Requirements:
Write a fully original and titled 5 plus page essay (meaning do not kill your discussion exactly at the bottom of page 5— fully introduce, fully discuss your ideas and evidence, and fully develop your conclusions), in which you: compare and contrast at least three features of how our source materials dealing with Jamaica and Egypt have shown us how the consumption and production of popular music is useful historical evidence. Do not simply retell similar and different details related to Umm K. and Ivan M. as characters/figures/lives, rather, use ideas and examples from these case studies as evidence of the production and consumption of popular music, evidence that will allow you to make/support/clarify larger claims about society, culture and historical experiences within both Jamaica and Egypt.
Your carefully designed discussion must include some coverage of gender expectations/identities and power relations, and at least two additional relevant themes/topics of your choice.
You should only use the required sources that we have worked with in our course for your essay, plus the specific required usage of supporting primary source articles from one database— New York Times Historical File.
Be certain to make use of at least 4 relevant New York Times articles from this database in developing your work. All of these articles should be accessed and assessed through keyword searches in which you hunt for matches/corroboration among the ideas and supporting examples developed in your essay and the issues and events described in the articles of the NYT.
No other additional materials beyond our assigned course materials may be used.
Suggestions:
There are many rich themes/topics of historical evidence to consider in this organizational and problem-solving task. Prepare your essay by gathering your examples and ideas to be able to outline, draft and write. You could think of this as gathering and coding your data.
*You might consider ways in which shifting power relationships, expectations and identities (ex. class, social geography (ex. rural/urban) functioned in these contexts.
*And/or you might consider how the sacred spaces (Koranic School/Evangelical Church) and secular (Cabaret/Dance Hall/Radio) spaces operate these contexts.
*And/or you may want to consider the transnational (ex. how music travels beyond national borders).
*And/or you might consider debates about top-down versus bottom-up (review Corbett’s discussion of Adorno/Frankfurt School versus the Birmingham School) and assess how these contexts confirm or challenge these theories of how popular music works to reinforce the class system within capitalism or to give important voice to forms of resistance. Concerning this last theme, note that if you choose “both” it only shifts the problem around and then you still should be able to explain how and to what extent is it “both”.
These are conceptual suggestions and approaches, not requirements. While I do expect some coverage of gender expectations/identities and power relations, for the at least two additional relevant themes/topics of your choice, I am fully open to the other themes/topics you propose to be interesting and/or important enough for your comparisons and contrasts within this essay. Again, stay away from retelling the contexts and/or reducing the analysis to individuals. Work towards using popular music as evidence that will allow you to make/support/clarify larger claims about society, culture and historical experiences within both Jamaica and Egypt.
Also, as you prepare your essay, I strongly suggest allowing for multiple sessions of browsing and experimenting with varied keywork searches of our excellent free JJ library database- New York Times Historical File.
Lastly, no need to retell general points from these contexts to me (your audience), or to explain definitions from dictionaries. Rather, organize your own thoughts and carefully selected and cited body of evidence to develop your best possible ideas and examples based solely on your work with our assigned materials and specific single database.
Further Details:
Basic advice for how I will grade these essays (12 possible points):
I will grade based on the use of relevant ideas and examples/evidence/support to build a clear, well-informed discussion and fully developed conclusion(s).
To pass, each paper should use at least two references from each film, and at least a reference from every reading, including required NYT supporting sources. Your work should demonstrate that you understand our materials and that you can work with them in order to build your own original analysis. I highly suggest that you use aspects of the Corbett article that you find helpful for framing your ideas and evidence.
Better than average and excellent work should make strong thematic connections (here understood as comparisons and/or contrasts), strong balanced coverage, and to do so with clarity. A better than average or excellent paper will not magically drop dead at the end of 5 pages. Rather, B and A level writings will fully develop their discussion and conclusions. There are no page limits to worry about. Give me everything you can— with clarity.
Videos:
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLfONsv8BEI
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv1Iy26qlLk
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKJOL8JlpH4
