CMNS 401 (Cultural Policy in Canada) – Analysis of Cultural Policy documents: Federal, Provincial, Municipal

The purpose of this assignment is to analyze a cultural policy document published by an established and publically funded arts organization and consider how the content and context relate to pertinent course concepts.  The chosen document must be available to your tutor – either a text that is readily available on-line or a text that can be scanned and sent to your tutor with your submission. 

You will analyze the chosen document/s for key words and rhetorical techniques and relate these to the core concepts presented in the course material.  This rhetorical analysis, supported by your choice of three on-line rhetorical analysis tools from the tool cupboard, focuses on the rhetorical and linguistic choices made by the authors to convey their main messages.  You will also consider how these texts relate to the cultural policy concepts and theory featured in the course, particularly as these apply to cultural production, promotion and protectionism.

Text Selection

The chosen text/s could take a variety of forms.  Ideally, the chosen document/s will be roughly 2000 words in length and address the mission, vision, mandate, values and/or objectives of an established and publicly funded arts organization.  Note that you are welcome to choose the document/s of an organization that operates at the federal, provincial or regional level. 

For example, you may choose to analyze the mission and vision statements of a regional arts council. An effective choice of document is one that addresses the nature, intention and/or purpose of an arts organization or organizational project. 

Here is an example of a document published in 2007 by Calgary Arts Development entitled “The Current State of Cultural Spaces for the Arts in Calgary - Community Engagement Dialogue Series: Cultural Space for the Arts” that would make an effective text choice (but don’t use this document, find your own J) .  In the case of this document, you would choose a section of 2000 words for analysis.   

Your tutor is available to assist you with the selection of an appropriate text.  Note that an effective starting point is to review the texts available on the sites of organizations with which you are familiar, such as a regional or city arts council.  Again, the chosen text should be at least 2000 words in length to ensure that you have enough material to work with.   

Rhetorical Analysis Tools

Once your texts are selected, delimited, read and annotated, choose your tools from among the content and textual analysis tools in the e-Lab’s Virtual Tool Cupboard. Rhetorical tools serve a variety of functions such as identifying word patterns, linguistic repetition, correlations between and among words used in a text, etc. These tools can be chosen from the list of data analysis tools in the e-Lab; this will assist you to develop the analytical content of your essay.  Note that your tutor is available to help you.    

Another good starting point for your consideration is the  e-Lab’s Rhetorical Theory resource, as pertinent and interactive information is featured there

Assignment Details

A suggested outline is presented below as well as a marking rubric that will be used to evaluate your work.  Your finished paper will be 1600 to 2000 words in length, doubled-spaced and formatted in MLA or APA style; please advise your tutor if you require guidance or resources in this respect.  Note that the Purdue University On-Line Writing Lab (OWL) offers current information on both styles of academic formatting, which could be of great use to you in this respect.  The Athabasca University Write Site also presents useful tools and information on academic writing and formatting.   Before you write the essay, please also carefully read the section in the Student Manual entitled Writing Essays. 

It is essential to include textual proof within your essay; quotes and citations taken directly from the text should appear within your content, properly cited, to support the arguments presented. 

The recommended development sections that follow may comprise more than one paragraph, depending on your writing approach and style.  Your tutor is available to review an outline of your intentions before you begin writing your essay.  Please review the following information on developing and outline before you begin:  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/01/

Introduction – The Rhetorical Situation 

In your introduction, summarize and contextualize the chosen text (or related texts) and their provenance.  In your own words, explain the purpose of the organization and their objectives.  Within the introduction, identify the key elements of the rhetorical situation (author, audience, text and context):

• What is prompting the message?
• What circumstances are prompting the communication? 
• Who is the sender of the message and their intention? 
• Who is the intended audience?
• What is the main message conveyed by this/these text/s and how is this conveyed?

In your own thesis statement, briefly outline the rhetorical approaches you will discuss in your development as well as the content analysis techniques used to deconstruct the text (which on-line rhetorical analysis tools you used).

Development 1

Focus on Content: Rhetorical Analysis Tool 1

Use the on-line rhetorical analysis tools chosen to perform an analysis of the chosen text/s. Discuss your observations and conclusions in this section as they pertain to the subject text/s.  The content and direction of this section will depend on the conclusions you draw based on the results of your analysis.  Key points to consider in this section:

• Which words are repeated?
• What are the relationships between these words?
• Which effects are produced by the use of these words (associations, images, impressions)?
• How does this relate to the main messages and intentions specified above?

Development 2

Focus on Content: Rhetorical Analysis Tool 2

Use the on-line rhetorical analysis tools chosen to perform an analysis of the chosen text/s. Discuss your observations and conclusions in this section as they pertain to the subject text/s.  The content and direction of this section will depend on the conclusions you draw based on the results of your analysis.  Key points to consider in this section:

• Which words are repeated?
• What are the relationships between these words?
• Which effects are produced by the use of these words (associations, images, impressions)?
• How does this relate to the main messages and intentions specified above?
• How do the results from the second rhetorical analysis tool compare to the first (similarities/differences)?

Development 3

Focus on Content: Rhetorical Analysis Tool 3

Use the on-line rhetorical analysis tools chosen to perform an analysis of the chosen text/s. Discuss your observations and conclusions in this section as they pertain to the subject text/s.  The content and direction of this section will depend on the conclusions you draw based on the results of your analysis.  Key points to consider in this section:

• Which words are repeated?
• What are the relationships between these words?
• Which effects are produced by the use of these words (associations, images, impressions)?
• How does this relate to the main messages and intentions specified above?
• How do the results from the third rhetorical analysis tool compare to the first and second (similarities/differences)?

Development 4 – Focus on Rhetorical Technique

In this section, respond to the following questions as they pertain to the chosen text/s: 

• How is the text organized?
• Which principles of effective business writing are used?  Are business writing techniques used?

Note that the Purdue On-Line Writing Lab offers a wealth of information on this topic.   

• How would you characterize the style and tone of the text?

Development 5 – Focus on Rhetorical Effectiveness

In this section, respond to the following questions as they pertain to the effectiveness of the delivery of the intended message.  Use your knowledge of cultural policy and associated concepts as well as your own response to the text/s to guide your response. 

• Do the rhetorical techniques used in the texts compliment the content?
• Is the content effectively delivered through the rhetorical strategies used?
• Does the message succeed in delivering the organization’s main message?
• If so, how does the text achieve this?
• If not, how could the message be delivered more effectively?

Development 6 – Focus on Synthesis of Course Concepts

In this section, respond to the following questions as they pertain to links between the concepts featured in the course and the results of your analysis as presented above.  Note that these questions are meant to serve as starting points only; if a specific question is not relevant to your work, it is acceptable to skip that question.  It is advisable to include relevant material from the course text (properly cited) to support the arguments presented. 

• Are the issues of cultural production, promotion and/or protectionism addressed in this document?  If yes, how so?
• Does this document suggest that there is a threat to the cultural survival of the artists, venues and artistic objectives that the organization works to support?  Explain. 
• Does this document support the concept of culture-as-industry (cultural goods as commodities)?  Explain.
• Does this document suggest that there is a threat to Canadian cultural sovereignty in the region served by the organization?  Explain. 
• In your esteem, does the document serve to protect Canadian culture and cultural production/promotion/protectionism?  Explain.
• Does the document relate to any other key concepts studied in the course?  Explain.

Conclusion

In your conclusion, revisit the main ideas and arguments presented in your paper.  Restate whether you, in the end, feel that the document fulfills its intended purpose.  Consider whether the document effectively addresses all elements of the rhetorical situation: purpose, audience, stakeholders and context.