Please read the following update very carefully for writing assignment #3 and note that because of the revised instructions, I have pushed the due date back by 2 additional days to April 2:
A minimum of 4 pages in length (double-spaced, 12-point new times roman font) and utilize a minimum of 4 academic sources (see specific instructions for each assignment below). Assignments should not exceed 5 pages of written work in length (this is an absolute maximum). Students must include a bibliography and “proper in-text citations” (either Chicago or MLA must be used). Academic sources are required for each assignment. Please note thatthe use any AI assistance on written work (such as ChatGPT) is NOT permitted. Each written assignment will be worth 15% and the instructor will provide a writing tutorial in class prior to the due date of the first assignment.
Instructions:Writing Assignment #3 (due Apr 2): Religion & Popular Culture
- The third writing assignment will examine the depiction of an Indigenous tradition from a specific TV show or film. The purpose of the assignment is to explore how popular culture portrays Indigenous life, ritual, practice, belief, and/or culture. The following questions should be considered in the assignment: How is Indigenous religion depicted in the show? Is that depiction accurate or does it include certain stereotypes? What is the overall tone or message about Indigenous traditions in your example? Students will also be expected to incorporate the textbook and one specific academic article (an article on religion and media theory), which is listed below and accessible online via the UM library. Students can select their own TV show or film or use any of the examples from the links below, which we viewed in class.
Links for RLGN 1324 on Media:
Simpsons Movie Throat Singing Scene:
Family Guy:
The Proposal:
Reservation Dogs:
Paul Rabliauskas on Acting Good:
Select ONE of the following articles as Required Reading (both available for free online through the UM Library):
#1 – Hoffman, Elizabeth. American Indians and Popular Culture. Praeger, 2012.
Online edition available via UM library
Volume 1: Chapter 9 “Ubiquitous American Indian Stereotypes in Television by Frank White
OR
#2 – The Routledge Companion to Indigenous Art Histories in the United States and Canada
Chapter 25 “Decolonizing Representation: Ontological Transformations Through Re-Mediation of Indigenous Representation in Popular Culture and Indigenous Interventions” by Stephen Foster and Mike Evans
*Students MUST consult at least one of these chapters in addition to the textbook in their analysis for writing assignment #3 and use proper in-text citations.
Consider issues such as: depiction of Indigenous people, beliefs, and practices, the importance of self-representation, the role of comedy, and the various stereotypes and common tropes about Indigenous peoples. Be sure to apply some of the conclusions from the academic articles and textbook in your analysis of a specific media example.
