Since the 1980’s there has been a noted shift in how people are encouraged to consider the political and social world. Where once collective action was the dominant mode of considering how social change occurs, in today’s neoliberal context, the market – as opposed to organized labour politics – is now the dominant forum to express social concern. Buy brand A over brand B. Shop at store X over store Y. As we have explored in the course, many scholars have argued that this type of individualized thinking imposes significant limits on the ability to address collective action problems like climate change and the ecological crisis. In this context we are also compelled to consider what it means for the future of politics when social identities, causes and issues are marketable commodities.
Choose one of the following topics:
1) In response to mounting social and environmental concerns, corporations, and advertisers have taken up this political space to offer commodity solutions to commodity problems. Appealing to our desires for a more ecologically just and environmentally responsible world, the brandscape is awash with appeals to our climate-conscious selves.
In this essay you will explore the promotions of a fossil fuel energy company or a pro fossil fuel energy group/lobby in Canada (*not the promotions from the McCurdy reading. You can definitley use/cite the McCurdy reading, but do not duplicate their analysis). Using 3-5 promotional examples, consider some of the following questions: What sort of story do they tell about their product? How do they articulate fossil fuels as a social good? In what ways does the company or group express the positive aspects of their product or cause? How do they attempt to resolve the tensions/contradictions between carbon pollution and the ecological implications of fossil fuel extraction through the frame of the ad?
2) Sarah Banet-Weiser’s work on consumer citizenship begins with a compelling question: what does it mean to be an activist in a world where social identities and social activism are promotional commodities? In this essay consider how this provocation applies to the current discussion and representation of the Black Lives Matter movement. Using 3-5 contemporary advertisements, explore the tensions, contradictions, and ambivalence of branded activism and corporate endorsements of #BLM.
3) In the wake of Covid-19, companies and advertisers around the world have responded en-masse with appeals of social solidarity, mutual aid, and signifiers of individual, collective, and corporate compassion. How does a discussion of branded activism help us understand the underlying logic of these appeals? What are the ideological implications? Make your argument using 3-5 ads.

• The paper is short and therefore an economy of prose is essential. You cannot put every course idea into this paper. Best to master 2-3 concepts and apply them succinctly to a promotional text. The paper must have a minimum of 7 academic sources, 5 of which must come from the course. Ideas from these sources must be clearly expressed, cited, and articulated in the essay.
  Length: approximately 5 pages (double-spaced, 1-inch margins, standard font, not including title page, etc.)

*Additional issues to consider when preparing your final short paper include:
• Introduction: All essays should have an introduction which serves three functions: first, describe your topic as clearly and precisely as possible; second, offer a concise thesis statement and third, provide a brief ‘roadmap’ of the major components of your essay as a guide for your reader.
• Development of structure: All essays should have a developmental logic: in other words, there should be a continuity or logical relationship between paragraphs and major sections.
• Paragraphs: Each paragraph should be coherently organized around a single theme or idea, rather than an arbitrary collection of disconnected sentences. Paragraph length may vary widely ranging from 4-5 sentences to over a page.
• Visual Aids: visual components and exhibits can be an invaluable part of persuasion and are often overlooked in student writing.