We live in an era in which Americans are suspicious of authority—and now, the news. A
mounting distrust in our institutions, built over decades of scandals
and cover-ups, has Americans weary of many of the government’s
“official” positions on issues. In the absence of this civic trust has
allowed conspiracy theories to fill the void. These theories arouse our
paranoia and rest on the common belief that we are not being told the
truth. In an era of social media, conspiracy theories have thrived in
recent years. It is idea vehicle for the wide dissemination of
misinformation.
For this reflection, examine two of the following
conspiracy theories. In your examination, explore why the theories were
born and why they persist. Finally, do either of them have any grounding
in reality? Are you a believer? If so, why?
As you know, your English 2 will culminate with an eight-page research paper. Below are the guidelines:
Topics:
Explore the future development of ...
Privacy: The Bill of Rights broadly grants every American
citizen a right to basic privacy. However, advancements in technology have
drastically changed how we define and set boundaries around privacy. Whether
willingly (phone apps and Facebook) or not (NSA spying), Americans have traded
their privacy for convenience and security. What will privacy in America look
like in the future? Will we strive to protect our individual thoughts, habits,
and communications, or will the expectation of privacy eventually become an antiquated
concept?
Religion in America: The United States is still a nation of
believers. However, the religions we practice are shifting, with Protestant
faiths (Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, etc.) set
to become minorities in the near future. Indeed, more Americans are opting out
of religion altogether. According to Pew Research, "Among Americans ages
18-29, one-in-four say they are not currently affiliated with any particular
religion." Will the majority of Americans still practice and celebrate
religion in the future, and, if so, with which religions will we identify?
Endangered Foods: A byproduct of climate change has been the
emergence of so-called “endangered foods.” As a result of everything
from over-harvesting and depleted environments to drought and disease,
foods as diverse as cocoa beans, salmon, and bananas, may be threatened
in the coming decades. For example, in North America, sugar maples (a
major source of maple syrup) are now considered one of many threatened
native species. What would be the impact of losing some of these foods?
Profile three threatened foods (plant or animal), examining both the
cause for their decline, as well as efforts to save them.
Warfare: From muskets and pistols to drones and Humvees, the ways
in which America has engaged in conflict has changed dramatically since its
founding. Today, the US has the most technologically advanced military in the
world, but also spends more on defense than the next 13 biggest militaries combined.
How will that money be spent in the future? How are today’s military
strategies, including counterterrorism and cyberwarfare, shaping the wars of
tomorrow?
Masculinity: The last century saw a radical shift in
America’s perceptions of what it meant to be a man. How are future concepts of
masculinity being shaped? For example, how will social movements, such as
stay-at-home dads, increasing female economic equality, and non-binary genderism, affect what
we expect of 21st century masculinity?
Water: In a 2001 speech, then United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan
warned that "competition for fresh water may well become a source of
conflict and wars in the future." Others, including environmentalists and
economists, have also warned of impending “water wars.” Others disagree,
calling the prospect of future water conflicts both alarmist and fabricated.
Will future wars be fought over water?
Cities: What forces will shape the cities of the future?
Economics? Climate change? Overpopulation? Geopolitics? Are we on the verge of burgeoning
urban utopias or will megacities envelope us in pollution and congestion? How
are architects, designers, and engineers laying the groundwork for the future’s
cities?
Fashion: The future of fashion is about more than just incoming
waist lengths or new silhouettes. Instead, it’s about how technology and
fashion might merge to meet 21st century demands, such as textile renewability
and eCommerce? For example, if our future is to be hotter and more polluted,
then might 21st century fashion gives us clothes that refract harmful UV light or
can read our biorhythms? What does the coming century hold for fashion?
Transportation: How will we move from one place to another in the
future? Hover cars? Maglev trains? Pilotless planes? How transportation
meet the demanding needs of the 21st century? Which of today’s
developing technologies will revolutionize transportation? And what will
be the United States’ role? Will Americans help usher in a new technological
era or watch from the sidelines?
Social Media: We live in a
social media landscape dominated by a relatively few amount of players
(Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, etc.). But as AOL, MySpace,
Vine, and Zynga can attest, social media users are nothing if not
fickle. What will future social media users, particularly those born
after 2000, demand from their social media sites? And are today's
biggest players—many of whom will be two decades old—up
for the challenge? Is the next Facebook on the horizon? If so, what might it
look like? Finally, will non-American social media sites ever gain a
foothold in the US? Might Brazil's Orkut or China's Renren have the opportunity to infiltrate the American market? What is the future of social media?
The Olympics: What was once a cut-throat competition to host the
world's most prestigious athletic exhibition has turned into a
cautionary tale about cities abundantly wasting precious resources with
little to show for it. For example, the Summer Games of 2024 and 2028
began with intense international attention, but after the financial
fiasco of the 2016 Rio Olympics, only Paris and Los Angeles were left
interested. And there was so little interest in hosting a Winter Games
that Beijing—a city averaging only one week of precipitation per winter—was
hastily awarded the 2022 ceremony. With a price tag increasingly out of
reach for anyone but the world's richest cities, is there a future for
the International Olympics?
The Movies: Amidst ballooning budgets and declining box office receipts,
Hollywood finds itself at a crossroads. Increasingly, Americans are eschewing
what was once a cherished national pastime. But why? Inconvenience? Costs?
At-home options, such as Netflix or Amazon? Will theatrical technological
advancements (e.g. 4D, 8K) or increased amenities (e.g. reserved seating, food
and alcohol) be enough to lure back moviegoers? And how will a diminishing
American clientele affect Hollywood’s global outreach? What might the future
hold in store for the movies?
Requirements:
2,000 words minimum—illustrations are permitted, but must be
captioned
MLA Style, including parenthetical citation
Minimum of 6 outside sources—at least 3 from
peer-reviewed academic texts
Works cited page
Include in your research paper:
A thesis outlining a clear argument
An deep analysis of your chosen subject matter
A conclusion that illustrates an understanding of your
subject matter as it pertains to its future development
Timeline:
Week 13: Fri 11.17 - RESEARCH PAPER THESIS & OUTLINE (BRING 2
COPIES)
Week 15: Fri 12.1 - RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PG. 3; BRING 2 COPIES)
Week 16: Fri 12.8 - RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PG. 6; BRING 1 COPY)
Week 16: Wed 12.13 - RESEARCH PAPER (FINAL
DRAFT)
In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first states in the Union
to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Just five years later, several more states—including California—have followed suit. These states are in addition to those that have legalized medical marijuana. Indeed, the mainstreaming of marijuana in American culture has surprised
both advocates and opponents of legalization. And while legalization on
a national level is far from a sure thing, we are closer to it than at
any other point in our history. But what are the implications of
legalized marijuana? What does American life look like when recreational pot use is made
legal? As a society, what could we gain and what might we lose? And what
lessons should we learn from alcohol and tobacco? Finally, how will California's impending marijuana legalization affect you?
Include at least two of the following in your discussion:
Since its inception, Hollywood has been fascinated by the interplay between humans and technology. Today is no different as a variety films, from sci-fi to comedies, continue to explore the consequences of living in an increasingly technological world. Filmmakers, as we know, hold tremendous sway in shaping how we view many aspects of our society, including technology. If presented in a positive light, technology—particularly speculative—can be something to excitedly anticipate. Presented in a more menacing fashion, technology can illicit dread and fear.
Burke’s Dramatistic Pentad offers us a useful tool for deciphering the motivations behind such films. Below you will find eight film clips depicting human-technological interactions. You will use the Dramatistic Pentad to identify specific rhetorical elements in three scenes. Additionally, you will analyze the ratio between two elements.
Directions:
1. Choose three film clips from below. Also, choose one ratio with which to examine all three clips (e.g. purpose-agent, scene-agency).
2. Using the Dramatistic Pentad, identify what you believe to be each of the five elements (agent, agency, etc.) for each scene (or “artifact”), using this model below:
Description: Tony Stark (Robert Downy Jr.) is testing the capacity of
his prototype Iron Man suit. Specifically, he is testing the rocket features of
his suit. After the initial setting is deployed successfully, he decides to increase
the rocket’s output. At first, he finds the increased output difficult to
control. He flies the length of his lab barely in control. Quickly, however, he
finds his bearings and comes to better control his flight.
The Dramatistic Pentad: Act: Tony Stark tests the flight capacity of his Iron Man
suit.
Agency: In order to tests the limits of his suit, Tony Stark incrementally
increases the output of the rockets.
Agent: Tony Stark is the agent as he is the one testing the limits of his suit.
Scene: The scene is a lab belonging to Tony Stark.
Purpose: Tony Stark’s purpose is to master, though trial and error, the rocket
capacity of his Iron Man suit.
3. In one page, examine how your chosen ratio functions in each of the three scenes.
For example, what is revealed by examining the scenes through these specific
ratios? Are there similarities? What are the differences? You might also consider
how this particular ratio informs us versus another.
Choose three of the following scenes for your analysis
"We Made You Cause We Could" from Prometheus (Ridley Scott, 2012)
"Mr. Eddie Vedder from Accounting" from Hackers (Iaine Softley, 1995)
"The Duel" from Electric Dreams (Steve Barron, 1984)
"Do You Know How to Get Out of Here?" from Her (Spike Jonze, 2013)—NSFW
"It's Someplace That Does a Thing" from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004)
"Die, Mutha F--kas, Die" from Office Space (Mike Judge, 1999)—NSFW
"I May Throw Up on Ya" from Star Trek (JJ Abrams, 2009)
"Mecha, Orga" from A.I. Artificial Intelligence (Steven Spielberg, 2001)
