We have completed our first module for the course, and we now have our first essay assignment. We will draw upon the sources that have been used in class to build a comparison and contrast of the evidence and concepts that we have examined of the social history of popular music, focusing here on Jamaica and Egypt. Your essay should draw directly and exclusively on our course materials including readings (two additional Jamaicans reading on the “Harder They Come” has been added but are not required), screenings and class discussions; you should not bring any outside materials into direct consideration, discussion or citation. We have covered more than enough material to work with for the purposes of this assignment. Your essay should consider as many of the following themes as possible in detail: a) the top/down bottom/up analysis of popular culture, b) commodification, and power relations (REVIEW/USE CORBETT); c) how these examples of popular music travel transnationally and how such travels reflect and/or shape these societies and their history; d) how is gender identity reflected and/or shaped by popular music within these contexts. Requirements: Essays should be over 5 pages in length and should cite directly any material used (including usage of contributions to discussions) in any consistent format. Note that over 5 pages have been assigned to prevent papers from simply ending at the min. length required rather than drawing full conclusions. Conceptual Advice: As a point of caution – do not develop and present a series of very personal impressions and ideas without clearly and carefully demonstrating the use of historical evidence addressing specific contexts/issues/problems found in our recent readings, screening and discussions!!!!! Also, make full usage of differences that you can identify and explain as well as comparisons and points of inter/connection across these two distinct historical contexts. Finally, I encourage students to gather notes and revisit our sources and discussions, then organize notes and ideas into themes before outlining and writing. Too often students outline then fill in the blanks rather than work through the issues and details to develop their fully distinct writings. Citations Advice: use any consistent format for citing all sources used, including videos and discussions.

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