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During this project, we will discover that essays, books, and articles are not the only things that can be
analyzed. We can also look critically and academically at places and spaces*. Project Space requires you to
consider the social and cultural aspects of places and spaces. You might also look at any socio-economic or
political aspects that may be important.
This project asks you to think deeply about cultural places and spaces in Los Angeles, as well as
the communities, cultures, and subcultures they are connected to, how they affect and define each other,
and how they contribute to the unique cultural landscape that makes up the Greater Los Angeles area.
Major Themes and Questions to Consider for this Project:
Why are certain places and spaces created?
What purposes do they serve?
How and why are they designed the way they are?
How does is a place or space impact the people who live, play, or interact in it?
Are they special or significant to a community of people? Why?
In what way do certain places and spaces reflect or represent certain communities, cultures, and
subcultures?
What are some particularly popular places/spaces? How are they connected to or representative
of Pop Culture? Do these places/spaces start to create their own communities and traditions?
Project Requirements:
1. Do the class readings from Pop Perspectives to get yourself thinking about how to analyze places/spaces
2. Complete Exercise 1: The Place and Topic Worksheet while in class on October 10.
3. Write Exercise 2: The Ethnography/Fieldwork Report. Visit your chosen place/space and experience
it for yourself. Describe the place/space using your 5 senses (sight, smell, sound, taste, touch). Describe
what happened during your visit, including events, people, and other relevant observations. Minimum
length 900 words, MLA format. Due October 17. See Guidelines on the back.
4. Write an Analysis Essay analyzing the connection between your chosen place and its cultural
importance (and/or any other issues surrounding it). Minimum 1200 words, MLA format. Due Oct 31.
See Guidelines on the back.
Project Space Important Dates
Thurs Oct 10: Place and Topic Worksheet completed in class + Readings/Homework Due
Thurs Oct 17: Ethnography/Fieldwork Report Due. Upload to Turnitin.com
Thurs Oct 24: Rough Draft of Analysis Essay Due for Peer Review. Print 4 copies and bring to class.
Thurs Oct 31: Final Draft of Analysis Essay Due. Upload to Turnitin.com
* A note on the terms place and space: For Project Space, we are defining place as a permanent physical location
(a building, a park, a store, restaurant, school, etc) and space as a temporary area or location set up for a purpose (a fair,
a rave, a festival, a farmers market, etc). Space and places can be defined as urban, community, cultural, political, or
personaland they can also be institutional (for example: the university and hospital).
PLEASE NOTE: You can use material from your Fieldwork Report in your Essay Rough Draft, but they are NOT
THE SAME THING. Please do not turn in your Fieldwork Report as your Rough Draft. They have different purposes, and
they should be written differently.
You might also consider: what happens when space that belongs to one culture or subculture bumps up
against space belonging to another culture or subculture? What happens in these border zones?