Analysis/Fieldwork Assignments
Interview a professor in marketing, advertising, communications or some related
field about their knowledge of advertising. What impact does advertising have on
individuals? Why does this matter? Develop a solid set of questions from which
you can draw rich information for your paper and take good notes on their
responses.
Sift through magazines of a certain genre—health, men’s, women’s, children’s,
sports, etc.—and choose a few ads to examine. What do the advertisements have
to say about men, women, children, etc.? What messages are being conveyed?
Take good notes on what you notice….
Watch a certain television show that falls into a particular genre (a reality dating
show, for example). Take detailed notes—what do you notice about the
participants? What do you notice about how the show is organized? What does
this say about our society?
Block an hour of time and observe the commercials that come on during a
particular television show—what do you notice about the commercials? Are the
commercials geared to the show’s intended watchers? How do the commercials
present their information? Again, take detailed notes about what you notice.
Go to a bookstore for an hour or two, and observe the magazines that people are
buying. What kinds of magazines do people buy? Are you surprised by who
bought what magazine? Take detailed notes on what you observe.
Email or write a letter to an expert in television or advertising. Have a specific set
of questions to ask them, being as detailed as possible.
Develop a short survey regarding people’s television watching habits—what
trends do you notice? What do these trends have to say about the individuals, if
anything?