OU Cultural Studies Media Analysis in Kendrick Lamars Album Essay

Learning to critique texts is fundamental to the learning objectives of EDL 204. For this assignment, you are going to conduct a media analysis using a popular film related to education (list provided) or musical album related to social issues (and more broadly education). The main goal of this assignment is to practice analyzing a text using basic terms introduced in class (i.e. ideology, hegemony, etc.) through a critical lens. For this assignment, you will provide a critical analysis of the cultural and ideological assumptions behind a “text”.

Cultural Studies Media Analysis 

A text is more than just written print in traditional vessels such as books and articles.  Text can include words but is also represented through images or interactions. Literacy encompasses our ability to read such texts and might be contested within both “high” culture” and “low” culture. Learning to analyze texts is fundamental to the learning objectives of EDL 204.  For this assignment, you are going to conduct a critical media analysis through popular culture either through a film related to education (list provided) or through a musical album related to social issues (and more broadly education). The main goal of this assignment is to practice analyzing a text using concepts introduced in class (i.e. ideology, hegemony, discourse, democracy freedom, hidden curriculum, cultural capital, Eurocentrism, canon) through a critical lens (think back to week 3).  

This is not a movie or album review, you should not include your opinion on these texts. Rather, your paper should demonstrate your ability to take concepts and ideas discussed in EDL 204 and use these to analyze and be critical of broader societal structures AND to make connections to education.  You might include additional background research around the film /music itself. Who are the writers, artists, directors, producers?  How does their positionality influence the text created? What about the historical moment of cultural production? (i.e., what was transpiring historically at the moment of text production that could have influenced the text and its authors, and producers?) What larger discourses (messages) surround the text? These are some guiding questions to get you thinking deeply.

You should approach this assignment with your SFE lens- as in your analysis should use a sociological lens rather than a psychological one. Specifically address issues pertaining to oppression in society such as, but not limited to, racism, White supremacy, classism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, ableism, etc. as part of your analysis.

Guiding Questions for Song/Album

For a musical album you might focus on 1-2 songs. Include song lyrics as a part of an Appendix.

What larger messages are depicted on this album?

What larger social knowledges are being depicted, if any? What voices are included? 

What might be socially influencing this music and why? 

How does music lend itself to the message of the album?

What are some implications of this album for broader society and education? 

Consider the tone, beat, layers of intensity instruments uses, sampling of songs/speeches, themes and variation as a part of your analysis.

For this assignment, you will provide a critical analysis of the cultural and ideological assumptions behind a “text”.

Album/Song Choices:

Kendrick Lamar – “To Pimp a Butterfly” (2015)

Kendrick Lamar – “DAMN” (2017)

Bob Dylan – “The Times They Are A Changin” (1964)

Beyonce- “Lemonade” (2016)

Solange – “A Seat at the Table” (2016)

J Cole- “Be Free” (single song) (2014)

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis- “White Privilege” and “White Privilege II” (2005/2016)

Common (choose songs)

1. Mos Def (choose songs)
2. Nas – Nas (2008)
3. Talib Kweli- “Hip Hop For Respect” (2000)
4. Jasiri X “American History X” (2010)
5. Jasiri X “Ascension” (2013)
6. Jasiri X “Black Liberation Theology” (2013)

Erykah Badu- “New Amerykah Part One” (2008)

Lauryn Hill- “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” (1998)

Green Day- American Idiot! (2004)

Marvin Gaye- What’s Going On –  (1971)

Kanye West- “Late Registration” (2005)

N.W.A. “Straight Outta Compton”(1988)

Notorious B.I.G – Juicy (1994)

CIRCA MMXI: The Collective  “High Society Collective” (2012)

The Wailers- Burnin’ (2001)

Flobots (Links to an external site.) (choose any songs)

Rise Against- “Appeal To Reason” (2008)

The Clash – The Clash (1977)

The Coup- Genocide & Juice (2006)

Steppenwolf – Monster (1969)

The Roots- Things Fall Apart