PCM 230 / Influence & General Semantics

FinalAssessment
Protest Music
aculturaltoolofpersuasion
STUDENT: Mechele Lewis
FEEDBACK:
Mechele,thisisagreatsubmission!YouranalysisofSara Bareilles song Brave demonstrates
your ability to apply the Characteristics of Protest Music heuristic, in addition to The Map is Not
the Territory formulation, the abstraction process, Ranks Model of Persuasion, and the
Elaboration Likelihood Model.
Youprovidequalitysourcestosupportyouranalysis.Inaddition,yourselfassessmentreflectsa
developingunderstandingofyourlearningandarefinedapproachandprocesstogeneratinga
thoughtfulresearchpaper.
Mechele,ithasbeentrulyanawesomeexperienceworkingwithyouthissemester.Icant
believeyouhaventbeenaPCMmajorallalong!Iwillsay,Ibelieveyouvefoundyour
people.Yourintellectualcuriosityandenthusiasmforlearningarecontagious.Iencourageyou
tocontinuetodevelopyouracademicstyleofwriting,butmaintainthatpowerfulvoicethatis
conveyedinyourwriting.
Thankyouforallofyoureffortsandcontributionstoourclassthissemester.
Kindestregards,
Tracy

ASSIGNMENT&ABILITYCRITERIA
Introduction
ThroughoutyourworkwithinPCM230/Influence&GeneralSemanticsyouhaveapplied
rhetoricalconstructstoanalyzemediamessagesandadditionallyexaminedhowenemiesare
madethroughsimilarstrategies.Foryourfinalresearchpaperyouwillexplorehowpersuasive
strategiesandtacticsareemployedtochallengethestatusquothroughprotestmusic.

Tracy Stockwell 414/382-6239 /corona 213

tracy.stockwell@alverno.edu

PCM 230 / Influence & General Semantics

The Paper
SevenTen(710)pages,doublespaced,1inchmargins,acoverpage,references(aminimumof
10referencesrequired),APAformat(youarerequestedtosubmitaMP3versionofthesongand
instructionswillbeprovidedinclasstocompletethistask.).
Process
Discussworksheet:CharacteristicsofProtestMusic
ViewtheSoundtrackforaRevolution(2009),directedandwrittenbyBillGuttentagandDan
Sturman.
Select one (1) song and artist(s) to focus upon for your inquiry. The documentary is meant to
stimulate your thinking about the potential power of protest music as a cultural tool of persuasion.
You are encouraged to also review the additional links available via the course moodle page
Research the history of the song, artist, and issue.
Find complete lyrics and recording of a song
Compose Paper:
o
o
o
o

Set context. Explain and address the history of the song, artist, and issue. What are the
underlying assumptions and beliefs of your selected protest song? What are the opposing
assumptions and beliefs?
Using the Characteristics of Protest Music worksheet, analyze the song (lyrics and
music). Are any of the characteristics present in your selection? Be certain to provide
evidence of your findings. Please provide the lyrics as an appendix to your paper.
Apply and integrate four (4) or more Influence & General Semantics concepts to your
analysis. The Map/Territory concept is required. How effective/ineffective was/is the
song based upon your analysis and other evidence you have collected?
Please provide a thoughtful introduction and conclusion. Why did you select the song
(valuing) and what sort of action (s) ought to or could be taken as a result of your inquiry
(problem solving)?

A self-assessment will be completed in-class.

Resources (Ten required)

Worksheet:CharacteristicsofProtestMusic
Documentary:SoundtrackforaRevolution
Course Text: Persuasion:
ReceptionandResponsibility,13theditionbyCharlesU.Larson,
2012,publisher:Wadsworth|ISBN10:1111349274
Others
Outcomes

Use language analysis frameworks from general semantics and persuasion to determine
the relationships between and among attitudes, behaviors, and language.

Tracy Stockwell 414/382-6239 /corona 213

tracy.stockwell@alverno.edu

PCM 230 / Influence & General Semantics

Evaluate the impacts of mediated communication on the behaviors and values of

individuals, groups, and cultures.

Research our and others' communication patterns in order to analyze, predict, and critique
interactions.

Validations
ANALYSIS
Level 3

Establishes viable relationships between and among influence and general

semantics concepts and external samples, then explains
them in a way that is logically consistent.

Level 4

Deals with a communication situation or work as a unified whole and

effectively applies influence and general semantics frameworks to explain the
meaning she identifies.

PROBLEM SOLVING
Level 3

Effectively manages inferences and relationships to propose a

solution that is supported by evidence and developed to a point
of clarity for an intended audience.

Level 4

Integrates influence and general semantics frameworks with problem solving

processes appropriate to communication to formulate, generate,
articulate and evaluate solutions.

VALUING
Level 4

Adapts a problem solving process to decision making in such a

way that valuing becomes the informing principle and integrating
process.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Level 3

Examines an issue or event from multiple perspectives to compare

these perspectives in terms of assumptions, beliefs, and actions
taken.

Tracy Stockwell 414/382-6239 /corona 213

tracy.stockwell@alverno.edu