Primary Cultural Text Analysis

Purpose Revolutionary movements produce not only political programs but also cultural products that communicate struggle, identity, and visions of liberation. This assignment trains you to read a cultural object as a historical and political textto analyze how people use images, music, and language to resist domination.

Overview You will select one primary cultural source connected to the weeks themes and write a short analytical essay that interprets it using concepts from the course. Your source may be a: Revolutionary poster or political artwork Protest photograph Song or spoken word performance Film clip or documentary scene Speech, pamphlet, or manifesto excerpt Newspaper headline or political cartoon Mural, graffiti, or other visual text Your task is to analyze how the source communicates political meaningnot to summarize it.

Requirements

1. Choose a cultural text: Select a primary source related to any movement or topic covered in the course. Include an image, link, or timestamp for the source.

2. Write a 2- page analysis (approx. 4500600 words) that addresses: ‘

A. Context (the who/when/where/why): Who created this text? When and under what political circumstances? What movement, community, or event does it belong to? What was the creator trying to accomplish or respond to?

B. Form & Aesthetics: What stands out visually, musically, or rhetorically? What symbols, colors, sounds, or composition choices matter? How does the form shape the message?

C. Meaning & Interpretation: What political message does the text communicate? What emotions or ideas does it evoke? How does it portray oppressed groups, power structures, empire, or resistance? D. Conceptual Connection: Connect your interpretation to at least one course concept (e.g., hegemony, racial capitalism, decolonization, imperialism, Third Worldism, solidarity, nationalism, gender and representation). 3. Works Cited: Include a short citation for your source (link + creator + date is sufficient). If you reference readings or lectures, cite them as well.

Submission Instructions Length: 2 pages, double-spaced Format: Word or PDF

Tips Use your own voice; insight matters more than jargon. Avoid summary. Focus on interpretation. Think like a historian: nothing in a cultural text is accidental. Be specificshow what you see or hear.