Research Paper: A Ten Page Case Study of Propaganda

Assignment Summary

Paper #4 is your research paper; its purpose is for you to explore in depth, through one unified context, the topic of propaganda--what it is, how it is created, why it is created (whom it benefits and at whose expense), what its impact is (immediate and long-term), and how it can be resisted once recognized. A case study approach means that you must become educated about a particular time period and series of events in US or world history when propaganda was evident.

You will need to submit a case study topic proposal to me (see the format below). Once your topic has been approved, you may proceed with your research.

NOTE: Begin the process early of doing preliminary research (reading) to discover where your interests lie. I will ask you for a preliminary annotated bibliography as part of your research proposal

NOTE: You will also find useful information about writing your research paper on the Research Paper Tips and Resources link.

I expect your research paper to be ten pages (no more than that) excluding your abstract and your Works Cited page. The Works Cited page will list your written sources and the abstract will summarize the focus of your research and your major findings.

I expect you to have at least eight diverse and reliable sources, documented in MLA style through in-text citation. You may not have more than 4 of your sources come from the Internet.

The research paper is where your Library 10 skills kick in, so be sure to thoughtfully work your way through the Library 10 curricula!

Here is the wording of the assignment:
Write a ten page MLA formatted and documented research paper with abstract (doublespaced, 1" margins, 12 point typeface) which presents a detailed case study of propaganda, either in US or world history. Your research paper should throughly educate your reader by providing answers to these critical questions:

What makes your case study an exemplary illustration of propaganda at work?

Who were the persons, organizations, etc. in control of creating and marketing the propaganda?

Who were the target audiences the propaganda campaign was aimed at?

Why was the propaganda campaign created (e.g. for what purpose/in support of what goals)? Who was designed to benefit from the results of the propaganda campaign (whose interests did the campaign serve? whose interests were harmed?)?

What results/impact did the propaganda campaign bring about and for whom? Did the campaign achieve its intended effects?

How did the propaganda campaign attempt to bring about the desired effects/outcomes? What specific tactics, tools, mechanisms were used to disseminate the information, to persuade the target audience toward a particular view or course of action?

What resistance was there to the propaganda campaign and from whom? How did opposition forces resist the campaign? How successful were they?

How did the propaganda campaign ultimately end? Did it fall about from within? Was it defeated externally by opposing forces?

What lessons can we draw from an examination of this case study of propaganda? How can we learn to become more critically aware of propaganda, its purpose, manifestations, consequences, etc.? And why should we care about becoming more critically aware?

Here are some possible propaganda case studies you could consider choosing from:

the Vietnam War (the media coverage, the government's packaging of the war to the public)
the Cultural Revolution under Mao in Red China
the Japanese Internment of American citizens during World War II (how were American citizens reconceptualized as enemies of the state?)
the Holocaust (techniques used to revision human beings as parasites, disease; the concept of the "master race"
groups such as the Jonestown followers, David Koresh's Branch Dividians, Marshall Herf Applewhite's Heavens Gate, Shoko Asahara in Japan--how are members recruited? how are their minds molded? how does propaganda from the leadership create an environment of control?

Case Study Topic Proposal Plus Preliminary Annotated Bibliography

I expect you to email me detailed answers to the questions below. I will consider approving your proposal and preliminary annotated bibliography or asking you to make modifications:

#1--What is the focus of your case study? State this in one or two well structured complete sentences with active verbs.
Example: My research paper explores how a carefully orchestrated propaganda campaign propelled Senator Joseph McCarthy to power--and eventually led to his demise--during the cold war, anti-Communist period of 1950's America.

#2--What specific answers will you attempt to provide regarding your case study topic?
Example: My research paper will provide answers to how McCarthy used propaganda to fuel his political ambitions (the specific techniques and tactics he used), how the propaganda was disseminated (through, for example, the highly visible Army-McCarthy Congressional hearings), who the propaganda was targeted toward (for instance, members of the Hollywood establishment)...

#3--Why is this case study interesting to you and to your readers?
Anti-Communist propaganda in 1950's America sowed the seeds for our policies of interventionism in places like South-east Asia. The sentiments roused by McCarthy and others were key factors in influencing decades of American foreign policy predicated on stemming the perceived threat of Communist expansionism, culminating in the disasterous miscalculations of US policy in Vietnam. Understanding how propaganda was the fuel behind manipulating public perception and gaining support for the military-industrial complex is essential knowledge for any student of 20th century US history.

#4--Write an annotated bibliography of three sources with at least three summary sentences describing each source.. Consult the following example, Jesse Kirk's Annotated Bibliography of Joseph McCarthy, to see what an acceptable preliminary annotated bibliography looks like (please note the lack of proofreading in Mr. Kirk's work and seek to avoid it when submitting yours). Be sure that your preliminary annotated bibliography includes all necessary information to identify your sources (titles, authors, publication dates, publisher, etc.) and that your sources are: a) credible/reliable b) appropriately current (not outdated) c) objective/unbiased

Homework #3: Writing the Research Paper Abstract

This homework assignment is worth 15 points and entails writing an abstract of your research paper. An abstract is a succinct yet detailed synopsis explaining the focus of your research paper and the major questions it addresses. Your abstract must be a minimum of 7 sentences. Consult the Abstract for McCarthyism Paper for a sample of what you are aiming to produce.

I will grade your abstract according to these criteria:

The 15 point abstract: follows to the letter the requirements of the assignment (including specified number of sentences). The abstract demonstrates the writer's ability to summarize in a detailed, clear, and logical fashion the focus of his/her research. The abstract also clearly demonstrates the writer's near flawless command of written English including grammatical usage, sentence structure, mechanics, and diction.

The 12 point posting: also provides all required components as specified in the assignment directions; however, the summary, while strong, lacks the depth, clarity, or organization found in the 10 posting. The writer's abstract may also not be worded as eloquently as possible. The 8 posting displays a firm grasp of written English but may include an isolated grammar mistake. No sentence structure mistakes are evident and the readability is still quite high.

The 10 point posting: represents marginal or uneven quality. The writer may not have provided all specified components of the assignments. The abstract shows only a skeleton, minimal level of detail. The organization may also be rough in places, causing a lapse in coherence and readability. The 6 point abstract may also contain frequent problems in language use, demonstrating the writer's lack of command over grammar, sentence structure, diction, and mechanics.

The 5 point abstract: is deficient in nearly all of the required features of the assignment. The low quality response may be due to a lack of effort, a failure to understand the assignment directions, a failure to provide required information, unreadable prose. The "3" score indicates the need for instructor and student to have a conference.

Sample MLA Research Paper on McCarthyism

This paper was produced by a student in a prior English 1A course. We will go over this paper to point out the writer's use of summary, paraphrase, and quotation, MLA in-text citation, Work Cited page, and Abstract. I consider this paper to be of high quality and will accept comparable or superior quality from you to earn an "A" or "B".

Sample Student MLA Research Paper

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