Cultural Analysis Exercise

This in-class exercise could be used in a variety of different writing or composition courses as preparation or prompt for a writing assignment. I will attempt to keep the links active. If you have trouble viewing them, please let me know! You can, of course, substitute the images with your own. I welcome your suggestions. Admittedly, these links were chosen after a rather quick web search.

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Cultural Analysis

Cultural analysis examines texts and images in terms of the culture that produced them. It looks beyond what individual authors or artists have created by examining the larger forces behind them. For example, cultural analysis might ask what lifestyles, values, beliefs, or perspectives the texts and images represent.

Cultural analysis also pays very close attention to the intended audience—and people who might have been excluded intentionally or unintentionally.

Lenin on roller blades? *)

Below are listed some basic questions for a cultural analysis:

Who is the author or producer of the text or image?

What is the purpose or message?

How might different people interpret the message?

What type of text or image is it? Does it belong to any genres or common categories?

How is it produced? What technologies or techniques have been used to create it?

What beliefs, values, ideologies, or points of view are implied?

If applicable, who or what is left out?

What is your personal reaction to this work? Do your group members feel the same way? Why or why not?

GROUP ACTIVITY:

In your group, choose a spokesperson and a secretary. The secretary should record the group’s answers in writing, and the spokesperson will report out at the end of the exercise.

Choose any two works/products from the following list:

“He’s Not Worth It”: http://www.worth1000.com/entries/182500/182993KQspw.jpg

“Now!”: http://www.pepsi.co.jp/history/img/j08.jpg

“Global Warming Is Worse Than We Thought”:http://blogs.zdnet.com/images/chevytahoe3.jpg

A Sunday Observer Classified Ad: http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2002/05/05/c_brides.html

“Eye to Eye”: http://www.subzeroblue.com/archives/2004/07/eye_to_eye_a_palesti.html

“Perfect Teeth”: http://www.perfectteeth.co.uk/

“Be a Perfect Partner”: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife/personal/relationships/perfectpartner.shtml

Analyze each in terms of the culture that produced them by answering the questions above and be ready to share your answers with the entire class. You will also be asked to hand in your written answers to the questions.

*) Image (c) Pics4learning.com