Course Paper
Humanness in the News Media
Instructions: For the course paper, you will be expected to synthesize material from the entire term. To do so, you will be tasked to find a piece of news or news-related media (e.g., newspaper, TV news, etc.) that has some element of dehumanization, objectification, or anthropomorphism (the source cannot be a peer-reviewed journal as this assignment is focused on how the human concept is communicated to the general public). It does not have to be the main focus of the article but must be present in some form (e.g., a quotation from a politician or some other official or a news story about dehumanizing vandalism). The depiction must consist of explicit forms of humanness attribution/denial.
As for source of your news-related media, you may pick any major news related source including international, national, provincial, and local news sources (e.g., Edmonton Journal). Starting this term, I will also decide to allow you to choose sources from a larger content creator on a social media platform. I have expanded this assignment to more independent news and commentary because of its continually growing presence and influence in public discourse. However, the content creation account/channel must be verified on its respective social media platform (e.g., YouTube or TikTok) AND it must not be behind some paywall (i.e., everyone, including myself and the TA should be able to easily access the source material without paying anything).
Also, make sure that the article is dealing with the human concept itself. In the past students have used ones discussing prejudice and discrimination but does not tie it the human concept. This will result in a heavy reduction in points. If you choose an article that does discuss prejudice and discrimination, make sure it ALSO touches on the human concept (i.e., dehumanization). I just want to make this clear because students in the past have written about articles about discrimination but there was no discussion of the human concept in the article itself. Doing so will result in a significantly lower grade. I repeat this twice because it is that important and missed.
Make sure to use terms and concepts from this class and course material, including defining each of the terms and concepts in your own words and draw appropriate links between the source (e.g., news article) and course material. This assignment is supposed to cover the entire course and gauge what you have learned and ability to apply that to real world artifacts, so make sure to showcase it. Also, make sure to define your terms, in your own words, and draw appropriate links to the media content.
Once you find the depiction (some options are provided below), addressing the following points in essay format (i.e., no bulletpoints or numbered sections, appropriate usage of indented paragraphs):
-Describe the depiction and tie it into how it relates to the human concept. If appropriate, use: Evans anthropologies; Haslams dual construct model of humanness; Epleys three-factor theory of anthropomorphism; or other relevant models related to the humanness concept discussed in class.
-Which of the 3 distinct processes would explain this attribution/denial? Support your claim using course material.
-What are the potential consequences of this attribution/denial? Good? Bad? Support your claim using course material.
-If the depiction is based on anthropomorphism, explain how this can be increased (if it is good) or decreased (if it is bad). If the depiction is based on dehumanization, explain how one could reduce such instances of dehumanization.
Format/Additional Requirements (not meeting format guidelines will result in loss of points):
You must use your own words.
APA format but not title page or abstract is needed; References and citations are required
Font: 12 pt. Times New Roman
Margins: 1 (2.54 cm) all around
Page limit: 5-pages maximum, double-spaced
Save and upload file: Save the file as a .docx, .doc., .rtf, or .pdf; preference for .docx) with your last name, first initial and Course as the filename (e.g., for me the file would be SharpMCourse.docx).
Use proper writing style. This includes clarity, punctuation, grammar, and spelling. Also, dont use too long of paragraphseach paragraph should focus on a central idea. There is a penalty of up to 10% of possible points for poor writing style.
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