Communication
Overview
In your Final Paper, you will apply concepts you’ve learned in this class to a movie of your choice. The paper has two parts:
First, you will demonstrate your understanding of course concepts by giving detailed examples of five course concepts in the movie.
Second, you will identify ways in which one or more of the characters can improve their communication style using what you’ve learned in class about effective communication.
Though you can choose any movie you want, I recommend sticking to one that’s already about relationships… it might make the assignment a little easier. Here are some ideas: Any romantic comedy (e.g., Friends with Benefits, He’s Just Not That Into You, Love Actually), The Last Samurai, The Breakfast Club, The Proposal, The Break-Up, Pride and Prejudice, American Beauty, Pretty in Pink, Mean Girls, The Titanic, Blue Valentine, Unfaithful, My Fair Lady, Into the Wild, The Descendants…
Part 1 – Instructions
Throughout the paper:
Highlight the five course concepts in boldface so your instructor can easily identify them.
Cite your textbook plus four additional sources to support your analysis.
Introduction
Start your paper by summarizing the plot of the movie and specifying the five concepts that the film demonstrates. This introduction should be brief – only one or two paragraphs. Describe concisely the five course concepts that you will cover. In your plot synopsis, do not rehash the entire movie from start to finish; instead provide a high-level overview. Here is an example:
The Breakfast Club is a movie about teenagers who get stuck in detention on a Saturday morning together. They are all from different groups (i.e., jock, popular girl, weird “emo” girl, trouble-maker, geek) and the movie is about the development of friendships between these people who had never spoken before.
Body
Use the body of the paper to discuss illustrations of each of the five concepts in the movie. For example, if I selected The Breakfast Club:
I would explore self-disclosure and describe examples of different points of self-disclosure in the movie.
I would examine identity management, by analyzing instances of presenting self and facework in the move.
Perception is another concept I would address; because each teen comes from a different crowd, they have strong perceptions of each other that they confront throughout the movie.
I would discuss two more course concepts that the movie demonstrates to meet the minimum of five.
Part 2 – Instructions
Conclusion
Finally, draw on what you’ve learned in class about effective communication to suggest ways that one or more of the movie’s characters can improve their communication style. This section should be anywhere from one to two pages.
Length: 5-7 pages
Requirements:
Put the course concepts in boldface so your instructor can easily identify them.
Weave citations to the textbook and four additional sources throughout your analysis.
Include a reference page for all sources you cite.
Include a title page.
Conform to APA style and formatting.
Grammatically correct, error-free, formal, and college-level.
Double spaced, 12 point font, 1 inch margins
MS Word format.
