Sociology 101
Introduction to Sociology
Spring 2002
Dr. Scott SchafferSecond Pop Culture Assignment - South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
Due Date: Monday Apr 8/2001 at the start of class. No late papers will be accepted. In the event of an unforeseeable absence, please e-mail your paper to scott.schaffer@millersville.edu as a Microsoft Word attachment; no other file format will be accepted.
Rules of the Game: This paper must be a minimum of three (2) full and complete pages in length. There is no maximum length for this paper, so you should write until you've completely answered the question. Your paper must be typewritten, double-spaced, on 8 1/2" by 11" paper. Your paper must have a cover page, on which a creative title ("Second Pop Culture Assignment" is simply not creative enough), your name, and any other pertinent information should appear; your name should not appear anywhere else in the paper.
Your paper must be spell- and grammar-checked; papers that have copious errors will automatically lose one full letter grade. Receiving two "spelling and grammar" deductions during the course will translate into a zero (0) on the second assignment and any further assignments after that. You should follow all guidelines in the "How to Write a Schaffer Paper" handout; these guidelines will serve as the basis for my evaluation of your work. And finally, no direct quotations are permitted in this paper; any materials you use to support your argument must be paraphrased and cited following to guidelines in the paper-writing handout.
The Assignment: You should write a well-argued paper that answers the following question:
To what extent does South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut represent a utopian or dystopian view of American society?
In order to answer this question, you need to do the following things:
Outline your idea/definition of "American culture," being sure to give examples and to show what aspects of American culture you’re looking at (i.e., material vs. nonmaterial);
Discuss at least two other issues (one from the Newman readings, one from Dandaneau) we've talked about during this segment of the course (group membership and definition, identity formation, socialization, impression management) and, using examples from the film, show how these concepts or issues are presented in the film (i.e., not just what was shown, but how it was depicted);
Give a clear statement that answers The Big Question, being careful to define "utopian" or "dystopian" and to show why you think South Park represents that kind of view of American culture, as well as what you think the makers would present as their "utopian" view of American society.
Good luck, mes ami(e)s.