Popular Culture & Social Life: Assignment 1: Fashion and Lifestyle – Popular Culture Critique Individual Essay

Students will critically account for, and assess popular cultural consumption patterns relating to a fashion and lifestyle topic (yeezy brand) Parts A and B (2000 word minimum).

All assignments should have citations from readings that follow the Harvard referencing system. Also, assignments should be submitted in Times New Roman 12 point font with 1.5 line spacing. All assignments should have the student ‘s full name and SID on the front cover.

Assignment 1: Fashion and Lifestyle – Popular Culture Critique Individual Essay (50% in total) Due Friday 8 November, 2019 (2000 words minimum not including transcript of focus group discussion in Part B). Total minimum word count for BOTH Parts A AND B: 2000 minimum words in TOTAL excluding the transcript.

Part A (1000 words minimum): Choose a fashion or lifestyle based popular culture topic from the world of fashion and lifestyle (use “yeezy” as a brand) and write a 1000 (minimum) word essay giving your own critical reflective account of the topic. You should use at least two references {I will provide them at Additional Materials files}from lecture notes and readings (cited using the Harvard style – see guidelines) in your short essay.
Choose a youth fashion or lifestyle brand from UK, Asia, China, Australia, US or Europe (use YEEZY brand!!).

When analyzing your popular culture example think firstly who says what, how, to whom, with what effect, and for what purpose in terms of the production and consumption of your pop culture example? (for example: how yeezy use the brand to earn money? Celebrity (Kanye West, Adidas)? “Sneakerhead”, attracts which group the most, gradual commercialization of goods, speculation).

Part B (1000 words minimum): Do ONE interview with individual friends OR ONE small focus group of 3-6 people about this brand with your friends asking is it popular in Hong Kong:1. What they know about this brand and how do they know about it – where have they seen it? 2. Who wears or uses it? 3. Where is it from? i.e. nationality 4. Why is it popular and what does that mean?

This will enable you to examine just how popular or not the brand that you have chosen is.
Summarise your interview OR focus group findings in a short report and please attach your brief transcript overview in addition to your 2000 word count from the interview or focus group!