Description: Throughout this semester, we have engaged with real-life stories of people living with mental illnesses. You have seen struggles they may face, the stigma surrounding these disorders, and how representation matters. And, as we know, the proper representation is not always found in media. Your job is to find two fictional media examples which contain mental health representation (the mental health does not need to be the center of the example, but it should not be a passing mention. Find something that explores the mental illness in at least some level of depth). One media example should include, from what you have learned, a poor representation of the illness/disorder/condition. The other should include a good representation. Remember: this project is designed to be a synthesis of the entire semesters worth of material and discussion. As such, your research and argument should reflect this. Be sure to include (for each media example):
1. A thorough description of the media chosen. You dont need to explain the entire plot (for example, if you pick Greys Anatomy, please do not explain all 16+, or however many, seasons to me), but explain it thoroughly enough that someone who has not experienced the media would be able to follow along (for ease: assume I have never experienced the media you choose).
2. A thorough description of the illness represented (diagnostic criteria, prevalence, concerns, theories, etc.) This should not just be a copy paste of what is on my slides. My slides are very surface level. Get into the literature and learn more about the chosen illness/disorder/condition.
3. A thorough description of the typical treatments used for the represented disorder.
4. A comparison of the illness to the way in the media (e.g., depression is like ____, but it was represented as ____). Include all aspects represented (i.e., diagnostic criteria, symptoms, theories, treatment, etc.). If the representation missed a part of the illness, be sure to address that. Again, this is supposed to be a reflection of all you have learned, so show me that you learned something in this class.
5. A comparison of the two pieces of media to each other in terms of how they represent mental illness.
6. A discussion of the stigma/outcomes that can/have come from this type of representation. This part will be mostly your opinion/argument. But a good argument does not stop at I think We have discussed stigmatization throughout the entire semester. Use examples. Find new examples. Find evidence to support your argument. Be good college students and scholars
As an integration, this paper should draw on a variety of sources, including at least 5 scientific articles. To fully capture all of the material, the paper should be at least 5 pages, or the recorded presentation at least 20 minutes, but feel free to include more. Note: The two pieces of media do not need to portray the same mental illness. Have fun and be creative!
Just as with the first project, you have the choice of submitting this as a written paper or a recorded presentation. Below are the grading criteria for the paper. After that, grading criteria for the presentation are listed.
Grading Criteria Paper
Style:
APA Format 3 points
Clear and Concise Writing Styles 3 points
Minimal Grammar or Spelling Errors 2 points
Proper Citations 2 points
At least 8 pages 2 points
Content:
Media example 1 clearly described 2 points
Media example 2 clearly described 2 points
Mental illness 1 clearly described 5 points
Mental illness 2 clearly described 5 points
Treatments (1) clearly described 3 points
Treatments (2) clearly described 3 points
Evaluation of Media 1 4 points
Evaluation of Media 2 4 points
Comparison of media examples 4 points
Well defined and thoroughly thought-out argument 4 points
At least 5 academic sources 2 points
Grading Criteria Presentation
Style:
Engaging and Interesting Presentation (i.e., engaging in content, not cluttered slides, etc.) 3 points
Clear and Concise Speaking/Presenting Style 3 points
Minimal Grammar and Spelling Errors 2 points
Proper Citations 2 points
At least 20 minutes 2 points
Content:
Media example 1 clearly described 2 points
Media example 2 clearly described 2 points
Mental illness 1 clearly described 5 points
Mental illness 2 clearly described 5 points
Treatments (1) clearly described 3 points
Treatments (2) clearly described 3 points
Evaluation of Media 1 4 points
Evaluation of Media 2 4 points
Comparison of media examples 4 points
Well defined and thoroughly thought-out argument 4 points
At least 5 academic sources 2 points
Grading Scale: Total = 50 points
