Length: 1,800–2,000 words
For this assignment, you may choose to either write a critical review or to curate a
digital portfolio. The first option is in the form of a traditional review assignment,
which requires you to analyze a cultural product while making conceptual
connections with the course materials. The second option is similar in intent, but
different in application. It requires you to use research skills and conceptual
knowledge to analyze a contemporary topic, while also giving you an opportunity to
creatively express your analysis. Both options involve higher order thinking to
collect and extract information, to use concepts as tools, and to synthesize that
information into a cohesive piece of writing or creative presentation.
Option A: Critical Review
This assignment provides an opportunity to engage with other “everyday” people
who are participating in the processes of international political economy (IPE) in the
areas of cultural production with which students are potentially more familiar:
books, memes, the internet, films, TV, music, etc.
For this assignment, choose an expression of popular culture to review (see
examples below). Write a critical review that develops a critical analysis of the
political economy of globalization based on your selected area of cultural
expression. In your review, you must apply at least three concepts from the course.
You may review any of the following:
• a book (fiction or non-fiction, not from the course required readings)
• a film (documentary or theatrical)
• a theatre production
• an art show
• a cultural event
• or another political activity or cultural form that has been approved by your
tutor
This critical review should take the form of academic book or film reviews. For
further guidance on the structure of a review, see the University of Toronto’s The
Book Review or Article Critique
Your essay must answer the following questions:1. Briefly describe cultural product you will review, and explain why it is
significant for understanding the political economy of globalization. If
possible, include a link to the cultural production or to a description of it; for
example, a gallery link to a description of an art show.
2. Identify and define the concepts from the course that are relevant to your
analysis.
3. Explain how these concepts can be applied to the thing you have chosen to
review.
4. Does the cultural product confirm or challenge the course concepts that you
identified in question 2, above? In what way?
5. Explain what you learned from this exercise.
In addition to the above, make sure to
1. provide definitions of the key concepts and theories relevant to your
analysis.
2. support your arguments with empirical and theoretical evidence from the
Required and Supplementary Readings.
3. illustrate your major points with specific examples and / or figures
obtained from scholarly sources, giving complete citations.
4. cite all of your sources meticulously, for both quotations and paraphrases,
and provide a complete Reference list.
For resources beyond the assigned and recommended readings and media in the
course, confine your research to academic sources and reputable popular
publications (of the sort included in the readings for this course). Provide complete
citations and references. Note that Wikipedia will not be accepted as an academic
source.
Option B: Digital Portfolio
This assignment combines digital information literacy with the practice of critical
thinking and reflexive writing or creative presentation.
Note that this assignment has two parts—you must submit both parts to receive
credit for the assignment. Submit the entire assignment (both Parts) at the same
time.
Part 1
Choose any topic from this course that is currently in the news. Search, identify,
and select pertinent digital sources about the topic that are different in theirapproach and / or methodology. This collection should include at least ten sources,
half of which should be scholarly articles. Other sources can be journalistic reports,
official databases, public lectures by experts in the field, research conducted by
community organizations, reference materials, or any other credible information
sources.
Part 2
Use your collection of articles, images, videos, audio clips, essays, or a mixture of
these sources to gain insight about your topic. Present this information in the form
of an essay, blog, video, or any creative form of your choice while answering these
questions:
1. Explain how and why you chose this topic, and briefly describe the issue.
(200–300 words)
2. Explain how and why you chose this collection of sources. What influenced
your choice of sources? (200–300 words)
3. Assess the reliability of each source, and explain the criteria you applied for
your assessment. (200–300 words)
4. Do you think that the sources in your collection fairly or fully represent the
human record and relevant experiences of the topic? Why, or why not? (200–
300 words)
5. What are the differences in the approaches and / or methodologies applied
in your sources? Did this diversity of perspectives help you arrive at a fuller
picture of the topic? Why, or why not? (200–300 words)
6. What did you learn about the topic from these sources that you did not know
before embarking on this assignment? (200–300 words)
