For your analysis paper, simply watch a television show. It can be any show, but it must be a sitcom and you have to run it by me first. You can find full episodes on YOUTUBE.

You are watching to identify how they depict the parents on the show.

Your principle of analysis is to study gender roles depicted on the show using the discussion topics: gender jokes, household chores, jobs, parenting.

Thesis:

1st topic sentence paragraph (or two): gender jokes

2nd topic sentence paragraph (or two): household chores

3rd topic sentence paragraph (or two): jobs/what’s important

4th topic sentence paragraph (or two): parenting/what’s important

You must use examples from the weekly module in your paper to help prove your points.

This means a work cited page (study tutorials).

Introduction: Introduce your show and the principle of analysis you will be using. Provide a thesis or slant on the subject. i.e. Through the use of jokes, household chores, priorities and jobs, “Modern Family” attempts to blow up the cultural stereotypes to show how difficult it is to change gender roles in this culture’s family structure.

Middle: Prove your points by discussing the show through the topics of the discussion board. Use examples from the weekly readings in your analysis. Stay on each topic paragraph (nothing about jobs in the parenting paragraph etc.)

Conclusion: Leave your audience with an explanation of what you just taught them (me) about gender roles in tv sitcoms.

MLA style – 5-7 pages.

Notes on Division/Analysis

A chemist working on a way to improve the product – she breaks down the soda into parts and the components of the soda are revealed, understood and ready to be better.

Division or analysis is an instrument allowing you to slice a large and complicated subject matter into smaller parts that you can grasp and relate to one another. With analysis, you comprehend and communicate the structure of things. When it works, you find in the parts an idea or conclusion about the subject that makes it clearer, truer, more comprehensive or more vivid than before you started.

Find your principle of analysis:

The outcome of the analysis depends on the rule or principle used to do the slicing.

In this case you are using gender roles.

Psychologists use Freud methods, others thought, others body etc etc.

Psychologist looks at an individual as primarily as a bundle of drives and needs, whereas sociologists may emphasize the person’s role in society. Once you have defined your principles your ways in you tear it apart using these principles.

Although it always works the same way – separating a whole, singular subject into its elements, slicing it into parts. Chicken, wings, things legs, TS Eliot allusions, metaphors. Like slicing a pie. You did this in your discussions this week.

Infer: hidden meanings

Assumptions: defining the essence of what you are looking at. Critical thinking on beauty pageants. Look at the pieces. This leads to media literacy. To be able to breakdown what is underneath the surface. You do this every day of your life already.

This method of Analysis can help you understand a sculpture or painting, or a response to a Presidential election or lead to straight thinking about TV, pop culture and yes, mothers and fathers.

Your job: separate the subject into its elements, to infer his meanings, to explore the relations among them, and draw a conclusion from the subject.

What about your subject is curious, mysterious? Awful? What is the purpose in writing the subject explain it argue for or against it? Heading towards a true representation, and not a twisted, diminished, inflated.

Hunk of bronze in the park? Why do you like the sculpture? Or why don’t you? What is the point of such public art? What does it do to the park? These question suggest a slant. A framework and a purpose for writing.

Evidence: Whatever it is you are analyzing – physical details of the sculpture – reaction from other park lookers – all these leading to your PURPOSE thesis. Keep the subject in front of you.