i will paste my teachers instructions here and since in instructions he has mentioned that we should relate the paper to our reading i should say that for our reading so far we had chapters 1-3 from amrecian dream by Hochchilds,we aslo have read many articles including 1)vanity fair, Rethinking the american dream
2)pulido, rethinking environmental racism:white privilege and urban development in southern california
here are the teachers instructionsDear AMST 100 Students,
Your first formal written assignment will be due in your sections. This is the assignment referred to in your syllabus as Assignment 1 Community Newspapers Commentary.
Los Angeles is a city full of very distinct histories that are tied to very distinct communities. As I stated in class, Los Angeles has often been referred to as a collection of suburbs looking for a city. One reflection of that way of looking at Los Angeles is to consider some of its numerous community newspapers.
Perhaps the simplest way to think of this assignment is as a comparative paper, in which you will:
1) Gather and read an issue from 2-3 different community newspapers (i.e., a paper from affluent Brentwood, which is on the westside and Our Weekly, which serves much of South L.A.)
2) Compare how the topics/advertising/headlines/foci, etc. are written about in each community paper
3) Attempt to argue or make a connection/conclusion to some aspect of the class reading weve done by February 27th.
More specifically, a paper MIGHT look like this (please everyone dont do the same topic in the same way, these are just ideas/templates):
a. You decide to read Argonaut, a community paper found in Westchester; The Culver City News; and a community paper found in Beverly Hills. You look at a map of Los Angeles and realize that Westchester and Culver City are are predominantly white areas that are located much closer to South Los Angeles than Beverly Hills and youre curious how that might affect how the papers report on crime in similar or different ways. You might then place your observations within the context of Los Angeles History overall, or you might do some research and place how the papers report on crime or potential crime within the context of the history of that specific area.
b. Another example is that you might gather 1 paper from the San Fernando Valley area and 1 paper from inner Los Angeles and you might decide to compare the advertising in each paper, as a way of examining the differences or similarities to what services are available or not available in certain Los Angeles communities. You might notice, for example, that Cedars Sinai Hospital or USC/LA County Hospital advertises in Comptons community newspaper. Then you do some research and realize that there are very few or no hospitals in South Los Angeles and wonder how/why that could be in a large city like L.A. Then you might do a little more research and realize that there is a history around the provision of medical services in Los Angeles that looks like it is matches certain racial demographics.
c. Yet another example is you might use this assignment as an excuse to travel. You might find out from the internet or a papers editorial offices where you can pick up a paper at a diner. You go to separate locations to get the papers and while youre there you might identify yourself as a USC student and ask a few waiters about the issues that are important to their local community. You might then compare their responses in each case to the content covered in their community newspapers and critique how they seem to or do not seem to match up.
The point is to begin to read the papers critically with an awareness and use of the readings and discussions we have are having in class. Be creative, be inquisitive, be respectful if you go interview people, and have fun. Surprise us.
I have posted a link below of a list of L.A. community newspapers. It does not list every community newspaper (For example, Our Weekly and Argonaut arent listed). But you can decide that you want to compare different areas where papers arent listed in the link. You could then do internet research to find out what their community paper is and where you can get one.
A NOTE: There is obviously a way to do this assignment from internet sources only. However, your assignment will be enhanced measurably if you actually go find papers from different areas. Many are around you, but we often dont pay any attention to the free papers in the stands near Dennys, Target, Libraries, etc.
Enjoy the assignment!American dream by Hochchilds
articles
1)1)vanity fair, Rethinking the american dream
2)pulido, rethinking environmental racism:white privilege and urban development in southern california