertisements, recruiting brochures, etc. How do different media characterize people in different professions? Do they paint them in positive or negative light? Are there any stereotypes that these portrayals reinforce or, perhaps, work against? How does the way in which these professionals are represented compare to the reality of that line of work?
Invention/Picking a topic:
Step 2. Think about an occupation/vocation that you’re interested in and brainstorm about the how that occupation is typically represented in pop culture, including any stereotypes or associations that come to mind when you think about this kind of work. If the profession you are writing about is computer science, what kind of person comes to mind? A man or woman? What age? How do they dress? How do they talk? What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses? What other characteristics or personality types come to mind?
Step 3. Now that you have a certain generic image of that occupation in mind, try to think about where that image comes from. Where have you learned about this occupation? How has this occupation been represented or depicted in various media? The goal is to identify a specific cultural artifact that captures how this line of work is or has been represented.
The cultural artifact can be almost any form of media. Here are some examples:
• A television show/movie or character: Consider, for example, the character “Bones,” a fictional forensic anthropologists in the Fox TV series of that name. Or the various first responders in the new series 9-1-1.
• An advertisement campaign or other recruitment material: For example, look at the following San Jacinto College recruitment video’s depiction of a real teacher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=22&v=g1-EMMNJM4E. You could also find a college brochure for a specific program or discipline, either from San Jacinto College or another institution. Here is a U.S. Marine Corps recruitment ad that is another good example of the kind of “text” one might analyze for this assignment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yotXRoLxFdY.
• You could also use a work of literature, a piece of art, or an internet meme: anything that characterizes the occupation you are discussing in a particular way.
Step 4. Study the artifact you’ve chosen and analyze how it characterizes the occupation.
Step 5. In order to put this representation in perspective, you will need to do some research about the occupation. If you haven’t already done so, please read Jones’s article “Reality vs. Fantasy in Occupational Portrayals on the Small Screen” and then take a look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/. This is a good place to find basic information about the occupation you are writing about. You can also search online for newspaper or magazine articles, blogs, videos (like TED Talks, for instance)—just make sure that the sources you consult and use are credible and relevant.
Source Requirements
One primary source: Object of analysis: whether a text, image, television show, film, etc.
At least one secondary source that helps you better understand the occupation you are writing about, which in turn will enrich and inform your analysis. For instance, if you are writing about how computer scientists are portrayed in a certain television show, you might use the following USA today article, which discusses how women are underrepresented in tech industries, both in reality and in fiction: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2017/09/01/google-campaign-more-women-minorities-computer-science-roles-tv-movies-hollywood/622088001/
NOTE: A primary source is an unmediated text, document, or other source of first-hand information. An interview, for instance, is a primary source. In this case, the artifact you are analyzing is your primary source, because you are interpreting its meaning firsthand. If you were to read someone else’s interpretation or analysis of the artifact, that would be a secondary source. In the case, the secondary source(s) you find will be informative articles or essays written about the profession you are researching.
Parameters and Expectations
• Length: 750-900 words
• 12-point Times New Roman font
• One inch margins on every side
• MLA style heading and headers/pagination (unless you specify another standard academic format like APA, Chicago, etc.).
The paper should:
• Be original.
• Include a creative thoughtful title that captures the essence of the paper.
• Include in-text citations within paragraphs and a works cited list at the end of the document.
• Document all sources and let reader know if and when you are borrowing others’ words and/or ideas.
• Always use quotation marks to differentiate between your original words and someone else’s.
• Be free of major errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation; adhere to the conventions of standard written English.
• Be thoughtfully organized with a captivating introduction, compelling body, and contemplative conclusion, as well as clear transitions between topics.
• Have clearly structured paragraphs, each with a distinct focus that builds upon what comes before and anticipates what comes next.
Organization and Content:
There are a number of ways you might organize this essay, but the final draft should have a captivating introduction, compelling body, and contemplative conclusion, and it should include the following content:
• Introduction (can be multiple paragraphs)
o Some kind of “hook” that captures your reader’s attention and reels them in.
o Overview of your topic, setting up the profession you’re focusing on and how that profession is often portrayed and perceived in different media.
o Any background information that your reader needs to understand your analysis.
o Summary/description of “text” being analyzed. You should provide a broader summary up front and then use more nuances details in your subsequent analysis
o Thesis: for this assignment, your thesis is the central claim you are making about how your interpretation of the “text” can help your reader better understand a particular profession or discipline. Your subsequent body paragraphs should all tie back into this underlying claim.
• Body Paragraphs: Analysis of the features, characteristics, and rhetoric of the “text.” Organize body paragraphs around subtopics or distinct foci. Use transitions to connect each new focus to what comes before and topic sentences to announce the focus of the new paragraph
• Your conclusion should both reiterate the main takeaways of your argument and consider what the implications of the argument are looking forward. What questions remain unanswered? How do you see the profession or media portrayals of the profession changing (or needing to change) in light of your analysis? What can this kind of analysis teach us about the way “outsiders” view this kind of work and the people who pursue these professions?