[Sue Coe, 1994]

Apply Theory

In this project, I ask you to apply some of the theory we’ve discussed in order to analyze something. I know those terms are vague, but I have designed this project to be as flexible as possible. Overall, in this I ask you to practice applying theory, using it to create analysis.

There are many possible way to create this project. You could apply theory from this course to analysis of a:
tv show
video game
commercial
film
novel
poem
a real-life human interaction (i.e. something ethnographic)
online exchanges
or almost anything else you can think of.

For instance, if you wanted to, you could use Rubin’s theories on “the traffic in women” to analyze the most recent season of The Bachelor. You could use Abu-Lughod’s theories of “saving” to analyze interactions at a community organization where you volunteer. You could use Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality to analyze the 2017 “Women’s March.” These are not suggestions, but just examples to demonstrate how you can pair some theory from this course with a topic worthy of analysis.

This project will likely look much like a “regular” seminar paper. Strong papers will have a clear thesis - an argument around which the paper is structured - with evidence and examples. Please note that in this project you are welcome to argue that the theory you use is wrong or somehow incomplete! To go back to my earlier examples, I could use The Bachelor to challenge or refute Rubin’s theory.