Icon/Artifact Essay
Topic
For this assignment, choose an icon or artifact that you consider to be emblematic of Southern culture. An icon is a symbol that is considered representative. This could be a person or a thing. For instance, in popular music, Michael Jackson and Madonna are considered iconic artists. An artifact is an object of cultural or historical interest. As you can see, these terms have a bit of cross-over. You could choose a person emblematic of the South, like Elvis. You could choose a food that is symbolic, such as Moon Pies or grits. These are examples, so please feel free to come up with your own item or person.
Instructions
If you choose a person, you should discuss the person’s career and his or her work and its impact on Southern culture. If you choose a symbol, your report should provide a history of the symbol and its impact on Southern culture. How did it come to be associated with or symbolic of the South? For either, you should also discuss the current status. Is it still popular? How do people regard it now? Address why the view of this person or symbol may have changed and what that says about changes in Southern culture and culture generally.
Remember to stick with reputable sources. Wikipedia and general websites are typically not good sources for academic writing. Using your book and/or information found in the Online Reading Units given to you throughout the semester is acceptable. You should also visit the CCCC Library’s HUM 122 guide, found here: http://cccc.libguides.com/southern_culture and UNC’s excellent website, Documenting the American South, found here: https://docsouth.unc.edu/
Remember to treat sources appropriately and CITE them. I prefer that you cite your sources in MLA format.
