Section 4:10pm: Writing Assignment for 5/7
This will be DUE by the end of your assigned section (5pm) on May 7th.
Please copy these questions/prompts in your comment below, including your response.
- Name:
- Object:
- Visual Description of Object:
- How do you plan to analyze your object?
[i.e. what style do you use in writing about your object? what analytic approaches do you take (historic, aesthetic/artistic, discursive/textual)?]
- What article (please name the author and title of the article) from your course reading reflects a style of writing or analytic approach that you would like to use in writing about your own object?
[i.e. what article inspires you through writing style, method or methodological approach, etc.?]
- Describe your experience with your research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you? Have you found the articles you will be referencing in your paper? If so, what are they and what work are they doing?
- Please write a draft of your first paragraph here. Even if you have not yet written this, please use this as a space to play with the opening paragraph.
** The first paragraph includes: a first sentence that hooks the reader, naming the object right away, providing a little background on what the object is, perhaps some pertinent general and introductory writing on the object, and finally a thesis or argument statement that comes at the end of the first paragraph. The thesis is where you present how and in what ways you will analyze your object. You can use the first person in this paper, as YOU are the one crafting the argument of this paper and it is coming from your own ideas and research.
Example Thesis:
To account for how computers impact communication and the sharing of knowledge, I investigate how the computer has shifted form over time due to advances in technology, aesthetics, and user's needs.
Please copy these questions/prompts in your comment below, including your response.
- Name:
- Object:
- Visual Description of Object:
- How do you plan to analyze your object?
[i.e. what style do you use in writing about your object? what analytic approaches do you take (historic, aesthetic/artistic, discursive/textual)?]
- What article (please name the author and title of the article) from your course reading reflects a style of writing or analytic approach that you would like to use in writing about your own object?
[i.e. what article inspires you through writing style, method or methodological approach, etc.?]
- Describe your experience with your research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you? Have you found the articles you will be referencing in your paper? If so, what are they and what work are they doing?
- Please write a draft of your first paragraph here. Even if you have not yet written this, please use this as a space to play with the opening paragraph.
** The first paragraph includes: a first sentence that hooks the reader, naming the object right away, providing a little background on what the object is, perhaps some pertinent general and introductory writing on the object, and finally a thesis or argument statement that comes at the end of the first paragraph. The thesis is where you present how and in what ways you will analyze your object. You can use the first person in this paper, as YOU are the one crafting the argument of this paper and it is coming from your own ideas and research.
Example Thesis:
To account for how computers impact communication and the sharing of knowledge, I investigate how the computer has shifted form over time due to advances in technology, aesthetics, and user's needs.
- Name: Olivia Davidson
ReplyDelete- Object: The High Heel
- Visual Description of Object: Tall woman's shoe, comes in many different shapes and sizes. Leather, suede, or stained fabric. Peep toe, closed toe, or straps. Wedge, stiletto, or chunk heel.
- How do you plan to analyze your object? I plan on using a historical yet discursive method to analyze my object. I want to use language that will not only be understandable by my audience, but also use language that is worth of their attention.
- What article (please name the author and title of the article) from your course reading reflects a style of writing or analytic approach that you would like to use in writing about your own object? I felt that Amy Stewart's article "Flower Power" was indicative of the style of writing I would like to use to write about high heels. I liked the way she outlined her topic and made it her points clear and understandable.
- Describe your experience with your research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you? Have you found the articles you will be referencing in your paper? If so, what are they and what work are they doing?
Researching has been a little hard. When you generally search topics about high heels, many shopping websites come up. It takes a while to find literature about the heel. I have found some articles: "How High Heels Have Changed Over The Last Century," by Juli Alvarez, "High Heels," by Gillian Holmes, and "History of the High Heels: It wasn't always a woman's shoe," by Emma Wynne. I do believe I will be using these articles in my research paper. So far, I think these articles will simply provide me with more background and have less influence on the opinion/ stance that I will be taking when posing my argument.
First Draft of Opening Paragraph:
There is something alluring about a woman wearing heels. The clicking sound she makes when she walks with authority. The strong posture she takes on as soon as she stands. The sight of a woman in heels can convey power, but what other connotations can heels portray? There are many variations of today's high heel. There are classic close-toed, leather, medium height heels which are typically worn in the workplace. There are heels that have multiple straps and sparkles that can be worn to a high school dance. There are heels so tall, so short, so bland, so colorful and almost every kind of heel can give you an idea about the person wearing them. These associations that one makes based off someone's shoe, stem from the ever-changing social views that women have succumbed to throughout history. I will investigate how society has shaped the view of high heels in terms of gender roles, sexuality, and self expression over the course of history.
Name: Emily Pan
ReplyDeleteObject: contact lens
Visual Description of Object:
- The contact lens is a curved layer of hydrogel made to conform to the visible part of the eye.
How do you plan to analyze your object?
- I plan to analyze my object through researching the history of the contact lens: how the contact lens came about, how the contact lens is made. From there I'd like to explore the types of contact lenses available: corrective lenses, cosmetic lenses, and therapeutic lenses, to name a few. I may research possible health complications arising from improper usage of contact lenses.
What article (please name the author and title of the article) from your course reading reflects a style of writing or analytic approach that you would like to use in writing about your own object?
- Pat Kirkham's “Humanizing Modernism: The Crafts, 'Functioning Decoration' and the Eameses,” 15-29 is an article from the course reading that employs the type of writing I'd like to use in my research paper. I noticed that this article clearly outlines its main ideas and provides facts and details on each subtopic. I think that this would be a good way to approach my research paper, by outlining which subtopics of contact lenses I'm interested in researching and then expanding on those subjects.
Describe your experience with your research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you? Have you found the articles you will be referencing in your paper? If so, what are they and what work are they doing?
- I actually haven't outlined my research paper yet and am planning to do so this upcoming weekend. I think some challenges that may come up could be keeping the reader interested while discussing the history of the contact lens and finding up-to-date articles on contact lenses. For the "My Object" section on the midterm, I found three credible sources, as cited below:
“A Brief History of Contact Lenses.” GP Contact Lenses, www.contactlenses.org/timeline.htm.
“Science Museum. Brought to Life: Exploring the History of Medicine.” Adolf Eugen Fick (1852-1937), broughttolife.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/people/adolfeugenfick.
“Why Silicon Is Abundant in Earth Surface” Geology - Why Silicon Is Abundant in Earth Surface? - Earth Science Stack Exchange, earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/7760/why-silicon-is-abundant-in-earth-surface.
The first source listed above provides a brief outline on the history of contact lenses. I plan summarize how the contact lens evolved from its transition from glass to hydrogel. The second source details a biography of the inventor of the contact lens, and the third source discusses the materials that make up a contact lens.
Please write a draft of your first paragraph here.
- The contact lens - a small yet complex layer of hydrogel that many people hardly think about in their day-to-day lives - acts as a bridge for many to see the world with ease and convenience. First produced in 1887 by Adolf Eugen Fick in Germany, the first contact lens, surprisingly, was not made from plastic but rather from glass, and was designed to cover the entire and not merely the cornea ("A Brief History of Contact Lenses"). Though it was a few hundred years before, the first contact lens was conceptualized by Leonardo da Vinci in 1508 and is currently mass produced across the United States ("A Brief History of Contact Lenses"). The contact lens's transition into everyday life poses many questions: what role do contact lenses play in popular culture and what influence do they have on quality of life? To whom and to what effect can advertisements create a positive image for contact lenses? Through the research of the role of contact lenses in everyday life and popular culture, I explore the history of contact lens manufacture, including the materials used to create a lens; the proper usage as well as complications that misuse can create; and the different means in which contact lenses has evolved through technological advancement and advertising.
Name: Jonathan Brand
ReplyDeleteObject: The Hamburger
Visual Description of Object: It's not too difficult to visualize a hamburger-- a beef patty between two pieces of bread, normally with some creative set of additional ingredients included inside the bun.
How do you plan to analyze your object? I will be focusing on the company White Castle, which is the first American fast-food chain, and continues to sell hamburgers today. Because they set the precedent for all fast-food restaurants to follow, I will be exploring the historical influences that led White Castle (and therefore many other fast-food restaurants) to make their hamburgers in certain ways, and to design their storefronts in certain ways. I will mostly be using a historical approach to analyze the topic because by the end of my research I will be able to put together a timeline of hamburger history.
What article from your course reading reflects a style of writing or analytic approach that you would like to use in writing about your own object? I really enjoyed the writing style used by Claude Fischer in "America Calling: A Social History of the Telephone to 1940". There was a very clear-cut timeline in this article, and I think I might be able to structure my paper in a similar fashion.
Describe your experience with your research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you? Have you found the articles you will be referencing in your paper? If so, what are they and what work are they doing? My research has been going fairly well. The only truly frustrating challenge that has come up in my research is the fact that the origins of the hamburger are shrouded in obscurity, and despite many adamant claims, no one knows for sure who made the first hamburgers. There is no doubt then, that talking about the hamburger as a historical item will be difficult at first, because its historical beginnings are not clear. This means that I need to make an important decision when writing my paper: either I will introduce a large number of claims about who invented the hamburger, or I will only introduce the most likely story of the invention of the hamburger. On that note, I have found plenty of references regarding the oldest stories of hamburger history, which I will likely use in my paper. I have also found a lot of recurring themes online about White Castle, and their role in shaping the fast-food business. The most important points about their influence will surely make it into the paper.
First Draft of First Paragraph:
The hamburger is among the most American of all foods, but where did it come from? Was it invented in Hamburg, Germany, or Hamburg, New York? Was it created by a savvy businessman, or by a poor factory worker who needed to eat a meal while standing up at the job? And why have Missouri and Oklahoma both independently written legislation to declare themselves the original home of the hamburger? Without a doubt, the hamburger was an amazing invention, and led to the sudden rise of the fast food industry in America, so it is no surprise that a lot of people want to take credit for such an influential object. But the history of the hamburger contains so much more than just the individual who invented it. The story of the hamburger's invention, and its rise to power as an American food is also the story of American business, advertisement, store design, and culture. To uncover this complete story, I will explore the history of the hamburger through its creation, its relevance in the United States, and the impact it has made on American industry.
- Name: Toumong Xiong
ReplyDelete- Object: Bicycle
- Visual Description of Object: A metal frame with two wheels attached, allowing the user to mount the frame and use a crank to drive the user and the bike forward.
- How do you plan to analyze your object?
[i.e. what style do you use in writing about your object? I plan on writing about the history of the bicycle, as well as how it has evolved over time and branched out into so many different types of bikes, each serving a different purpose.
- What article (please name the author and title of the article) from your course reading reflects a style of writing or analytic approach that you would like to use in writing about your own object? I think in terms of writing about the bikes history, the article about the refrigerator titled "How the refrigerator got its hum" by Ruth S. Cowan best fits my desired writing style. In the article, there are lots of details about each version of the refrigerator, gas and electric, and how the industry shaped one into dominance. The article also contains a lot of societal context that I don't think I will touch on a lot, but that is always an option. I am more interested in how the bike came to be, and how the industry discovered which frame style was best for what activity.
- Describe your experience with your research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you? Have you found the articles you will be referencing in your paper? If so, what are they and what work are they doing? Finding any sort of article that provides historical context to the bicycle is already a tough challenge. I have found one that has some pretty useful information about the history of the bike, but that one is really the only one that I found. The history of the bike is also kinda vague, so it's hard to gather concrete facts.
- Please write a draft of your first paragraph here. Even if you have not yet written this, please use this as a space to play with the opening paragraph.
** The first paragraph includes: a first sentence that hooks the reader, naming the object right away, providing a little background on what the object is, perhaps some pertinent general and introductory writing on the object, and finally a thesis or argument statement that comes at the end of the first paragraph. The thesis is where you present how and in what ways you will analyze your object. You can use the first person in this paper, as YOU are the one crafting the argument of this paper and it is coming from your own ideas and research. Most of us have memories of scrapes and bruises from falling off a bicycle as a child. Inevitably, we get back up and back on the bike until we've learned to ride without training wheels or the watchful eye of our parents. Soon, we're zooming around the neighborhood without a thought or care in the world. But, how exactly did the bicycle come around? At first, it may not seem like it, but with closer inspection, bikes are actually a technological marvel. Bike consist of a frame, usually of some metal, with two wheels attached on behind the other. The frame is mountable, and the bike is moved forward by a crank powered by the users feet. The user can steer himself using a handlebar at the front of the frame that is connected to the front wheel. Modern bikes contain a variety of parts that must all move in harmony in order to work, but were bikes always like this? The appearance of the first bike dates back to the early 1800s and was a much simpler design. Today, bikes come in all shapes and sizes that can be bought or built from the bottom up for a more personal experience. The rise and evolution of bikes did not occur however without a passionate nationwide community that always sought for better and faster bikes, driving the industry forward.
- Name: Renee Berkus
ReplyDelete- Object: Toothpaste
- Visual Description of Object: Typically in a tube or a small bottle. Generally white or blue in color, sometimes with white blue and red stripes. The color of the toothpaste is often associated with brand identity with Colgate being opaque white creme and Crest being a speckled blue gel.
- How do you plan to analyze your object?
I plan to write about my object in a historical context, and to take this information and discuss how it has contributed to American standards of hygiene and aesthetics throughout this last century. I will mainly focus on the launch of the Colgate brand and its methods of advertisement. Looking at the introduction of toothpaste into society from the perspective of the producers will help in the understanding of how objects become mass produced and "viral".
- Article of Influence:
America Calling: A Social History of the Telephone to 1940, Author: Claude S. Fischer.
I want to emulate the same style of writing seen in this article because I think the Telephone and toothpaste can be viewed as similar commodities in the sense that they are mass produced, monopolized industries that have become absolutely essential to American daily life. I think Fischer does a good job of telling the story from the perspective of Bell (AT&T) while also discussing the object itself. The article emphasizes the cultural implications of the object across a timeline.
- Describe your experience with your research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you? Have you found the articles you will be referencing in your paper? If so, what are they and what work are they doing?
So far it has been somewhat difficult determining the exact order of events of toothpaste's more recent history. The majority of sources that I have read thus far all align well on ancient history of toothpaste but differ in the accounts of modern toothpaste. Perhaps this is because I have been looking at biased sources that aim to credit certain individuals or brands over others. The article "An Introduction to Toothpaste - Its Purpose, History and Ingredients" by Frank Lippert seems to be a reliable source for both the history of the product and its composition. The Article " The History of Oral Hygiene Products: How far have we come in 6000 years?" by Stuart L. Fischman supplements the history and in addition follows the advertisement campaigns of each era of toothpaste. Fischman discusses how toothpaste was originally used to prevent tooth decay and rot, but as technology improved began to also target more fine tuned issues such as plaque, gingivitis, bad breath, and stain removal.
First Draft of First Paragraph:
Throughout human history, societies have adopted the use of dentrifices, now commonly known as toothpastes, for the purposes of cleaning and strengthening teeth, preventing disease and decay, improving the odor of breath, and brightening the image of smiles. Groups of people have come up with absolutely absurd mixtures of ingredients in the creation of dental care products, and these products have varied widely across time. Modern toothpaste was essentially invented in the late nineteenth century with the introduction of Colgate "Dental Creme" (Fischman 2000). This marks the first time that the product was marketed for habitual use and thus it became an expectation in society. I intend to explore the transition of this product from an optional step to a socially demanded routine through the power and marketing decisions made by a multi-billion dollar industry based on a consumer's "need" for dental health and aesthetics.
- Name: Laurence Fu
ReplyDelete- Object: Flag
- Visual Description of Object: The standard flag is a 3 foot by 5 foot piece of fabric that is dyed with a large range of colors depending on the flag that is designed to either to signal or to represent something with symbolism.
- How do you plan to analyze your object?
I was thinking of maybe looking through the history of how a flag design came to be, and the reaction to the designs of each iteration. I really want to talk about the failures that did not become official flags, or the flags that are bad but still became the official flags.
- Article Inspiration: I like the gas refrigerator article from reading, mostly because I really like things that have "failed," and would like to talk about flags in the same way,
-Research Challenges: There is a lot of info about flags, and most are not about the history of a flag, but more of a passing reference to a flag, instead of an in depth look at flags, meaning I have to look really hard to find something that talks about flags extensively, which I haven't found yet.
- Flags are everywhere, and everywhere has a flag. Every country, every state, major cities, all these places have flags. And every flag is different, as they all symbolize different things, things that speak to these huge cities, huge states, huge countries. Flags have different colors, different manufacturers, different designs, some even have different shape than the standard rectangle. How do people decide what one image represents them as a whole? Do people even decide, or are manufacturers and leaders who decide the flag? Where do the flags that don't become flags go? Today I hope to answer these questions as we look at flag history, flag design, and flag production, and get a better understanding on why flags are so great.
Name: Lauren Tropio
ReplyDeleteObject: Tiffany & Co. Engagement Ring
Visual Description of Object: Usually comes in silver, but there is the option of a gold engagement ring. The design, shape, and diamond size all varies based on how much one is willing to spend. Diamonds can be square or circular, there also may be multiple diamonds surrounding or alongside typically a major one. You can get the item engraved too with a message or initials.
How do you plan to analyze your object? I plan on analyzing my object historically because Tiffany's has been apparent in the jewelry industry for such an extensive amount of time. Dating back to 1837, Charles Lewis Tiffany with partner John B Young, came up with the jewelry store Tiffany & Co. in New York City. The purpose of the startup was to adopt an American style in order to move away from the obsession with the Victorian Era approaches to jewelry.
What article (please name the author and title of the article) from your course reading reflects a style of writing or analytic approach that you would like to use in writing about your own object?
So far in our course the articles about "Eames Chairs: A 30-Year Flash" by Eames Demetrius and the rest that followed this piece is kind of how I plan to pursue writing about my object. I think it is informative, easy to read, and gets the main message across about how far Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen had come to produce what we, today, see just about everywhere. Also, with how Tiffany wanted to get away from the Victorian approach to making jewelry, I thought it was interesting to see how far the ring has come today. There are major and minor changes, just like how the chair looks compared to back then.
- Describe your experience with your research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you? Have you found the articles you will be referencing in your paper? If so, what are they and what work are they doing? I have actually had few to no problems when researching my object. The actual Tiffany's website is very informative and gives a ton of history and background on the whole blue box aspect and the products themselves. The first website I have been exploring is: http://www.tiffany.com/WorldOfTiffany/TiffanyStory/Legacy/. Another one I have been referencing is: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/43/Tiffany-Co.html. The second website gives a very descriptive, step-by-step play out of how the company is where it is today and pretty much everything it took to get there. I loved the symbolism of the blue box, hence why I am so excited to look more into this object.
Please write a draft of your first paragraph here. Even if you have not yet written this, please use this as a space to play with the opening paragraph.
All it takes is one glimpse of a Tiffany blue box wrapped in a silky white ribbon to set a girl's heart beating out of their chest. This trademark that Tiffany & Co. is known for encases jewelry of all sorts, but definitely means the most when it carries a shiny engagement ring. With only the money his father had given him to start up the emporium, and launched a store that would be world renowned for years to come. The way one can feel love, know they are loved, and can show love is through a ring that seals the deal, and this history behind Tiffany's is an indicator of how symbolic their rings are to a couple head-over-heels. Charles Tiffany, inventor of the lavish business, put a whole new definition behind the "the L word", and shaped the jewelry market as many know it today.
Name: Eva Vivanco-Valdivia
ReplyDeleteObject: Swimsuit/Bikini
Visual Description of Object: water-proof/resistant fabric that is used to cover sensitive areas on the body for recreational water activities (e.g. swimming, surfing) and/or sun bathing
How do you plan to analyze your object? [what style do you use in writing about your object]:
I plan on taking a more historic approach on my research paper. I feel as if I talked about the history and evolution of swimsuits then people will be able to better understand how swimsuits affect the way that society thinks about women, think about what is appropriate, etc.
What article from your course reading reflects a style of writing or analytic approach that you would like to use in writing about your own object?
The article that reflects the style of writing approach that I would like to use for my research paper is Frank Browning's "Apples" article. The way that Browning historically explains the origins and process in which apples have endured over the years is what I would like to explain the swimsuit/bikini.
Describe your experience with research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you?
So far, my research on swimsuits has been easy when looking for the history. It has been more challenging when looking for articles that contribute to how swimsuits have affected American economy or relations. If I do find some articles, they only briefly discuss the topic and go back to the history. Overall, I have enough information on the history and evolution of swimsuits but still need to research more on effects that swimsuits have had.
Please write a draft of your first paragraph:
As the days get hot, beaches and pools become crowded with people in their swimsuits enjoying the sun. Swimsuits evolved from long full coverage bathing suits to minimal-coverage bikinis. As these swimsuits evolved, the way that Americans reflected what was appropriate and what wasn't changed as well. In order to understand how swimsuits have affected American culture and contributed to the economy, I will be gathering historic information and analyzing the evolution of swimsuits.
- Name: Melanie Callahan
ReplyDelete- Object: Baseball Glove
- Visual Description of Object:
Baseball gloves are made of leather (mostly cowhides) as well as some plastic and velcro, depending on the style. They have strings that are also made out of leather and can come in various different colors, again depending on the preference of the player, however, most gloves are shades of brown, black, or beige. Baseball gloves look like exaggerated normal gloves, as they have a webbing that connects the elongated fingers.
- How do you plan to analyze your object?
I plan to focus on the changes in the the design and function of the baseball glove throughout the years. I will first focus on the origins of the baseball glove and why it came about. Afterwards, I will continue chronologically and analyze the different stages of the baseball glove and why the glove progressed from one stage in its life to the next. Overall, I plan to focus on the aesthetic changes of the standard glove throughout the years and how the look of the glove influenced the effective use of the glove.
- What article (please name the author and title of the article) from your course reading reflects a style of writing or analytic approach that you would like to use in writing about your own object?
In writing about my own object, I would like to follow a style similar to that of Claude Fischer in "America Calling: A Social History of the Telephone to 1940". Fischer does a good job of outlining the timeline of the Telephone and the significance of each chapter of the telephone. I want to follow a similar format, where I start at the origin of the baseball glove and work my way to the present, at each step analyzing the use and significance of the new change/style of the glove.
- Describe your experience with your research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you? Have you found the articles you will be referencing in your paper? If so, what are they and what work are they doing?
My research thus far has been going well. Some challenges that I have run into are finding scholarly articles that contain enough relevant information about the areas of the glove that I intend to analyze. I have been able to find a lot of patents, both for baseball gloves as well as for other baseball equipment, however it is not as easy to find articles specifically focused on the glove. I have found a couple of articles that provide a good amount of information, however they may not be the most scholarly of articles. In pushing forward with my research, I need to branch out in where I search while simultaneously narrowing down what I search.
- Please write a draft of your first paragraph here. Even if you have not yet written this, please use this as a space to play with the opening paragraph.
Baseball is America’s pastime. The love of baseball has been rooted in American culture since its creation in the 1800s. Baseball brings millions of people together, both because of the love of watching and because of the love of playing. The first piece of equipment needed to play this universal sport is a glove. The baseball glove is an integral part of the sport and baseball would not be the huge success it is today without the innovation that was the baseball glove. The baseball glove has undergone major changes since its inception into the game, each change having a significant impact on the game itself. In this paper, I will analyze the changes the baseball glove has undergone in its lifetime and how those changes have impacted the sport of baseball.
- Name: Sean Rose
ReplyDelete- Object: Soccer Ball
- Visual Description of Object: The soccer ball has a circumference of 27 to 28 inches and is made of synthetic leather sewed around the latex bladder or Butyl bladder.
- How do you plan to analyze your object? I plan on writing about how the soccer ball has developed over time and the influence it has on cultures.
- What article (please name the author and title of the article) from your course reading reflects a style of writing or analytic approach that you would like to use in writing about your own object? The article “America CAlling:A social History of the telephone to 1940” by Claude Fischer shows the times a phone was developed and the progression, this is how I want to show the progression and development of the soccer ball.
- Describe your experience with your research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you? Have you found the articles you will be referencing in your paper? If so, what are they and what work are they doing?
I am having trouble relating how the culture ties into the production of the soccer ball. I have found an article “Why Are Soccer Balls Made of Hexagons?” by Erik Van Rheenen has helped me see how the soccer ball has been developed. Rheenen has shown me the history of the soccer ball.
- Please write a draft of your first paragraph here. Even if you have not yet written this, please use this as a space to play with the opening paragraph.
From kicking pig and cow bladders from one city to the next in the early 1800’s too kicking a ball in the back of a net, the soccer ball has came a long way. In 1855 Charles Goodyear designed the first vulcanized rubber soccer ball allowing pigs and cows to keep their bladders. This changed how people looked at the game where they just kicked an animal's bladder from one city to the others to get a point, people became passionate and showed their own creative flare with this new easier to control soccer ball. The soccer ball has developed from animal bladders to a beautiful object that allows people to show off their culture with just a round leather ball at their feet. To show how the soccer ball has developed into a way for one to express themselves and their culture I investigate how the soccer ball was improved through the advancement of rubber and leather.
Taylor Parker
ReplyDelete913935343
AMS 21 Discussion Week 6
7 May 2018
The Kitchen Aid Mixer
Modern Kitchen Aid mixers have a sleek, coated metal frame, a stainless steel bowl, and numerous mechanical attachments to perform a wide variety of tasks. Their simple, smooth, and compact mechanical design enhances the mixer’s desirability to consumers. Kitchen Aid mixers intended for home and small commercial use have mixing bowl sizes that range from three to six quarts and are designed to either raise and lower the bowl or lift the mixing tool from the bowl. The design of these mixers have stood the test of time as they as is has been seemingly unchanged since the 1930’s. Today, the mixers come in all colors of the rainbow and consumers are able to personalize their mixer beyond the already existing option to purchase a mixer in any color of the rainbow.
I plan to analyze how Kitchen Aid mixers relate to gender roles, craft, and modernism similarly to how Pat Kirkham discussed those very topics in connection to Charles and Ray Eames in “Humanizing Modernism: the Crafts, ‘Functioning Decoration’ and the Eameses”. In doing so I plan to take more of a historical approach. The production, early advertisements, and sales of early kitchen aid mixers portrays a rich history of the role of women in society. Also, the production of Kitchen Aid mixers became possible due to the new technological advancements that became common in the early 19th century, such as casting metal in mass production and the rise of aluminum and electricity in the American home. The Kirkham article dives deep into the history of the Eames and how their revolutionary ideas affected society while empowering women and valuing the transition into mass production. I would like to write in a similar style.
The main challenge that I have faced so far is that it has been harder to find useful articles and original advertisements in common databases, such as Jstor, Lexisnexis, and ProQuest. I have found far more useful and informative information in other sources. Kitchen Aid mixers are not exactly an overly popular topic, so I have not found an abundance of material to work with, but I have found 4 or 5 very useful articles and documents. Such articles that include original Kitchen Aid ads and timelines of the production and early sales of the home mixers that I will use include “KitchenAid.” History of KitchenAid and “We're All About It: How My KitchenAid Stand Mixer Made Me a Better Cook.”
First Paragraph Draft:
The turn of the 20th century introduced electricity and new methods of metal manufacturing into American society. With the revolutionary technology society and forward modern thinkers such as the Hobart Manufacturing Company sought to simplify daily tasks and spread modern engineering designs. The Model K Kitchen Aid mixer designed by the Hobart Corporation rose to popularity in the early 1930’s and has retained a hold in society to this day. Kitchen Aid mixers spread modern ideals, became a part of the image of the “American Dream” in homes across the country, and challenged the role of women in society, truly making this object revolutionary to society.
- Name: Negin Khalili
ReplyDelete- Object: The pencil
- Visual Description of Object: Typically yellow wooden body, graphite tip that can be sharpened, pink eraser attached to end. Commonly found in a classic classroom setting.
- How do you plan to analyze your object?
I plan to begin my analytical approach by first discussing the history of the graphite pencil, then delving into its mass production and implementation into the classroom environment. I want to wrap up my thoughts by comparing and contrasting the graphite pencil to newer models like the mechanical pencil and the iPencil. A combination of historical and artistic analysis will help me get my points across.
- What article (please name the author and title of the article) from your course reading reflects a style of writing or analytic approach that you would like to use in writing about your own object?
Amy Stewart’s “Flower Power” stuck with me the most, because her writing style and story-telling flow get the information across while keeping the reader’s attention. I would like to use her and her article as my writing inspiration.
- Describe your experience with your research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you? Have you found the articles you will be referencing in your paper? If so, what are they and what work are they doing?
So far, the research is going well. Finding historical context for the graphite pencil was relatively easy, as there was a lot of information on the “first pencil” (AKA the Roman stylus), as well as the discovery of graphite in Europe. The trouble will rise when it comes to finding information on the mass use of pencils in classrooms, because I feel like that’s a relatively broad timeframe. Finding information on the production of mechanical pencils/iPencils will also be difficult because it’ll add more time consuming research. As of right now, my biggest concern is choosing/finding which AMS articles I’ll be referencing in my paper.
- Please write a draft of your first paragraph here. Even if you have not yet written this, please use this as a space to play with the opening paragraph.
As college students, our everyday lives are filled with material objects. We carry our laptops in our backpacks, ride our bikes throughout campus, and buy iced coffees with every other meal. While these objects may be of blatant importance to us, there are other objects that might not get such recognition, even though they are so impactful to our educational careers. The pencil is so prevalent to student life, but it often gets overlooked due to its overly-common presence. From the Roman stylus to the iPencil, pencils have changed throughout history and still remain important to the arts of writing and drawing. The analyze the importance and significance of the pencil, I delve into the history of the pencil’s creation and its mass production, taking into account the impact it has left on our lives and those before us.
Name: Sebastian Coronel
ReplyDeleteObject: The Hoodie
Visual Description of Object: The hoodie is made using different materials, typically of cotton, and features a wearable hood that can be worn over the head. Hoodies come in various designs and come with other components such as a drawstring to adjust its fit and a front pocket for the hands.
How do you plan to analyze your object? I plan to analyse my object by discussing both its history and production method. With regard to its history, I will explore how the symbol of the hoodie has evolved throughout the years. And for production, I will explore how the hoodie goes through its different stages of production.
What article (please name the author and title of the article) from your course reading reflects a style of writing or analytic approach that you would like to use in writing about your own object? I plan to pattern my writing style to that of Amy Stewart’s. In her article called Flower Power, Stewart is able to express her ideas in a clear and concise manner. Her points of discussion are organised and can easily be followed by the reader. I hope to achieve this in my paper.
Describe your experience with your research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you? Have you found the articles you will be referencing in your paper? If so, what are they and what work are they doing? The challenge that Ive encountered so far while doing research on this piece of clothing is the limited resources explaining its history and use in times earlier than the 1900s. It is for this reason that I will focus more on its role and presence starting the 1930s. I believe that doing so will allow me to delve into the object with more depth rather than only touching a few points with a larger time period. Most of the research that I have done in the aspect of the hoodies production, more specifically with cotton, is limited to videos that I watch from time to time. I plan to do more intensive research to know more about the object in the coming days.
Please write a draft of your first paragraph here. Even if you have not yet written this, please use this as a space to play with the opening paragraph: Today, the popularity of the hoodie has increased massively in that it is now worn by people from different cultural backgrounds around the world. It is something that has become part of our everyday wear and can be seen as something that is common. Interestingly, the hoodie has a rich history and its portrayal has evolved for the past three thousand years. From being once associated with mysteriousness and darkness as seen in legends, the hoodie which undergoes a process that involves multiple stages of design and skillful labor, has progressed to become a symbol of labor, isolation, sports, and to what it is now — a fashion statement and even an indication of upper class status.
- Name: Yongqian He
ReplyDelete- Object: Toilet
- Visual Description of Object: a fixed receptacle into which a person may urinate or defecate, typically consisting of a large bowl connected to a system for flushing away the waste into a sewer or septic tank.
- How do you plan to analyze your object?
[i.e. what style do you use in writing about your object? what analytic approaches do you take (historic, aesthetic/artistic, discursive/textual)?]
I'm going to write my paper in historic context like in time order. by the describing how toilet changes every year since it was invented. Most information will be in how the changes made each year influence how many people are going to purchase in early eras, then I will discuss how people satisfied toilets when every household has toilet at home in later time.
-What article (please name the author and title of the article) from your course reading reflects a style of writing or analytic approach that you would like to use in writing about your own object?
[i.e. what article inspires you through writing style, method or methodological approach, etc.?]
Claude S. Fischer, America Calling: A Social History of the Telephone to 1940, 33-59.
This article inspires me how the author approaches its topic, it’s the same approach I was thinking, it will make the reader easier to understand how the topic changes over time.
- Describe your experience with your research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you? Have you found the articles you will be referencing in your paper? If so, what are they and what work are they doing?
I haven’t decided what article I’m going to use. As I was doing my research, I found many different understandings of when was the first toilet that people can actually sit on, I’m still trying to find which article has correct information.
- Please write a draft of your first paragraph here. Even if you have not yet written this, please use this as a space to play with the opening paragraph.
** The first paragraph includes: a first sentence that hooks the reader, naming the object right away, providing a little background on what the object is, perhaps some pertinent general and introductory writing on the object, and finally a thesis or argument statement that comes at the end of the first paragraph. The thesis is where you present how and in what ways you will analyze your object. You can use the first person in this paper, as YOU are the one crafting the argument of this paper and it is coming from your own ideas and research.
Through the human’s history. There are many important inventions, as I consider, the importance of toilet is significant, but it’s normally ignored by people. There was an article that really opened my mind when I read it, it gives me an idea that I’ve never thought before. The old inventions VS the new inventions. If human being must give up one thing either its your smartphone/laptop or the lamp bulb/Toilet. What would you choose? We don’t have to mention that either of these products are very important to modernist. From my perspective, I will give up my smartphone instead of toilet. I can’t imagine a world without toilet, people need to go to outside for literally “answer the call of nature”. How inconvenient is that? In my research paper, I will investigate how the toilet changed people’s life in historical order and how did people change toilet to meet their demand.
Name: Hunter Scriven
ReplyDelete- Object: The Snowboard
- Visual Description of Object: The snowboard is basically a rounded-off rectangle of lightweight but sturdy wood that is waxed on the bottom to minimize drag as it glides across the snow. The bottom is almost always decorated with creative and unique designs that attract people to certain snowboards. On the top, there are footholds called bindings. This is where the rider puts his booted feet in and tightens the straps in order to remain secure on the board and get as much feel when riding as possible. The edges of the board are sharpened so as to cut into the snow and make turning as easy as possible.
- How do you plan to analyze your object?
[i.e. what style do you use in writing about your object? what analytic approaches do you take (historic, aesthetic/artistic, discursive/textual)?]
I plan on analyzing my object through a historical lense, focusing on the invention and history of the snowboard and then moving on to the different forms it takes in modern times. I plan on emphasizing that the snowboard grew in popularity insanely quickly compared to other winter sports. Also, I will make a point of analyzing the hatred that grew between skiers and snowboarders in the early days of it's soaring popularity. From an aesthetic viewpoint, I will analyze how the designs of snowboards have grown to become more extravagant and bizarre to reflect a changing culture among snowboarders.
- What article (please name the author and title of the article) from your course reading reflects a style of writing or analytic approach that you would like to use in writing about your own object?
[i.e. what article inspires you through writing style, method or methodological approach, etc.?]
I enjoyed the article "America Calling: A Social History of the Telephone to 1940" by Claude Fischer because it was extremely informative and was a good model for how I want to go about writing my essay in an efficient way.
- Describe your experience with your research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you? Have you found the articles you will be referencing in your paper? If so, what are they and what work are they doing?
So far my research has been going extremely well. I have found a wide array of websites that have a very detailed history of the snowboard and they all are matching up with each other. I have found a few articles that I will be referencing in my paper that basically outline the evolution of the snowboard from its creation all the way to the modern model that Is used. Also I have found a very cool video that looks at the life of Jake Burton, the founder of Burton Snowboards, which is widely considered one of the best snowboard companies in the world
- Please write a draft of your first paragraph here.
More and more people every year are beginning to know the amazing feeling of carving through a perfect, pillowy pocket of snow on their very own highly-engineered snowboard. In fact, in recent years the snowboard has become the top choice among children and teenagers just starting to navigate the slopes, and is now widely accepted at almost all of the ski resorts in the world. But this has not always been the case. The snowboard had a rocky start and almost didn't make it past the earliest stages of its development, let alone into the hearts of the masses. However, now snowboarders are thriving with all of the new innovation and creativity that the sport offers, and the world of winter sports is that much better for it. To really understand how the snowboard became loved by so many and how it influenced an entirely new form of culture in the world of winter sports, I will delve into it's history from the first idea of its creation up to the masterpieces that are produced today, and also examine how the leaders of the sport of snowboarding have made this object into something truly amazing.
- Name: Christian Wong
ReplyDelete- Object: Blanket
- Visual Description of Object: A squarish shaped cloth made up of soft heavy material like cotton.
- How do you plan to analyze your object?
[i.e. what style do you use in writing about your object? what analytic approaches do you take (historic, aesthetic/artistic, discursive/textual)?]
I was planning to use the historical approach towards my object, and analyze how it has changed from animal furs and rough cloth into the fine soft blankets that we have today.
- What article (please name the author and title of the article) from your course reading reflects a style of writing or analytic approach that you would like to use in writing about your own object?
[i.e. what article inspires you through writing style, method or methodological approach, etc.?]
The article of the telephone, the introduction of new inventions and placing world context to it, then explaining the inner workings seems to match my approach the most.
- Describe your experience with your research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you? Have you found the articles you will be referencing in your paper? If so, what are they and what work are they doing?
My research so far has been a bit slow still, the main challenge I have right now is finding articles to fit my purpose.
- Please write a draft of your first paragraph here. Even if you have not yet written this, please use this as a space to play with the opening paragraph.
** The first paragraph includes: a first sentence that hooks the reader, naming the object right away, providing a little background on what the object is, perhaps some pertinent general and introductory writing on the object, and finally a thesis or argument statement that comes at the end of the first paragraph. The thesis is where you present how and in what ways you will analyze your object. You can use the first person in this paper, as YOU are the one crafting the argument of this paper and it is coming from your own ideas and research.
Every day people all across the world wrap themselves up in soft fuzzy blankets and sleep happily until the next morning. Although blankets are seemingly ordinary, we are blessed by the fact that they are very different from the distant past. To learn more about these everyday objects, I analyze the history of these objects that we feel every night, from the past, to present and perhaps the future of the blanket.
Name: Ryan Tjoa
ReplyDelete- Object: Dumbbell
- Visual Description of Object: Metal handle with one round or hexagon piece of metal attached on each side. Sometimes these pieces are covered in rubber or neoprene.
- How do you plan to analyze your object?
I plan on analyzing the history of the dumbbell and for what purpose it was originally made for. I will also analyze the material and shape the dumbbell took and the original name. I will then get into the evolution of it and how it developed different shapes and materials used when manufacturing it, and how it made its way into mass production and put in every commercial gym.
- What article (please name the author and title of the article) from your course reading reflects a style of writing or analytic approach that you would like to use in writing about your own object?
I will likely try to emulate the writing style of Frank Browning, author of “Apples”. He talks about the long history of apples and how it evolved into what we have today, and I also want to do this but with the dumbbell.
- Describe your experience with your research so far? How is it going? What challenges are coming up for you? Have you found the articles you will be referencing in your paper? If so, what are they and what work are they doing?
So far my research is alright. I have found a few websites talking about the history of the dumbbell and all the facts add up, however I am worried I may not be able to find enough stuff to fill up the page count. I have not found the exact articles I will be referencing, however I have a few in mind. I am also having a hard time finding research on the shift from how it was used in Ancient Greece to being used by every commercial gym user.
- Please write a draft of your first paragraph here.
How many times have you visited a gym and seen dumbbells around? All the time. The dumbbell is a staple of every gym; however, it was originally created for athletes in Ancient Greece with the intent to get stronger in sport events. I will talk about the origins and evolution of the dumbbell and how it was mass produced. I will further investigate how it spread from specifically being used by professional athletes to being used by every gym-goer, becoming a staple in the fitness industry.