Instructions
Gender & Music Project
Expectations
Your paper should be at minimum 3-4 pages double-spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman with one inch margins.
The paper assignment for this course is intended to help you improve your critical thinking skills and to help you develop deeper connections between the material we are learning and real-life experiences. In particular, you can use this short essay as an opportunity to link the concepts we are learning in class with real-life examples. Music is part of everyone’s life, and it can be quite influential. Considering the ways in which gender is represented in music is an important exercise in the sociology of human sexuality. This course’s paper assignment is designed to help you improve your critical thinking skills and develop deeper connections between the material we’re learning and real-life experiences. You can use this short essay in particular to connect the concepts we’re learning in class with real-life examples. Music is a part of everyone’s life and can have a significant impact. Examining how gender is portrayed in music is an important exercise in the sociology of human sexuality.
Instructions
Pick 10 songs with lyrics that pertain to gender. Carefully consider the lyrics, and answer the following questions:
1. What messages about gender can you identify in the songs?
2. Describe the ways women and men are represented, giving specific lyrics as examples.
3. Do you think men and women are portrayed in positive or negative ways?
4. What kinds of masculinity and femininity are portrayed?
5. Do any of the songs inspire you? Challenge you? Offend you? Explain your answers!
Cite specific lyrics when answering these questions. You are not limited to these questions; they will get you going on your paper, but be creative in your analysis of the songs and see if you can incorporate pertinent points from the readings into your analysis.
Below are examples of songs in case you need help getting started. You can use up to five songs from this list if you want, but at least five songs must be ones you find on your own. They can be from any period and genre. Billboard allows you to easily search for relevant songs:
• Kip Moore, “More Girls Like You”
• Easton Corbin, “A Girl Like You”
• Nicki Minaj, “Anaconda”
• Daya, “Sit Still, Look Pretty”
• Ariana Grande, “Dangerous Woman”
• Ariana Grande, “Positions”
• Aretha Franklin, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”
• Salt-N-Pepa, “Whatta Man”
• Lizzo, “My Skin”
• Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé, “Savage.”
• Lil Nas X, “C7osure”
• Troye Sivan, “Bloom”
• Harry Styles, “To Be So Lonely”
• Billie Eilish, “Therefore I Am”
• Megan Thee Stallion, “Body”
Paper Format
When writing your paper, please follow the format below:
1. Write an introduction that includes the definition of gender and non-material culture (music). Tell the reader what to expect in your project and why you chose the songs that you chose.
2. Write a paragraph for each question below (5 questions). Remember to include song lyrics to prove your points. Use course materials and reference them.
3. Conclusion: what is the main takeaway? What did you learn from this project?
Grading Criteria
Your papers will be assessed for the following:
• Papers should be at minimum 3-4 pages double-spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman with one-inch margins.
• The author highlights necessary points/concepts/themes from the course material.
• The author analyzes points/concepts/themes in an in-depth manner. Examines how gender is represented in their songs of choice.
• The author uses clear evidence from readings/course materials/lyrics and library sources to support.
• All statements/assertions/connections to song chosen.
• The author displays critical comprehension of the points/concepts/themes.
• The paper begins with an introduction describing points/concepts/themes you intend to cover (gender, media representation, music).
• The paper ends with a short summary of your conclusions.
• Paper is the appropriate length and is formatted correctly.
• The paper is well-written with few grammatical or spelling errors.
FAQ
1. Do I need to answer the questions for each song?
You do not need to answer the questions for each song, but rather use lyrics from some or all the songs to answer the questions. You may discover that question #3 can be answered with lyrics from only two of your songs.
2. Do I need to include all the lyrics from each song?
No, only use the lyrics that support your analysis.
3. May I include songs with explicit lyrics?
Yes, you can. I will be the only one reading your paper. As long as the song is associated with gender and sexuality, you can include it regardless of lyrics.
4. Do the songs have to be in English?
They can be in English or Spanish.
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